Halfway!

Whoa, where is the time going? I feel like I am just getting the hang of things here and in a couple of weeks I will be getting ready to leave. I'm thankful that learning the names of the locals, understanding the way they speak, and building relationships are starting to pick up. The kids especially grab at my heart. Today, Lucy and I were sitting out on the porch and they just swarmed around, playing with our hair and later we played "go fish." This weekend has been fun - we've been taking care of Batina's 2 1/2 year old, Angelina. She's not exactly Angelic, however, she is absolutely adorable and we all love her. Now she is back with Batina, who is starting to recover from her hemorrhaging episode, thankfully.

Friday at the clinic we had another small emergency when a girl came in who had slammed the tip of her finger off in the door. We treated her and all is well, as she comes in regularly to have her dressings changed. Also on Friday, Alisa taught me how to start an IV. Have I been successful yet? Well, no. After sticking Alisa 4 times (what an encourager and brave soul she is), I decided to give up for the day. I can hit the vein alright, but, when it comes to threading the plastic catheter into the vein I struggle. Then I tried to start one on myself and that was far less than victorious (especially since I have such torturous veins in my left arm from a Vascular Malformation). I was so discouraged but am starting to grow in confidence. I know it is not a good indicator of how good of a nurse I am, but, it is a skill that I really want to learn how to do well because patients aren't exactly forgiving when you're poking them with needles. And funny thing, I've heard people say, "he/she's a good nurse" or "she's a bad nurse" based solely on how well they do with needles. What they don't know is that I'm probably more scared to poke them than they are to get an injection! :) I'm trying to get over that...

Saturday we went on a jungle hike over to the red cliffs, which resemble cliffs from the movie Cutthroat Island, I believe. It's hard to describe just how magnificent they are. I still can't get over how clear the Carribean Sea is and how the beach is just teeming with life. Even the smallest of shells will have something moving it around. I'm glad to see that there are still gorgeous places in the world that haven't been made commercial, that can still exist in all of their untainted splendor. God really gets my attention when faced with such beauty. How creative He is!

Today was a really fun day! We went to a resort-type place in Roatan called Parrot Tree. Some missionaries from Tampa, Greg and Angela, planted a church there and it was their last Sunday after 6 years. They were called 6 years ago to minister to ex-pats living at Parrot Tree. I met a lady from Romania that told me to check into VIMM (Volunteers in Medical Missions) because they go all over the world and are continually needing nurses. (Don't worry, Mom, I am slowing down for a few years). There were few dry eyes in the church as they were saying their goodbyes. Greg preached from Ezra about God's enduring love. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is GOOD, His faithful LOVE endures forever. Today we have also welcomed in 1 individual, Erin, a schoolteacher from Spokane and 2 couples, Rock & Janis and Lenny & Cindy. They are all from the motherland, Washington. It's funny how many Washingtonians come in and out of this place. It's fun to have more people around, especially since we had to let go of Sheila friday because she's settling her daughter, Susanna, into college. Rock & Janis, as well as Erin, will be going to Seattle on the same flight that I am flying on August 26th. That will be fun. I have a feeling these next 3 weeks are going to fly by even faster than the first 3. Lucy is here for one more week and is one of the most gentle and encouraging people. It's fun to have the SPU connection with her (Janis also went to SPU). I went to night church and it was funny because partway through all of the power shut off and it was completely dark. The pastor preached on anyway! I want to seize every moment of the rest of the time I am here.