The Sky Wheel

When mom woke up this morning,she wanted to introduce a new product to dad............it was a hair and nail supplement!  He was game to try............

And look how quickly that it worked for him!!  The Mohawk Man!

It was chilly but we decided to go to the Sky Wheel in Myrtle Beach. It was opened in May of 2011 at 187 feet tall.

You are placed in an heated or air-conditioned chair and the door is closed. It runs for 10 minuted or three complete rounds.

Another great opportunity to try the new 300mm lens.

Too chilly for many people to be out on the beach.

Pretty coast-line.

Mom and dad enjoying the ride but not moving very much.

Mom decided to be the Queen of the Sky Wheel.

We could see our car parked in the street.

This warning caused dad from not wanting us to move around very much or open a door.

When it was all over, mom wanted to go around again

We exited exited through a store but did not buy anything.

Mom and dad in front of the Sky Wheel................what a beautiful day!

We found another seafood and flounder place to have lunch and then it was back to Trish's house to relax for the evening.

Finally in Myrtle Beach

My day of travel yesterday left a lot to be desired. I should have arrived at 10:00pm in North Myrtle Beach and I arrived several, several hours late. When the flight landed in Ft. Lauderdale, there were cheers and applause. I was just in a state of shock. The next flight was delayed for over 3 hours due to weather conditions. Not one of the15 flights was leaving out of Ft. Lauderdale on time. Once we boarded, we sat another 1.5 hours before we taxied out and then landed that time with our heads between or knees.

We finally arrived in Myrtle Beach about 2am. My friends Trish and Jerry offered us to stay at their beach house so it was a perfect location.  I was just ready for a shower and a warm bed.  Mom striking a pose for me on Wednesday morning.

Mom and dad looking at the GPS on how to get to Holden Beach.  We would go for lunch and a walk on a beach.

We enjoyed a lunch of shrimp and flounder and it was really good!  We then walked outside on the docks.

I did not see a boat or an RV for sale so I will not make any life-style changes today.

We drove over a bridge to Holden  Beach.  I had a chance to use my new 55-300 mm lens but have a lot to learn about it.

It was a pretty early evening drive.

Dad finding a way down to the beach.

It was pretty but also chilly.

No one else was around.  They were probably in their condos laughing at us :)

Sunset was pretty.

Dad decided that he was about ready to head back to the car.

I wanted to get out on the pier..................

Keep off!!!!

I could not make it past the signs but I tried!
Mom was already in the car and dad was getting it warm for her.

It was a fun day and we look forward to another one tomorrow!!

Night in Panajahel

I had a couple of difficult days in Chichi so I decided to head to Antigua a day early. It was almost time to leave to visit my parents in NC so I thought one more night would help.

The weather was nice and the traffic was easy to maneuver through.  I had a nice fish diner on the lake and then returned to my room to study.  I flew to Myrtle Beach early the next day.

Look out parents, here I come!!

Babies Almost Ready to Leave

I wanted to share one more photo from yesterday as we went walking.  This is close to the swinging bridge and some ladies were beating their clothes on the rocks. It was an adventure for many, and signifies so many things.

On Wednesday morning, all of the babies were stable so it was a good time to return to their homes. I was disappointed that not all of my babies were done but I fully understand why some of them need to wait until August.

This is Elizer.  He and Batman would probably enjoy being some place different.  He is a very good looking young man!

This is Randy and he is ready for his escape!!! There will be NO turning back for this young man!

This is Kenia when her parents arrived to take her home.  Please join me in prayer every day for this young girl that she does not contact an infection.

After dinner, we still had 32 consults left to do.  Drs. Roy, Mark and Neil jumped in with Cynthina and we saw them all.  There are not many things that I dislike more than turning away patients.

I want to emphasize that all we do during the week is for the glory of God  There is no other reason  that this work takes place.  Through these clinics, people come to know Christ and can see Him in a different light. Through us, He touches their hearts and minds.

Please pray for the group as they will travel to Antigua for one night and then return to the states.

Please be safe everyone and we look forward to seeing you next year!!

Babies are Doing Well

This morning, we had a little down time before the patients came our of surgery. This is Rita and Diane.  Rita is a missionary that lives in Antigua and comes to all of our surgical clinics.  Her husband, Kelly, always helps in the sterilization room. Diane use to live in Guatemala and continues to enjoy visiting.

This is Kenia. She was the first baby that was done yesterday and she is recovering well. Her mother is very pleased with her progress and we are also.

This is Eliezar and his mom after his morning bath.  He will be up and playing before too long.

This is Randy.  He was so rowdy after his surgery yesterday that he may sleep for a day or two.  Maybe his mom can get some rest :)

Before long, Kenia was up and playing.  She was toting her bear on her back as she has learned from the other Guatemalan ladies.

In the morning, some of us walked to a swinging bridge near the clinic.  It is something that most new people do.  It gives them an opportunity to get off the surgical site for a few minutes.  This is the 3rd time that I have gone in 9 years.  We passed some rubber trees and you can see the white rubber leaking down into the black bucket.  It always reminds me of Michigan and the sap from the trees.

In the afternoon, as the physicians made their late rounds, they found us playing, "Name That Artist".  Someone, usually Molly, would select a song and we would see who could be the first to name the artist.  It started with a few people but then as people came through, they decided to take a seat and play with us.
This is Dr. Roy and Dr. Neil and we decided they could not play anymore............they were too good!!

Then there was the group that wanted to sing the song but that was not the motive of the game.  Beth, Joy and Molly........jammin' on!!  I love Beth's microphone!!

Earlier in the day, we had a little a scare.  One patient,  Monica, started bleeding and the surgeons took her back to see if they could find the source of bleeding but all went well.  She received several pints of blood from us and looked better in the morning.

Goodnight all......for tomorrow will be another full day of service!!

First Full Day for the Babies

On Monday morning, everyone was prepared for surgery.  This is Kenia and Randy, playing with the balloons that Rick made for them.

Eliezer is enjoying his balloon.  Everyone is enjoying the moment before they know what will take place.

Once Randy received is surgical cap, he was not sure if he liked this game any longer.

Kenia was the first to go to the operating room  She got a little nervous but still continued to do well.

Kenia came out of the operating room in about 2 hours.  She was placed in her mom's arms and soon took her bottle.

 Kenia's surgery again is being sponsored by Kory.

Then Randy was the second baby out of the OR.  At first he was very quiet and calm and then later he was as unhappy as he could be.

We did everything that we could do to settle him down and finally, he tired himself out

Randy's surgery is being sponsored by Danny.  As soon as we could, we moved him back to his regular bed and that seemed to help.

The last one for the day was Eliezer.  His surgery is also being sponsored by Danny.  We continued to watch Eliezer until he woke up a little more.

Once he woke up, he was placed into his mother's arms.

All of the surgeries went very well.  No complications and everyone was happy.

We will continue to watch everyone for a day. If all goes well, everyone will be able to return home on Wednesday.

Many thanks to the physicians, nurses, OR staff and those who sponsored a surgery.  You can be assured that you have made a difference in someone's life!