This would be my 3rd attempt at updating you on the belizean happenings. The first novel I wrote was cut off when the power went out for 3 hours. So I tried again a couple days later and wrote an even longer novel, and when I pushed "Publish Post" I lost everything because the internet was shutoff upstairs.
So I'm trying again now. First off... to update you on Miss Mary. She is doing much better than the last time you heard. She is sitting up, talking, carrying on coherent conversations, etc, but is still in the ICU. She needs to have surgery, but it's very expensive, and they need the money upfront to have the surgery done. Another problem is that the technology and skill is not here in Belize, so she is going to be taken to the states by Helivac to have the surgery done. The surgery can be done here in the case of an emergency, but it would be done by satellite, and personally... I would prefer surgery done by someone who knows what they are doing and not by satellite... but that's just me. I don't know how much the surgery or Helivac costs, or where she will be having the surgery done. There has also been talk of sending her to Guatemala City for the surgery, but she has family in the states.
My time here has gone by SOO fast!!!! Last night after church 5 of the kids talked me into playing monoploy with them... It was the most intense game 5 hour game of monoploy I have ever played. every piece of property that is allowed to have houses or hotels, had them. Every hotel was on the board... including on Boardwalk and Park Place. Luckily I never landed on either of them!!!
I have also realized... that since January , 2008, I have been at my house in Redfield, IA all of 11 days. I was in Belize longer in January than I have been at home. Just a random thought for the day.
Since school has ended for both the high school and primary school, some of the kids are going home for the summer. This past weekend, 3 of my favorite boys left to go back to their mom in Guatemala. It's great that they get to spend time with her since they live here for the rest of the year, but they are such sweet kids it makes me sad that they had to leave!!! :(
Then it reminds me that my time here is coming to an end... for now... but I will be back!!! Sorry mom, I just like it too much here... i'm kind of attached.
But I need to be getting off the computer, so I will hopefully get on sooner. I definitely wrote longer novels the last 2 times I tried this.
Some Prayer requests to keep in mind:
Miss Mary- that the proper funds are raised so she can get the care she needs
Belize Faith Missions- (combination of the Church, high school, primary school, and children's home) is going through seriously financial problems right now and the children's home is in danger of being shut down, leaving several children without a place to live.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
The Past Week
Greetings!!! This past week has flown by, actually, the past 5 weeks have flown by!!! This was the last week of school at Western Christian Academy. A team from Tennessee came and lead everything, so we teachers didn't have much to do. :)
The children's home supervisor, Miss Kristy, left for vacation last Saturday and is coming back on Sunday, thus leaving me and Miss Mary, the cook, in charge of the children. I've been sleeping in the girl's dorm playing mom. It's been a lot of fun actually :)
I also have a prayer request. Yesterday, Miss Mary, some of the children, and several other ladies from the community were all going to a funeral. They were waiting by the car waiting for Miss Mary to come down so they could leave and she was taking a very long time. So Shanice went up to see if she was ready and found Miss Mary sitting in the Chair in the living room, unconscious with foam coming out of her mouth. (The EMS system here is not what we are used to in the states and takes at least 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, and that's on a good day. Generally it takes closer to 1 1/2-2 hours for them to get there.) So Miss Mary was brought to the hospital in Belmopan, which is about a 1/2 hour away. Once they got to the hospital she did regain consciousness, but, wasn't very responsive to her surroundings. She was then taken by ambulance to Belize City (an hour away) so that she could get a ct scan. Miss Mary had a TIA (mini-stroke) and was bleeding in her brain. She has been transferred to another hospital that is a little more affordable, but this whole ordeal is going to be very expensive. She is now doing much better, she is awake and talking to people. She will be in the ICU for the next 48 hours, then reassess what will be down after that.
Since she and I were in charge, I am all alone with 23 children. But they have been no trouble at all :)
I hope all of my Iowa readers have not been washed away... I keep updated on the flooding from the news here!!! Stay dry!!
The children's home supervisor, Miss Kristy, left for vacation last Saturday and is coming back on Sunday, thus leaving me and Miss Mary, the cook, in charge of the children. I've been sleeping in the girl's dorm playing mom. It's been a lot of fun actually :)
I also have a prayer request. Yesterday, Miss Mary, some of the children, and several other ladies from the community were all going to a funeral. They were waiting by the car waiting for Miss Mary to come down so they could leave and she was taking a very long time. So Shanice went up to see if she was ready and found Miss Mary sitting in the Chair in the living room, unconscious with foam coming out of her mouth. (The EMS system here is not what we are used to in the states and takes at least 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive, and that's on a good day. Generally it takes closer to 1 1/2-2 hours for them to get there.) So Miss Mary was brought to the hospital in Belmopan, which is about a 1/2 hour away. Once they got to the hospital she did regain consciousness, but, wasn't very responsive to her surroundings. She was then taken by ambulance to Belize City (an hour away) so that she could get a ct scan. Miss Mary had a TIA (mini-stroke) and was bleeding in her brain. She has been transferred to another hospital that is a little more affordable, but this whole ordeal is going to be very expensive. She is now doing much better, she is awake and talking to people. She will be in the ICU for the next 48 hours, then reassess what will be down after that.
Since she and I were in charge, I am all alone with 23 children. But they have been no trouble at all :)
I hope all of my Iowa readers have not been washed away... I keep updated on the flooding from the news here!!! Stay dry!!
Friday, June 13, 2008
The South
A medical team from Mississippi came this past Tuesday, so I have been working with them the past few days. We for the past 3 days we went to southern Belize where there were fatalities from the flooding as a result of Arthur. On Wednesday, we mostly drove around and looked at flood damage and then we went to a pre-school for a clinic. It was originally supposed to only for the 27 students there, but then members of the community started coming in and we saw 70 patients. Thursday we took over the clinic in Pomona and saw 207 patients. We even had to turn 10 people away because 1, it was already almost 2 hours after we said we were closing, and we were running out of medication. One of the most memorable patients was a 3 year old who had been seperated from his family during the flood, and he somehow managed to hold onto a tree for at least 5 hours before he was found. Today we went to a primary school for a clinic and we saw 205 patients. This school had 3 students killed in the flood.
It has been a great experience working with this medical team. I have primarily been taking blood pressures, but I also have been one of the primary translators in the clinics as well which has been fun :)
I think that is all for now!!!
It has been a great experience working with this medical team. I have primarily been taking blood pressures, but I also have been one of the primary translators in the clinics as well which has been fun :)
I think that is all for now!!!
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Mexican Adventure & Tropical Storm Arthur
Catelina and I decided Saturday night that we weren't going to go to bed before we left for our little trip... so we stayed up :) I woke up at about 6:30 Saturday morning, and figured I would sleep some on the bus on the way. Alas, I did not. I did not sleep until got home at about 9:30 last night. Between Catz, Blanca, Brian and I... everything was funny.
Besides the continuation of rain, it was a fun trip. As we got to the border, Brian and Herman decided it would be fun if I got a new pair of shiny silver bracelets and kept telling me that I wasn't going to make it through, especially since I had to go through so many check points. But then they also said they would come bail me out. I got many strange looks as I traveled with 50 Belizeans :)
Because it was still raining, we didn't go to the beach in Bachalor, just to the market for about an hour, then the mall for the next several hours. Everything in Mexico is much cheaper than here in Belize, so everyone was stalking up on just about everything that they could get across the border. I spent most of the day with Ms. Barbra, Pastor Tate's wife, and Brian. I thought it was kinda funny that I was the translator for them in the market, the restaurant, the taxi, and shopping.
Back in the US, I never think to much about driving in a steady rain at night. But here, those are the worst driving conditions you can imagine. The roads are not in the greatest conditions, and when they get wet they are super slippery. Add to that 3 1/2 days worth of rain. You get a LOT of water. Every few miles there would be water running across the road. By this morning, much of Belize had major flood damage. Luckily, where I live has not had the flooding like most of the rest of Belize. Here's a link to a news channel here to see some pictures: http://www.lovetv.com.bz/news.htm
Because of all the flooding, there has been a nationwide school cancellation until further notice. School was dismissed at 9am today, and all of the teachers stayed and wrote our final exams, so I didn't get home too early, but earlier than normal.
I believe that is all for now!!
Besides the continuation of rain, it was a fun trip. As we got to the border, Brian and Herman decided it would be fun if I got a new pair of shiny silver bracelets and kept telling me that I wasn't going to make it through, especially since I had to go through so many check points. But then they also said they would come bail me out. I got many strange looks as I traveled with 50 Belizeans :)
Because it was still raining, we didn't go to the beach in Bachalor, just to the market for about an hour, then the mall for the next several hours. Everything in Mexico is much cheaper than here in Belize, so everyone was stalking up on just about everything that they could get across the border. I spent most of the day with Ms. Barbra, Pastor Tate's wife, and Brian. I thought it was kinda funny that I was the translator for them in the market, the restaurant, the taxi, and shopping.
Back in the US, I never think to much about driving in a steady rain at night. But here, those are the worst driving conditions you can imagine. The roads are not in the greatest conditions, and when they get wet they are super slippery. Add to that 3 1/2 days worth of rain. You get a LOT of water. Every few miles there would be water running across the road. By this morning, much of Belize had major flood damage. Luckily, where I live has not had the flooding like most of the rest of Belize. Here's a link to a news channel here to see some pictures: http://www.lovetv.com.bz/news.htm
Because of all the flooding, there has been a nationwide school cancellation until further notice. School was dismissed at 9am today, and all of the teachers stayed and wrote our final exams, so I didn't get home too early, but earlier than normal.
I believe that is all for now!!
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