February 15, 2008 El Cubulero, Alianza, Honduras

Today we were in El Cubulero, Alianza a small town in the Department of Valle in Honduras

We saw 140 patients and found 14 that need cataract surgery and 6 that need ptygerium surgeries.

Everyone is tired, three days in this heat is hard. But we are all happy! Many lives will be changed as a result of the eyeglasses and the surgeries.

February 14, 2008 Paso Hondo, Goascoran, Honduras

Today we were in Paso Hondo, Goascoran. Jose COBRA wanted to give his native pueblo a Valentines gift of eye exams. We saw 110 patients and found 13 that need cataract surgery and 10 that need ptygerium surgeries.

The people lined up and were thrilled to have a chance to get their eyes checked.

February 13, 2008 The Honduran Island of Amapala, Amapala

The lines outside the Red Cross waiting to be seen.
Jose loading the boat and the people!
Jose Manuel doing an eye exam.

Amapala, Amapala February 13, 2008 this is an island in the Pacific, actually in the Gulf of Fonseca. The only way to get there is by boat, however a bridge is planned. But if it arrives in typical Honduran time, I will be 100 years old!



Today we saw 170 patients with the eye exam team and we found 33 that need cataract surgery and 9 that need ptygerium surgeries.



Loading the equiptment on the boat was a blast. The stand by itself weights about 75 pounds. Imagine, the boat rocking, the guys huffing and puffing and the temp about 100 degrees.

Tim and Yvonne's Wedding and My First Wedding Cake!

I learned several things from this wedding cake!

* Start making flowers way in advance! I had over 200 work hours just in the flowers!

* The wire that is small enough to fit through small beads is not strong enough to hold a nice curve.

* Always have lots of ribbon on hand for what ever emergency!

* Like aways make double the flowers you think
you will need just in case the fondant doesn't like
the BUMPY roads.

* Don't count on the floor or the tables to be level. Take a level with you when baking a cake for a wedding!

* The higher you stack, the more evident the leaning tower!

* Take an iron or fold and pack your tableclothes yourself! My helper wadded up the peach cloth and there was nothing I could do about it at the last minute!

* Always have a standby helper just in case the one who promised gets a HEADACHE!

* What you see as a flaw, others never notice.!

* Lots of flowers cover the cracks in the fondant from the BUMPY roads.

* Fondant doesn't always crack where the cascades were meant to be, so be ready to improvise!

* Gumpaste doesn't care if it is humid, as long as it is already dry.

* Count your pillars, yourself! Don't let anyone else pack and count for you!

* Take a first aid kit for your cake. Include scissors, toothpicks, ribbon, damp papertowels, superglue, wooden wedges, the kitchen sink, etc.

* Too much dulce de leche mixed in the center filling makes the cake sink and bulge.

* The gum paste lace on the bottom layer keeps the cake from sagging.

* Attach the gumpaste lace with royal icing the day before the wedding where it is dried in place.








* The groom could care less about how the cake looks as long as it tastes good!




* Remember to clear your camera disk where you have enough memory for photos of the bride also!

Eye Brigade El Caimito, San Lorenzo, Honduras

Today we held an eye brigade in El Caimito, San Lorenzo;

We saw 180 patients and found 20 that need cataract surgery.

The brigade was held in the elementary school and the lines were long with people really excited to have the chance to see a doctor.

65 people prayed for salvation.

Hot, HOT, SUPER HOT!!!!!! and this is November 22!

A Miracle Happened Today

I woke up this morning at 4:30 am and prayed. The SMART Medical Teams Ford pickup needs new tires and there was no money to them, I need to pay the scholarship for the student in University and there is no money and I need to pay some bills for the mission’s office, so I prayed.

I asked the Lord which piece of my jewelry I should sell and He answered me and said, "Who do you work for?" It is not often that I really hear this clearly from the Lord, but since I didn't have pizza last night, I know it was Him speaking to me. I quietly answered Him and said, "Well, I work for you God." Then He spoke to me again, this time he was very kind and He said, "And what do I have you doing?" I answered, "You have me writing a book." "Then start writing." He said as though the answer had been there for me to see all the time.

So I wrote and wrote and wrote. I got up only to use the bathroom and kept writing, still in my pajamas. I didn't eat breakfast, I didn't eat lunch and the words flowed.

At 1:30 PM my dad called from the USA and he asked me if I was expecting any money. I said, "Yes." "From whom?" he asked. "From God!" I answered. He said, "God sent you $3,000.00 and I am going to deposit it right now.

The money came from a place that was totally unexpected! God moved. The photo is of the tires after I took them off of the truck. You could see the metal below the non-tread.

Every time you are in a bad spot and need an answer from God, just ask. The Bible says that He knows our requests even before we ask them.The first thing that I did with the money was to go and buy food for 3 families which had nothing to eat. Tomorrow I will buy the tires.