November Already!

Well, I have now been trying to get this update published for about, oh.... maybe three weeks now? I guess it's good that life is keeping busy- I wouldn't want it to be any other way! I just can't believe it's already November... with the hardly changing weather here, I so easily forget that time is still passing by so quickly and the new year is almost here!

-cure

I am excited to pass along the announcement that the Tim Tebow Foundation will be partnering with CURE to reach more children around the world with physical and spiritual healing! See more at cure.org.

Working with CURE continues to be a blessing. Each day I see many beautiful children who are receiving treatment that is otherwise unavailable to them, and it is completely changing their lives. I'm learning a lot about medical conditions and their causes and treatments as I translate to the patients for Dr. Jay in clinic. It's still a work in progress as my Spanish is still coming along, especially my medical vocabulary, but my co-worker Jozzeth (lab and x-ray technician) helps me a lot with Spanish.

Some days are hard when we have a patient in which there is no treatment, but it causes me to trust God more and remember that the medical experts aren't the answer to all the problems. While God uses the work of doctors to accomplish great things and save lives, doctors aren't the end all. We know that God is ultimately in control, and He the creator and healer of all. We need do our best for those He places in our path, and when something comes upon us that is beyond our control, it's a good reminder that really everything is beyond our control without God. He is the author and creator of life, the healer of all, and we are simply His instruments.

This past weekend a group of went to Danli, a city on the Nicaraguan border about 7 hours south from here, for a mobile clinic. We are starting to do more mobile clinics where the doctors from CURE travel to other cities to see patients and schedule them for surgery, that way the patient only has to come to our hospital once, as the doctors will then make rounds to the other cities again to followup with patients and get new patients. Our first mobile clinic went well; while Dr. Minueza and Dr. Vasquez gave a course to doctors and nurses in the area on how to treat children with clubfeet, Dr. Jay saw patients with Dr. Zepeda, the very caring doctor who is the orthopedic surgeon at the public hospital there in Danli. He is in fact so good that Grace, our clubfoot program coordinator, said she wishes she could clone him and have him everywhere. He is the first doctor we've had who actually organized the clinic himself and got together all medical personnel for the clubfoot course; normally we have to go through a nurse or some assistant. It is clear from being in clinic with him that he really cares about his patients and is frustrated by the Honduran system that cares more about money and less about people.

Grace, our clubfoot program coordinator

Dr. Minueza, spine surgeon and part time worker at CURE, Dr. Vasquez, orthopedic surgeon and Medical Director of CURE, and Dr. Jay, orthopedic surgeon (hand specialty) and Medical Administrator of CURE

Dr. Vasquez teaching the clubfoot course. We actually had a baby come into clinic that day with a clubfoot so it was a perfect demonstration!

-languages.

My co-worker Jozzeth (mentioned above) is learning English and always has a daily word in English that he wants me to explain the definition of or the pronunciation of. One day last week he asked me what the word "stuff" meant. I couldn't think of an equivalent word in Spanish, and he confirmed that when he translated it, there was no word that correctly fit. I told him that it is really a general term and can be used for a lot of things, when talking about a bunch of objects in general. He took that answer for a while, but then came back later and said that he still couldn't figure out the meaning, that he couldn't use the word "stuff" in a sentence. I tried to think about it more and finally said that when we are lazy and don't use a specific word for something, we just say "stuff." I told him this word means everything, depending on what you are talking about at a given moment. When I told him that it can me anything, whatever objects you are talking about, the lightbulb went off and he said "Yes!" He always snaps his fingers or claps really loud and puts his fist in the air- I love those moments.

The more I teach English, the more thankful I am that it's my first language, because it's so difficult to learn. Not only are words so often not spelled phonetically and pronunciation has to be memorized, but there are many words with multiple meanings, and a lot of times when I'm asked a question about grammar or something, I can't even explain the answer because there isn't one, it's just the way it is. With it being my first language, all of the oddities seem normal to me until I try to teach it and have to think about the reason behind it, I realize that there is no reason. I realize that every language has its difficulties (Spanish is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, and it seems like it has endless verb tenses and conjugations). I think the reason why English seems so difficult to me at the moment is because I was just never aware of it, and now that I'm trying to explain it, I realize some things are just the way they are and practice is the only thing that will make it perfect, because languages simply don't like to follow rules.

-clouds.

The Honduran sky never ceases to amaze me. I've been trying to think of an adjective that accurately describes the beautiful cloud displays here, but I just can't think of one that does it justice. There really are no words to describe the ever changing color and display of the magnificent clouds here. San Pedro is in a valley surrounded by mountains, so most days there are big clouds sitting low around them, with the mountain peaks standing tall above. One morning I opened my eyes around 5:30 when the sun was just starting to come up, and out the window from my bed I saw this view. Not wanting to miss it, I stumbled out of bed and grabbed my camera, and snapped this shot with eyes half open. Turned out pretty well... but I must say it wasn't because of the photographer, it was all because of the creator of the scene.

-cookies.

I made chocolate oatmeal cookies last Friday and brought them to work for those of us in the clinic (and those of us who pass through :). In the afternoon when the patients were gone and surgeries were completed, Roberto, the chief of the O.R., and Dr. Garcia, our anesthesiologist, came into the clinic for some reason. I saw them eyeing up the cookies, so I offered them some. After Dr. Garcia ate one, he came over to me and holding up the cookie, said, "ya se puede casar!" meaning "now you can get married!" It took me a second to connect getting married with him eating the cookie, but then I realized, oh. He approves of my cookie baking skills :)

-becoming Honduran.

Sandra, one of the ladies that works at the hospital asked me something and I responded with "si, pero no" meaning "yes, but no." I forget what the question was, but she laughed and in Spanish said, "you are becoming Honduran now! That's a Honduran phrase!" And she went on to tell the others around us "now Ana is becoming Honduran!"

-skype

For about the first two months that I was here, I only talked with my two older sisters on skype, but now that my sister Abby got an account at home, it has opened the door for me to talk with all four of my younger sibs, plus my nieces and nephs! It makes a world of difference seeing their faces and talking with them, but I still miss them just the same.

Chatting with Livi and Tristan a couple weeks ago while they were at my house. This made my day.

-20

Today I turn twenty and will officially never again be a teenager. Many days recently I've wanted to cry over this, but I've been trying to convince myself that this is a good thing, and I think I've almost got myself to believe it. Grace brought me the most amazing coffee cupcakes to work this morning, so it's all good :)

-Thursday

In two days my mom is coming to visit me for the weekend! I really cant' believe it's actually happening. I get a visitor!