Leavin' on a jet plane~~~

Well, tomorrow at this time we should be checking in at Las Americas airport and then winging our way to Dayton!

All the goodies for the grandkids (and, yes, the kids, too!) have been collected. Suitcases are sitting packed and ready to go. And ALL are under the 50 pound limit!

Last load of laundry is in the process right now. Just need to declutter the living room and kitchen of all those little things that are out of place. Use the vacuum sweeper on our one area rug, sweep and mop, and dust through out!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The pool has been calling me all morning, but I'm holding off til the work is done. Then it's me, sunglasses, a bottle of iced tea, and my inflatable to float around on while reading my book!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just so you all understand~ as excited as I am to be coming back to the States~ I am leaving HOME for 8 weeks. Honestly, I can't imagine what it would be like to live in the States again. If the LORD calls us back there, then we will obey His call. But this is home! This is where He has placed us. This is where we are content to be ~even with all of the little quirks about life here!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

But going to the States for a visit is always eagerly anticipated!

With that said, I'm still obviously excited about spending time with David, Lyndie, Yoselin, Shan, Stephan, Samuel and Shiloh! Hope to see everyone else on Sunday!

Time's a tickin'

Well its a very hot Sunday evening in mid July. What a blessed time worshipping in church this morning...eventhough it was extremely hot! (No AC and only 3 fans!)

Hard to believe at this time next week we will be in Greenville. Lord willing we will have seen many of you in church that day!

We fly out of Las Americas airport Thursday afternoon, have a layover in Atlanta and then arrive in Dayton about 11pm. Glen will be there to pick us up. Had envisioned seeing Yosi in her parents' arms waiting for us, but alas, that is not to be due to the time we arrive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

If all goes as planned, we should finally be able to actually meet Yosi between 6-6:30 Friday evening, when they bring her over to Glen's house where we'll be staying. Only 5 more days!

I'm so hoping she won't be afraid of us. She's used to everyone else by now I'm sure, and knows them by sight. We are going to be strangers to her. I just so want to hold her and get to know my granddaughter!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the meantime, there is a frig to defrost, laundry to be totally caught up, an afternoon working in the pharmacy, packing of suitcases, cleaning an apartment and other last minute projects to complete. Monday and Tuesday Bob is working with a team doing medical clinics at the old folks home in Monte Criste and Gallareta..

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

There's a couple from Iowa coming on August 1st. They have come several times on med trips and even stayed for a month or more at SCORE while being involved in the medical ministry in the past. Ken and Sara are a dear couple. They are our age, but Ken took early retirement. She is an RN, so while we are in the States they are coming to stay in our apartment and she will cover the pharmacy days in the med clinic. Such a nice feeling knowing we are leaving everything in capable hands!

I've sent her pics of the pharmacy and written detailed instructions of how we do things in there (plus Evelyn will be with her for 2 days in the pharmacy, before Ev & Tim return to the States for 5 weeks also). But I have to get instructions to Ken & Sara to explain all the *fun* little things about our apartment. Such as they will only have hot water if they turn on the hot water heater and then wait 45 minutes for it to heat. After that, there is only hot water in the shower.

Have to explain to her how to wash dishes, including rinsing in bleach water.

Then there is my Daewoo washing machine.....totally unlike anything that is sold in the States!

So, guess I better get to getting and get their info typed out!

Looking forward to seeing many of you while we are in Greenville!

The LORD is our strength....

We arrived back from Costa Rica Thursday night at the Las Americas airport 35 minutes ahead of schedule (11:40 PM instead of 12:15 AM), and Bob has been busy ever since!
I had a dusty, dirty apartment to clean. Even with all the windows closed, black dirt makes its way in and covers everything.
We had a 4th of July cookout with all the SCORE missionaries Friday evening. As being an American was not a requirement, we had Costa Ricans, Dominicans and Argentinians celebrating with us. They even tried joining in on the singing of "God Bless America". Since some of the Americans were a little unsure of all the words, it was a little weak at times.
Erica had brought the big American flag from the main ministry area over to display, and a group last year had brought little US flags to distribute. Some of the flags were still around, so they were in glasses on the table. No fireworks, fire crackers or sparklers! But, fun, food and fellowship was enjoyed by all! Of course, my camera was sitting in our apartment, so I didn't get any pics.
Saturday our group came in from Dallas, Georgia. Only eight in the group inluding the two leaders, but they are a delight! Brad and Tammy, the leaders, were here our first summer, and once since then; plus we have visited their church. What a dear couple! The groups they bring of young people are always such a blessing with their willingness to serve!
Eventhough they don't have any med people with them, they still like doing a med clinic. So, yesterday Bob had arranged a clinic in a small village. He saw the patients, Tammy and others oversaw the pharmacy, and everyone pitched in where needed.
I really wanted to go and had planned on doing so, but my system has NOT re-adjusted to the heat and humidity after being in Costa Rica for 2 weeks. Bob said at first that if I went I had to go over to the med clinic at 6AM to have an IV before I ventured out. After sleeping on that thought, we came to the conclusion that it would be best if I reserve my energy. I am in the pharmacy at out med clinic today and Thursday, and hope to go with the group on Wednesday when we all do the historical tour of Santo Domingo. As it turned out, Bob said that I would have overheated anyway and I could not have taken what ended up being a 15 hour day (without being out of commission for the next week!)
Bob's day was L-O-N-G yesterday. He went over to SCORE at 6:30 AM to be sure everything was ready. They left for the hour ride at 7:30. When they finished treating about 60 patients, they packed up and then headed over to Monte Criste because the shipping container of food and med supplies had finally been released from port and was ready to be unloaded.
The team, and Bob, helped with that; then they returned to SCORE about 5:30. Bob said they no sooner got the vans unloaded of all the med supplies, when he was informed that an intern and guys from the visiting High School baseball team were sick. When I got there at 6 for dinner, I was able to assist him in caring for all of them. Patients in four different rooms scattered around the complex. Intern is being treated for bronchitis. The baseball players all were treated for dehydration.
Fortunately while we went to the med clinic to get the supplies, the team leaders moved all the sick players to the same room, which made it much easier to treat them. By the end of the night though, we were wishing they had chosen a ground floor room. Those stairs kept getting steeper and steeper! All four players ended up with IV's hooked up to them, and rec'd 2 liters each!
Iv bottles were hanging from wire clothes hangers suspended from the top of a closet, 2 from the side rail on a top bunk and the top curtain rod up by the ceiling (for the guy on the top bunk).
Then there was a lady from another team with earaches, which turned out to be infected, so we got antibiotics for her. Just as we were finishing up with the four guys,and giving them and their leaders final instructions~ I looked and realized that another young teen had curled up on a top bunk! He had a low fever and headache, but had been guzzling water all day, so atleast he wasn't dehydrated. Which is good since we were out of IV bags by that time!
Somewhere in all of that Bob managed to get a 15 min break to eat dinner and we finally arrived home at 9:30. Needless to say Bob was exhausted after his 15 hour day!
Today our group is back at Monte Criste at the old folks home. They are washing down the walls and beds with bleach water, mopping etc.
At some point Bob has to stop at a pharmacy to replenish our IV supplies, before returning to the clinic building to give guidance to another group that wants to help with some organizing.
When he left this morning, he was hoping there wouldn't be any more of the baseball team that were suffering from dehydration!
I leave in another hour or so to go work in the pharmacy for our med clinic that is open this afternoon.
After that, the plan is dinner and group devotions...hopefully, everyone will be healthy!