Belize Mission Trip Report

This trip back to Belize was a very different mission experience for me. If you prayed for our trip - thank you so much! Now why was it different? For one thing, the leader, David Nichols, wouldn't give me any specific assignments other than an exploratory meeting with some government officials and leading a couple of Bible Studies. I discovered that I really like to have specific jobs to do and it made me a little anxious to not know exactly what I would do.

On previous mission trips I knew that I would be involved medically in some way...this was not a specified medical mission trip. So the Lord taught me a lot about listening and being available - here is what He did when I obeyed:

We began our trip in Belize City. The first night we met with a group of government officials, physicians and Rotarians. My task for this evening was to explore the possibility of providing prosthetics for Belizean kids. In my discussions that evening I was told that for the most part there are very few needs for prosthetics and for those who have this need there are already organizations in place to meet those needs. There is a prosthetician in the U.S. who has his heart burdened towards providing a prosthetic lab to Belize so I am still exploring this possibility but this evening the physicians did not seem to think this was important...so that was disappointing.

The next morning I once again turned the agenda over to God. His first appointment for me was with a woman who joined me for breakfast - her name is Josie and she was meeting with the team because they had helped provide funds for an upcoming knee surgery. I brought her some study materials because she teaches Bible Studies in Punta Gorda and I wanted to encourage her to use her recuperating time as a time for God to teach her. We hit it off immediately. She has such an engaging spirit and it was a lot of fun to experience the Lord encouraging her through our visit.

We then boarded our tiny plane and headed down the coast to Punta Gorda. One of the fun events on our multiple takeoffs and landings in various tiny towns was the door kept popping open at the back of the plane but thankfully fellow team member Barry Jones does not have "fear of flying" and he is one strong dude so he just grabbed a dangling piece of rubber and pulled the door in until we landed!

In Punta Gorda we walked around the small town and shopped for items that villagers in Crique Sarco had requested for their school. We also loaded up on supplies for a special BBQ we were going to do in the indian village.

Dr. Nichols and I met with a young man who had been in a terrible motorcycle accident. He had been the recipient of Tyler physicians who helped do reconstructive surgery on his face and head. We had brought a prosthetic scalp with us for this young man to use. We showed him how to attach it. I had a chance to encourage him when he showed disappointment at how the prosthetic looked. I think he thought it would look completely natural. My heart was wrenched as I could see his masculine struggle with wanting to look good and being grateful that at least this looked better but it still didn't look totally like his old scalp. I quietly affirmed his feelings and then encouraged him about his future and how the attaching of his prosthetic would soon feel very natural. I also tried to encourage him about exhibiting self-confidence knowing that people are far less likely to notice "differences" when a person is happy and confident in their abilities.

We then enjoyed a meal with Karol and Larry Smith who have been missionaries and lived in Belize for many years. They built and run the SeaFront Inn where we stayed. It was a great evening to catch up with them - since my last visit Carol and I have both become grandmas!!! They gave us a tour of their "green" home they built - totally self-sufficient! They do not pay one water or energy bill!

The next morning we boarded our next form of transportation - a boat! We traveled along the Bay of Honduras and up the river to the Mayan Indian village of Crique Sarco.

Dr. Nichols and his various mission teams have been visiting this village for over 30 years. It was wonderful to be back in the village but weird not to be setting up to do a medical clinic and even weirder not to see tons of Indians from various jungle villages waiting to be treated. We unpacked our stuff and then Jo Dobbs grabbed me and said "let's go hut to hut and make sure everyone knows they are invited to our bbq tonight!" I had never walked hut to hut. I have been in a few huts but never to every single hut! As we hiked along, kids joined us excitedly telling us whose home we were at and getting in the spirit of a party! We soon had quite a parade! And I learned a lot from Jo. She has spent the last few years building relationships with these people. Like me she doesn't come with a background in medicine so instead of focusing on physically healing she has invested in one on one relationships and it's producing results! Thanks for teaching me a really deep lesson Jo!

Meanwhile back in the village, David, Barry & Matt were lining up the women to wash the chickens and the men to begin grilling. We gave the village the large grill as a present. We had discovered from various conversations that one of the things most needed in this village was to get them to begin having a community spirit. We found that there is a lot of jealousy in the village - some of the Indians did not like it if one of them happened to own two huts - therefore the second hut had been burned! If they had two donkeys - they soon just had one. This spirit is so different from us. We usually are thrilled if our neighbor does well because we enjoy sharing in their blessings. In this village, if one did better it was a source of envy, jealousy and eventual discord. So it became our mission to try to see if we could influence them to have a different attitude.

As the villagers arrived they brought tortillas and beans to share and we had a fajita feast!

Afterwards, Barry hooked up his laptop with a projector and I showed "The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe" from the C.S. Lewis Chronicle of Narnia series. It was really fun because usually they are shown only children movies and the adults aren't that interested but this night all the adults stayed until the end of the movie even though their children were falling asleep all around them!

That night I was the last one to get to bed and across the path from our hut was a "bar" - yeah, things have changed since the Mennonites left! Anyway, because the Belizean Indepence Day was being celebrated - some guys were celebrating by playing the same Belizean Indepence song on a scratchy record over and over and singing along with it...then just when I thought they might stop and I could pass out - we heard gun shots! I dove off the top of the bunk I was on and we whispered to one another like kids at camp....praying and hoping that no shots would be accidentally fired in the vicinity of our hut! Two guys were drunk and saying some choice english words they had unfortunately learned (pretty sure not from the Mennonites or us!) - somebody found something to tie up the guy with the gun and he proceeded to sleep it off in some hut far away from us. Unlike in my younger years, I didn't try to get any photos of these activities!

The next morning, David Nichols and I team taught at church. Again, it was a lesson in waiting for the Lord to lead because David told me I might or might not teach....and he only had the scripture he was going to use. So I grabbed a visual illustration I had brought with me and my Bible and just waited to see what would happen. So fun to let God be in control! David felt led to speak to the village about loving their neighbor. He told them what God said about this in His word. As I sat there I thought how I too have heard this lesson and know what God wants me to do. I want to be obedient and love everyone but how do you love those who have hurt you or don't seem to deserve your love. Then David asked me to come up and say a few words.

I have never taught through a translator and thought it might be distracting but it went so well! I used black cherry koolaid, bleach and water to demonstrate visually how God provided Jesus as an answer for our sinful ways. I shared with them various experiences in my life that prevented me from loving those I knew God wanted me to love. I was amazed at how God brought various memories to my mind that the Indians could relate to even though we live in far different worlds. Then I shared that because I had Jesus as Lord of my life I was covered by His blood and when God looks at me He doesn't see my black sin but rather sees the blood of His Son, my savior and I am forgiven. In addition, I am given a power to love others with the love of Jesus - I don't depend on me to do this - I depend on Him! I could see them listening very intently and getting it! I saw them nodding and they prayed with me when I finished. I know God is at work in their hearts.

After church, Jo and I met with the women and David, Barry & Matt met with the men in separate places. I knew that the women were having trouble meeting together for Bible Studies. One of their biggest problems is they are jealous of the one chosen to be the leader - so they just don't come. I explained to them that not everyone can be a leader however I knew that God wanted them to study the Bible and I wanted to teach them a simple way where they could do this on their own and then if they wanted to get together as a group they could use the same method and take turns leading. I then taught them the three question method and we practiced as a group. It was so much fun to see them get it! To hear them read the Bible verse, explain where the verse took place and who was there etc, and then to tell me the lesson God was trying to teach in that particular verse - then the fun part - how they could apply this lesson to their own life! For the most part these are very uneducated women - I do not think they could all read - but what they all could do was apply it to their lives! Thanks Lord!!!!

It was a really hot day in the village - in case you can't tell from our photos - we were dripping. We then packed up and headed back down the river to Punta Gorda. As we rode down the river we shared how we could see that God had used those 30 years of medical missions for this specific time to have a different mission trip. The villagers had 30 years to build a trust with David and whatever team he brought. They knew they could trust our words of advice regarding how to deal with their troubles. They also gave this time and participated with us rather than just receiving money and medical care. It was a rich time to watch the village take on responsibilities to lead and grow.

Even thought it had been a really long day - David took me to one more meeting that night. I met with three women who teach Bible Studies in the Punta Gorda Methodist Church. I listened as they told me how difficult it is to draw women to study the Bible even though they have tried to have interesting topics like "How To Reduce Stress"...I told them that we struggle with this same problem in the U.S. I showed them how to teach the Bible with the three question method and then I gave each of them the BSF Mark Study and showed them how to use it. I tried to encourage them to just teach the word and let God show these women how to apply it to their lives - that the process of doing it yourself it sometimes the best way to study! We prayed together for God to build their attendance and for women to be encouraged to study. I have since received a very exciting email from these women that their Bible Studies are growing and men are also attending! They sound so happy and encouraged in the email and I am so grateful God gave me energy to meet with them and offer them some new material and new perspectives.

So thank you for your prayers and your love and support - we arrived home safe and healthy. And thank you Lord for not letting me plan and prepare my own agenda but to see you had already prepared me in advance to use that which You had previously taught me....nothing ever goes to waste in our experiences - God can use it all!

Belize Bound!

I will be in the country of Belize in Central America from September 18 - 22. I am going with three other people: Dr. David Nichols, Jo Dobbs and Barry Jones. This is a short term mission trip with three major goals: 1) to encourage women in Belize in leading and facilitating Bible Studies 2) to minister to the people of Crique Sarco (a small Indian village near the Guatemalan border) and 3) to research the potential need for providing or implementing a prosthetic program for children with limb differences.




Please pray for God to prepare the hearts of those we will teach and work with. Pray also for our safety in travel and for protection from illness (it is the rainy season and hurricane season and there is potential danger from flooding and mosquitos and some of the huts in the village have been burned down lately via an unknown arsonist). Pray for our various meetings with government officials and physicians...for wisdom, discernment and guidance. This is a different trip for me (in the past I have been involved in medical/dental mission trips) so pray for me to be sensitive and relatable as I talk and encourage women in Belize. And the field of prosthetics and limb differences is certainly a new world for me but I am excited at the possibility of how our family could be used to help others as we have been helped this past year.




Thanks so much....Julie

"GOD"INCIDENT vs COINCIDENCE

There was another really wonderful thing that happened in the hospital that I am sure was an indirect answer to someone's prayer! After Will, Katie & Reagan were settled in the hospital room and laying down for a nap, I went to pick up Tom at the airport and get some dinner for Katie and Reagan...when we returned to the hospital , Katie greeted me with the biggest smile and told us we wouldn't believe what had just happened. I want to let you read about this in Katie's words for it is so truly precious to watch God use her (and Will) and what an incredible blessing for us to be able to experience it as well!!!

So, once again, God surprised me & convicted me about my attitude while in the hospital. ..

The day before Will's surgery, I was spending time praying for him. I remember thinking that I wish I could be like one of those ("good Christian") moms you read about who would probably pray that people would come to know Jesus from being around her son in the hospital during & after his surgery. I should pray for this, I know. But my selfish nature kicked in & frankly, sometimes I just want to be a mom who knows the pain of handing her baby over for surgery & who doesn't really care about all the other people in the waiting room or on her child's recovery hallway. (I mean, of course, I care... it's just that I didn't feel like putting on my "happy / I'm at peace because Jesus is in control" face... I was scared & nervous & worried .)

So, I didn't pray for that. I just prayed for Will.

2 hours after his surgery, Will was finally moved up to his room. They had some trouble in post-op getting his blood oxygen level stable. However, their concerns lessened when they noticed that despite the alarms going off on his monitor, he was still managing to lean out of my arms, pull the curtain aside, & wave & flirt with the cute nurse next to us. Even surgery won't stop my little flirt.

I digress. Where was I... oh yes, post surgery.

So about 2:30, Will was moved to his recovery room & he was in a great deal of pain. It's the most pitiful cry in the world! His nurse had just given him his medications & it was not a pleasant experience for any of us although Will had the worst end of the deal. (He couldn't keep it all down.)

I took him in the hallway to try to distract him & take his mind off the pain. He was crying but was calming down some. I noticed this mom from the room next door to us staring a great deal at Will. Great... Just what I needed... a nosy person asking me all about Will or making comments at a time like this.... Seriously. Can't a girl get a break every now and then?!?!? (Selfish I know- but my baby was hurting & I just wanted to be his mommy.)

She calls me over. Are you kidding me??? I brace myself to politely & graciously & quickly answer her question & get back to our room.

Enter God.

She then asked if her son who is 13 could meet my son. Her son had been in the hospital for 2 months & 9 surgeries after a four wheeler accident that caused him to have his hand amputated. He had never seen anyone with a hand difference & this mother had spent 2 months begging the hospital staff to find someone to bring in to meet her son so he would feel a little less lonely! WOW!!! Are you kidding me?!?!?! All of my defenses melted quickly as Will & I rushed into the room with a huge smile (on my face, not Will's.)

I was bubbling over with information for him about Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children & various athletes (Kyle Maynard, Roger Crawford, Jim Abbott)I've read about with limb differencest & all he could accomplish. He was amazed that Will can pick up a coin. He was amazed that Will can feed himself & will walk on his own feet. They had heard of TSRHC but knew very little about what they offer (amazing to me- they were only one exit away on the interstate & hadn't been given any information!)

I wrote down my contact info & received his. I also ran to my room to grab some business cards for contacts at TSRHC for him.

A little while later, the mom & I spoke privately. I began crying as I tried to convey how full my heart is for her. I can't imagine comforting my son at age 13 after losing a hand. I know he will face so many challenges. But, in some bizarre, impossible way to explain, I was so excited for her & for him! I told her I knew his character would be so enhanced & grown through his experiences, that he would amaze himself & her with what he could accomplish, that there would be blessings beyond their wildest imaginations.

A little while later, he brought some of his balloons over for Will. I so hope he can be one of Will's "hand camp" counselors some day!

Amazingly, after 2 months in that hospital, he was discharged that very night- wow! Is God's timing perfect or what?!?!?!

So, despite my selfishness & refusal to pray for anything other than Will that day, God managed to change my perspective & work His wonders. It was so bizarre for me to be on the comforter/encourager side of things. For the last year, so many moms further in the journey have encouraged & comforted me. I have to admit, it was exciting to be on the other side- it drew me away from focusing on Will to focusing on others. It caused me to quickly reflect on all the wonderful things about having a child with differences- all of the blessings- as I couldn't wait to share that with someone else, knowing how full her life could be.
So, wow! What a cool experience, huh?! It's especially humbling how God can manage to turn what was originally a selfish moment into being about Him & His purposes.

So, if you think about it, pray for this 13yr old boy. He still has surgeries ahead of him & will not be able to return to school this year due to hospitalizations, risk of infection, etc. He is of course scared about his future & unsure of what he will be able to accomplish. I tried to reassure him about how normal his life can be but my prayer is that he will see this soon for himself. Pray for his mom & dad as they try to comfort him & also grieve.

Thanks! & Thanks for praying for Sweet Will!

A "WILL" REPORT

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Will was in surgery for 45 minutes and then in recovery for 2 hours. The doctors were pleased with his surgery however in recovery they didn't like his oxygen blood levels but they returned to normal later in the evening.

There was a tremendous peace...and this had to be from the Lord - what a blessing to be able to watch two young parents calm and strong and knowing the prayers of many were undergirding them! While waiting in pre-op several nurses kept popping in to see the "cute baby with the great big blue eyes and curly hair!" Then when they came to get Will from pre-op waiting...they put him on the gurney - he sat up and just clapped all the way down the hall! Made it much easier for the parents and grandmommy as we waved him away.

These are some entertainers in the pre-op waiting room at Children's Medical in Dallas Dr. Abby Normal and Dr. Nerse Abby Normal

In recovery Will was screaming his head off until he saw a cute nurse - stopped crying - took out his pacifier, grinned really big and waved - then pushed the curtain back so he could get a better look at the nurse with his neighbor patient!

Although Will's mommy didn't get much rest - Will did seem to sleep okay cuddled up next to her in the big hospital bed. He got a lot of loving from his mommy & daddy and his Cookie and Lovie ( thank you so much to the two dear friends who flew Tom over on their plane so he could visit for a few hours)

Rocking my sweet Will!

Later in the wee hours of the morning 4am when his mommy finally crashed for some sleep and I came over from the hotel and climbed in bed with Will he was sleeping so soundly that the nurses agreed to my request that we take his vitals later...so the prayer for loving nurses was also definitely answered!

He is beginning to slowly eat his normal table foods again which makes us happy - he has several stitches inside his mouth on his tongue but they will dissolve soon...and his pain seems minimal - he cries when he gets something that is salty in his mouth or bumps his mouth or just doesn't feel good...and we just have him on children's tylenol so that too is an answered prayer for minimal pain and quick healing and best news of all - they released Will the next day!

And he is now up to some new tricks (practicing for the day he gets to go papering?)






We look forward to Will eating spaghetti again soon like he did 2 weeks ago - Will likes to slurp the long noodles and decorate his hair!

Prayer Request for Will

Will is having surgery at Children's Medical in Dallas at 10 am Tuesday, Sept. 9. We appreciate your prayers for the following:

* God will give the surgeons and various physicians and nurses wisdom, steady hands, and love for Will

* a successful surgery, quick recovery and healing with minimal pain

* no complications from the anesthesia, surgery or pain medications

* we will be able to comfort Will and soothe his fears and discomfort

* his parents (& grandparents) to feel peace, confidence and assurance in those who will be caring for their baby - we are so grateful for Will's doctors who are incredibly qualified in each of their specialities - best of the best!

The length of his hospital stay will be determined by his pain level and ability to take nutrition. We are so grateful for your prayers...we'll keep you posted!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY WILL ! 8-30-2008

Will is One!

From Left to Right: Uncle Adam, Cookie, Daddy, Birthday Boy, Mommy, Lovie, Great-Grammy & Great-Gaggy

Here are a few photos from our celebration in Midland!

Starting off the day with a birthday hug from Lizzie


Climbing on my beanbag chair and in my new tunnel - gifts from Cookie & Lovie

Playing on my new slide from Daddy & Mommy!

While my mommy was busy in the kitchen...

I crawled over to the window and saw Uncle Adam putting together my gift from Great Gaggy I squeeled and banged on the window I couldn't wait to get in my first car!

The day started out a little scary - this was the sky 1 hour before the party began - Daddy diligently tried to blow dry the yard until Mommy reminded him kids were going to be playing in the sprinkler but you made a good effort daddy!

The party began and the rain held off!!!

Mommy decorated with photos from each month of my birth!

above: my 2 grandads grillin' and me with two of my favorite gals!

below: the cake I shared & the great spread Mommy & Lovie made

Playing with my party friends!

Uncle Adam brought water balloons and the big boys chased Cookie trying to see if they could hit him and then Uncle Adam organized a game of baseball!

I wasn't sure what to do with this "cake" thing

...but then Lovie gave me a fork!

While mommy and daddy were busy serving my guests I dug in!

Wow! Cake is better washed down with a little milk!

Taking a walk to the duck pond and feeding some of my favorite feathered friends:

posing with my favorite folks from Colorado:

Friends

God has truly blessed us with some deep and enduring friendships. We've been there for each other for the births of babies (and now a grandbaby!) You've been there when our marriage struggled. We've been there for one another during the hard years of setting up businesses and practices. We've walked through the "raising teenager" years. And we've celebrated together as our children have married. We're now in the stage of holding and hugging one another as we say goodby to parents moving to Heaven. When we've struggled through illnesses you've visited and prayed with us. Through all of these life stages we've never felt alone. When we moved to Tyler, Texas, Tom and I had no idea what blessings God had in mind for our family. He has overwhelmed us with the joy of loving and being loved by so many friends. We also have been blessed to make friends wherever we go. All around this world we have touched and been touched by others who have become our friends. We see some of our friends almost daily. Some we only see maybe once a year or every few years. Thanks to email and cell phones we can touch base almost any time (although we haven't always been good at that). Friends take work. Some of our friendships have lasted because we committed to meeting regularly (like Birthday Club and Men's Group). The deepest ones have lasted because we never expected much from each other yet made the effort to intentionally stay connected. Our friends come along side. Sometimes that is simply all you need. Someone on your side - beside you. To our friends - we thank you - thanks for loving us when we have been unloveable and thanks for living with us through thick and thin we really couldn't do it without you - we certainly never want to try!

Julie's Birthday Club - started in our 30's...we knew other women who were doing this on a monthly basis but we wanted our club to be somewhat different - not just celebrating each other's birthday but committing to pray for each other as well. We started because birthdays aren't always wonderful for women - husbands try and so do kids but there's something about having a group of girlfriends who give you their undivided attention and make sure to fix a lunch you love (that you don't have to clean up afterwards) and give you a gift you actually want. It took the heat off our great guys and fabulous kids - we could stop complaining when they didn't come through because we knew without a doubt at least the Birthday Club would. When we first started we met in restaurants but when waiters spent more time lingering and listening to our conversation we pretty quickly moved the luncheons to our homes. We talk about everything - when we started we talked a lot about sex (remember we were in our 30's) now we talk more about our health - we've cried together but every luncheon is more than filled with laughter. Sometimes a husband will drop by to supposedly eat leftovers but secretly I think they just want to vicariously soak in our laughter. It's been a safe place to just be ourselves - to bring the scary diagnosis - to share the photos of vacations - to laugh over our failures, our fantasies and our dreams ("Potsie") we'd never share with others - to encourage one another in marriages and careers and mothering - to freely give advice and just as freely let it go if the advice isn't taken - We've nursed babies and we've nursed fears. We've ebbed and flowed throughout these years.

Back Row (Left to Right): Lucy Carr, Eugenia Son, Callie Northcutt

Front Row (Left to Right): Julie, Louise Arnold, Gina Ramey, Jane Rogers

Tom's Men's Group - also started in his 30's - a group of men dedicated themselves to meeting weekly to study the Bible and pray for one another. Through the years the studies have sometimes been books on different issues sometimes it's just been to discuss relevant topics. But the main point is they have continued to meet and continued to pray. Their wives and children know this group faithfully prays every Wednesday, all year, every year. They've met in offices but more often in homes. They've seen each other through scary situations and through exciting celebrations. There have been losses but the gains and blessings have outweighed the pain. There's been an abiding faith in each other as friends and that has flowed down through their families. Each family knows that if one of these men were to falter or die the Men's Group would be there to fill in where needed. We laugh and joke about being pall bearers but in reality there is a deep comfort in knowing we don't carry our burdens alone nor do we share our suffering in silence. Unlike women, men don't always express how they are feeling but without a doubt these men will share a look between one another that expresses beyond words how much they care and love and uphold each other.

Back Row (Left to Right): John Berry, Elam Swann, Tom, Bill Blomdahl

Front Row (Left to Right): Gary Hodge, Bryan Rossman (not pictured: Trey Yarbrough)

Sometimes others have asked us through the years what our secret is to making and keeping friends. To tell you the truth, I am not totally sure. But I do think one important ingredient is to be intentional. Sometimes friends will walk in the door (like Jane Rogers did when she welcomed Julie as her neighbor) but after that you have to be intentional about meeting them, calling them, writing them, including them. Friendships don't just happen - they evolve and they take some "watering" (as our friend Bruce Carter calls nurturing). Friendship also needs acceptance, patience, forgiveness and love. Some of the oldest friends I have are from my childhood. These three women have known me the longest. They have seen me at my absolute worst and hopefully at my absolute best. What I know deep within my soul is that my best friends don't expect very much from me and yet I can pick up the phone and they are there for me. Thank God they didn't keep me forever defined as I was in my youth. Thank God they have growing old along with me - I don't know if the best is yet to be (there have been some pretty great times together) but since I know we will share eternity I 'm counting on it!

"Best Friends Forever"

Julie, CeCe (Lumpe) Haden, Becky (Hunnell) Smith & Tracy (German) Meehan