Honduras, Spiritual Retreat

A mission trip though usually hard work is also a spiritual retreat. It gives us time away from our fast paced life of pursuing more to reflect on the blessings we already have. It clears our mind to contemplate on priorities of what is important on our journey through life. The following poem was written while in Honduras, it expresses how we came with our inadequacies and God used them to His Glory.



Psalm 107:23-24

Honduras, land of many needs,
You chose us Lord, your lambs to feed.
Carlos, your servant here
Warned us of deep waters, but not to fear.

The waters promise to reveal
Your faithful presence that we will feel.
Uncertainties of what lies ahead
Through equipment problems we are lead.

Cases lasting 'til late at night
Frustration, exhaustion we will fight.
Yet morning brings rested souls
And praise songs to Jesus rose.

The faces of the "least of these"
Remind us of the joy to please.
For you have blessed us beyond all measure
With gifts and talents to share our treasure.

Quietly, humbly they come with shy smiles
Hoping, praying we can help in their trial.
Oh, Lord, it is you who brought us together
To perform your work, they'll remember forever.

Such an honor to us you have given
To be your hands and feet to the living.
May we continue to hear your call
And be a blessing for one and for all.

We hesitantly walked into the deep
The waters stirred but your promises keep.
Our faith is stronger than when we came
It is your way that your name is proclaimed!

Medical Mission to Honduras

I spent 16 days in Honduras this month. This was my third visit to help surgeons in the operating room in the town of Gracias for the Luke Society. This is an organization that sets up medical clinics in 3rd world countries and supports local physicians to provide healthcare in the communities they live. Unlike others, this Michigan physician, his wife and the board members have raised money to build a surgery center to provide more operating rooms for medical teams to operate. Before this was available the medical teams used the hospital operating rooms thus closing them down for a week for local surgeons other than for emergencies.

The physicians see patients the first day of each week to set-up the week's surgery schedule. The first week was general and plastic surgery and the second week was orthopedic. The week before I was in Honduras a medical team did eye, plastic surgery and operated a GI lab.
Since the surgeon who began this ministry plans to work part-time in Honduras later this year, he is building a house for himself with room enough to house medical teams. Several volunteers came to help with construction, including Tom.


In two weeks we accomplished 94 surgeries that included shoulder, hernia repair, knee surgery, gall bladder removal, facial fracture, bullet removal, hand surgery ankle fusions, arm fracture and various minor repairs. The children are absolutely beautiful with big brown eyes, long eyelashes and beautiful skin color. They will capture your heart in an instant! We changed the lives of children with surgical repair of cleft lips and club feet.


The second week's team included several dentists and medical doctors who pulled and restored teeth, diagnosed illness, provided medications and passed out de-worming medicine. Each person received the gospel message and this year a children's evangelism message was acted out with a puppet show put on by children from the bilingual school in Gracias.
The warm, sunny weather was a blessing for travel to the villages for the dental and medical teams and for those of us who walked the mile to the surgery center each morning. We stayed in hotels in Gracias and ate at Frony's who is a woman from the Netherlands that came to Honduras for work in the Peace Corp many years ago and stayed. Her place has beautiful tropical gardens surrounding the buildings and safe and good food on a terrace overlooking the city.

Christmas Memories in January

Last Sunday was almost springlike in Michigan. I finally took the lights and red balls off the outdoor tree. With each one I thought about the fun and celebration of Christmas. Mike, Joy and Conley and Chris, Kim and Jack were here and we enjoyed good food, good gifts and good fellowship. The days leading up to Christmas were filled with the holiday spirit of praising God for his wonderful gift of Christ. Conley was a little angel in the Sunday school program and stood up front and sang all the songs.




This little tree enthusiast found a couple of sparkly balls to bat around but he did restrain himself by not pulling the tree to the floor like he did at his house.


Tom with two of the best little Christmas presents!


The first of many looks in the cookie jar.


Chris gets a power tie!


Mike's happy that Santa still remembers him.


Joy checks out her new "Ov Glove"!

I tried to copy a picture of Kakabeeke's West but I'm am so NOT techy.
We really did miss having Dan, Angie, Hudson, Claire, Cooper and Tucker around but were thankful to know they also were celebrating as a family this Holy Season. See their blog, Better Than We Dreamed.

As photographer,I missed being included in the pictorial but words often can express what a picture can not. And my words are Thank You Jesus!

Oh Christmas Tree

Christmas is such a nostalgic time of year, at least for me. The children have grown and left their home to establish their own homes and families and the Christmas tree is evidence of the years gone by. I wrote this poem 2 years ago when we bought a new self-lit Christmas tree that had white lights instead of our forever multiple colored lights.

This year the Christmas Tree
Sparkled with white lights,
The ornaments seemed to shimmer
Throughout the December nights.

You tell our Christmas stories
Of all the years gone by,
The child filled years and friendships
And joys of Christmas ties.

The rocking horse and baby
From the year that Mike was born,
Chirs' kindergarten picture
A child's gift adorns.

"Baby's First Christmas"
When Danny was nine months old,
Ornaments from the school sales,
Oh, the memories unfold.

A stack of wood and tractor,
Tom's remembered here,
Rubber gloves and a little nurse
Fran's gifts from friends, so dear.

Homemade ornaments made with love
Frequent around the tree,
Santa and his Mrs.
Front and center, you can see.

The Gilmore Christmas Santas
And angels from a friend,
Ornaments from shopping trips
A beautiful Christmas blend.

A golden leaf from Colorado
And skiers on a lift
Crystal kiss from Hershey
And ornaments made by Chris.

The tree so full of memories
Of blessings from above
The tree is wrapped with golden beads
From my mother who was loved.

This home holds the memories
Of the family who lives here
And the Christmas tree celebrates
The joys of all the years.

So take pictures of your Christmas trees and as the tree begins to fill with ornaments over the years, it too will tell your family stories.

Christmas is Coming

Today is the perfect day to consider Christmas as a snow storm is approaching Michigan. Here in Michigan most of us like a traditional White Christmas. We are preparing for that special day of the year in many ways. The tree is up, outdoor arrangements are finished, presents are being purchased,the Christmas cards ordered and the Christmas letter is written. We have visited the nativity in the park and have attended Christmas concerts, Avalon was here last week!



In all this busyness and frustration with the long lines,computers and printers not working, we can lose sight of the reason we are celebrating. It's time to slow down and read Luke 2 from the Bible or a wonderful book that relays the Christmas events. There are many out there but two I have enjoyed is "Unafraid" by Francine Rivers, an account of Mary, the mother or Christ and "One Incredible Moment" by Max Lucado. So find some time to spend with the Lord of Life and enjoy some peaceful moments.

Random Thoughts

I loved having the whole family here in October.

It was a very busy time and now that the house is so quiet, I look at the chalk drawings on the front porch and the finger prints on the windows and long for the little voices and cute sayings. I couldn't help but smile after they left when I would open a cupboard to find a toy or a measuring cup.

If I think on this long enough I even long for the years of being a young mother. So young mothers who read this, cherish this sweet time in your life.

It is ironic that as I write this, Conley is staying over night. She has a blow up bed and after her prayers and a few songs, a kiss good night and all tucked in with her blankey bear and favorite blanket she has been up twice within 5 minutes. The night is young and I'll report in the morning how restful our night is.

We were warned how to handle the little night walker, "take her back to bed and no laying with her until she falls asleep." I was a little restless knowing she might wake up but didn't hear a sound even though I was up twice. In the morning she told me she was up once and went in the office and went back to bed. She proudly said, "I stayed in my bed all night!" Love that girl!

Party On

It's fun to have family visit so you can enjoy what the hometown has to offer. That would include visiting the Children's Museum, the fish hatchery, the cider mill, the library and Jungle Joe's. So here are a few pictures of hometown fun.











Oh, I forgot I didn't take my camera to Jungle Joe's, big mistake! It was so fun and the pictures are so colorful and lots of smiles. It's also when Jack and Chris came to town to join in the fun.

We just had fun at home going over the fields to see the reindeer and ride all of grandpa's vehicles.




I've got to say, Conley is sure missing her cousins!

And by the end of a busy day its story time and what is more appropriate than, I love your nose and "I Love You Through and Through"?