December 2, 2010
Dear friends, family, and supporters, It is truly with mixed feelings that Dawn and I announce that we are resigning our position with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International at the end of this month. The Lord has made it clear to us that He is calling us back to the United States. We have mixed feelings because we will greatly miss the ministries in Guaimaca, Honduras. We will miss the Honduran people, the teams, the mountains, the cows and burros in the roads, the mission employees, the drives in the mountains, the dirt roads, and our fellow BMDMI missionaries. However, we believe we have accomplished God's purpose for us there which was to oversee the successful merger of World Baptist Missions into BMDMI. The various ministries in Guaimaca have an exciting future ahead for them. We hope and pray the Lord will continue to bless these ministries.
At the same time, Dawn and I are also excited about what the future holds for our family. Tully will resume the practice of medicine and will be applying to seminary, most likely at Gordon Conwell in Charlotte, NC. Dawn will begin to complete some undergraduate requirements before starting nursing school next year.
The last two years have been two of the most rewarding years of our lives. We have seen God at work in our lives and in our ministries. God has provided for us physically, financially, spiritually, and has greatly increased our faith in Him. There are many memories that we will cherish for the rest of our lives. The last two years will also have a profoundly positive impact on our children's lives. What a rich experience our whole family has enjoyed on this big adventure in which the Lord has led us.
Finally, we are greatly indebted to everyone who has supported us with their prayers, notes, gifts, friendship, and finances. You all have been partners in this ministry with us because without you we obviously could not have done any of it. Most importantly, we want to thank God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They have been our constant companion, friend, Lord, and source of strength and inspiration.
Please feel free to e-mail us if you have any questions: dawn@followinghislead.com and tully@followinghislead.com.
God Bless,
Tully and Dawn
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tully's mom,
Mabel Augusta Boone Stoudemayer, passed away this morning at around 10:30 am. Please pray for us and for Tully's brother and sister and their families as we celebrate her life, rejoice that she is with Christ, and miss her deeply.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Pastelitos . . .
I've learned, aren't little cakes. "Pastel" here is cake. In Costa Rica, "queque" means cake. This is the weird thing about language learning. Here, that word, "pastelitos" should mean "little cakes." But it doesn't.
Last week, I received a note from the girls' teacher that I should send 20 pastelitos with them to school on July 20. Well, I thought, that's easy, I already have a cake mix. I thought it must be someone's birthday. Birthdays here are huge.
Fast forward to this week. The cupcakes were in the oven when I got a phonecall from a friend asking if I was going to get someone to make the pastelitos for me. I said, no, no, I can do it. She seemed a little worried--I thought, what is her problem? She told me I could just use potatos or rice or whatever I had on hand. I smiled and was thinking, "Gross," but I said, no, that's okay, I have a mix on hand.
A friend of the mission was with Trey and me when we dropped off the cupcakes later at the school. After they were delivered, we began to see groups of school children parading down the streets all dressed up in Indian costumes. They were so cute! I wished aloud that I had my camera. We stopped to watch them for a minute. Then, our friend asked if we knew what today was. We said, no, and he said it's the day of the Indian,Lempira, for whom the currency is named. He said the children dress up like Indians, learned about Lempira and his battle against the Spaniards, and eat pastelitos. And then he asked, so why did you make little cakes? He said what they eat is pastelitos, made from other things. With a sinking feeling, I asked, other things like rice or potatos? He nodded enthusiastically, yes, exactly! Then I asked him, and why are they called pastelitos? He started laughing because then he realized my mistake, Oh, he said, you thought it was little cakes?! No, no, pastelitos is what the Indians used to eat.
At least I won't make the same mistake next year.
Last week, I received a note from the girls' teacher that I should send 20 pastelitos with them to school on July 20. Well, I thought, that's easy, I already have a cake mix. I thought it must be someone's birthday. Birthdays here are huge.
Fast forward to this week. The cupcakes were in the oven when I got a phonecall from a friend asking if I was going to get someone to make the pastelitos for me. I said, no, no, I can do it. She seemed a little worried--I thought, what is her problem? She told me I could just use potatos or rice or whatever I had on hand. I smiled and was thinking, "Gross," but I said, no, that's okay, I have a mix on hand.
A friend of the mission was with Trey and me when we dropped off the cupcakes later at the school. After they were delivered, we began to see groups of school children parading down the streets all dressed up in Indian costumes. They were so cute! I wished aloud that I had my camera. We stopped to watch them for a minute. Then, our friend asked if we knew what today was. We said, no, and he said it's the day of the Indian,Lempira, for whom the currency is named. He said the children dress up like Indians, learned about Lempira and his battle against the Spaniards, and eat pastelitos. And then he asked, so why did you make little cakes? He said what they eat is pastelitos, made from other things. With a sinking feeling, I asked, other things like rice or potatos? He nodded enthusiastically, yes, exactly! Then I asked him, and why are they called pastelitos? He started laughing because then he realized my mistake, Oh, he said, you thought it was little cakes?! No, no, pastelitos is what the Indians used to eat.
At least I won't make the same mistake next year.
Monday, July 12, 2010
A Wedding
We had a wedding here at the church a few weeks back. It was beautiful. The groom was a little nervous, looked a little green around the gills, and had some help from friends tying his tie just right. The bride had a shy smile, long, beautiful black hair, and kept her eyes only on her groom at the altar.
There is a huge difference, however, in this wedding to many others. This couple is older, and they have lived together since they were young without being married. They have raised kids together, who now have kids of their own, worked side by side together, laughed, cried, and experienced life together for all of these years.
The focus on this wedding was this couple's love for one another, but most importantly, on their love for Christ, and their desire to serve Him by following through with the institution of marriage.
Many couples here are too poor to pay the marriage tax that the Honduran government charges. In fact, there have been several weddings like this one, with several more to come in our association of churches around Guaimaca.
It was a delight for us to witness this couple's love for one another, and their love for Christ.
The bride, escorted down the aisle by her son.
The bridal couple were seated in front of the minister and the congregation as he delivered a sermon on the meaning of marriage.
There is a huge difference, however, in this wedding to many others. This couple is older, and they have lived together since they were young without being married. They have raised kids together, who now have kids of their own, worked side by side together, laughed, cried, and experienced life together for all of these years.
The focus on this wedding was this couple's love for one another, but most importantly, on their love for Christ, and their desire to serve Him by following through with the institution of marriage.
Many couples here are too poor to pay the marriage tax that the Honduran government charges. In fact, there have been several weddings like this one, with several more to come in our association of churches around Guaimaca.
It was a delight for us to witness this couple's love for one another, and their love for Christ.
The bride, escorted down the aisle by her son.
The bridal couple were seated in front of the minister and the congregation as he delivered a sermon on the meaning of marriage.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Another Car Wreck
Last Sunday while we had a church service going on we had another car wreck about a kilometer from the hospital. There were 8 people in the pick-up truck and some were in the back. Apparently the pick up overturned. Five of the passengers had broken limbs: two femurs, one tibia, and two arms. I have every confidence that God will provide a much needed ambulance for our hospital in His time.
A young boy with a broken arm and some facial injuries
Two ladies each with broken femur having to be transported in the back of a pick up truck.
Four other patients being transported in the back of a small SUV.
A young boy with a broken arm and some facial injuries
Two ladies each with broken femur having to be transported in the back of a pick up truck.
Four other patients being transported in the back of a small SUV.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Best Cup of Coffee Part 3
I just wanted to put in my two cents worth. What a great day to go to the mountains looking for places to bring teams. We encountered a family that Dawn describes in the last blog. They were extremely poor. Their clothes were torn and dirty. Their houses made out of decaying adobe mud. Yet they were full of smiles and appeared to be very happy. However there was one sister who was not happy. The brothers asked me repeatedly about their sister who is suffering with depression. It was obvious they love her very much.
One of the brothers brought me his 3 year old son to check who has had a fever and diarrhea for 8 days. (In the future I will always take my stethoscope and otoscope.) Then they wanted me to check another son who was sick with the same illness--probably due to bad water. I promised to return in two days with antibiotics for the two sick children and worm pills for all the children.
So they offered us a cup of coffee and I knew it would be an insult to refuse it. Many of you know that because of ventricular tackycardia I had a cardiac ablation in May of '08 and caffiene is forbidden. I just prayed that the LORD would protect my heart and then proceeded to enjoy the best cup of coffee I have ever had. Let me tell you that until you have had a cup of coffee where the beans are grown, picked, roasted, ground, and brewed at the same little farm that you really have not had a great cup of coffee. You may think you have but you have not.
Out of their poverty they went and cut us two stalks of bananas. Each stalk probably has about 100 bananas. I felt guilty taking them but again to refuse would insult this generous family. Well the Lord is good and I did not have any palpitations after drinking the coffee. Below are some pictures of their beautiful mountain.
The beautiful mountainside!!!
Dawn and me with our Honduran chuch deacon and guide--Rigo. Four different brothers tried to take this picture before one was able. Apparently they have never used a camara before!
Dawn on the mountainside.
Six brothers working in a tomatoe field.
One of the brothers brought me his 3 year old son to check who has had a fever and diarrhea for 8 days. (In the future I will always take my stethoscope and otoscope.) Then they wanted me to check another son who was sick with the same illness--probably due to bad water. I promised to return in two days with antibiotics for the two sick children and worm pills for all the children.
So they offered us a cup of coffee and I knew it would be an insult to refuse it. Many of you know that because of ventricular tackycardia I had a cardiac ablation in May of '08 and caffiene is forbidden. I just prayed that the LORD would protect my heart and then proceeded to enjoy the best cup of coffee I have ever had. Let me tell you that until you have had a cup of coffee where the beans are grown, picked, roasted, ground, and brewed at the same little farm that you really have not had a great cup of coffee. You may think you have but you have not.
Out of their poverty they went and cut us two stalks of bananas. Each stalk probably has about 100 bananas. I felt guilty taking them but again to refuse would insult this generous family. Well the Lord is good and I did not have any palpitations after drinking the coffee. Below are some pictures of their beautiful mountain.
The beautiful mountainside!!!
Dawn and me with our Honduran chuch deacon and guide--Rigo. Four different brothers tried to take this picture before one was able. Apparently they have never used a camara before!
Dawn on the mountainside.
Six brothers working in a tomatoe field.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Best Cup of Coffee Take 2
While we don't have a team here, Tully and I are trying to learn some of our mountain villages and I am practicing driving in the mountains and in 4-wheel drive.
Today, one of the deacons from our church went with us up to the mountains. We wondered where on earth he was taking us after we crossed two streams, many huge mud puddles, and the grass in the dirt road/path began to get higher and higher, meaning no other cars had traveled through there in a long time. You don't have to go very far here to feel like you are a million miles away from everything. All of a sudden, you begin to pass acres and acres of farmland, an occasional house here and there, some oxen in the road, a horse or two here, a pig or two there, some goats along the way, and beautiful, green, rolling mountains as far as the eye can see in every direction.
The path began to get smaller and smaller until we finally came to a house where everyone seemed to be busy with their day's work, but when they realized they had company, they suddenly dropped everything and came to greet us with big smiles and handshakes and welcome us to their home, really their mountain. On their mountain, they grew corn, coffee, tomatos, bananas, sugar cane, and chile peppers. They showed us all around their property, and wanted us to hike with them up to the top to enjoy the view up there. We did it, me with my sandals on and all. (Note to self: get boots and leave them in the car for such occasions as this!)
The view from the top was gorgeous, and worth hiking in sandals! It was even better to learn about their family--we met six of the ten sons (ages 14 - 42) who all work the land with their parents (father is age 70, and they say he outworks his sons). We didn't get to meet their five daughters, though (yes, 15 kids in all). Afterwards, the grandmother offered us a cup of coffee (which we of course accepted--see previous blog). Tully asked me when we were leaving, "Was this coffee better than the other that you had last week?" I said, "This is pretty good, but I think the other was better." He told me that he thought this was the best cup of coffee that he had ever had. It, too, was "from the stick."
We left there with two big stalks of bananas that the sons had cut for us from their trees. We were asking our friend why people give us things when we go to their homes and he said it shows that they consider us friends now. What a sweet blessing!
Today, one of the deacons from our church went with us up to the mountains. We wondered where on earth he was taking us after we crossed two streams, many huge mud puddles, and the grass in the dirt road/path began to get higher and higher, meaning no other cars had traveled through there in a long time. You don't have to go very far here to feel like you are a million miles away from everything. All of a sudden, you begin to pass acres and acres of farmland, an occasional house here and there, some oxen in the road, a horse or two here, a pig or two there, some goats along the way, and beautiful, green, rolling mountains as far as the eye can see in every direction.
The path began to get smaller and smaller until we finally came to a house where everyone seemed to be busy with their day's work, but when they realized they had company, they suddenly dropped everything and came to greet us with big smiles and handshakes and welcome us to their home, really their mountain. On their mountain, they grew corn, coffee, tomatos, bananas, sugar cane, and chile peppers. They showed us all around their property, and wanted us to hike with them up to the top to enjoy the view up there. We did it, me with my sandals on and all. (Note to self: get boots and leave them in the car for such occasions as this!)
The view from the top was gorgeous, and worth hiking in sandals! It was even better to learn about their family--we met six of the ten sons (ages 14 - 42) who all work the land with their parents (father is age 70, and they say he outworks his sons). We didn't get to meet their five daughters, though (yes, 15 kids in all). Afterwards, the grandmother offered us a cup of coffee (which we of course accepted--see previous blog). Tully asked me when we were leaving, "Was this coffee better than the other that you had last week?" I said, "This is pretty good, but I think the other was better." He told me that he thought this was the best cup of coffee that he had ever had. It, too, was "from the stick."
We left there with two big stalks of bananas that the sons had cut for us from their trees. We were asking our friend why people give us things when we go to their homes and he said it shows that they consider us friends now. What a sweet blessing!
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