What Have We Been Up To?

Well, to answer that question, it would take a much longer blog than I'm sure anyone has time to read. I have, primarily, been homeschooling, which is taking a long time each day, but we are really enjoying our new (to us) school, the SC Virtual Charter School. I can't say enough good about it, really, but it is time intensive.

I have also enjoyed planting some flowers here and there around the hospital when time has permitted. One of my favorite things is gardening, so that has been fun. Plus, our dry season hasn't yet begun, so the flowers are flourishing soaking up the rains.

Emotionally, it has been a month filled with ups and downs. We returned to (some) employees who were a little scared of us and/or the changes, which, truthfully, has been hard for me--I like to be liked, in fact, didn't realize how much so until this happened! : )

When we realized what was going on with the employees, however, Tully hit upon a great idea which was to invite the different (small) groups of employees to the team kitchen for a lunch--to get to know us, for us to get to know them. So, the first day, we had the nurses, a couple of days later, it was the guards' turn (who were hilarious, by the way--and we picked up some new Spanish words), then the other hospital employees. Today it was the cleaning ladies at 12 pm, and the pastor of the church and the head of grounds at 1 pm. Tomorrow will be the team cook and the lady in charge of the food program. This has given the employees a chance to ask us questions, and we can tell them a little more of what we expect, etc.

This weekend begins our brigades with the first being led by our dear friend, mentor, and former pastor, Wilson Nelson, who is bringing a group from his church in Calgary, Canada. We are all so excited! Beginning this weekend, we will have someone here until mid March, so we have been readying everything for the teams. Dr. Estrada has taken around flyers for announcing the upcoming surgery team, as has our pastor, Mingo, by taking flyers to our surrounding mountain churches, the TV and radio stations have begun their announcements regarding the surgery team, and Joann and I have spent some time making up menus for the upcoming teams.

In a nutshell, has been a great month, a hard month, and a learning month, and I wouldn't trade it for anything!