Settling in ... kinda

Well, almost a week has passed, and we are getting into routines. Routines as far as the ministry work here, and routines as far as life. We ARE 53 years old after all, and routines are comforting. Every day, more and more people are hearing that there is a doctor here at the mission house in Santa Elena, and there are constant appeals for help - but so far it has been mostly chronic and unsolvable problems like arthitis or just aging problems, not really much to do about that. We are really trying to keep the medical work to a minimum, as we are convinced that shotgun medicine without follow-up is one of the real problems here, and the future clinic with record-keeping will be the real answer. We are focusing on the mission house and the work efforts surrounding it, with a personal emphasis on the children of Los Pinos.
This is a pre-blog for Saturday, when we will be putting on a complete picture of the children at Los Pinos, and will be able to give some of you prayer warriors a better idea of what to pray for, at my halfway point of the trip. 4 weeks down, 4 to go. We have planned a trip to the beach for the children of both programs for next Friday, Lord willing, and we are very excited and a little nervous to take that many children. Being a week-day should help, and we will have safety systems in place. Lots of sand play and LIMITED water play. There might be 50 plus children going, with 8 adults. Sounds like a good time, huh?
We are starting to make arrangements for the Garden City team coming next Sunday. Lots of work preparing work details, getting materials organized and in place, as well as supplies for the team´s needs. It is totally hilarious, some of the situations I find myself in. As a non-spanish speaking person, I am very often in houses surrounded by no english-speaking people, all with important things to say. Generally, one of the people will become the ïnterpreter¨, that is, the REPEATER. They will say the same thing as the other person, just slower and louder. Then I come in with mangled spanish-english-french-chichewa-swedish and make noises that I expect someone to figure out. That failing, I take out my (or, rather, the Sipes´) Spanish-English dictionary (me poquito amigo amarillo), and say a couple of key words, completely disregarding grammar and tense, and someone in the room lights up, says something, and I agree, no matter what it was that they said. Then we move on to the next sentence. By the time I´m done, very little true communication has taken place, everyone has had a lot of fun, and I am really tired. I think it is just entertainment for the locals, gringo translation.
Marbella, by the way, is doing very well. The tendon that was injured has very little pain on movement, and we are beginning to allow walking short distances. I have a marvelous picture of Sandra, her mother, carrying Marbella on her back. Sandra is all of 4 foot 8, and laughingly refers to herself as the ¨burrito¨(little burro) when she is carrying her daughter. Cindy Patricia has settled down pretty well as far as the bleeding problem, Several other health issues have been raised in Los Pinos. Sandra´s sister is coming in from San Pedro Sula with a cyst on her abdomen, I don´t know if we´ll be able to do anything about it, but I have agreed to look at it. Marbella´s staples come out Tuesday, I do not have the proper tool for removal (I already knew that when I put them in, I have removed staples without the tool a number of times in the past, it is just easier and less painful when you have the right tool.) We are getting used to improvising.
We must go. we appreciate your thoughts and prayers. We will be blogging this weekend with lots more pictures.