A Sleepy Boy

Well we are still here are the hospital. Ronny has received the all clear and now we are just waiting for discharge paperwork to be processed.

Last night Alli took the night shift and stayed with Ronny. She said he pretty much slept all night. When I got here this morning he was sound asleep and pretty much slept until noon. Alli and I took advantage of this and have been using the complimentary WiFi to work all day. Ronny has a bit of a fever right now, just the normal post op fever... nothing much. We have been practicing our deep breathing and have even made a few laps around the hall, which should help the fever to come down.

The surgeon came in this morning and has us scheduled for a few more procedures (not under anesthesia) and some exams later on this week and into the next. If all goes according to plan Ronny should be headed back to Honduras on Feb 9.

Please continue to keep Ronny in your prayers as we go home to Alli's aunt and uncle's house to recuperate. Also please keep praying about the appointments later this week and that all goes well. Thank you so much for all your love and support!

Dopey and the Doc

Ronny has made it through his procedure! The surgeons were proud of the progress made today and feel that Ronny will not need another procedure under anesthesia on Friday! The complication from his previous surgery turned out to be a little worse off then they first though, but they say that they did what the needed to do and we will just have to take it a day at a time. We have always known that this was a difficult case, but God has brought us this far and we know he will continue to care for Ronny until a resolution can be reached.

Alli and I were moved to tears today when we saw what an outpouring of love we were welcomed with. When we arrived in admitting we were greeted with smiles, hugs and "We've been waiting for you!" People we had never met, and who had certainly never met Ronny were absolutely ecstatic to be taking part in something so special. When we got to the surgery waiting area we were told, "We've been looking forward to meeting you." When we went up to pre-op we met a Christian nurse who had actually heard about Mission Lazarus and who felt like God had allowed her to work today so that she could meet Ronny and take part in something much bigger than we could have ever imagined. The anesthesiologist, OR nurse, and surgeons were absolutely wonderful. Everyone was so kind and really made sure that Ronny understood everything that was going on before he was wheeled back into the OR. When we got into the surgery waiting room we were told that we had visitors waiting for us. Alli and I had no idea who it could be, but were greeted by an elder and his friend from Kingwood Heights, the church we had attended on Sunday. They kept us company while we waited and even bought us dinner. After the surgery the elder even prayed other us and Ronny, thanking God for all that he has orchestrated so far and asking him to help as we start down this somewhat long road of recovery. You couldn't help but feel God's presence all day. It's like He had his hand on Ronny's shoulder every step of the way!

Now we are in Ronny's room on the 3rd floor, where he will stay the night. He has been sleeping comfortably since he came out of surgery, he is still pretty drugged up, and we are praying that he remains comfortable until he wakes up tomorrow morning... if he can make it through all of the frequent vital sign checks.

Please continue to keep Ronny in your prayers as we start down the long road to treating this complication. Hopefully the hardest part is over and now we just have to persevere.

Thank you so much for all your love, encouragement and prayers! We have truly felt each prayer today!

Until tomorrow, Goodnight.

A Happy Boy

After two days of being a little bashful and shy, Ronny has come out of his shell. He feels more comfortable with his new surroundings, and he is even getting used to hanging out with the two gringas.

Sunday we attended church at Kingwood Heights in Murfreesboro. It is amazing the connections that God can make! When our original plans for Ronny fell through, we sent out a HELP email to all of our medically minded friends. An elder from Kingwood contacted us and told us that they had a great surgeon that attended their church. He spoke to the surgeon and she has arranged absolutely EVERYTHING for us. All of the expenses are paid for at this time. All the surgeons, assisting surgeons and anesthesiologists have waved their fees and are thrilled to be helping out this mild mannered teenage boy from central Honduras. After church a sweet couple took us out to lunch at a great Mexican restaurant and Ronny got to eat good rice, beans and fajita steak! He was pleased. In the evening we went to Chuck E. Cheese and taught Ronny how to play Skee Ball and car racing games. Then we took the long awaited trip to Wal-Mart where Ronny carefully picked out gifts for his mother, grandmother, little brothers and cousins… he also bought a gift for himself.



Monday we decided to have a fun day. We took Ronny into Nashville and showed him downtown, the capitol building, and the Parthenon (for those of y’all who don’t know, Nashville is referred to as “The Athens of the South.”) We went to Borders and picked him up some reading materials since we figure he will be feeling low-key after his procedure (FYI, Spanish section at Borders in Nashville is pitiful). After our tour of Nashville we met up with Alli’s sister and brother-in-law to have a good last dinner before Ronny went NPO (nothing by mouth) at midnight. Steak, rice and french fries were on Ronny’s list of favorite foods… and so we made sure that he got to eat all three!



Please keep Ronny in your prayers at 4pm (Central Time) as he goes into the OR for his procedure today. Pray that Ronny has peace, that the surgeons have steady hands, and that everything goes smoothly and according to God’s will. Thank you so much for your prayers! We definitely feel them!

Bashful in Nashville

Well, I am back in the US! As many of you know Alli and I have been working closely with one of our "special cases," Ronny, for over a year now. We, after an up hill battle, have finally gotten 15 year old Ronny to the US for part of the medical treatment that he needs. We are here for at least a week and one half... or two. We went to Ronny's first appointment on Friday and met our new favorite surgeon. After a very warm welcome from the clinic and hospital and an exam for Ronny we set up his first procedure date (in the OR, under anesthesia) for Tuesday afternoon (Jan 29th). Yesterday evening we tried to have as Honduran of a meal as possible, and then settled in to watch Apollo 13 in Spanish.

After an overwhelming day for Ronny on Friday we tried to remain low key today. He watched Meet the Robinsons in Spanish this afternoon while Alli and I played "catch up." This evening we had tacos with cardboard tasting corn tortillas (nothing like the Honduran ones... sorry Ronny) and then taught Ronny how to play Connect Four and Uno. Ronny had a blast with the games and really started to open up and laugh... Alli and I were relieved.

Also we have started English lessons with Ronny and he already shows much promise...

Please keep Ronny in your prayers as he deals with culture shock, mentally prepares himself for yet another surgery, and misses his family. God has brought us this far and we have no doubt that he will keep taking care of Ronny. Please pray for peace for all of us and that we remember that God will continue to meet us daily.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12: 12

How to make the most out for 12 hours of travel between Portland and Tegucigalpa...

For those of you who will be traveling to Honduras to visit me this year, I thought I would create a "How To" of sorts, so that you can enjoy your travel experience as much as I enjoyed mine last week.

1. Purchase your tickets to Honduras on Continental.com. Though their tickets are sometimes more expensive, it is almost always worth the extra $100. On Continental you can take a direct flight from Portland to Houston and then on to Honduras, where as if you travel on American you will have to fly from Portland to Dallas to Miami and then on to Honduras. Not only is the flight shorter on Continental, but they offer you peanuts and beverage service as well. American only offers beverage service and then charges $4 for a snack box... boo! Also, you will want to fly into Houston to complete the rest of my How to... see below.
2. After you have secured your tickets on Continental, be sure to check if Tegucigalpa is under a baggage embargo (this means they can limit, even more strictly, the number of bags and the weight of the bags that you want to bring. I did not do this and had to send a bag back with my mom). You can locate this info on Continental.com.
3. The flight to Houston will be a red eye. This flight is rarely full and it is important to locate a row of seats in the back that are unoccupied. After a hot cup of tea from the beverage service, grab a couple of extra pillows and blankets and make yourself comfortable for the next 3 hours.
4. You will arrive in Houston around 5:30 AM. Upon arrival in Houston buy yourself a bottle of water and hydrate yourself. Airplanes always dehydrate you and you will need to be hydrated once you land in Honduras. I suggest hydrating yourself while sitting in front of one of the many flat screen TVs and watching CNN. (For those of you who are scoffing at me for watching TV, please know that you will need this kind of mindless entertainment after 3 hrs of sleep).
5. After you are properly hydrated, seek out terminal E (the international terminal). I usually take serveral turns about the terminal as I am definitely tired of sitting by then. Once you have located your departure gate and have sufficently streched your legs, head to Pappacito's.
6. At Pappacito's order the breakfast taco (I suggest the potato, egg and cheese... though they are all good), for larger appetities order the breakfast burrito. Make sure they give you plenty of salsa, as this is the BEST part.
7. Choose a table with a good view outside (for the sunrise) and a good view of the people around you. This is prime people watching time!
8. After enjoying your breakfast taco, head over to the Starbuck's line for a coffee. And make your way back to your departure gate.
9. By this time your flight should be about 30 minutes from boarding. Enjoy your cup of joe and continue the people watching.
10. Once onboard your plane try to get yourself a seat one of the A seats (left hand window) for your optimum viewing pleasure of the landing in Honduras. Continental does serve an in-flight breakfast, the yogurt and banana are the only things worth eating... if you are still hungry. Once settled in, kick back, relax and take a nap.
11. When the flight attendant comes over the loud speaker saying that they have started to make their initial decent, WAKE UP and start looking out the window. If you are lucky enough to be on the left side of the plane enjoy the view as the plane makes a sharp left-hand turn so that the right wing can clear the mountainside before the plane comes down to land on the football field sized runway. If the locals clap after the landing, then you know it was a good one!
12. Try to be one of the first off the plane so that you can be first through immigration and consequently first to get your bags. There is always a line to get through customs.
13. Once through customs, allow the man with the dolly to wheel your luggage out. Their fee is cheap and it will save you a lot of effort maneuvering your bags through the crowd outside.
14. Once outside soak in the warmth and beauty of Honduras!... and of course greet you hostess!

Cannot wait to show you all around. I know you will love Honduras as much as I do!