Mending Bodies and Healing Hearts

     It's been a really rough couple of weeks. Honduras was hit not by one but TWO hurricanes in TWO WEEKS! Hurricane Eta passed south of the hospital flooding the city of San Pedro Sula and displacing hundreds of families. The airport that I normally fly into is completely under water. A notice was sent out saying that the airport will be closed for at least a month. This week Hurricane Iota followed in Eta's tracks re-flooding San Pedro Sula and displacing the same hundreds of families.        Hospital Loma de Luz was hit by it's own personal hurricane the weekend between Eta and Iota that we are still recovering from. It all started on Saturday evening in the middle of a beautiful little wedding on our hospital's beach in front of a gorgeous Honduran sunset. Right after Pastor Rony told the groom, "You may now kiss the bride" ... it happened... Dr Anthony's radio crackled, "SQ Balfate Code Blue in the emergency room!" A patient was in trouble...

After six months of being in the States, I have finally made it back into Hondura s! I was rather concerned about traveling because of flights into Honduras continuing to prove to be unreliable but thankfully everything went really smoothly! Honduras now requires those entering the country to have a negative COVID-19 test 72 hours before flying which means that I didn't have to end up quarantining for two weeks after  all.   In some ways  it is really weird to be back but yet feels like I never left in others. It looks the same and sm ells the  same.  The beach is still here and my  dog, Paisley, definitel y remembers me. We still communicate b y radio and there is still an endless number of patients to tend to. The only thing that's really different is that the kids have all grown at least 6 inches this su mmer alone and then ... there is COVID ...    Who knew that a virus would unexpectedly turn my few week trip to see my family into a six ...

"Quiet" ... My mere utterance of this taboo word in the hospital brings scolding from who ever hears it.  The thought being that the word being spoken aloud will bring a return of the craziness. The hospital is QUIET! For several weeks now, the hospital has been in a tranquil state. Clinic has been running as usual every week day with the emergency room and labor ward being open around the clock. But it has been quiet! No traumas, critically ill patients, or babies on ventilators for weeks now.  We are so thankful that God has given us some time of tranquility to rest. To rest physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and to recover from six really difficult months. The tranquility has brought time to slow down, to enjoy time in the Word, to make cookies, to spend time with friends in the village, to get away for the weekend, to paddle out to the reef and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Time to stop and watch in the hospital hallway as a young amputee walked...