Greetings
It has been awhile since our last
blog. When Wes left for the states in
June it was dry and brown. Wes has returned and
with him the rains have come and the grass is green again. Here
are some things that have been going on and also included is a bonus edition of Denise's Misadventures!
And There Was Light
The
construction team that put on the roof also said, “Let there be light!” and a new dental light now rests from the
ceiling of the dental suite. It was
quite a job since it took extensive work to accommodate the light. Praise God, our visiting dentists will have
excellent light as they serve.
Wes
installed a new Sawyer water filtration system at the hospital and for the
village. We had been using a temporary
DIVVY system but it was not meant for the load of permanent duty. Bill Drury with PuraViva Agua was instrumental
in getting this new system for us. It uses the similar technology as a kidney dialysis
to filter the water. It is a real
blessing. Pure water has eliminated most
cases of dysentery and cholera in our village.
 |
| Helping with the Water Tank |
We were blessed to have an engineering team from Kentucky, Jeremiah and Cynthia Littleton and her father Bob Cartwright. Jeremiah is a bridge engineer so while they were here the Rus Rus Bridge received a thorough inspection. They found many problems that will have to be dealt with. They also did a survey of the MAG property lines, buildings and included elevations.
 |
| Bridge about 4 years ago |
 |
| Bridge now |
Upcoming Activities
We have
2 activities coming in September. The annual on the plane is due (as
well as our permit to fly). Wes and Scott Grote will be working on
that. You know how the paperwork abounds (especially here) for all
that. Your prayers would be greatly coveted during this process.
A small
medical/dental team will be visiting toward the end of the month. Of
course it will probably be very busy. Not as busy as the February brigade
but still we hope to have a great crowd.
Anniversary Celebration
Westley and I are celebrating 32 years of wedded bliss (did I say bliss?). Actually we are delighted to be serving together in the land of our hearts and with each other. We hope to make a small trip to the island of Roatan to soak in some sun and alone time. We won’t be gone long as we have too many things going on. I’d say “wish you were here” as we take this break, but that would be a lie. J
Denise’s Misadventures
Westley hasn’t even been gone for 24 hours before I had my first
“Denise doesn’t know how to fix it” moment.
I woke up and it was quiet. That
was my first clue that something was wrong.
I didn’t hear Jack, our monkey. I
go out to the cage but see nothing. I
softly whisper, “Jack?” I hear monkey
noises but can’t quite figure it out where they are coming from. I say his name louder, listening
intently. He’s at the front door shaking
with cold and shivering from fear. I let
him in. I go to his cage and see his
little escape hole. How do I fix this
since I’m not wired for this type of task?
I call Wes. He gives me
directions on how to fix it, where to find the supplies then he waits for me to
call him when I am done. Yes, I
overcame! I just hope the “fix” will
last until Westley’s return in the middle of the month. Jack is making his “I’m happy to be home and
eating” monkey noises. Like I said, it’s a new adventure every day.
My
next misadventure began at 3 a.m. in the morning.
I felt something drop close to my arm and it jerked me from a sound
sleep. I grabbed up my flashlight and
shined it around. I saw a scorpion! I jumped from the bed and turned on the
overhead light. I thought, “What do I
do? What do I do?” My heart was beating so quickly. After being in Honduras for as many years as
we have, you would think that I would have this down. But…in my defense, it WAS 3 a.m. My brain was a little fuzzy. I grab a broom from the kitchen but when I
returned, he had disappeared. “Oh,
great!” I say out loud. “I’ll be wondering where you’re at for the
rest of the night.” I addressed the 4
inch scorpion. I carefully move the
pillows around. No dice. As I stand there staring at the bed, lo and
behold, here he comes, striding over one of the pillows. Instinctively I grab Westley’s tennis shoe by
the side of the bed and SMACK, SMACK, SMACK!
Got him!!! I gingerly scoop his
corpse up with an envelope and summarily dump him in the trash, which I bagged
right away. I yawn and head back to
bed. Jack will be waking me early for
his breakfast. You wonder, “What happened
to the broom?” I dropped it reaching for
that shoe. So much for that idea. J
As I drifted off to sleep I remember whispering, “Thank you, Lord, for
helping me.”
 |
| Picture found on internet as I totally smashed said offender. |
Take 3 Misadventure - "I'm
tired." I say as I get ready for bed. A quick shower and I'll be ready. As
I step into the bathroom I see something scurry under the towels. I move the
rack. I can't believe it! Another scorpion and this one was bigger by a couple
of inches. I look around - no shoes. I see the lid to the top of my laundry
bin. I grab it and throw it down on top of the scorpion. I jump onto the lid and jump, jump, jump. I gingerly pick it up. It's still trying
to get away even though its tail is smashed. I drop the lid back into place. I
jump, jump, jump some more. That did it! It's dead. Like a repeat of the first
time, I shove his carcass onto a piece of cardboard and toss him into the
trash, which, of course, I bagged right away. This is unusual. I don't often
see a scorpion at all. Now, in two weeks I have seen two. I was so tired that I
didn't even get excited. I took my shower and went to bed. I need my rest, for
my body is healing from that pesky, nasty cold. Thank you all for covering me
in prayer. It's only because of those prayers that I can overcome. You are the
greatest!
Joyfully In His Service,
Westley & Denise Wiles
