finally part 2

Well, I thought it was time to finish my blog on our trip to Spain before Christmas comes and we leave for Mexico.

Dad and I at Plaza España

Sevilla maravilla! The last blog left us in Sevilla. I am reminded of how Guadalajara, Mexico is called the most Mexican of all Mexican cities...in my mind Sevilla is like that. But then, I have much more to see, like maybe Barcelona.

I think the most thrilling of all the things we did on the whole trip was the Flamenco performance. It was more than I could have imagined it would be, wild gypsy music, flying polka dots, pounding feet, castanets and the fascinating hand movements!

Sitting with fellow tourists waiting for the show

It's all about polka dots! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but in this case you would have to feel the music and the pounding, and well, just be there to appreciate the spectacle!

Gambas, or as we say, prawns, stuffed in an avocado. Dad and I enjoyed wandering, as best we could with me in a wheelchair, the narrow streets and relaxing with tapas (small portions of a variety of Spanish foods).

Gibralter Rocks!

The Rock of Gibralter
A special feature of our trip was pulling out our passports and crossing over into the British territory of Gibralter. We had an amazing tour guide who drove us up and down the rock, making us laugh and fascinating me with history... all in English.
We also enjoyed real British fish and chips!

Barbary Macaques aka Barbary apes are all over Gibralter

Dad found this outside of a pub!

Torremolino, on the Mediterrean Coast

Here I am by the pool in Torremolino...that is my casted foot in the foreground.

One of my aspirations of this trip was to swim in the Mediterrean Sea, sigh. The best I could do was escape solo in my wheelchair and amble down the side walk next to the beach. I developed some skill and strength and was able to climb some pretty impressive inclines when left to myself. Okay, there were a few times when I got stuck and needed help getting up curbs, but people were so friendly and helpful and sympathetic.

Policia patroling along the beach, it was amazing how good looking the Spanish men were!

My dad and I worked out a system of him offering to help when he thought I needed it, and I trying to do as much as I could. It was always a pleasure when out of the blue one of the people on the tour offered to help.

Vincent from Toronto helping me enjoy the Alhambra, the famous Moorish palace in Granada.

The Alhambra

The Alhambra, aka the red fortress is probably the most visited tourist site in Spain, and it is amazing.

The foundations were laid around 1240 and it was completed around 1350 or so by a Moorish sultan. It was later a palace of Ferdinand and Isabella when they drove the Moors out of Spain in 1492.

Unlike the Moorish built cathedral in Cordoba, there is no lollygagging around here. You make an appointment for a tour and you stay with that tour, because there are lots of people behind you....

The tour guide had to have a lot of patience with me as there were lots of steps and I had to keep getting in and out of the wheelchair, aided by crutches, and my many helpers had to drag my wheelchair up and down.

Moorish art and architecture is a breathtaking thing. Everywhere I looked I realized that my mouth was hanging open in amazement.

As we left Granada we drove through the city and I thought, I could spend a week here! Perhaps someday.

Our Last Supper

I had to take a picture of this plate. Little tiny clams, as many as you want, roasted red peppers, and olives. Oh, did Dad and I enjoy the olives!

And then they brought these little fried fish. I have watched the girls in Oaxaca eat them and said, "no way!" But then my dad said, "they're like french fries!" And I called for some mayonaise...that's how I eat french fries in Mexico. Those little fried fish were great, bones and all!

Our tour guide MariLuz, who worked so hard to make our trip enjoyable. She obtained the wheelchair and crutches, and demonstrated how to climb up into the bus, and get down. I don't know how we would have managed without her.

This was the group we traveled with at our last supper

Here is Jesus, who was quick to get my wheelchair out as soon as we stopped so I could get out and try not to slow people down.

It was a wonderful experience. My dad and I talk often and reminisce, we talk about tapas, and olives and Flamenco...

As you know that when we returned to the U.S.A. we had to return to Washington rather than continue on to Oaxaca. It was 3 weeks after my injury that I had surgery. The doctor said that it hadn't begun to heal, and that it probably never would have really healed. I would have lost my mobility if I had not had surgery.

I am now starting to walk, still with crutches, but I am bearing weight, and going to physical therapy. We have reservations to return to Oaxaca on December 31st!

Holy Toledo, Sevilla maravilla and Gibraltor rocks! part I

Starbucks is not only expensive, it can be a dangerous habit!

At the Starbucks where I had my accident.

Well as most of you know, my father and I went on a tour of Spain a couple weeks ago. I had never been to Europe, though my dad had many times, and I was very excited. The flight proved not to be the ordeal I imagined, and I definitely prefer 767's to 737's or MD80's.

The tour started off with a bang, or should I say, thud. While waiting for the Welcome Dinner, and while my dad was taking a nap, I thought I would step into the Starbuck's on the corner.

Well, it was a wrong step. I lost my balance. And rather than the humiliating fall that we all have had from time to time, the kind that we hope no one notices. It was quite public and resulted in the calling of an ambulance.

I knew at the moment I fell that I had broken a bone. I could feel it break. And never had I felt so much pain. It is interesting to note, dear nursing friends, that in Spain they use the 1-10 pain scale just like in the U.S.A. I told them it was an 8 to 9! (It was a 10 actually, but I have always thought that 10 was an exaggeration, now I know better.)

My poor dad, he was awakened by a phone call and the words "hija" and "hospital". He was surprised by how well his "little Spanish" served him. He spoke and understood enough to get into a taxi and find me. I am sure that he was relieved that it was just a broken bone.

For my part I discovered that the Spaniards of Madrid are very easy to understand, much easier that most Mexicans I know. I got good care and was seen by a traumatologist, who set my broken bone. They were so kind and empathetic. Of course afterwards, not having a discharge planner, they told me to leave the wheelchair I was using when I got in the taxi, and literally put me out with no crutches or means of getting around.

I got my "Welcome dinner" by room service at 11:00 at night. But good, but good!

Sparing the pitiful details, let it be said that office chairs with wheels can prove useful in a pinch, and a simple chair can be used as a crutch and offers a place to sit when you get tired, which happens quickly when one is hopping around on one foot.

Our tour guide, Marie Luz, bent over backward to obtain a wheelchair and crutches for me to use, and in the end I saw Spain as best as one could in that situation.

Dad and I at Plaza España in Madrid, with Don Quixote and Sancho....before my fall.

We also toured the royal palace in Madrid, and I was amazed by what we saw, mostly on the ceilings. My dad took this picture and a guard quickly pointed out that there were signs everywhere prohibiting the taking of photos. Fortunately, she didn't smash his camera and I have this reminder of the palace's beauty.

Holy Toledo!

The tour of Toledo was a fast walking tour over cobblestones so instead my father and I toured the town square. While enjoying thick hot chocolate, best eaten with a spoon, and churros, I began to make a list of the places I want to visit with Eddie one day.

Toledo was the Visigoth capital prior to the 8th century. Wikipedia says that under the Moors it came into its Golden Age and Jews, Moors and Christians lived together harmoniously. It was taken by El Cid, famously played by Charlton Heston in the movie! It is encircled by the Tagus River as well as an ancient wall. And is very cool.

To Cordoba, and a bit of history

We enjoyed first class dining on the AVE train. By the way, if you wonder how Spaniards eat...less food, more wine!

The AVE high-speed train took us to another great city reconquered from the Moors. It too had winding streets, and a fast walking tour, so I went by taxi to meet the group outside of the Cathedral of Cordoba.

Enjoying my first taste of independence in a wheelchair, I did some window shopping in Cordoba.

Cathedral of Cordoba

Wikipedia tells me that the site had been a Roman temple, then in the 600's a Christian Visigoth church was under construction when the Moors took over. It was completed in 784 A.D. and was at one time the second largest mosque in the world. It was reconsecrated as a Catholic church/cathedral in 1236 by King Ferdinand III.

hard to get good photos due to the lighting

When I entered this mosque turned cathedral, I felt the wonder of being in Spain fall in on me. I was always being encouraged to keep up with the tour, I tried to avoid being pushed in the wheelchair. I knew I could get the info on Wikipedia, I just wanted to be there, and take it in. LOTR fans...it was like being in the Mines of Moria, the halls of Khazad-dum. The pillars of marble, onyx, jasper and granite went on and on in such an eerie light.

There were many kind members of our group that were eager to help me keep up. I discovered how nicely wheelchairs move on marble, as opposed to cobblestone!

The tour guides and other Spaniards have no qualms about discriminating against the gyspies, and warning you to stay clear of them. Something about being quite adept with sticky fingers. This gypsy hounded Dad until he gave her something, (she said she was hungry, but wouldn't take the food I offered). I had to teach Dad to say "Acabo de regalarle" (I just gave you something), as she and her companions kept coming back to him.

Sevilla maravilla

We spent the next 3 days in Sevilla. I was set free from the tour guide and got to enjoy the marble floors and amazing sights of the cathedral, third largest in the world. The sights included Columbus' tomb and well...too many to describe.

I love the ceilings!

Hard to see, hard to photograph, but this tomb, with 4 kings carrying the casket of Columbus is impressive, and severe. Apparently Columbus has graves all over the Caribbean...seems they kept digging him up and moving him, possibly leaving parts as they went. They say he traveled more dead than he did alive!

One of many views of the cathedral

The cathedral was built on the site of a mosque which was torn down, and inside the tower is a minaret with a ramp that circles round so a horse could be ridden to the top. Of course I only heard about it, but Angie and her mother, Mary Ellen, from Calgary, made the climb!

Mary Ellen and Angie from our tour group, I really appreciated their company! Angie learned her Spanish in Oaxaca, down the coast from where we work.

more cool photos

outside yet another royal residence

inside the same royal residence, the Alcazar

I also admire floors and walls...

I had fun taking these pics. I was on my own, no one pushing my wheelchair, I was able to mount the ramps and that gave me such satisfaction. Of course, when you need help, you need help and you are very grateful for it! Thank you so much Dad!

but wait, there's more....

obviously there was more to the tour, but this is longer than I wanted to go today.

Coming Soon, Flamenco dancers, Gibraltor rock...and Granada!

Tent Camping

Thank you Mr. Coleman!

I once watched a History Channel program on American camping along with the history of the American love affair with the automobile. Mr. Coleman invented the campstove, and the propane lantern. Since then his logo is widespread over America, and most of my camping equipment, including the 10 x 17 foot tent that holds two large Coleman air mattresses and a portable crib.

Kai's first nap in a tent!

Last weekend we went to our favorite campground, Tumwater Canyon. Located on Hwy 2 in the North Cascades, east of Stevens Pass. Our daughter Faith and her children started camping here with me 9 years ago. This year we included their new family member, Kai.

Isaiah was just about 4 when we started camping, now at almost 13 he was so much help, from putting up the tent to blowing up the mattresses! I heard Faith exclaim at one point, "Oh, I love having big kids with a baby around!" Either Elisabeth or Isaiah were there to watch Kai while the other helped with our camping tasks.

A Fine and Pleasant Misery **
Camping is a pastime which takes all the usual chores or living at home outdoors, and increases the challenges of everyday life by adding insects, dirt, threat of rain, subtracting indoor plumbing and electricity.

There is no question about it! Our generation has gotten soft! In fact, when we walked to the bathroom, or scavenged firewood. We thought we were at the RV show! Hugh trailers, 5th wheels almost as big as the one we call home, charming tent trailers, and motorhomes of all makes and sizes.

Only the backpackers, which we once were, work harder than the tent camper. Backpackers prove how little you need to survive in the wilderness, because they have to carry it all on their backs. Car campers see how much they can cram into their pick-up!

The trick to a successful tent camping experience is preparedness. As Louis Pasteur once said, "Camping favors the prepared"*. Murphy's law assures us that if we are overly prepared we will only need half of what we bring, but if we leave anything out, that will be the one indispensible item.

But hey, whatever you should have brought is never forgotten again.

The campfire

The first thing I did in the morning was build the fire, and the last thing at night was to stir the ashes and spread the coals far apart and make sure they go out. A fire starts best for me if I use scavenged wood partly burned covered in candle wax. I drug Isaiah all over the empty campsites digging through the undergrowth looking for free fire wood.

The campfire is used for roasting hotdogs, marshmallows and toast, frying bacon and eggs,grilling tortillas and keeping water hot for coffee, hot chocolate and washing dishes, babies and dirty feet before bedtime.

Still it exceeds a one star hotel in Mexico (costs the same and feels cleaner)

Over the years Eddie and Jay have not been able to join us on our Tumwater trips, so we go alone with the kids. When two women camp together as Faith and I have over the years, camping involves so much work. We put up a tent, pump up air mattresses, put up tarps to prevent rain (Murphy's Law), gather wood, build fires cook meals, wash dishes, wash kids. I can understand why any woman would think we were crazy to look so forward to camping.

But camping was a gift my father gave me, and a gift Eddie and I gave to our kids. Besides the work, we also play by the river, explore, play in the dirt and relax in the beautiful northwest wilderness.... and of course, again, there is the wonder of looking into the campfire, watching the coals dance and glow, and listening to the sound of the river at night.

Camping builds memories, and traditions which some say are the result of shared suffering and meeting unique challenges. Miseries that none of us would relish, like cooking my special ham, potatoes, cheese and eggs in the pouring rain, or waking up in the middle of the night surrounded by water, practically floating on your air mattress, can be tolerable if you can spend one night around the fire making smores, or experience the family content, away from television or electronic devices.

Isaiah and Elisabeth eating MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), military field rations, issued years ago which Grandpa found in his stuff), probably the same issue that their mom and uncles ate when they were kids.

Walking to the bathroom in the dark with my dying flashlight, I looked up into the Milky Way and I remembered why I love this place. I have always said that "any night spent in a tent was better than a night spent anywhere else". There is nothing as cozy as a warm sleeping bag on a cold morning, unless the air mattress has gone flat in the night.

Elisabeth beating me at backgammon by Chiwaukum Creek

Well, some of you understand and are agreeing with me heartily, the rest are shaking their heads, especially those of you who told me that your idea of camping was a 3 star hotel.

Staying at Tumwater puts you about 20 minutes away from the lovely Bavarian village of Leavenworth

One last glance at baby cuteness!

Well, as I close, I will tell you that Eddie and I will be leaving Washington is less than 2 weeks. We have a lot of planning and preparing to do. We head for Mexico and expect to arrive in Oaxaca by October 10th or 11th. But before that....

I will be on a 10 day tour of Spain with my father, while Eddie housesits in Palm Springs. If any of you have any unused Euros laying around, you are welcome to donate them to my spending money fund for Spain. You can send them to me at P.O. Box 1946, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, by September 16th.....I would be ecstatic to receive them!

P.S. Did you know that Eddie and I sleep in a tent when we are up in the mountains in El Mosco?

*Actually, Pasteur said that "Luck favors the prepared mind", so he could have been talking about camping.....or germ theory.
**A Fine and Pleasant Misery is a wonderful, humorous book by Pat McManus

Summer reading and a great cloud of witnesses

August 18, 2008
The Great Cloud of Witnesses

I have long been one who loves history, and believes that we are made richer and wiser by learning from others' failures, as well as their successes. And so as a believer, I have found that biographies of the saints are not only enjoyable, but also encouraging to us as we seek models and mentors in our daily walk with Christ.

Hebrews 11 has been called the "hall of Faith" a Bible hall of fame. Verse 4 speaks of Abel who By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

My summer of reading
I have just completed a biography of John Newton (writer of the great hymn Amazing Grace), prior to that I read the biographies of William Wilberforce, J. Hudson Taylor, Mitsuo Fuchida, and Adoniram Judson. And although I need to read Iberia in order to prepare for a short tour of Spain, I really must find my small bio of George Mueller to read as a break from the hefty Michener volume.

Except for the book on Fuchida, the man who led the air attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and later became an evangelist (book is entitled God’s Samurai), the other books have been about believers who changed their world.
Early this year I found a copy of Prisoners of Hope, Our Story of Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan in the bookshelf at the Clinica Corban, where I work in Oaxaca. I found myself inspired by the book, but it left me craving another. Back to the bookshelf, Deadline by Randy Alcorn, a riveting Christian whodunit (that is: who done it…aka murder mystery). Suddenly I realized that every gringo on the mission base was reading something other than their Bibles, I guess the hard work in the heat demanded that we rest our minds with entertainment. We began passing books back and forth, and okay, we did the same with DVD’s, but you know, books are more portable, and the pleasure lasts longer!

So back to the topic of the Great Cloud of Witnesses, when I got home I started digging through the mounds of books that Eddie and I have packed away. And then I started putting them on my Facebook iRead. Then I started looking at what others were reading. Then I started ordering them from Amazon (free shipping!)

Okay, back to the topic again! We all have our preferences in books, theology, Christian living, Self help…..I don’t learn that way. I learn from observation and reflection of what I see and hear. Biographies of the saints who have lived their faith in difficult times are my teachers!

My Hall of Faith
Over the years I have learned many things from the biographies I have read.

“No hole is too deep that God’s love is not deeper still” from Betsy and Corrie ten Boon, The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boon

He will sustain us through desperate times, and even in our suffering He will give us the opportunity to know Him as our companion and lover. Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Diebler Rose.

The man who helped form my approach to faith suffered some of the same
emotional struggles I have suffered . Oswald Chambers, Abandoned to God by D. Mc Casland.

God saves some who are so far from faith others would consider them hopeless. I recognized that their humility at having been so low gave God the opportunity to use them in mighty ways. And they never forgot that they were “great sinner(s) and Christ is a great Savior”. John Newton, From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by J. Aitken, and God’s Samurai by G. Prange. These two books also demonstrated by contrast how the believers you surround yourself with effects your effectiveness.

We should chronicle the signs and miracles along our way that demonstrate God’s faithfulness in our own life story. Walking God’s Trail by Steve Saint.

Social justice is part of our commission, and God uses true believers to reform a society. Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by E. Metaxas.

Five men gave their lives just so the Waodani (once called the Auca) would be present at the Throne. They chose not defend their lives with guns because they were ready to die, and the savages weren’t. Jungle Pilot by R. Hitt, and Through Gates of Splendor by E. Elliot

The testimonies of these saints have helped form my walk with Christ. These men and women gave their lives; they suffered as I never have. They deemed Christ worthy, and they loved the lost with their very flesh and blood. They call me up from my whining and complaining to be grateful, faithful and true. They pound deeply into my spirit the determination to be like them in one way or another.

Oh, and I almost forgot Gladys Alward, Amy Carmichael, Ann Hasseltine Judson, Sarah Boardman, and most of all Catherine Booth. I have never been much of a feminist, because I have never needed to be. In the church since Christ set us free, neither male or female, the gospel has been advanced across cultural boundries by women, such incredible women!

I encourage you therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1