I left my heart in Oaxaca

In Mount Vernon WA with our youngest grandson Damien

Well, it has been forever since I posted a blog. In April my email address and all my contacts' addresses were hijacked, lost them never to be regained.

Those of you who are reading this will be mostly from my Facebook friends list, some of you will be new to my blog. Because you are on FB you know all about Eddie and Riverclay Studio, well here is the rest of the story.

When I left for Oaxaca in January we knew that it could be a long time before we or I made the trip again. Knowing that, I carried a sense of grief with me much of the time I was there. I had longed to be a missionary for so long. And in the last 7 years I had experienced such incredible things, worked with such incredible people and seen God fulfill so many promises.

I did not want to cease to call Oaxaca mine, and I did not want to ever think that the people who had become our loved ones, our family, in Cacalote and El Mosco would be a part of our past.

in Pueblo Viejo with Carmela and Laura

Even now it is unthinkable. Oaxaca has become our other home.

The view from the comedor of the clinic

So when I left Eddie in Washington for two months last January I told him that it was going be a "God and me" time. I told him that I expected God to speak and tell me what was next for me and missions.


And one day in February I felt I understood what God was saying to me. There are many needs in our little area of Oaxaca that remain unmet, needs that have been calling to me. And suddenly on that day early in February I realized, I needed more education if I was going to make a difference.

Dr. Mary Kay, Marcial, me and Vernessa RN

In 1998 I graduated with an Associates Degree in Nursing, which made me an RN. But now it is time for me to earn my BSN (Bachelor's of Science Nursing). This degree will make me eligible to do in the U.S. what I do in Mexico, basically Public Health Nursing.

I must admit that I was a little afraid that going back to school would take me away from missions, but the Lord is so precious. He knows us each so well; He knows how to speak to our hearts.

My patient Hermana Carmelita

One day, as all this was going on in my heart, I found myself in the very humble home of Hermana Carmelita who I was visiting to give wound care. To examine her wound I needed her to move from where she was sitting to her bed, just a simple pivot transfer. But to my surprise she was unable to transfer as before, she was dead weight, but I transferred her anyway. After I dressed her wound I recognized that she was depressed and needed prayer.

As I held her in my arms and I prayed for her, my Spanish was articulate and expressive. I remember thinking,"I finally can speak Spanish and I am leaving". And at that moment the Lord spoke to my heart and said, "I will not take THIS away from you".

My doubt and fear disappeared and faith returned. The next day was filled with joy as began to see a plan set out before me.

But oh how my faith would be challenged in the days that followed. By Monday I was in severe pain, and nothing I did or took would relieve the pain. Of course, transferring Carmelita I had injured my back, herniated my L-5 vertebrae.

Laura introduced me to a California surfer-chiropractor in Puerto Escondido, whom I visited numerous times. Between those visits, Flexeril, lots of rest breaks and prayer I made it through 4 weeks of clinics and a trip up to El Mosco, in almost continuous pain.

Filling last minute prescriptions in El Mosco last February

So to keep this short I have decided to tell the story of my last days in Oaxaca in sections. I will post this now and then continue with the rest of my story over the next few posts. I hope you will read them and that they will help you join with me in prayer as I proceed in the direction I have been given.

Let me say that even though I entitled this blog "I left my heart in Oaxaca" I certainly have enjoyed being home in Mount Vernon. It is good to spend time with our grandchildren and kids. We love our church and continue to build important relationships.

I guess my heart in pulled in two directions and I am blessed to be in love with people and lands on both sides of the border. Amen!

Life with the Elim Students at Roca Blanca

Nurse Vernessa, daughter-in-law, hermana Carmelita and student Sheila at home visit

Impingement of Sciatic nerve, probably...

Well it has been a wild week for me. Mostly I spent it on my back in severe pain. Never, I say never, will I try to transfer a non-weightbearing patient again. I have spent the last week on my back in bed or on the floor, or pacing trying to get some relief from the worse most persistent pain I have ever experienced.

It started with a precious woman who I had the joy to care for. She was homebound so we were visiting her to make sure she was taking her meds and tracking the healing of a bedsore she had developed.

I have really been happy to see that my little training in wound care has served us well with her wound. However the other day when I went to check on her she wasn't in her bed so I went to help her transfer herself to a position where I could examine her. She had been able to support herself before but suddenly I found her in my arms dead weight! Rather that put her back I moved her to the bed. I thought "I may pay for this later".

Two days passed, I was fine. I took a "me day" in Puerto. I took a micro into Puerto Escondido, had Pan Frances at Cafecito. I walked the beach while talking to friends and family on the phone. What a wonderful day that was. That night I noticed a little tug in my back. The next morning it started hurting more, and it all went downhill from there.

Laura informed me that we had a great chiropractor in Puerto Escondido and I was grateful to make his acquaintance Wednesday morning. But the spasms had gone too far, and the inflammation and pain was so severe that one visit wasn't enough. The muscle relaxants and anti-inflammants I was taking wasn't making any difference.

I finally tried a strong pain reliever called tramadol. That only made me extremely nauseous. Thursday night found Laura loading me into the car with my pillow, my water bottle, and my barf bag in hand as I was crying in pain. I felt like a laboring woman going to the hospital to deliver a baby.

Quite an embarrassing sight as I think of it now. We RN's often say, "every patient deserves a nurse" and the Lord blessed me to have Laura.

Off we drove down the winding road to Puerto at around 9:30 PM, in a light rain. She had to drive slowly because of the rain, and a convoy of 5 white semi-tractor trailers in front of us on the road.

The appointment at the chiropractor's was quick and culminated with me utilizing my barf bag violently. I was sent home with some directions to lay on the floor, elevate my legs on a chair and apply ice. And so, after a hard night, the pain began to lessen.

Friday around 5 PM I rose from my bed reluctantly and walked across the campus. I ate a little white rice, took a little ice tea then went up to the top floor of the guest house and enjoyed the cool breezes courtesy of the earlier rains.

Well, that was probably too much information. But suffice it to say, I am recovering, wearing a support belt and being very quick to "lay on the floor and apply ice" at the slightest suggestion of pain.

Elim Students

Dr. Mary Kay showing Bethany how to test for the Babinski reflex on Rosie

Our life here these days has been a combination of student lectures by Drs. Dave and Mary Kay, plus clinical days with patients who come to the clinic. The students sit in on the consults and discuss with the doctors the ailments and finer points of diagnoses.

Sheila using an opthalmascope

I am enjoying the lectures when I can sit in. I interpret for Dr. Dave when he sees patients. Actually, Dr. Dave's Spanish has improved so much, I usually just sit in to help him out with understanding the patients, but this week he was using more English so the students could understand what he was saying.

Me interpreting for Dr. Dave, Kaie and Vernesa

I would like to recommend that you check out Drs. Dave and Mary Kay's blog. There are some good stories to add that I can't write here. There is a pretty graphic picture of a wound that I helped the students dress, with a pretty sad story. But a good warning to take diabetes seriously. When you are done reading this, go to http://www.nessblog.com/roca/ You may have to type it in the address.

Feliz Cupleaños Saul
Saul and his sister Lore, who is a nursing student and has been with our clinic for years

This last week we have also enjoyed a birthday party. Saul, one of our clinic staff turned 30!
We had tacos, iguana tamales, jamaica and chocolate birthday cake.

we had a great feast!

And to add to our celebrations, Dr. Eder who has been serving at the Corban Clinic for, I believe, 3 years, as our resident doctor. Has received his "titulo" which endows him with all the rights and privileges of a physician. We are so very proud and happy for him.

Dr. Eder, Paulina and Nelly

I suspect that if you look back through the archives you should find the pictures of Dr. Eder and Paulina's wedding. Last year they added a precious little jewel to our clinic family, Nelly! She is such a happy baby, complete with her daddy's dimple.



So, goodbye for now. Less than 3 weeks until I return home to my honey in Mount Vernon. I can't wait...but still there are many days of clinic, and classes and patients and an outreach up to El Mosco. We leave Fridays morning. Please pray for my back!

I'll close for now, I have to get the medication shopping list ready for tomorrow's trip to Puerto.

Tetepelcingo

Last weekend’s outreach to Tetepelcingo started with inventory of the mobile pharmacy and a trip to Similares where we get our meds. By Wednesday suero oral (rehydration fluid) was made and the vitamins were all counted, bagged and labeled. Thursday the rest of the mobile clinic was collected and packed. On Friday the air-mattresses were tested, the sleeping bags were counted and almost everything was loaded into Dr. Dave’s truck.

Angela, who looks remarkably like my daughter-in-law Amanda, labeling vitamins

Bethany counting vitamins to bag for the outreach

Susan bagging Suero Oral, that is concentrate for dehydration fluid

Saturday bright and early we were ready to go. Hurray! We were served pancakes and bananas and off we went. Four vehicles and 28 people headed for the Mixtec town of Tetepelcingo. We were 8 Elim students, Dr. and Peggy Smith (a dentist and nurse from Klamath Falls, OR), 3 of the language school students plus the regular staff, including our two lady dentists and their husbands.

Peggy Smith R.N. triaging patients

We arrived around noon and had soon set up the dental area, three consulting rooms, a room for prayer (all made with sheets, cord and clothes pins) and, of course, the pharmacy. We added a triage space for Peggy to help with the patient load, and a couple chairs where students took vitals and weighed patients.

Laura and Pastor Pedro giving meds and instructions to a patient

Tetepelcingo is a good sized town, with the usual concrete and brick house, and a good number of the stick homes we see here in Cacalote. The people of the town differ a bit from the people of El Mosco in the Ixtayutla region in that they speak more Spanish and appear much more prosperous and healthy. They have a more educated presentation as well. We saw very few in the traditional costumes of the coastal Mixtec. They also seemed to be more used to having outsiders in their midst, we were certainly noticed and watched, but generally we felt safe and accepted.

Joann and Correen, the kids and balloon relays

On this outreach we had the Roca Blanca Language School students plus two of their teachers with us. The students provided a program of the children who accompanied their parents to the clinic. There were exciting games and relays, crafts, dramas and Bible stories.

Bible stories in English and Mixteco

The language students are still learning the language so they had their teacher Ruben to interpret for them. Ruben, whose wife is one of our dentists, is a well-educated Mixteco who lived a few years in the U.S.A. He was able to interpret English to Mixtec without going through a Spanish interpretation. Anyone who has worked with us in the Mixteco villages know how very cool that is!

the children were great, cooperative and responsive, here is Ruben interpreting

I worked in the pharmacy as well as an interpreter for Dr. Dave. We had some interesting cases. The one that stands out most in my mind is the 33 year old woman who suffered from seizure disorder and had taken Dilantin since childhood. She had been married, or perhaps juntada(lived with a man as his wife) and had three teenage daughters. Her husband had left her for another woman, and she longed to be able to go out and work like other people.

We explained that her medication could control her seizures, but she said that no one would hire her for fear that she would have a seizure in their presence. She also seemed to be having trouble controlling the seizures and an increase of Dilantin had side effects she couldn’t live with. She pressed and pressed for Dr. Dave to do something for her. She reminded me of the woman in the parable in the Bible who would not rest until the judge gave her justice.

It is difficult to change a person’s seizure medications when you cannot be there to observe on a routine basis. But as she was so persistent we added another anti-seizure drug to her regimen which was to be increased a little each week. We hope that she will come here to Clinica Corban for Dr. Dave to review her response to the new medication in 4 weeks. And we pray that she get the control of her life and seizures that she so greatly desires.

Rosie cleaning teeth and Bethany assisting

The Elim students worked taking vitals, in the pharmacy and with the dentists, as well as shadowing the doctors. They had just had a week with Dr. Alex Smith learning all about dental care.

Sheila helping Dr. Adriana pull a tooth by holding the light, Susan R.N. looks on

We stayed in several homes, and many of us stayed in tents. We were fed royally at the pastor's home. As usual an army of ladies came together to make soup and tortillas, mole and many other tasty dishes. I had my first hot Mexican chocolate made with water and I loved it!

I found these pots everywhere in the village, they were hand built. I was very inspired!

After clinic on Sunday we held a joyous and lively worship service in the street. I was very aware of the neighbors that stood around and listened. I took me back to the time when I as a child would listen to the people in the church across the street sing and wonder about what their faith was like.

I went forward to give a testimony and next thing I knew I was being asked to give an invitation. It embarrassed me a bit, but it was wonderful to pray for those who came forward in response to the wonderful message about God's love.

Spanish student Tim helps with worship

As I prepare to close, I have to mention that I am in an internet cafe as I cannot get sufficient internet service at the base, at least not enough to post a blog. Please forgive the many errors you encounter in this blog. I won't have time to proof read it too well.

I am surround here by the voices of the Elim students talking to their parents and families on Skype. It is delightful. I am enjoying their company so much.
Today is Saturday, Sunday we are going to give a birthday party for one of the clinic staff. We have shopping to do so I will close!

Well deserved pehaps, certainly appreciated time off!

How do we let off steam at Roca Blanca?

Well, of course there is the beach, I have only gone swimming once so far, it is not like I can just go out and jump in the ocean, although we have a few who do. The waves can be rough and I have a particular respect for places where people have drowned. It is better to drive to Roca Mar down the beach or go to Puerto Escondido.

Berta and I spend workdays with Drs. Dave and Mary Kay at the clinic when we have patients. Tuesday and Thursday are regular clinic days when people come to see the doctors. We have had some interesting, and challenging situations.

We see 20 to 40 patients on any such day. Of course we are always on call.

As often as were able this last week, we sat in on the Community Health Evangelism courses with Dr. Jody and the Elim students. Molly was overseeing the students course work through the week but had to go home Friday morning. Prior to her departure we all had some great times. The classes were full of skits and games and lots of laughter. We also got in a few movie nights complete with popcorn.

Molly modeling her very cool hairstyle, which I may try to copy when my hair gets longer

Thursday night before Molly left the moon was bright and just one day shy of total fullness. We built a fire on the beach and had one of the best salchiche roasts I can remember. Remember that Mexican hot dogs (salchiches) are served with mayo as well as mustard and ketsup. We didn't make S'mores, but enjoyed roasted strawberry flavored bon bons (marshmellows).

The best part I think was the music. Two guitars and one big jembe were passed around between several talented musicians. I stayed out for a long time, but if I had stayed a little longer I would have been able to join in on all the Veggie Tale songs....bummer.

Spanish language student Issac helped build the fire

Clinic director and language school director Laura and David with Eric, Issac's dad

Bethany, Angela and Susan roasting salchiches

Cafecito!
This morning we all got up before sunrise to get dressed and head on down to Cafecito to enjoy their fantastic breakfasts. Many enjoyed the Oaxacan Chocolate filled croissants....but I had the Pan Frances con tocino, as always! The occasion was Dr. Jody's departure from Roca Blanca. She is now on her way to Mexico City where she is going to try to find someone to give her a yellow fever vaccine, and to work on obtaining her visa to Ghana, where she heads to next.

oops, you can barely see Dr. Jody behind Susan!

From there we took to the beach to watch the waves and the surfers, then a little shopping on the Adoquin and then the public market.

I discovered how to avoid buying stuff that though I really want it, I really should not buy....don't carry more than $150 pesos on you! Still, there was one really nice dress I wish I could have...

I found the simple silver necklace to match these new earrings...just got to wait until I feel justified to pay the $200 pesos ($16 US)

Well, I thought a light-hearted blog would be nice. Some thing quick and pretty, so I hope you enjoyed it.

Dr. Alejandro and his wife/nurse Peggy arrived last night. He is a dentist and will be teaching the Elim students what to do when there is no dentist. I also found out that I have to have a medication shopping list done by Monday morning so we can take advantage of the Monday discount day at our regular pharmacy. Friday we head out on a medical-dental outreach to the Mixteco.

Parting words

Eddie says "hi"....I talk to him almost every day. He had a wonderful time babysitting our grandchildren last week. He played dolls (Tinkerbell and Rosey) with Kaitlyn (age 3) last night. He said she really was very verbal and seemed to have a good time with Grandpa. I talked to Amanda this morning and she said that 11 month old Damien is standing up on his own. I also talked to my Sarah and Grace....they are getting so big...I look forward to seeing them in March.

And finally,
I cannot close without telling you about Alyssa. Little Alyssa has been in many of your prayers. She was born in Oaxaca, her parents are Bible translators to the Mixtec people we work with in El Mosco. Her birth was traumatic, she suffered profound anoxia, and the last few years her survival has been a miracle, and a blessing to her family who love her deeply.

Today their home and arms are missing one little angel who has now gone to be with Jesus where she is healed and whole. Please pray for Kevin, Laurel, Kyle, Dani and Gaby as they realize a new meaning to "treasures in heaven", and as they live and survive through the next weeks and months.

Always something different

It is almost 10 PM as I sit here outside the wireless connection at Misión Victoria. I was going to do post this blog 2 hours ago, but as I was eating my cerviche tostados we got word of a patient arrival. It turned out that she needed a lot of care, so I just got away to post this.

Language School at Roca Blanca!

Eric, Timothy, Correen and Issac Anderson with Spanish Academy director Dave Nelson

Maestra Paulina and Joanne with Paulina and Dr. Eder's little girl, Nelly

This January David Nelson started the Spanish Language academy with 5 students. The Anderson’s are a family of four preparing to work in a children’s home north of here in Oaxaca. Joanne, the other student, is getting ready to start her Master’s work in ESL and wants to experience learning Spanish as an adult.

I try to check in with them to see how they are doing often. Eddie and I both remember what a challenge it was to study this intensive language curriculum. We fixed dinner together Wednesday night, fried chicken and baked potatoes! On the weekend I showed them how to use the micro to go to Puerto Escondido, and I introduced Joanne to her first Tlayuda! They seem to be doing good. They are smiling a lot more this week than last week. I cannot think of a better place to study Spanish than Roca Blanca!

Bethany from Lancaster, PA experiencing her first Tlayuda!

...and more students

Vernessa with little David Solomon

Last Friday we received a group of student from Elim Bible Institute, Lima, New York. Elim is a missionary training school that is over a century old.

Drs. Dave and Mary Kay, and Clinica Corban are hosting a Community Health Assessment and Development course for medical missionary students. Today we started classes with Dr. Jody, a pediatrician and missionary who lives north of here in Zihuatanejo. Jody works with CHE (Community Health Evangelism), a global community health mission organization. She is with us for a week teaching a effective, holistic model for improving community health and sharing the gospel.

I will be attending as many of the class hours as my clinic responsibilities will allow. We began today by looking at the scriptural imperatives of living in the Kingdom of God; God’s plan for His people to live in the fear of the Lord and worship Him, as well as be stewards to nurture His creation. God’s word directs us to act “justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). And we spent a lot of time discussing what that meant.

Dr. Jody helping us consider how to involve community involvement and ownership of their own health projects

We considered what many have called “the social gospel” which seeks to meet the social and physical needs with little recognition of the individual’s need for a Savior. One of the students said that was like getting them all cleaned up and nice and pretty for hell.

And also we recognized that to just preach the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ without obeying his mandate to be stewards and to stand strong for justice was ignoring the whole gospel.

Rosie and Angela show how the community's solutions to their own problems can be more sustainable and effective than those solutions brought in by outsiders

It was a stimulating time, including thoughts on how to utilize community health models including missionaries, health care professionals and individual members of the community.

If you have read any of my blogs or heard me share about the indigenous group we work with in the mountains of Oaxaca, you are aware of the darkness and the emotional and physical health issues we deal with. This afternoon we looked at the beliefs that were the roots of the values that lead to the behaviors (domestic violence, witchcraft, drunkenness, kidnapping young girls to make them wives) that result in the consequences of poverty, depression, illness, illiteracy and hopelessness that dominates the Mixteco people that come to our mountain clinics.

Katlyn and Katie assessing and assigning care to patients!

We agreed that their belief that God doesn’t love them results is no hope and no vision. We believe that this is key to understanding the health problems of the Mixteco. Recognizing this we talked about how we can bring in hope and model the love of God, and how evangelism can be relevant to the needs of a community. Medicines, sanitation and clean water is just the tip of the iceberg.

And today was just the first day!

Dr. Jody cited Multiplying Light and Truth Through Community Health Evangelism by Stan Rowlands. I hope to obtain this book when I return to the States.

Finding ways to make Community health evangelism practical

As I listen to Jody’s teaching I am inspired to consider what God would have me do with this information. When I left Seattle 3 weeks ago, I told Eddie that I thought God had something to say to me while I was here alone without him. Hopefully many of you know what it is to have an experience or hear a message that gets your attention, and you go to the Lord and say “is this going to change my life?”

So if any of you out there are still thinking that you want to get involved with our work in medical missions, or community health outreach…keep your ears open. We may be getting together latter this year to begin considering what God may have us do.

Life without Eddie

Well, I am grateful for a good phone connection (when I walk 4 stories up to the top of the guest house) and I talk to him every other day, at least.

Just a little info on my life here without Eddie. God has blessed us with such wonderful friends here. Berta (Bertha) comes from upstate New York with Drs. Dave and Mary Kay. She has become a close friend, and my partner in crime. We can get rather silly, and she goes right along when I make up words to some old Mexican ballad about the guacamole.

Berta came to the U.S. from Colombia when she was 16. My grandmother’s mother was born in Colombia, and Berta sounds, and acts…and tells stories like my grandma used to do. Sometimes I hear her down the hall telling one of her stories, and it sounds just like my grandma with all the exaggerated expressions, with the same vocal cadence and the same accent. Perhaps my family will even look at her picture and see a little resemblance! She is a great comfort to me.

I have moved into a tiny room in our bodega (storeroom) but as my air-conditioner is still in route, I am using Dr. Eder and his wife Paulina’s room (they are not using it this week!) Their air-conditioner works and I have been enjoy comfortable nights of sleep!

Yes it is hot! The students keep saying, “I cannot believe it is January”. But this is a normal January for me since I have spent every January in Mexico since 2004. As usual I am covered with mosquito bites, I think my repellent must be out of date. But all the same, this is still the most beautiful of places. Sunrises and sunsets, palm trees, water lilies, beautiful white herons, dramatic magpie jays, funny little geckos, and the crashing surf…and in the evening a cool breeze off the water, yes I am glad to be here.

Just wish Eddie was here too.

Roca Blanca Again! with a difference (sigh)

Well, here I am again listening to the sound of waves with the sticky feeling of sweat and bug repellant on my arms and legs. I am sitting outside the mission office grateful to have internet service and also grateful that the air is cooling down. The heat is pretty constant here year round, it is either hot and humid, or hotter and miserable. But right now it is pretty nice.


We saw the Oklahoma Baptist University nursing students off this morning, and I took it easy most of the day. Dr. Eder, Dr. Mary Kay and I just now saw one of our old diabetic patients, dressed his new wound, and gave him a big injection of Rocephin, then I rushed over to the comedor to eat a couple cow's liver tacos.

I arrived a week ago at Roca Blanca. When I arrived the nursing students had already been here for a week. I arrived on Friday night and on Sunday morning we left for two day medical outreach. I also filled the roll that both Eddie and I usually perform together, showing the team around Puerto Escondido on their off days. I took them shopping and showed them where to find the various gifts and goods they were looking for. Then we went to El Jardin for Franco's fantastic pizza.

the team purchased kilos of fresh coffee at "La Casita"

Playa Manzanilla

Yesterday Laura, our clinic director, took them snorkeling while my partner in crime, Berta, helped me do the rest of their shopping. Juggling their money and their lists was a real feat. We ran all over the Benito Juarez Public Market looking for tortilla presses and lime squeezers. But I finished in time to join them at the beach and have some tacos dorados and limonada con aqua mineral!

Yucucha'a

Two days after I arrived at the base we left for the Mixteco town of Yucucha’a, about two hours up the coast in the foothills.

We saw about 100 patients and enjoyed good fellowship with the Mixtec Christians of Pastor Baltezar’s church. We enjoyed their hospitality and even got to join in on a birthday party. The most memorable part of the outreach, beside some very interesting cases, was dancing with Adina and her husband.

The birthday girl dancing with her husband

Dr. Mary Kay and OBU Master's student Brenda get down!

I interpreted Spanish to English for Dr. Dave Ness for a day and a half. We did use a Mixtec interpreter, but many of these villagers spoke a lot of Spanish. We saw many interesting cases. One 15 year old girl presented with what Dr. Dave said would be diagnosed “tuberculosis until proven otherwise”. She was cachectic (skeletally thin), had a chronic cough, blood tinged sputum, night sweats and fever (102.1). We saw a woman with uncontrolled diabetes who needed to be on insulin, a man with emphysema and one with alcohol induced hepatitis and a woman with a possible mild bowel obstruction.

With emphysema, this patient gave the students the opportunity to hear many kinds of abnormal lung sounds

There are times the mobile clinic setting is limiting. We found ourselves having to refer many of those we saw to the hospital. Some had already been to the hospital but had not received sufficient care and treatment, so Dr. David and Laura had to write letters to the hospitals to make recommendations which we hope will be heeded.

We also saw a thin, lethargic young mother with the most doleful expression, who brought us her one year old. She said he wouldn’t eat. Indeed, he wasn’t quite 20 pounds, his skin was dry, his hair was dull and patchy on his head, and he was fretful as his mother held him. She said he didn’t eat more than a little tortilla, and some atole (gruel made with milk and cereal). She admitted that he drank refrescos (sodapop) and dulces (candy), but he refused to eat beans or other foods, and refused to drink milk.

We did some teaching and I tried to encourage the mother to take the child to the public heath center where they could register her children in a program for malnutrition, and maybe assist and teach her. After she left, our interpreter said she knew the family, that the husband smoked marijuana and mistreated the young mother, and that they could not afford good food. She was so depressed, I pray that she has the motivation to take advantage of what the government has to offer them.

Where's Eddie?

Well, as you may realize, Eddie did not accompany me to Oaxaca this year. He is busy working on getting Riverclay Studio completed. Hopefully he will start working in the clay by the time I get back in March.

We have many friends here at Roca Blanca. Everyone I see wants to know where Eddie is. They all miss him, he is such an important part of our work here. It has been one week, and though I do miss him, I more regret his absence because of how others value his presence,. He brings such encouragement and laughter to everyone, and he has made so many friends.

Well It is getting late, and my battery is running low so I will say good night.