This was yesterday's clinic setup in a nice community building. The photo shows the triage section with patients, translators, and nurses working in groups. In the back is the pharmacy section.
Today the team went to a clinic facility way out west but had a small turnout of patients. We are well and healthy.
Tomorrow we plan to go up the east mountain to some small schools.

We are off to Guayabitos (sp?) today for the clinic. It is a long ways out on a dirt road, so we will not be real comfortable traveling. The team is pumped and ready!

Last night we had Stingray and rice and beans and Papaya cookies at the Lalli house. It was a great night of fun and food and fellowship.

We are well and healthy and happy.

We had a great clinic today at El Gramal. The facility was very good and lots of people came. We had great cooperation from the Health Department, including an OB/GYN doctor. Melvin set a new daily record of 30 pairs of reading glasses made and fitted to elderly folks who really appreciated them. We arrived back at the hotel in our 2 ton truck about 3 pm. Will rest up a bit and have dinner with the Lalli family.

We are well and healthy.

We had a very productive day at the clinic. Things worked well in a nice facility and with cooperation of the local health people. Everyone found work to do and the people appreciated it. There were well over a hundred patients served, and Melvin made 25 pairs of reading glasses.

The photo shows Debbie presenting a wheelchair to an 86 year old lady with a broken femur.

Tomorrow will be a little further away and probably have more people.

We are all well and healthy.

It was a great day!

There was some stress this morning; I guess it should be expected. Friday I had checked on the truck for this morning's trip to the rural clinic location and was told it was no problem for 8 am Monday. When it did not arrive by 8:20 we called and they said it was on the way. At 8:30 they called and said it did not have fuel and there was none available locally.

Lori called for a cargo van for our meds and part of the team. Six others got in small mototaxis for the ride 'up the hill'. The truck arrived shortly after we left the hotel in the substitute vehicles.

The clinic is located in a rural school facility and is very nice for what we are doing. All was operating well about an hour or so later than planned.

We have been joined by 2 Peace Corp workers who are very helpful. The school staff helped also.

The weather is great--so sorry about the snow at home.

We had some fun today. Attended church in La Palma this morning, went to Honduras this afternoon. We had lunch in a neat restaurant with American Country Western music playing. Church at Ocotepeque, Honduras was really fun with all of the kids and happy people.

Katrina was the one who last year told me to take a "cheeull peeull" last year when I got uptight about the bus being late. Saturday night she gave me a full prescription of them to help me through the week.

This is our new team at dinner tonight. We are going to have a great time together. The Louisiana folks outnumber the Missouri folks this time.

We are tired but happy to be here.

Entire team now in la palma!

Saturday! Nine more team members arrive today. Lisa and Marcy will continue preparing meds for next week. I will go on the bus to meet the new people coming in.

It will be exciting tonight when we all get together. Pray for our safety today.

Lisa and Marcy worked on getting meds ready for next week. Four days out in small villages. Good support promised by Clinic people. Hiliana has been a great asset -- again.

Got lots done today but not enough. Finished planning for the first day out on Med campaign with Clinic Directora, confirmed truck from Mayor's office, repaired playground equipment and some overflowing toilet tanks, and cleaned out the storage room. Also helped Ruth Erin on her physics and she got an "A" on the test!

Now to rest for a few minutes.

The La Palma Christian School kids and parents are on a field trip to a water park. They left early this morning on a bus. Lori and Nathan and Teresa went to help with some who did not have parents going.

We will begin preparing for the medical work.

The weather here is perfect; about 65 at night and 80 in the daytime. No rain in sight.

In La Palma at last! A lot of stuff done on the way up the hill. It feels good to be here with family and friends!
An evangelistic campaign tonight and get ready tomorrow for the med campaign. We are well and healthy and tired.

Well, our travel was interesting and uneventful. All flights were on time or early, and we met Lisa in Houston OK. The flight to San Salvador was very lightly loaded for this time of year (Spring break). All day my mind was on getting through customs with the meds, and all of the praying by everyone paid off. We got our luggage and headed to customs as a group, although the guy running our line was going to treat us as individuals.

Typically, they just look at all of the forms we filled out and if there is nothing in the commercial block, they send you to the button which randomly selects a light-- either red or green.

Marcy and I had all of the meds in our luggage and had checked that we had pharmaceuticals; Lisa did not have any so checked 'no'. The guy checked all of our passports, then took Lisa's form and looked at it, then had me push the button. It gave a green light! He motioned Lisa to pass. I told him we were a group, and he motioned us all to pass! Praise God! We moved deliberately rapidly outside without looking back. No handcuffs, no jail, no arguing, no whining, no inspection, no begging or pleading (I was prepared to beg and/or bribe), no inspection--just GO!

We soon met our shuttle and went to the Quality Inn and had a nice night of rest. Today we travel to La Palma. We will meet Lori and Monte in San Salvador and pick up some more stuff for the clinic on the way.

God is GOOD! Thanks for all of the praying that was done to get us here.

We have arrived at the Airport hotel and checked in. We went through customs with the medicines with NO problem--not even a question. Tomorrow we go 'up the hill' to La Palma.

Boarded in houston

Houston

At tulsa waiting to board

We are ready! This is my last post from home; the next posting will be from an airport to show our progress. Please keep praying for our success and safety and security. Also pray that customs people will allow the meds through without delay.
Ralph

Three of us travel down tomorrow--Lisa, Marcy, and me. Eight more come down on Saturday.

President Obama is there today, and the government is shut down until Thursday morning. Our request for approval to bring meds into the country has not been approved. We are taking them anyway! We will trust that God will somehow make it happen, and in that we ask you to say a prayer.

Our concern for traffic problems due to Obama being there is not valid. He will be gone quite a while before we get there.

It will be a great trip.

Please pray that today we will receive approval for the vitamins and food supplements that we are to take to La Palma will be approved!

Last year we did not have approval to bring meds into the country for our mission trip, even though it had been requested. The photos show our team waiting patiently (for hours!) at customs while the various agents decided what to do (and some waited not so patiently).
As of now, we do not have approval for our meds again, although the request has been in their hands for a while and the list shows only vitamins and preventive medicine stuff. Please pray that the powers there will very shortly approve the request, because we need it by Tuesday night!

Wednesday there are three of us going to El Salvador ahead of the main group. We arrive at the airport about the time that President Obama leaves, so we may have a delay.

Then Saturday, a week from today, the main group arrives. We are making plans to welcome them and get them 'up the hill'.

Please be in prayer for our group. We will be going to some remote villages to give out vitamins and parasite treatments.

It will be an awesome trip.
Ralph

There are some beautiful flowers in El Salvador!

Those of you who have been to La Palma remember how the road winds up the mountain to get there. Here is a Googleearth photo of the route that shows how winding it really is. Central American Highway 4, CA-4, is the road, shown starting at the center bottom of the photo and going north through La Palma. The elevation change on this section of the highway is over 3000 feet, so it is winding and unlevel. Click on the map to enlarge it and get a better view.

Our team will be going up that highway next week. Please pray for our safety and security and success.

A load of feed is prepared for delivery to a farm outside of town.

This is Melva teaching a laadies Bible class 3 years ago. Please pray for her as she struggles to recover from surgery in her battle against cancer.

A Grandpa and kids.

Letters sent out today to the eleven team members now scheduled for the March 26-April 2 trip. Pray for a successful and safe journey for us.

In just three weeks our team will arrive in La Palma to work with the local church and conduct medical clinics in some rural villages. Please be praying for this trip.

Lilian had her baby today-- a girl via C-section. Both mom and daughter are doing OK. No details on length, weight, name.

This photo was staged in 2008. The Christian Chronicle had a contest to show the most unique places that the magazine was read. Dea shared her copy with this horse. The horse had no comment. Dea is recovering well from her knee replacement.

The truck loaded with equipment for the nursing home has been unloaded. We hope to get photos of it in place very soon.