My Pleasure

Shayna is such a treasure. She works with diligence and genuine care. She is able to communicate with love in her actions and her voice. "My pleasure" was the response she gave to any request made of her this week. You can give glory where will but I know that God's glory and grace rested fully in Shayna this week. Thank you for being such a marvelous teacher.

Magda was another servant that I had the pleasure to work with. Every year she works with skill and and vigilence. My Spanish is muy puquito but I can say gracias. However, I cannot say it enough. She endured are evolving requests and needs with humility. Her eyes always sparkled with vitality and warmth. Thank you for being our Guatemalan sister, mother, and friend.

Kelly and Mary Ann were a delight to work with this week. We came together and worked to the benfit of the patient who had prayed for the day we would come. And we came as one and joy filled the OR. When was the last time you experienced that. When I think of Jesus I think of a foot washer. You may call him the great physician but He was also a great nurse. Thank you both.

George Robertson continues to earn my admiration. I feel a quickening at hearing of how Christ has captured his and Linda's heart and they live their lives out of this love. I pray that the few talents that I have are used as full as theirs. I resolve learn the Lord's prayer in Spanish by the next trip. That is one step closer. Thank you for carrying Christ everywhere you go.
I am yearning to be home with my wife and daughters. There is an emptiness that can only be filled when the part is reunited to the whole. When I see them, hold them, hear them I will feel rest.
The whole earth, its people and all of creation, yearns for the day that the children of God are reunited with the one who is eager to hold us completely. When we live to the glory of God in the love we feel for Jesus and and each other. Much like this week.
Thy kindgdom come, thy will be done, in Guatemala, The US, in all the earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

HTI Trip News - General Surgery

General Surgery, Clinica Ezell, Montellango, Guatemala - Dateline 1/25/2007

Hernia repairs, in good numbers, are the order order of the day, however there are always "great" size differences and presentations, i.e. umbilical, incisional and inquinal herniae.. There are a very large number of femoral herniae in the women of Guatemala. Here he women are very much a part of the workforce, lifting heavy loads and farming ith individual implements.
For a long time, gallbladder disease has been present, but, not readily diagnosed without technology. Ultrasound has arrived and dependable electrical supply; now laparoscopic cholecystectomy is being performed ina limited setting.

Drs. Dan Minor, George Robertson, Ed Grogan, Eric Grogan, Duncan McCrea and Lee Murphy, MS IV.

thoughts...

Hello Everyone,
I've never written on any blog before so I'm not really sure what i wanted to say, first off i guess i wanted to tell veryone how wonderful you all are and how its amazing to see such different people work as one combined unit under god. to trust eachother and trust that god is caring for us is just wonderful and to know that you all are going to heaven and that if i nver see you on this earth again that i will meet you again in god's kingdom, i also want to say that working in the dentistry unit its amazing that this orgnization does what it does, all the people that worked with us this week, silvia, nidia, manuela and others...they are such hard workers and have such good hearts and they love to learn! they really crave knowledge and are apprietiative if you teach them new things! I just love all of them! and they have so much faith and hard work ethic they do everything in gods name and are so eager to please people...being in guatamala gave me a new outlook on my life...i realize that im still very young...sixteen...i still have so much more ahead of me but i realize that i have been living my life wrong and this trip changed me for the better...in my soul i am happy and the guatamalans have given me the peace that i needed within myself and i hope all of you that have gone on this trip take back that peace that i have recieved as well...the people that we do work on also trust us so much and thy trust god and they are just so kind and they just love with everything they have! they trust us to go into there mouths and pull out there teeth and they just put there mouth and health in our hands...its an absolutely wonderful feeling... i cant tell you a more rewarding feeling that having them smile at you after you have just taken out there teeth that were rotten and they are so please that they wont be in pain anymore and that we have helped them...i bet that all of you feel te same way...there smiles and gesture's towards us are so rewarding and wonderful and thats about all i can tell you...i hope that those of you who have come leave with so much more than you thought you would...i pray you keep god with you at all times and i wish you all the best!
-angelica

FIRST MISSION TRIP

I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO ON A MISSION TRIP. THIS YEAR IT FINALLY WORKED OUT FOR ME TO GO. I HAVE HAD AN AWESOME TIME. THIS HAS BEEN A LOT FOR MY EYES TO TAKE IN. MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE TRIP IS THE CHILDREN. THEY HAVE "NOTHING" YET THEY ALWAYS SMILE. IT IS A GOOD FEELING TO HELP OTHERS . WE MAY NEVER REALIZE THE IMPACT A MOMENT WE SPENT WITH SOMEONE HERE HAS. THIS COUNTRY IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. IF YOU HAVE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN A MISSION TRIP, DON'T PUT IT OFF ANY LONGER. SIGN UP FOR ONE WHETHER HERE OR WITH YOUR CHURCH. JUST DO IT. YOU WILL BE SO GLAD.

WENDY BLAKLEY (NURSE)

Gynecologic Surgery

As we return to Montellano and Clinica Ezell, again we find the majority of women to be referred for pelvic organ prolapse. With the typical patient having delivered 6-12 children, the incidence of debilitating "hernias" in the pelvic region, including stress urinary incontinence, is very high. This condition, while not life threatening, causes many problems for these ladies both from a hygiene standpoint and a social aspect. With the advent of newer, minimally invasive techniques and implantable mesh products such as the Gynecare Prolift and TVTO and Bard Avaulta systems we have been able to surgically repair the defects in our patients and have them able to return to their homes in 1-2 days. Experiencing a rapid recovery they are able to resume their daily activities with an improved quality of life. We are thankful to the companies who donated these valuable products that we might provide for our patients state of the art resources to improve their health.

Drs. Judi Jehle, Dent Williams and Tommy Hatchett

Surgery Report

Jan 23, 2007...We did our first three laparoscopic cholecystectomies for this trip yesterday. We brought and assembled the equipment and did the first lap gallbladder surgery at Clinica Ezell a year ago. Today we did an additional 3 lap gallbladders. Ed Grogan, Eric Grogan, and Duncan McRae have all done at least one and Danny Minor will do one tomorrow. We have all had prior experience at Health talents - most of us have been four or more times. We have to adjust to using different equipment, patients with more chronically inflammed gallbadders and using general anesthesia - not spinal as in most of the hernias. We have been blessed with no major problems. The largest stone was the size of a pecan. These people are so appreciative. We did 18 different operations yesterday - 13 general surgery cases and 5 Gyn cases. We have 3 Gynecologists, 5 general surgeons and one 4th year medical student, a lot of doctors, but it has worked out well and allowed us to be much better organized and to see the preop patients after lunch rather than after devotional. It has been nice because we all have worked together before. Tomorrow we do 8 pediatric patients - mostly hernias. Ed Grogan M.D.

srna

Proof that God blesses thoses who work for the good of others is traveling deep into the guatemalian jungle despite it being nfl championship week, and still getting to watch two quarters of the colts game via a wireless internet connection and a clear night sky. The facility down here and the instruments that have been donated are nothing less than amazing.

Surgery Clinic - January 20-27, 2007

Well, we've just finished our first day of surgery, and there is a feeling of satisfaction in the air because all went well. This surgical team is a large one with five general surgeons, three gynecologists, four anesthesia folks, ten nurses and a host of support personnel (totally 40 in all!). Many are veterans of previous trips, but there is a large sprinkling of newcomers. Because of setting up, screening the patients, church and lunch, we didn't even begin until 2 pm...and they still did eleven surgeries today. What a way to start!