Nepal by way of Guatemala!

Praise God for His work in us and through us during one week spent in Guatemala! Thanks to a combined effort of Hope Haven, Rotary Club, Wilderness Medicine, Bio Bio, and 14 amazing new friends on the trip, 30 children with various disabilities were fit with functional wheelchairs through a sustainable program. God introduced us to a beautiful country and a gracious culture, He reminded us of the value of humility in providing compassionate and responsible healthcare, and He brought together a group of like-minded individuals from all over the country to do good things and share in one awesome and blessed experience! We are truly grateful for the warm and easy friendships formed through this travel group. Thank you all for the laughter, the stories shared, and the overwhelming sense of encouragement as we look to our next endeavor in Nepal.

the missions hospital in Antigua treats anyone who comes in the door at a minimal fee

with frequent (and sometimes devastating) earthquakes, it's amazing to see how the city of Antigua works hard to preserve it's history

Antigua is a gorgeous city locked in a juxtaposition of  16th century Spanish architecture and modern day progress

a day at Lake Atitlan... the surrounding volcanoes added an intimidating beauty to the lake shores

there is definitely a reason Guatemala is famously known to have among the best coffee and chocolate in the world

the arch at the convent was built so the cloistered nuns could cross the street without being seen

weekend work in Antigua (the drums on the left are in fact turtle shells!)

A visual perspective

In 2002, Tom spent 5 weeks in Nepal. Here are some of his photographs. Needless to say, we are blessed to have the opportunity to spend some time in such an extraordinary country.

the people

urban transportation

there will be LOTS of walking

this is a yak! the people eat its meat, drink its milk, and use it to transport goods

water buffalo is their primary source of meat and milk

perhaps we will become vegetarian :)

A Preview of Things to Come

These are just a few of the photos you can find through the link to United Mission Hospital in Tansen where we will be serving. Hopefully, you'll see why we are excited to go to Nepal as well as  how God may challenge us to grow during our five months out there.

In Tansen

Where we will be serving

Emergency waiting room

We can't wait!

From planning to preparation...

      Depending on how you look at it, one could say this missions trip has been in the works for the past thirty something years, or, just the last ten months over which time God revealed more specifics of His plan. And we both agree that even if we don't go to Nepal, God has already used this process to teach and grow us in faithful abundance! Take this blog for instance; it is our first adventure into cyberspace, so our apologies in advance for any inefficiency and/or insufficiency that is to come.

       Now that we know our official assignment will be to serve as healthcare professionals at the United Mission Hospital in Tansen, Nepal, we can begin our preparations. The majority of  arrangements will be handled by the wonderful World Medical Mission branch of Samaritan's Purse. They are the evangelical Christian organization who have faithfully worked to find us an assignment and who will continue to bless us and the people of Nepal by equipping us with housing and transportation. Spiritual growth and support will be faithfully, lovingly, and sacrificially (we know how busy you all are!) provided by the church body of Lighthouse Community Church in which we so joyfully find our spiritual home. And all the necessary love and encouragement from our amazingly understanding family will send us and sustain us wherever we go!

       With the core elements of the trip in place, we have started to address the actual minutia of planning. From packing lists, to medical resource lists, to-do lists, and finally to lists of lists, we are often reminded that although preparation is wise, keeping it in the perspective of His sovereign grace is the only way it will get done. We believe that the experience of planning, preparing, and eventually going to Nepal is to teach us the frequently elusive lesson: that we can do nothing apart from Him and His grace in our lives. We pray to hold close to that truth as the next few months will be filled with many a temptation to believe that any of it is in our control.  

         Knowing that God has already planned and forseen every aspect of this trip, we are excited to see how He will use us to love the people of Nepal by providing compassionate medical care. And prayerfully, He will use our servants' hearts to show them His amazing grace.  We truly appreciate your love, support, encouragement, and prayers as we journey together to Tansen, Nepal!