Mission Trip

As many of you know, Micah has been on quite a few medical mission trips these past few years. He started his first year of medical school going to Honduras, and has gone on one every year since. He goes with GHO (Global Health Outreach) through the CMDA (Christian Medical and Dental Association). This past trip marked his 6th mission, his 3rd to Nicaragua. I was supposed to go the year we got married, but lo and behold I was pregnant with Aiden, and waited until the following year to go. It was their last trip to Honduras, and the next was the first ever to Nicaragua. We had a wonderful experience, and I got to see first hand why Micah is so passionate about going. But it was hard to leave Aiden so young (he was only 5 months). I haven't been on another trip yet, but will probably in the next few years. It's too hard for me to leave the kids knowing both of their parents would be out of the country.
So here are some pictures from Micah's latest adventure :)

Every morning you start out at breakfast with a review for the day, prayer, and singing. It's always nice to have some good musicians on the trip :)

Here is the clinic set up in a school

Here is the MMU (mobile medical unit) where they do some more of the major surgeries. Some years they have an anesthesiologist with them so they can totally put people under and do hernia repairs etc. Most of the time it's all local anesthetics. They do some other minor surgeries in the clinic-removing cysts and other lumps and bumps-and try to keep it as sterile as possible, but the MMU is the most sterile environment for the more serious cases that they can handle.

Here Micah is putting a cast on a little tyke...

All Better!

The doctors and nurses are there to lend their skills to those in need, but they are also there to talk to the people about God and their beliefs. They lend an ear to those who need it, and pray with those who want to.

It's not all work and no play...they have a good time with all the locals...and the translaters become fast friends. Usually it's soccer they play, and the Americans always get a good butt-whooping :)

In Nicaragua they have a large Dump...and people live in it. Every year the team goes and makes a trip to the Dump and participates in one of the church services held there. It's hard to believe that people live in these conditions. A few of the doctors noticed kids playing with hypodermic needles, and had to quickly explain to them why it was so dangerous. It really makes a person stop and think of all the things we have and take for granted...

That haze you see is really there all the time from all the fires to burn the trast. And it smells terrible.

Micah on top of the dump

Putting the animals to work-but look how skinny that bull is...

They were right along the ocean...and thought it was a good idea for a swim. Ummm-yeah, that didn't go so well. As Micah puts it "It got a little hairy out there..." I could have killed him when he got back!

Then they got to see the other side of this beautiful country. From rags to riches! Just like any part of the world it has its good sides and rough sides.

The last day they got to do some fun activities: zip lining, shopping, or boat tours. Micah had already done the zip lining in a previous year, so he went on the boat tour. I guess they went to some monkey island, and some of the tour guides were encouraging the monkeys on the boats. Micah luckily voiced his opposition to having a monkey aboard their boat, and the guide respected his wishes and refrained from going to the island-but they still got some pictures!

Micah had a wonderful trip and is all ready to go again next year. I myself need the year to accept that he wants to go and will be gone again. I admit it is hard to have him gone. I know it's only a week, and they are doing wonderful things out there. I think it's just hard to have virtually no communication with him and have him so far away. I am so afraid something terrible might happen and I wouldn't have any way of getting to him, or him having a hard time coming back if we needed him. After so many trips the anxiety never goes away. But it's so rewarding when he gets back, and we are so proud of everything he does! It is definately an experience I encourage anyone to make at least once. It puts a lot of things into percpective...
We love you Micah and we are so proud of you! I know you have touched so many people in more ways than you can know. It's good to have you home :)