Coconut candy is a must

March 1: After a few stifling hot and muggy days the weather turned this afternoon and a cool northwestern breeze brought in big grey clouds.  Listening now to trees rustling and slow rain falling.  I may actually put on a little sweater.

This morning we made visits into the community going west out to The Bight and Bently Bay.  Lots of practice taking blood pressure and checking sugar levels.  Stopped to an elderly gentleman. His sight and hearing nearly gone, he hasn’t lost his heart.  A genuine and precious soul, he just holds my hand and at the end, as usual, when we pray for him, he then in turn prays for us.  

In the clinic this afternoon a variety of complaints and ailments.  My first week, while the Honduran doctor was here, a mother knocked on the door and asked if I could help her until the doctor could see her. Somehow her 14mo old little boy had sliced his hand on a machete blade and she needed something to help with the bleeding.  The family lives in the Bight and there’s some relationship budding. All week we’ve been helping clean and dress this little hand and today I got to remove the stitches. The mother brought us a batch of coconut candy in thanks.  (Coconut candy, as best as I can describe it is more like a macaroon than “candy”- just a bunch of yummy, gooey coconut goodness).  

On top of learning in the clinic, I’m also taking some of the load off of Larry, my director, by coordinating the kitchen and meal planning; needless to say I’m learning a ton. But it’s fun. I realize how much, when it comes to meal prep, I just wing it as I go and create and have fun with it.  The ladies who help in the kitchen are used to being told exactly what to make and pretty much how so I'm sure my learning experience is one for them as well.

In the area of interpersonal dynamics, lots of learning going on: with the staff in which I’m constantly learning rules and methods; the short term team that’s here and specifically the medical team; islanders who work with us and that I supervise; patients in the clinic; and there are kids and adults who come by to visit or sell things.  Praying to discern the real cases of need, and the number of times people tried to swindle me today.  When to speak up, and when to be silent. To act for the good of the team and not out of self preservation or fears.  So much grace in this.  Thoroughly enjoyed a late night staff meeting.  Confession, honesty, vulnerability, genuine listening...it was fantastic.  Who knew a staff meeting late at night to discuss some arising issues could be so great!

Tomorrow the short term team is off to the beach if the weather is good. I may just stay in for the day and have some respite time.  A new staff member arrives tomorrow afternoon who will be going through the 3 month training with me, so I need to get some things ready for her arrival.  And I just want to put my feet up  in the hammock for a short time with a book.  Feeling a great need to recharge.  I have a lovely stack of letters that people sent with me from home. I’m making them last as long as I can, but I think I will choose one at random tonight before I finish some chores and turn in. Thank you for your prayers.