Costa Rica Vacation

We were blessed to have family and friends join us in Costa Rica for a mid-way respite, before continuing on to Bolivia. They definitely achieved the goal of fattening us up (as JR has lost about 15 pounds since coming to Central America), and it was such a treat to see familiar faces and spend quality time with loved ones. We wanted to share a couple of the pictures from our Costa Rica adventure. Tomorrow we continue south towards Cochabamba, Bolivia!

Good Friday in Honduras

We spent Semana Santa (Holy Week) in the town of Comayagua, Honduras, while off on another medical brigade, this time with three chaps from England, including two fourth-year dental students and a physical therapist/accupuncturist. It was a great trip, and a wonderful opportunity to provide medical and dental care; and it afforded an incredible opportunity to meet our new companions. However, what was possibly the most interesting part of the week in Comayagua, was the town's annual celebration of Good Friday.

Every year, local families and businesses gather together on Thursday night around 11pm to decorate the main streets through the city center with carpets that are hand-made from about 11pm until 8am the following morning. These carpets are vibrant and beautiful... and are made entirely from colored saw-dust, rice, grains, and other natural elements found in the city. Comayagua is the only town in Honduras that holds this tradition, and it draws people from around the country and elsewhere to view the marvelous works of art. Hopefully our pictures will give you a small taste of the artistry. It was truly amazing!

Goodbye Mountain Movers Clinic

We are finishing up our last week of clinic. Actually tomorrow is our last day before we head out on another brigade, this time in association with a couple dentists from England. We thought we would upload some more clinic pictures before we leave. We have had an incredible experience and have learned a lot! We are now conducting consults and counseling patients completely in Spanish! We have seen a broad range of tropical medicine, and have had some amazing patients. We have definitely fallen in love with the children of Honduras! The one in Lindsay's arms is one of the few "chunky" kids here! Don't you just want to squeeze him? He is sending you an "hola" from Honduras!

Danli, Honduras

Danli is a town of about 10,000 people. As you can see from the pictures, the mountainous views are beautiful. The weather has also been wonderful, 75-80 degrees with a breeze. The people are very friendly and love to practice their English "hello" and "goodbye" with the Americans. Here I am handing out some of the toys that the Texas group brought in. Linda, you will be happy to know that the girls loved your gifts, especially the sunglasses!


The markets are filled with all the fruits that you could imagine. Vegetables are also sold by street-side vendors, but are more expensive and thus a luxury for most families. Most of the patients that we saw in the clinic ate only rice, beans, and tortillas. Meat and vegetables were a rare addition.




We included a picture from a hike up to "La Piedra" (the stone). It was an intense 4 hour hike which was really a mixture of rock climbing, butt sliding, and branch swinging. After only minor injuries we reached the top. The view was definitely worth the hike, "vale la pena!"

We also captured a picture of a rainbow over the clinic one day after a rain. God was definitely smiling down! And finally, the view from the rooftop of our house of a nearby steeple. I hope that our pictures do this beautiful country justice.

Sadly, we are leaving Honduras on Saturday. However, we are very ready to see family, and are looking forward to spending Easter and the following week with JR's parents and Rod, Mary, and Bret Runestad in Costa Rica! From there we will continue south to Bolivia, where we will be working in a mission hospital in Cochabamba. We will keep you posted as internet allows! Blessings to each of you!