Nicaragua Medical Mission 2010

East Ridge has so many things to offer our family including a wonderful preacher, involved and caring elders, families our age, tons of children, and opportunities in mission work. Every year we listen to people come back from their mission work and describe how their lives have changed. Well this year I got to experience this for myself. I was blessed enough to be able to go on our medical mission. There were 85 people total and around 25 from East Ridge that went on the mission. It was definately a life changing experience.

Here is a walk through the clinic that we had set up. This is what the line was like all four days that we were there. These people waited for hours to get into the clinic in the heat and rain. It got a little crazy at times with people trying to pass in line. Nothing can prepare you for this. It made me stop and thank the good Lord for being able to walk into an air conditioned doctor's office that I am in and out of within an hour. Yet, these precious people were so thankful to get to come in and be treated and it didn't matter to them how long they had to wait.



The first step was to register. These four young people are all fluent in Spanish. They were excellent!

I worked in triage which is a fancy word for weighing patients, taking their temperature and blood pressure. I weighed every patient that came into the clinic that week, but not alone...this was my weighing partner, Ben.




This is the whole triage team after a long day in the clinic.

The BEST part of that job was that I got to hold every baby that came in! They were the most beautiful babies with their dark hair and dark eyes. PRECIOUS!

After the patients came through triage, they waited to be seen by the doctor or one of the many nurses that came with us.


There was also a dentist on site who performed extractions.

The patients went through a hygiene class.

If needed, the patients were given a pair of eyeglasses.

Here is a picture of the pharmacy. You would be amazed at the medicine they had in here. It was just like a real pharmacy.

The last station was benevolence. Each person was given three outfits, shoes, rice and beans.

Here are the statistics from our trip...

Bible Studies 211
Baptisms 23
Patients 2164
Registrations 2207
Dental Patients 208
Extractions 147
Pharmacy Patients 2175
Prescriptions 7989
Eyeglasses filled 522
Head Scrubs 52
Benevolence 2259
Children’s Classes 199
Teen Classes 45

God is good!

Another school year comes to an end...

This years award's day were very bittersweet for me. As far as we know, the girls will be switching to Catoosa County Schools next year and they will not be going to Dug Gap with me. I have been so blessed to be able to take them to school with me everyday. We have decided that next year is a good time to go ahead and make the switch so that Anna Grace can make friends in fifth grade before beginning middle school. Needless to say, I cried through both award's days and I am getting a little teary eyed right now thinking about it. I am going to miss them so much!! Thank goodness, Clint will be just down the road if they need anything next year.

Brinlee had a wonderful year in second grade. She made good grades all year! Mrs. Lowery, her first grade teacher, moved up to second grade so Brinlee had her for two years in a row. We are really going to miss her. She has been great for Brinlee. Mrs. Lowery called Brinlee her little parapro. For those of you who know Brinlee know that she doesn't mind taking control or being the center of attention. Next year, she will be a big third grader!







Anna Grace finished up her fourth grade year. We are so proud of the beautiful young lady she is becoming. According to her teachers, she is the model student and always brings home a perfect report card! Mrs. Wilson was also her teacher in first grade and she was a blessing to our family and to Anna Grace. She is going to be in fifth grade and I can't believe it! It kills me that she is growing so fast.

Running my mouth as usual, but this is the only picture I had with the parents! :)

Tanner Graduates

Tanner graduated from Southeast Whitfield High School Saturday morning. I had class and was unable to attend his graduation, but we had a party for him Saturday night. We are so proud of the wonderful, Christian man he has become and know that he will go on to do great things!

The Benson Five with Tanner

Tanner and his favorite aunt :)

The Stanley Siters and Favorite Cousin

Cousins

The Girls

Happy Mother's Day

I haven't been very good with my camera lately, here are a couple of Mother's Day pictures that we took with Clint's phone. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family! I love being a mom! :)

Catch Up Time!

So, it's been a while since I've posted. We've been BUSY with work, school, sickness, and many other things. I am just going to post a few pictures from the past couple of months to show you what we have been up to. Maybe after I graduate in July I might be able to update more often!

Josie's 4th Birthday at Build-A-Bear




My Valentine's Day Flowers from Clint and the girls :)

Girl's Night in Nashville...That is a snowflake on my face :)

Pigeon Forge Getaway


CRAZY JOSIE!!

Brinlee's 8th Birthday...She had a slumber party where they picked out their own clothes, put on make-up, painted fingernails and toenails and put on a fashion show. Brinlee has on platform shoes and that is why she looks like a giant! :)





Fifties Day at DGE...We were the Pink Ladies
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AND FINALLY TODAY!!
We celebrated Easter a week early because we will be out of town at Lads to Leaders in Nashville next weekend.



Easter baskets complete with new flip flops for everyone!



The Leaderettes did a service for the ladies at church this morning. Anna Grace read a verse and lead a song, Count Your Blessings and Brinlee read a bible verse. We are so proud of both of them and the courage they have to get up and spread God's word with their talents. :)


Anna Grace and Brinlee were in a story line video and Anna Grace is doing puppets. Here are the girls waiting tonight to watch after evening service.