From Belize to the ER

Since we had overstayed our visa here we were required to leave the country for at least 72 hours. After talking with other missionaries who had done the same thing, we decided to drive to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala (about 5 hours) and take a boat to Punta Gorda, Belize. We stayed in a small B&B and enjoyed some family time in the pool.

We left Belize early Monday morning after I had severe stomach pains the night before. The bumpy boat ride and Guatemalan roads didn't help my stomach situation, but we made it safely back to the city. Yesterday morning the pain wasn't so bad, but we still decided to go to the ER to get everything checked out. The symptoms sure seemed like a problem with my gallbladder and we were praying I wasn't going to need surgery here in Guatemala.

The doctors and nurses at the hospital were all very friendly. After my attempts at explaining everything in Spanish, the doctors started speaking English much better than my Spanish. For those of you who know me well, you know my extreme fear of needles and hospitals. As the nurse was wheeling me to the ultrasound room we passed the surgery area and my mind began to picture me having surgery there. I started sweating, my ears started ringing, and everything went gray. I came so close, but thankfully I did not pass out!

The ultrasound and bloodwork came back normal, but we are waiting to hear back from a few more tests. Possibly just stomach problems because of the stress of living in a different country and all that comes with it. Our prayers were definitely answered that I did not have to have surgery!

Paula and Fontaine will be in the States most of June speaking at churches, so we will be full-time parents to the girls at Mimi's House. Tomorrow the girls have exams, so we will be quizzing them tonight making sure they are ready for their tests. Robby is gearing up for a busy summer building houses. His former teacher has not had any students since Robby, so he will be working with Robby and the teams coming to build houses. This week they are going to be purchasing supplies for the houses and putting together doors and windows. This will save time and allow the teams to complete each house in two days.

We have a busy summer coming up and we are excited about the opportunities God has given us here in Guatemala. We can't say enough how thankful we are for all of you who are keeping our family in your prayers. We appreciate you all more than we could ever explain!