Thursday, October 17, 2019

"Meet the Team"... again ;-)


Yup.  You guessed it—“Meet the Team” time!  Sorry I’m just not very original…
But I’m thrilled to have with me on this trip two other OB/GYN surgeons—what a blessing!  Many of you will remember Dr. Kathryn Pool, who is now on her THIRD trip down with me since last summer!  She hails from Columbus, Ohio where she practices full-time and raises three teenage and young adult girls with her Internist husband.  That’s a busy life to sneak away from for even a week and I’m so glad she did.  She could use some extra prayers this week for strength and some rest as she had to go to Australia less than two weeks ago to help her parents—her father fell ill on the first day of a planned 53 day cruise there!  Thankfully he is home and doing better now, but I can’t fathom that level of stress and jetlag…

Dr. Denise Tukenmez joined us here at the Guatemalan airport all the way from California!  She, like Kathryn last year, just “met” me online through a Facebook group for OB/Gyn Moms that we are all in.  I’m completely awed every time someone new just up and volunteers to come down sight unseen!  Her oldest daughter is currently starting out a year in Spain, and her youngest is missing her at home.  I’m so thankful for supportive families at home that make these trips possible.   She works at a county hospital in the Bay Area and has a lot of administrative duties.  It was a tough time for her to leave (they just went live on a new EMR system!), so please pray for her to have a great week as well.

Then there’s me, for those of you I haven’t met—I’m Heidi Bell, another OB/Gyn who lived here in Guatemala as a full-time missionary doctor from 2006-08.  I’ve had the privilege of coming back down three to four times a year for a week each time to grow a surgical practice here.  It’s been nothing short of amazing and miraculous how God has continued to sustain our efforts here over the years.  I could tell stories for days (and I have!), but for now I’ll just let you look forward to hearing the stories from this week for starters…

Unfortunately we (well, I) had some struggles with customs today for the first time in forever—but that means a late start getting up to where we are staying and possibly no time to get groceries tonight.  That makes for an even tougher start to a long day in clinic tomorrow.  Pray for supernatural strength and great attitudes please!  (I must admit I didn’t have the greatest attitude in customs today :-/)



No comments: