Nias, Indonesia - March 3 - 24, 2006

Each time I go to Nias I tell myself I will never go back. The working conditions are not good. The sleeping and eating arrangements lack almost everything. The roads are terrible and the driving is hazzardous. But the need is great, the opportunities are endless and the way seems clear for me to go.

This is one of the surgeries that was done at the Lukas Hospital last December. When the patient came to the clinic both eyes looked like the right eye. This patient was blind before the surgery and now can see with her left eye.

Working with T.E.A.R.S. and some service organizations in Madan, we hope to complete 200 surgeries and see 2000 patients in village medical/dental clinics between March 7 and March 20. The cost to do one cataract surgery is $125.00. We hope to complete 800 cataract surgeries in 2006 and BandS Ministries hopes to pay for 134 of the 800 planned.

Why do I go? This quote from Charles Coulston says it best. "We need to be standing at the giving end of human need." I believe that is where Jesus stands.

I will not be able to communicate with you while on the island of Nias. Please remember to check on Rosalyn often and I would appreciate your prayers.
Papa 

Guatemala Was Great

Health Talents International is doing a great work in Gauatemal. The Ezell Clinic is the base of their operation but it reaches into many of the villages where care is delivered on a regular basis.

Greg Dayton and I left on Saturday (Feb. 18) for Guatemala. We were supposed to leave on an early flight to Houston and join the rest of the team there. The weather did not co-operate, and we left later in the afternoon on a direct flight to Guatemala City. We spent the night in the City and left early on Sunday morning for the clinic. We arrived in time for the morning worship at the congregation meeting across from the clinic. The building was packed and we enjoyed a bi-lingual worship service.
We began working soon after noon. The clinic was for plastic and gyn surgery. We also had village clinics each day. This is a pre op of a little girl that the plastic surgeons operated on. The post op, even after 24 hours shows what a remarkable change can be made by skilled surgeons in a matter of an hour or so. 

John C. Bailey Family Blog

John C. Bailey Family Blog
I finally got to my blog site and was hoping to see messages from home, but I guess the blogging business is slow in our family. We are having a very success trip. After a little delay in arriving, we have been at full speed since arriving. The team is a very congenial group and some very gifted surgeons and medical personel make it a lot of fun.
I have worked in a village on Monday. Today (Tuesday) a I spent here at the Clinica Ezell. I watch the plastic surgeons do a couple of cases and learned a lot. Tomorrow we will go to another village. My assistant speaks no English so it should be interesting.
Greg Dayton is doing well and is much appreciated. He plans to go to one of the villages on Thursday.
This is a great place to work and to work out of. I don't know that I am needed here as much as most places I go, but I do enjoy coming and make a small contribution to the overall success of the mission.
Hope to be home on Saturday.
I love you all.
Papa

Guatemala Mission Feb. 18-26, 2006

This picture was taken last year in one of the villages we worked. There is never a shortage of patients and an over supply of on lookers.
















I leave February 18 for Guatemala. Greg Dayton, our local Tom Thum pharmacist, is going with me. This is his first medical mission trip, but I hope he gets hooked like the rest of us, and make this an annual visit.

I hope to work at the Clinica Ezell for two days assisting with clef palate/lip surgeries and then go to villages for two or three day. 

Sisters

I know, I kn0w. It's only been a few days since I posted the last photo of Emily Rose, but this one just appeared on my screen and begged to be posted.

Rainey has been a perfect big sister. She is patient and loving to Emily and doesn't seem to be jealous. Her attitude seems to be, "I know who I am and how much I am loved. Emily will just have to work her way up the ladder like I did." 

Emily Rose Update

Emily Rose is showing no signs of walking or talking. At three weeks she is right on schedule to be all that the cousins club could ask for. The seven who preceded her have all set the bar very high, but in conversation with her Papa, Emily Rose said she would soar with ease over the bar set by her older cousins and sister.

Emily's Dad is at work and her Mom is eating lunch at school with Rainey, so Papa and Rose have the high honor of baby sitting for an hour or two.

I don't think Emily cares if I inject a Rainey story here. A few days ago Stephen was playing with Rainey and they were pretending they were going camping. Stephen ask Rainey where they should camp. She replied without hesitation, "In the dam forest". Stephen was seeking clarification, so suggested, "the Dan forest". Rainey is never one to be detered so she strongly affirmed, "No, the dam forest. You know, where the beavers are."

Moral of the story is: communication is a delicate art. Don't rush is or you may jump to the wrong conclusion. 

Way Out West

Hey Gang,
Jordon, thank you for the update. Out West we roll merrily along. Reagan and Connor are enjoying basketball. Connor had a great game past Saturday. They beat the first place team by 30. Hutton and Bailey are making turn from basketball to golf.

Our biggest challenge right now is getting Lee Ann through the first phase of her work. She has to work 12 hour shifts and for the first couple of weeks she works 3 straight days from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. She is doing great, but it makes for long days.

Stream in the Desert is this weekend. I noticed that Nancy Bryant is coming froom Legacy. I wish you all could be here. We are back at the building this year so I think it is going to be a great weekend. I love seeing pictures of Emily Rose. She is beautiful. Grace.
Tod