Okay, you may be wondering why you're getting a post for May and we're already well into June. Well, Blogger is great about letting me post-date and pre-date stuff, which I take full advantage of when needed. I've been going through a bit of "computer fasting," you could call it, spending minimal time online and focusing on other things. But I want to go back and fill in the blanks a bit on the blog, if for no other reason than the fact that one day I plan to look back on this as my personal diary. If I don't write down the important things quickly, they just get shoved out of my brain by random facts and names and homeschool lessons. So just pretend that it really is still May, and bear with me if your inbox gets filled with posts that aren't exactly "current."

"...Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after." I was pretty old before I realized they were talking about Jack's head, but I've been singing this little ditty all week because I bit a potato chip a few days ago and ANOTHER crown broke, this time in the bottom. Ugh.

I made an appointment but woke up to pouring rain--no way I can maneuver well enough with this cane to handle the buses and the walking in order to get there. Man, was I missing the car! About that time, I got Happy Little Text Message #1 from the mechanic that says the car will be ready that afternoon.

Now, you're imagining me dancing a jig and yodeling and such, I'm sure. But I've learned not to put any faith in the promises of professionals here until I've got the money in hand/car in the driveway/washing machine on the back porch/well, you get it. So no jigs quite yet. Sure enough, though, when Ken hopped the bus into town, the car was "almost" ready, and he was willing to wait for the finished product. "Just give me the car back already, and I'll take it from here."

The next day, we ran around having some of the repairs done that the insurance company never got around to approving and we got tired of arguing with them about. I can't tell you how it felt to be in a vehicle again!!! We were told by so many people that the insurance companies and bus lines delay the repairs so much in order to discourage people from making claims... I'm betting it works.

So here we were bopping around in our own little car again, when I got Happy Little Text Message #2: good news about another little mess, this time, the case surrounding my accident. Not ground-shaking good news, but at least news that something was happening and we weren't as bogged in red tape as before. Wow! Two pieces of good news within 24 hours! I was really flying high when...

Not too many minutes later, Happy Little Text Message #3 caused my faithful phone to bleep. "Elias gets to come home from the hospital!" How sad I was that we weren't closer to home so we could put some balloons out and wave a little banner when he arrived, but we were still very, very excited that the doctors declared him healed enough to leave the hospital and recover from his burns at home.

These are all things we have been asking for your prayers on, and I just want you to know that God hears and responds. So many times I say, "I just wish God would send me an email and tell me exactly what He wants me to do." I've never gotten one of those, but I did feel like He was getting into those text messages this week. :)

Thank you all for the prayers and emails on behalf of Elias, our friend who was burned earlier this month. He is still in the hospital but his burns aren't as serious as feared.  He still has a tough road of treatments and recovery ahead, but God is at work and he's healing well.

He spent a little over a week in the intensive care unit, where I was able to visit him 3 times for a few minutes at a time, and tell him that you were praying and asking about him.  That always brought a smile.  The ICU is a small open room with four beds and a desk.  One or two nurses were generally sitting there to monitor the 3-4 patients occupying those beds.  Elias was the youngest in there, but off to the side was another tiny room with two toddlers in cribs.  Heartbreaking.

Once I was allowed to spend a whole hour with him because it was dinner time (someone has to feed the patients so that they don't touch any items that could be contaminated), so I took my time slicing and feeding him the chicken breasts and drug it out as long as possible.  He was excited because it was the first solid food he'd been offered after being there for 5 days.  A feeding tube and IV's were providing him with constant nutrients, but it's always good to TASTE what's going in, right?  During this hour, the poor toddler in one of those cribs cried, "Mommy," the entire time, which just about broke my heart.  Elias told me then that the other patients' presence was one of the hardest parts about being in there.

The beds are only a couple of feet apart, and the night before, a badly burned young man (97% of his body) was wheeled in beside Elias, and he died a few hours later.  A restless older gentleman was beside him on the other side.  The doctors agreed that Elias's state of mind was important, a positive attitude that helped his body heal.  So when he was no longer high-risk, they wanted to move him to a normal room where he wasn't so close to the high-risk patients, and where he could have normal visitors. But the state of cleanliness is a little different than what you'd imagine, and his best chance of staying bacteria-free was in the ICU.  They decided to keep him there a few days longer, just in case.  A few days ago, he finally got to go to a normal room.

As of now, the doctors don't think that he will need any skin grafts, which is just miraculous news.  All of his burns were classified as 2nd degree, I'm told.  His left hand and arm were pretty swollen still and I think they got the worst of the deal, as well as his abdomen, but everyone is hopeful of a full recovery in terms of being able to use that left hand.  God surely had his eye on that boy!

Camille and Caroline drew him mini-posters to hang near his bed, but the nurses held onto them until Elias was more healed, so that he wasn't coming into contact with "germs."  However, a pastor visited a few days later and the nurses allowed him not only to leave a Bible, but they are allowing Elias to pick it up himself and read it!  His mom said he was very encouraged by that, and has been reading a lot.  :)  Yay, God!  This has opened the door to opportunities to talk about the Lord with his family, and also to pray for the other patients and the nurses in ICU during my visits.  Thank you for the prayers for this situation.

Okay, it's not really July 4th, but I couldn't resist that little stab at our ethnocentricity.  You know we Americans tend to view everything through our own lens!  ;)

What we're really celebrating is the 14th of May, Paraguay's Independence Day.  It's been a rocky couple of centuries since they won their independence from Spain, including a slew of dictators, wars that stole big chunks of land and almost all of the male population, and a whole lot of oppression from within and from the outside world.  But this country is like the little train that could.  It just keeps on chugging.  In the early stages of democracy, Paraguay is still struggling with what I can only describe as a form of post-traumatic stress disorder.  They still deal with the after-effects of generations of struggles, but they are a strong, determined people we're proud to serve.

So how did we celebrate Independence Day?  Well, we didn't roast hot dogs or have apple pie, but we did cook up a big pot of chili and invite a group of teens and young adults to help us eat it.  Contrary to popular belief, Paraguayans don't eat like Mexicans.  Most don't care for spicy food and don't even add pepper to their meals.  They like it fried and salty here.  So we went light on the chili spices and set out a bottle of hot sauce for the brave ones.  Some even ate a second bowl!

Happy 201st Birthday, Paraguay, and may God bless you with many more!!!

Elias is a young man from this neighborhood.  Around the beginning of this year, he began training for 5k races with Milciades, our next-door neighbor, AKA Superman of Maintenance for Hogar Ganar.  Elias also began going to church and participating in youth activities, such as summer camp.  He is by far the most shy person I've ever met, even more shy than my little brother, who had my mom ordering his Happy Meals till he joined the Army.  Elias is the sort of guy who won't speak unless spoken to, and then he'll only respond if you repeat the question several times and stand by expectantly for his answer, which will come in one syllable.  He's extremely intelligent, though--a year ahead in school and with great grades.

Elias leading the pack

The more he came around to train, the more comfortable he became.  In short time, he was helping out here every day with projects around the grounds, and basically moved in with Milciades.  It didn't take long before he was an everyday part of our home, eating dinner with us, then having devotion, playing video games, or watching a movie.  I'd like to tell you that we've had some great conversations about the Lord, but the truth is that he was a silent listener to all the devotions, as well as a silent dinner guest, a silent movie viewer.  The only time I saw him open up was with Wii bowling and golf, or when he and the girls were having terere without "adults" around.  Really shy, but a good fella and eager to learn about the Lord.  He'd been studying a daily devotional on his own as well as participating with us.

Elias is always a gentleman.  No matter what weird American-style food we put on his plate, he ate every bit, even if it meant thirty minutes of picking through it and slowly swallowing.  It didn't matter if we said he could leave what he didn't like. Never wanting to offend, he was gonna eat every bite.  About a month ago, I wanted to go to a special church service being held in town, on a night when one of the girls didn't feel well.  Ken offered to stay home, but that meant I'd be taking the bus alone at night.  Camille mentioned it to Elias, who hurried to get dressed so I wouldn't go alone.  We got there and I was sure he'd go find the youth group, but he stayed by my side the whole night, helping me navigate the uneven sidewalks, the steps on and off the bus, and finding a place to sit that offered a spot for my crutches.

Happy 16th!  (Note the birthday brownies...)

A couple of weeks ago, we threw him a surprise birthday party, and we were thrilled that his mom, little brother and sisters, and some youth from the neighborhood came.  We took time to say a prayer for his life and to go around the circle telling about what we found special about Elias, or what we wished for his life.  Speaking the blessing.  Most of the kids said they hoped he was the fastest runner in Paraguay, or that he got all he ever wanted, but a few threw in things such as wisdom to follow God's plan and a Godly wife.  ;)  He was turning 16, after all!

Sunday night, we attended the quince party (Sweet 15) of a sweet little gal from church.  Camille and Caroline were members of the ladies-in-waiting (think bridesmaids) and performed a group waltz with the young lady and her daddy in the middle.  It was beautiful.  Elias stayed glued to his seat throughout the party, declining participation in the waltz, of course.  It provided great opportunities for a little joking and he actually talked more than I'd ever seen him do.  We goofed off a lot and I mentioned how nice it was to see him laugh.

Elias and Milciades at the 15 party

The next morning, he was starting a fire in a tiny little grill in Milciades's kitchen, when he bent down to add a bit of gas to the charcoal.  I guess I don't have to explain what happened next.  He is now in the intensive care unit at a specialized burn hospital in the capital city, with burns covering his trunk, neck, arms, hands, and upper legs.  I can't begin to imagine what he's going through in his mind, not to mention his body.  Please pray with us that the words of God he's begun to study recently will come back to him as he lies there alone, and that God will give him peace and comfort.

That's the sign I wanted to hang on the front porch yesterday.  A couple of weeks ago, one of the teens from the neighborhood that's always hanging around, had what I suspect was an epileptic seizure in the yard.  Someone ran for me, I got there as fast as my crutches would allow, and we spent the next half-hour waiting for the taxi and trying to convince the young man that we were his friends, that we all know each other, and that he really needed to stay on the ground and stop trying to get up.  He was totally disoriented and wanted to run from us once he "came to," but every time he got up he'd fall.  By the time we got to the health post, he was pretty much remembering who I was, but not my name.  That was pretty freaky.  Since that time, we've been keeping a close eye on him, especially during afternoon sports time when everyone's playing soccer and running around the grounds.

Then yesterday, we started the day with Milciades, our neighbor who works at Hogar Ganar as Superhero of Maintenance.  He had spent the night before vomiting and, since he's a young bachelor, just needed a woman to tell him how to get better.  His mom's a super gal, and he's a bit of a momma's boy, but she lives too far away to come baby him when he's ill.  So I've stepped into "big sister" role, one I've enjoyed my whole life with an interesting list of teens and young adults who find themselves needing one.

Yesterday, Milciades spent the day on the porch with us while we homeschooled, sipping chamomile mint tea and munching crackers.  Ken went to find him a Gatorade once we determined he was keeping stuff down... and then.......

A neighbor from the other side stopped by to chat with Milciades for a second.  While he was standing on our porch, holding his air rifle (high-powered BB gun), he was twitching his fingers.  Need I say more?  PFFFFFT.

Milciades:  "Did it go in?"
Neighbor:  "Yes."  (but a little too calmly, so I didn't believe him)
Milciades:  "Are you bleeding?"
Neighbor:  "Yes."  (still too calm and still standing, so I'm still not believing)

Neighbor removes shoe with a smile, and I notice the red circle expanding on the top of his white sock.

Me:  "Maybe you should sit down.  Girls, go get the supplies."

I got excited about the prospect of digging that BB out of his toe, but we soon found that it was too deep and the hole closed back up over it.  Disappointed, we called the taxi again.  That guy gets too much business from us!

The evening shaped up, as we celebrated our pal Susan's birthday with a group supper, devotion, and some video games.    Now we're taking down the sign and trusting everyone stays well and out of trouble for the weekend.  :)

Yesterday I had another series of x-rays and the checkup with my surgeon.  It's been 14 months since the accident, 6 months since the last surgery.  This was a mixed visit, with good news and bad news.  The good news is that the bone appears to be 95% healed now.

The bad news is that the plate and screws are still wreaking a bit of havoc in there.  The doctor was very happy with how quickly my bone has healed and the position it's in this time.  However, I still can't actively bend my knee more than a few degrees due to the hardware position.  He said not to worry, that "the literature" speaks of this problem with people who have small bones.  Big wide plate, small bone.  The metal pokes out and gets in the way of the soft tissue that has to move in order to bend the knee.  One physical therapist told me it was a big benefit that I was a skinny gal when this first happened, but it appears that in this case it's working against me.

So for now, to keep from doing further damage to the soft tissue around and inside the knee, I walk with a pretty stiff left leg and all my exercises have to be done with the leg straight.  That is what's been holding up my progress.  It's hard to build strength within the limits of not bending the knee.  I keep going with the exercises I CAN do, and I walk as much as the pain will allow, but I definitely feel like I'm plateauing.  It's like I've gotten to this certain point and can't quite move past it.

A few months ago, when we realized how much pain and trouble the screws and plate were making, I asked how long before they could be removed.  The surgeon told me 2-3 years, which to me seems like an eternity.  I asked again yesterday, reminding him that my bone healed quickly after the initial break, and this time when they sawed it in half again.  And that I'm a good, obedient patient.  ;)  Shooting for brownie points....  He said at first that he could remove the metal in November (I began to squeal), but then changed a bit, "No,  that'd be too soon.  I'd like to AT LEAST wait until February.  We just really can't rush this."  The holes from the first set of screws need to be filled in before he takes out the 9 that are in there now and leaves me with a new set of holes.  We don't want a bone that looks like a sponge, I guess.  I have to tell you that even those this is better than the first "2-3 years" prognosis, I'm not happy about it at all.

I go back and forth between being really frustrated by how long this recuperation is, to being too tired to even move (when DOES the energy level get back to normal?), and then stir-crazy from not being able to do all the things I'd like to.  Thank God for the internet, where I can get my hands on medical reports and documents and read that lots of this is normal, but I still don't like it. I read that it's recommended that I grieve what was lost and accept the new normal, but I'm trusting that I'm not at my new normal yet.  I'm trusting that this is going to be a total healing and that I'll be running and biking again, and that it won't be a chore to get from the porch to the dining room.  So I don't WANT to be satisfied at this state, and accepting what's happening feels a bit like a lack of faith, somehow.  Does that make any sense?

I did take the next step (haha) and turn in the rental crutches yesterday.  I'm not totally sure I'm ready for that, but I've got a couple of canes and can lean on Ken as needed, so this will push me into using more of my muscles when I walk.  I definitely am paying today for the few hours of cane walking yesterday evening, but I think it's the right time.  I hope so.  Now to keep my balance!

Thanks for sending up the prayers on behalf of this leg.  I'm sure that's what's caused the quick joining of the bone back together.  Please continue to pray for our car situation.  The mechanic can't finish the work until the insurance company authorizes it, and the insurance company won't authorize it until some specialist goes out there AGAIN to determine if the damage really was due to the bus hitting us.  So around and around we go, hopeful that it will end soon.  Despite that our fellow bus riders are always gracious to give me a seat (phwew!), getting to the bus stop and then to the places we need to go once we arrive is not always easy in this "condition."  We don't understand why this string of bad junk has happened and keeps happening, and it's very discouraging at times.  But in everything, we're trusting God to lead us through and accomplish His purposes.