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Such amusing stories are shared while we eat meals...Here's one told by Sister Annie:  She was woken in the middle of the night & asked to come quickly to help with a delivery.  Off she went with her medical backpack & flashlight.  After quite a hike, she arrived at a mud hut...she followed the sound of moans dodging handing clothes, sleeping kids & chickens.  Reaching the mom, she tried to set up a somewhat clean setting...and so asked if they chickens could be put outside.  The Dad looked surprised but did as he was told.  Soon after, Annie started feeling lots of bites all over her feet & legs & asked about it.  The Dad said it was ants...she asked how come just now...he said "No chickens...they eat them."  The chickens were herded back in!  Mom, baby, Sister & chickens were soon all happy!    
 
 

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By 10 a.m. coffee break, Sister Liz had already seen 10 patients besides checking on on our job...hanging towel racks.  I fixed turkey-ala-king for lunch & then we worked on assembling 2 sets of bunk beds..they hope to attract lots of volunteers soon!  I'd sure encourage anyone to come!!  (Shan? Julie? Karra?  Do you feel the tug???)  
 

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All decisions about what & how to build here always heavily take in consideration the future...when the Sisters hand this whole operation over to the locals &/or future Sisters.  Will they be able to maintain it...cost efficiency...availability of replacement parts...and will it be nice enough so any futures Sisters can be given "an offer they can't refuse"...they call it the Godfather offer.  Both Sisters should be wearing name tags saying:  nurse, doctor, building contractor, master carpenter, builder & handyman.  They have learned an enormous amount hands-on!  I love the model they have sitting on their kitchen table--that they truly follow:
A missionary goes where she is needed but not wanted.
She leaves when she is wanted but not needed.
 

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When we came in for breakfast at 7, the Sisters had another surprise for us...since they had not had a big Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, they had a turkey in the oven & all the fixings for a complete feast.  They had already made pumpkin pie & apple crisp.  We cleaned some veges & fruit, set the table and then I went out to help Rog....until the turkey was done.  Annie, in the meantime, had given Rog more directions and since the power was out...painting was Job #1.  Hermonso, their handyman worked along side us.  Monday (today) the clinic is not open so the Sisters did their paper work & jobs they usually do on Saturday.  Around noon, I went in to finish up dinner and what a feast we sat down to!  We had so much to the thankful for.  Just about when the paint job was done, the electricity came on so Rog started Job #2...wood baseboard in the newly built volunteer house.  Around 4:30, Sister Liz insisted that we stop working.  We cleaned up, watched the News, ate turkey sandwiches & sat around the table just enjoying each other & stories.  7:30, we headed back to our room & heated blankets.
 

56

The Sisters live in a very nice home made out of stone--built by some Benediction nuns during the religious persecution years so it is very solid with small windows.  They have made it very homey.  After we unpacked the jeep, we sat around their kitchen table and looked over the job list they'd prepared for Rog & then they showed me where to find all the ingredients I would need as I had been appointed the "cook."  Sister had asked me to send her my "menu "last week & she had made sure I had everything I needed.  I went to bed thanking God for landing me here!!!

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Our volunteer quarters is really the patients' ward so have hospital beds & a nice bathroom with hot water!  They are finishing a new building that will house volunteers in the future.  The Sisters had purchased everything we could possible need...heated blankets, towels, coffee pot, hot choc mix, granola bars, fruit, chips, water...and Diet Coke!  The Sisters were bursting with excitement as we were the first family to visit here.  Sister Liz kept saying,  "I can't believe this!"
 

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San Jose Clinic...a bright, shiny star on the top of a 9000' mountain!  We were totally amazed at what the Sisters have built here in just 5 years...while servicing over 80000 patients!  The clinic is a well built cement building, tiled half way up, tile floor, bathroom, fireplace ...and has good medical & dental equipment.  It is cleverly decorated with lots of kid friendly touches & a pot of hot coffee...no wonder people (mostly Mam indigenous) walk for miles to come!  They do have minimal charge for all services...free things are not valued nor would it allow the clinic to every be self-sustainable.  Many of the funds to cover the original equipment & building came from individuals & grants (like the owner of Hilton Hotel).  The Sisters are very frugal & efficient.  They have used "free trial" run drugs...one for diabetics' lesions that worked great.  The whole thing is so very impressive...but then what would you expect from Sister Liz & Sister Annie!!!