My Eye, Oh My

 The surprise need to come home from Guyana three weeks early was due to the diagnosis of a “full thick macular hole” in my right eye requiring vitrectomy (surgery to remove some or all of the vitreous humor), a membrane peel (removal of clouded vitreous gel and scar tissue off the light sensitive lining of the retina) and the injection of some kind of gas into my eye to stabilize the repair until it is fully healed.  Unfortunately, this treatment could not be done in Guyana. 

Many people have asked whether the time I spend on the computer contributed to my eye problem.  The cause of macular holes is anyone’s guess – although it generally occurs among those over the age of 40 or anyone who has sustained a head or eye injury.  In my case, it could be either!  I am well over 40 but a couple of months ago in Guyana I did a “face plant” in the middle of the street outside of Giftland, my favorite shopping spot in downtown Georgetown.  Then just a few weeks ago I slipped again on a slimy Guyanese fruit while hanging clothes in the back yard, coming down hard on my right knee.  The doctor says the hole was “substantially bigger" than he first thought and “probably occurred much earlier” than I thought, but he assures me there is no connection between a macular hole (which can be repaired) and macular degeneration (which cannot and usually results in blindness).  The surgery was painless but the recovery required looking down at my feet for a week which was quite literally, “a pain in the neck.”  Oh, and I am grounded from any kind of heavy lifting or travel outside of Washington County until the end of August – due to the possibility of blindness caused by “a change in atmospheric pressure.”

Thanks for all your prayers on my behalf.  They really helped. 

Who Knew?

If anyone had told me 18 months ago, leaving Guyana would be every bit as difficult as leaving St. George, I would have, most certainly, argued the point!  Yes, we are anxious and excited to see our kids and grandkids again, but the idea of getting on a plane on Monday, June 11 and leaving behind those we have come to love to the depths of our soul, was extremely difficult.  We pray each day we have made a difference in some small way in their lives by helping them identify skills, find jobs, get into school and/or enjoy wholesome social activities together.  But in addition to improving their lives, our lives are also changed forever as our family circle has been enlarged to include “my other kids” Christopher, Navin, Marcia and Skippy, Temica, Marissa and Alexis, Leon, Yvonne, Nicardo, Jamaal, Simeon and Selwin.  And, oh, how we will miss the Treseders, Summers, Cooks, Benns and our wonderful, faithful church members in Georgetown, Berbice and Linden.   

When we queried our young mission president – who goes home with his beautiful family to Guadeloupe at the end of the month – as to whether we have made a difference, he reminded  us, “we do missionary work because we want to be like Christ.  You are angels sent by the Lord . . . and, no effort is wasted.”  Who knew our purpose in being here was also because our Savior and Redeemer had people He wanted us to meet, help and love His children in Guyana forever? 

Of course, we look forward to being with our family and renewing our friendships back home, but every day for the rest of our lives, our thoughts, prayers and a large piece of our hearts will be in Guyana . . . and from now on, when anyone asks me how many kids I have, I am going to say 41 . . . the six I gave birth to and 35 beautiful Guyanese kids!!!

Things I Will Miss About Life in the WIM

In the 18-months we've spent in the West Indies Mission, we missed many things about our comfortable southern Utah home and our wonderful community. Besides my kids and grandkids, I particularly missed my nail lady, jewelry, a good haircut, a king-sized bed with big, fluffy pillows; a garbage disposal and a clothes dryer, Winger’s, and working in my backyard garden. My companion missed going to the movies on Friday nights, golfing with his friends, un-structured “downtime,” a good steak, real milk and “dry heat” . . . and we both missed the red hills of Dixie.

Now as we prepare to return home, here is my list of things I WILL NOT MISS about the West Indies Mission:

1. Our 24/7 companionship
2. Mosquito netting, mosquito spray . . . and MOSQUITOS!!!
3. The heat and humidity of life on the Equator!
4. Bugs in everything, no matter how tightly you think you’ve sealed the container
5. Super-sized cockroaches, centipedes and snakes (only saw a few, but, still . . .)
6. Horns honking a nanosecond after the light turns green
7. Ridiculously overloaded mini-buses and taxis zipping erratically through traffic
8. “Bad hair days” because of humidity, do-it-yourself haircuts and beauticians who don’t know what to do with my "head from hell!"
9. My very limited missionary wardrobe
10. Standing in line
11. Driving on the left side of the road
12. Dogs barking incessantly . . . especially at night
13. Angry immigration officers
14. Garbage on every street corner
15. Meetings / events which routinely start an hour late!
16. People who set appointments then show up unapologetically an hour late or call 5 minutes before the appointed time to say they can't make it . . . or simply don't show up at all!

On the other hand, there are many things I will miss with a heart-wrenching ache about
the West Indies Mission

1. Chicken and jalapeño panini sandwiches from Mario’s
2. Berbice rice
3. My "Kitty"
4. Hugs and kisses from sisters in every branch
5. The young missionaries and the amazing senior couples with whom we have served.
6. My wonderful Guyanese brothers and sisters
7. Our YSA’s
8. Personal growth from the experience of being in the minority
9. Helping my Heavenly Father build His kingdom in Guyana

Lessons Learned in the West Indies Mission

In the 18 months we have served in Trinidad / Guyana, here are some of the things we have learned:

1. Black truly is beautiful.
2. Being in the minority is a great learning experience.
3. Skin color is not a determining factor for being an outstanding teacher, having dynamic leadership skills or bearing a strong testimony of Jesus Christ.
4. There is a deeper meaning to sacred hymns sung a cappella (on the count of “tree” and wildly off key) or to the accompaniment of a “boom box” and led by an inexperienced 14-year-old chorister – only months in the church.
5. Steel drums make beautiful music.
6. Fresh Guyanese pineapple must be the forbidden fruit which tempted Adam and Eve because it is so sinfully good!
7. Southern Utah does not have really BIG cockroaches!
8. The Church MUST be true to survive the inefficiency and lack of skills of big-hearted volunteer missionaries called to run a mission office.
9. Shark is tasty … especially with “bake” and lots of pepper sauce.
10. Skype is almost as good as “being there.”
11. Not living near a temple leaves me with a “yearning for home.”
12. There’s nothing to watch on TV, but it comes on two / three hours later!
13. The language of the Caribbean is English . . . I think!
14. I still have lessons to learn . . .

Socialized Medicine in Guyana

We had our one-and-only experience with socialized medicine today.  I have been having a problem with my right eye, so upon the advice of opthalmologists in St. George and the West Indies Mission, we found our way to the Eye Clinic at Georgetown Public Hospital.  Arriving at a little past 7 a.m., we thought we were ahead of the wave, but were told when we checked in with the security guard, we needed "our paper" and would have to go first to the Outpatient Clinic to be evaluated.  We were one of about 70 patients, there to be seen for about 70 different ailments.  As it turns out, I was one of the first, so it only took about 2 hours - including 5 minutes with the doctor who appeared to be very bored and uninterested.  She asked me what my problem was, made a note on my paper and sent me back to the hospital where we sat for another 1 1/2 hours before the doctor diagnosed a macular hole in the back of my eye - then suggested I go home . . . to St. George because "we can't do anything for you here in Guyana!"

While everyone was very nice, the clinics were dirty, crowded and decorated like the furniture department of your local Deseret Industries store . . . but the care was FREE!