Mexico Pictures

Hope everyone enjoys the pictures and that you get a small taste of what I did while in Mexico. I can't wait to go back and next time hope to be able to speak more than a few phrases of Spanish.
The Hospital Where We Worked

Hard at Work in the OR

A Satisfied Patient Post-Op

The View from the Hospital

Off to Sleep

Isn't He Cute?!?!

Part of the Team in Front of the Hotel

We Were About 20 kilometers from Guatemala

Out the Plane Window Near Mexico City

Open Wide

Around Tapachula

Around Tapachula

"Scrub Buddies" Me and Maria

Cleft Lip Repair Post-Op

If I'd Paid More Attention in Plant Systematics, I'd Know this Flower's Name, but since I Didn't I Just Know it's Pretty :)

Tapachula and the Pacific Ocean from the Air

Mexico

I just got back from 8 incredible days in Mexico. I went to Tapachula with Global Health Outreach, which is part of the CMDA, to do Maxilofacial and GYN surgery. It was amazing. We were all able to use our God given talents to preform close to 75 surgerys in 5 days on people who otherwise would never had been able to afford these surgeries. The most touching cases for me were the cleft lip repairs that we did on the kids. The looks on the parents' faces when they saw their children after surgery was worth more than any words of thanks.
I still feel very overwelmed by all that I saw and the work that God did there in the people and most importantly in me. I hope to make short term missions a consistant part of my life. I'm already looking at going back next year. This trip also confirmed my love for surgery and being in the OR, which has left me with a lot of questions and decisions to make about my future over the next year or so. I pray that God will show me where to go and how to best use the talent and knowledge that He gave me.
I have tons of pictures and stories that I wll post in the next few days, but for now this all I can put into words.

LOST

And no, I'm not talking about the TV show. I'm talking about my luggage.
This past weekend I drove to Nashville and then flew to DC with my friend Leah to surprise our friend Jennifer for her 25th birthday. The flight up there was pretty good. Our connection in ATL was a little late leaving and we had to sit in a line of 9 planes before we finally took off, but other than that we had great timing and made it to Union Station without any major hangups. The surprise party went off without a hitch. Jennifer had no idea about the party, much less that Leah and I were coming. Her reaction was definitely one for the books. It was like in the movies, but better because it was real. It was however, captured on video so it can be re-lived over and over again, just like a movie.
The rest of the weekend was lots of fun, but was over way too soon. Sunday evening we board the plane at BWI and make the short flight into Philly. Now, the true adventure begins. First the plane is late leaving because we are waiting for some people on a connecting flight. Then, the little cart that has the belt that loads the luggage on to the plane breaks down and since it is parked behind the plane, we can't back out and leave. They get a bunch of guys to try and move it manually, but after several unsuccessful attempts, the wrecker is called. Once the cart it finally out of the way, we begin to taxi down the runway, only to end up sitting in another long line of planes. So about 1 1/2 hours after our original departure time, we finally make it into the air. We land in Nashville and head down to baggage claim. After what seems like an eternity, the bags finally start coming down the belt. Leah's bag comes out quite quickly and I foolish think mine will follow shortly. As more and more bags come out and mine is no where to be seen, I start to think the worst. My fears are confirmed a short while later when the last of the bags are spit out and we are left standing next to an empty belt. So I head over to the claim office and file my claim and then we head to Leah's. I'm pretty pissed at this point, not to mention tired. I mean our bags were checked together and load together, how did one make it and the other one not?!?!?! I've never had a problem when I flown before. I've never lost anything, never been stopped by security, never had my bag searched, and never been stopped but customs. I mean, I've never even set off the metal detector before. I guess there's a first time for everything though. I guess I tempted fate one to many times by making the "I've never" comments.
Fortunately, I got a call from the airline today and a courier delivered the bag to my house and it was waiting on my front porch when I got home from work tonight. Hopefully my flight to Mexico this weekend won't be as exciting, but after this adventure, I'm not holding my breath!