Five of My Own

August 8, 2014

Thinking I might start blogging here again....

Yes. I think I will.

July 17, 2013

Sharing a few posts from my new blog....

In case you missed it I am now blogging at Bearing Witness (www.allmyeyescansee.com).

What we did in Ethiopia

In total we saw more than 400 patients for conditions ranging from simple earaches to severe meningitis. Medical conditions treated included; mumps, pneumonia, fungal infections, herpes (face) infection, a buckle fracture, lacerations, wound care and secondary wound infections as well as complications to leprosy, TB, Typhoid and Aids...

EZ-IO ...(a life saving procedure)

An EZ-IO is a fairly common procedure that involves using an electric drill to drill a needle into the bone which allows the delivery of IV fluids and medications to patients who’s veins are too fragile to permit a more traditional IV.
As I said its a common procedure IN THE ED.

TODAY WE DID ONE IN A MUD HUT....

Reflections from a Princess

Reentry after a trip like my last is always an interesting if not difficult process. You simply can’t un-see things…the unjust realities of poverty are hard to understate once intimately experienced and they are nearly impossible to reconcile with “first world” life.

New Blog:Bearing Witness

July 1, 2013

I've decided to do a little something different.

After a much needed blog-cation I'm ready to write again...just not here. While I may still from time to time talk about adoption and maybe even give an update on my kiddos on "Five Of My Own" for the most part I'm going to be writing here.

"I love to travel…the more off the beaten path the better.

Bearing Witness chronicles my adventures in travel…one that often take me on a tour of the developing world."

Check out my new blog Bearing Witness

While you're there be sure to "follow me"

It wouldn't be any fun without you!

Kaz Photo Blog: Karakastek

May 11, 2013

On our last day in Kaz our team traveled an hour an a half south to the Karakastek orphanage. We only got to spend a short time there but were happy to have a chance to love on these sweet children. These are the oldest children living here.

We had the privledge of delivering toys and other donations sent by a sweet young girl who herself was adopted from this baby house. She recently had a birthday and in lieu of gifts for herself asked her friends to bring gifts for the children living in the Karakastek orphanage. Amazing!

We played with the kids and broke in all their new toys. We then fed them bananas and cookies and gave them as many hugs and kisses as we could get in during the short time we were given.

After visiting many orphanages in Kazakhstan I must say this place is the worst I've seen and I'm sickened to think about the places they wont let us see.

At one point I asked our team to be quiet. We had 20 toddlers in the room and there was complete and utter silence...which said it all. These sweet babies are expressionless, broken in spirit and desperately in need of love.

Please say a little extra prayer for all of these sweet babies.

Kaz Photo Log: Love, Love, Love

May 10, 2013

There are currently 117 children age newborn to 4 years living at the Baby House in Ust Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. At the present time international adoptions from Kazakhstan by US citizens is closed.

Adoptions however are still happening just not at the same rate. We were told during our visit that every infant was already matched with adoptive parents and we observed one preschool girl who was bonding with her Kazakh adoptive parents. While encouraging there are many children in this orphanage and throughout Kazakhstan still in need of adoption, especially older children and children with special needs.

And these kids ~~want need~~ deserve families...One particularly precocious little girl walked straight to me, pulled hard on my arm and demanded, " When is my mother coming for me?...I've been waiting a long time...I want to go home!"

What will we as a society say to this girl and all the other children asking the same question?

Who will come for them?

How much longer will they have to wait?

Kaz Photo Log: Victory Day

May 9, 2013

Victory Day marks the capitulation of Nazi Germany to the Soviet Union in the Second World War (also known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union). It was first inaugurated in the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the surrender document late in the evening on 8 May 1945 (after midnight, thus on 9 May, by Moscow Time). The Soviet government announced the victory early on 9 May after the signing ceremony in Berlin.[1] Though the official inauguration happened in 1945 (which means it has been celebrated since 1946), the holiday became a non-labour day only in 1965 and only in some of the countries. In the former Soviet Union this festival was celebrated to commemorate the Red Army's victory over the Nazi forces. -wikipedia