Vegas-Baby!

Sometimes God just can't help Himself but to make us laugh. I believe that he does this to let us know that he does have a sense of humor and can do anything He wants.

Last week found me in Las Vegas...on a work trip. A few days before I left, my Mom told me that Savannah and Jarrett would be getting married on March 17- St. Patty's Day. The irony is that I would be out there on a work trip when everyone else would be back home...and I couldn't have planned the timing any better. However, due to the meeting schedule of my trip, I was not going to be able to make the 5:00 ceremony...but God had other plans. My meeting ended at 4:15 and dinner was "on our own." Yes! I was going to be able to make the wedding! I ran upstairs at the Bellagio and literally threw on a dress and finished dressing in the taxi. Of course the Chapel of Flowers was on the opposite end of the strip as my hotel, but what is last minute opportunity without a little drama! I felt like I was in a tv show or something...ha! BUT, at 5:05, the taxi wheeled in the parking lot and I slid into the pew right before Savannah was to walk down the aisle! Whew! Thank you Jesus for making things just work out inspite of ourselves!

The only pictures I was able to take were on my Blackberry...of course I forgot my camera in the hotel because I was in a rush. But nonetheless, I was able to document the occasion! Don't they look beautiful?


The weather in Vegas was perfect! It was in the mid-70s all week and the sun shined gloriously all day long! It was such a welcomed thing after NO sunshine in Arkansas for many, many weeks. The highlight of my trip was the helicopter ride through the Grand Canyon. Thank you Maverick Aviation (Henderson, NV) for an awesome experience! If you are ever in the Vegas area, I strongly encourage you invest in this adventure. It's the ONLY way to see the Canyon (oh, and Hoover Dam/Lake Meade, also...)

On Friday when we landed in Rogers, we learned that we were in for a big surprise over the weekend....yep, a snow storm. And snow we got....INCHES of it! Some reports said 12 inches, others said 7 inches. Either way, the first day of spring was spent indoors in front of the fireplace. Actually for me, it was spent in bed with fever. I had was I've lovingly coined "the first cousin to the flu." Miserable. Absolutely miserable. Here is the front of my house...I snapped this picture when I DROVE to my mailbox from my garage. Yes...I was sick and didn't have the energy to walk to the mailbox...don't judge...you would have too.

See...God likes to make us laugh. He'll do anything from allowing for a cousin to make it to a another cousin's wedding to snow on the first day of Spring. It is so good to know that God is always making life interesting...

Honduras

Honduras. The poorest country in Central America and 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere - Haiti is the 1st. Talanga, Honduras is a city of about 25,000 people and is the hub of 4 major highways in Central America. One of those highways is the Transamerica Highway that runs from Bogota, Columbia to Alaska, USA. Thousands of pounds of cocaine are dropped in this city each week. Drugs, Aids, and drug inflicted disease are rampant. In spite of this fact, the average family income for 1 month is $40. The people in this country are poor. The people in this city are poor. They may not have much, but God is there. He went ahead of this mission team and prepared the way. The harvest was ripe.

On February 6, 77 North Americans met in Houston and headed South to the country of Honduras. All walks of life. All ages. One belief: God is...

This mission team had never been to a city in Honduras before. There were many things to learn and experience that were different from the remote village life. The main difference: The rise of the middle class...and I use that term loosely. While most of the people in this town were literally dirt poor, there was a % of people who did have some means of a better lifestyle. We did see flat screens, cell phones, and Internet capabilities in some homes as we walked the streets. Several of us on the team were able to walk into the town center to an Internet Cafe and send a message or two on Facebook! Very much an unexpected treat...Cost was less than $1 for 1 hour (10 lempire).

Below are a few pictures. I am working on a slideshow, but truth is that I am still processing. There has been so much to absorb that words are still hard to come by. But for the sake of journaling, here is a snapshot of a few aspects of the week. I have focused more on the Meadville crew that went as those stories are the ones I know best. However, each person has a different perspective and remembers different things.

It is unique to be able to serve alongside my parents and others that I have known my whole life. On this trip in particular, I picked up a few medical "skills" and was able to contribute in a way that I had not ever before. Needless to say, I had a blast stepping into my parents world for a few days. I definitely can say that they have taught me all that I know...at least in the clinic on a foreign mission field.

The first picture is a typical house in the city. Notice the dirt floors. What you can't see on the right is stucco (white wall material that you see) counter with an iron flat area that is used for cooking...I guess the best visual is that of a griddle that is set into the counter. There was no running water in this house, but next to the griddle-type cooking area was a sink that water was manually hauled in and filled.


Funny story about this next picture. Dad had been seeing this man ride through town on his donkey. Everytime he would try to catch him to get a picture. FINALLY on Wednesday, the man stopped outside the clinic and Dad went over to him. He got a picture and Dad gave him some money (don't remember how much, but it wasn't much...) to thank him for letting him take the picture. The man descended the donkey to let Dad ride. Dad didn't take him up on the offer, but we all got a good laugh out of it. The young lady int he red/white shirt is one of our translators who saw Dad talking to the man. She went over to make sure he didn't get into trouble...ha!

Bro David. He was in charge of the tent services during the day. He is hard at work in this picture. I have to say...he ROCKED the house! I've never really had an indepth conversation with David before this trip. We sat together on the bus going somewhere and we really had good conversation. This guy is truly a man of God...in a very cool way.

Shoe Ministry. This team gave out 1800 pairs of shoes. Ms Anita went to Dirt Cheap and loaded up her husband's truck FULL of shoes and shipped them down to Honduras. If ever there was a woman who could make shopping a ministry, it's Ms Anita. Below is Ann Barrett helping a man try on a pair of new shoes. This was Ann Barrett's first mission trip ever. She worked in the Shoe Ministry and she would tell you that it changed her life.

Rice & Beans. Ms Sandra Clay headed this ministry up this year (not pictured). Her team gave out over 6000 lbs of rice and beans. Pictured below are (L-R) Randy Randall, Dr Walter Rose, and Jim Woods - all of Indianola, MS.

Church Dedication. This trip was the first time EVER that the whole team was able to attend the Church Dedication on any trip. This Construction Team was amazing. They built the walls and put on the roof in 3 days. They worked so fast that they were able to go to the Hospital on the 4th day and do some repairs there. God was amazing through those men!

Here's the "rest of the story" about this church. The small congregation that belonged to this church have prayed for FIVE years that they would be able to purchase land to build a church. F-I-V-E years! God used our team to answer their prayer. In my opinion, this team went to Talanga for them specifically. He wanted to show that congregation that they are precious in His sight and that He cares for them. Their ministry is powerful and God has blessed them in some pretty cool ways. This church building will be a launching pad for their ministry. I'll never know what all they accomplish and how many lives they touch, but I do know that God used the construction team in February 2010 to help affirm their ministry.

Bro David leading the Dedication. Love the pulpit!

Pharmacy. Mr Jimmy is on the left. Johnny Mc is on the right. It was Johnny Mc that shared the fact that he never thought he'd be in Central America mixing "kool-aid" with Jim Jones. This team had so much fun in the Pharmacy. Mr Jimmy is now the official Pharmacist in training and is the best bottle filler and pill counter any foreign mission team has ever known :)

Medical Clinic. This is a snapshot of 1 station. Doc Gabbert is on right and my Mom, Sue, is in the center. Susan Gabbert is working the door in the background.

This clinic saw approx 3000 patients in 3.5 days.

This is Nelson. He was the official "gatekeeper" into the clinic. He was evidence that you just never know who you will meet in the places that you go. Nelson was born in Peru and was raised there until his late teens. He then moved to the swampland better known as South Louisiana. He lived down around New Orleans for a little over 30 years. His wife is Honduran and last year they moved to Honduras where he began working with BMDMI as a translator. He had a cool accent: Peruvian, Cajun, and Honduran. He was an interesting character and I am so glad to have met him!

On the first full day of clinic, Doc G made a friend. This young girl has Down Syndrome. She was a precious and sweet young lady. However, she was no fool...she immediately figured out that Doc had goodies (candy) and she is asking for some in this picture...

An At-large clinic picture. You can see the 4 tables/stations in this room. There was a doctor and nurse practitioner at each table. Doc G and Mom on the right. Dr Prosser and Linda Fay in the back. Dr. Alfredo (Honduran Dr) on the left - can't really see the table, but it's there - and Dr Carey and Glenda on the left front.

Play-time! This is SuperBowl Sunday. Doc Carey and Dad are jamming to "Let's Get Crunk" in preparation of the Saints playing later that night...you just had to be there fully appreciate this. They were singing and dancing and rapping. The Honduran patients thought they had lost their mind...

Susan and THE newborn. This little newborn was only 23 days old. Susan was the first to get to hold her. She was absolutely precious!

Mom with a little boy. Best we could figure, this little guy was about Emma Claire's age. He was full of personality! When the cameras came out, he put on a show! We got to see this cutie twice...once with his Mom and then the next day with his Dad. Both days he was happy and full of enjoyment for the entire medical team!

A typical mode of transportation. We saw this man specifically and a bunch of others traveling through town on carts pulled by oxen. There were also quite a few that were pulled by Brahmans...strange. Especially knowing that the Sullivan family and many others pay good money to have a Brahman herd and would never have them pull a cart of any kind...

This is a picture that I took for my work folks. Being in the CSD (carbonated soft-drink) business, this picture was funny. Only in Honduras would you see CSD's protected by a machine gun toting police officer.

The picture below may resemble a Honduran woman, but to me it's the very face of Jesus. Here is why: On this day, I was working outside taking blood pressures. It was so very hot and I was not having the best day. To make a long story short, one minute I was taking blood pressures in an orderly line of patients waiting to get into the clinic. The next minute, I am in a mob crowd. Two women from the local church walk by and help Nelson regain control of the crowd. Right after things settle down, this lady walks out of the clinic and comes directly towards me. She taps my shoulder and as I turn to her, she embraces me tightly. She kisses both cheeks and speaks to me softly. I couldn't understand her, but I didn't have to. I saw Jesus right in her face. There were tears in her eyes and knew that she was God's messenger to me at that moment. Needless to say, the rest of my afternoon was quite different from before.

Hospital. There are a lot of pictures at the hospital. And I will be glad to post them on the part 2 entry. But I just love this picture. It was impromtu and no one is really posed. This was taken at the top of the viewing tower. We could see out across the valley for what seemed like miles. It was beautiful and peaceful. Honduras is a beautiful country with all the farmland, mountains, and natural habitat. This watchtower gave us the birds eye view.

The Meadville Crew headed for the airport. This is our parting shot from the Mission House. We were all tired and sad to see the week come to an end.

Funny. We thought David was straight-laced and very "preacherly" on this trip..until I ran across this picture that someone took. There are quite a series of shots on this event, but I have to say...that David is full of surprises! He enjoyed riding a Honduran Horse!

As I close this post, I'll end with what I said at the start. It is amazing to serve alongside my parents. To step out of my business world and into their medical world is a blessing beyond description. As I look back over the years, they have served humanity with their lives both domestically for a living and internationally for servanthood. God has blessed our family. I cannot wait to see what the future holds. Maybe one day we will get to experience this as a whole family...grands included.

Snow Days

This past week, Northwest Arkansas was struck again with ole man winter. The first week of January, school was out for a full week (5 snow days) and then again last Friday (snow day #6). The highs last week were in the mid-50s and then Thursday, a front moved through and the high was only 32. Later that afternoon a storm moved through that had everyone a little scared. Talk of power outages and severe ice covered roads had everyone talking and going "the extra mile" to make sure everything was okay. Mercifully, God had mercy on us and even though the weather was severe, we kept power and had awesome snow to play in while we were stuck at home. Here are a few shots...the deepest measurement in the cul-de-sac was 7.5" I only had 7" in my yard.

Snowman building fun....thanks Olivia for building it!

Snow Angels

Sledding on "the hill"

Snowball fights are great!!

Headed home....exhausted!

Gemini

I am not a big astrological sign person, but I do indulge myself every now and again. Today has been a very lazy day spent in front of the TV and my laptop. In one of the many Internet articles that I read today, I ran across the "What exercise plan fits your sign?" The plan for Gemini (the twin) fits me to a "T":

Gemini
Gemini needs a buddy to support any lasting lifestyle change. You will be smart to set up a "Resolution Blog" to share your experiences and receive much needed feedback to keep you motivated. For you, a walk around any busy neighborhood can make exercising a breeze. Gemini is curious and will benefit from reading food labels. A powerful resolution in terms of weight loss and overall health would be to refuse to buy anything containing high fructose corn syrup.

Note: (1) I do not workout unless someone goes with me. It is a weakness that I have identified about myself and have had to come to terms with it. (2) I read most all food labels on the food that I buy and (3) I have purchased VERY few products with high fructose corn syrup as a top 5 ingredient in well over a year...

Coincidence? maybe.

Christmas & the Cotton Bowl

Christmas this year has come so very quickly! It's hard to believe that we are ending the first decade of the 21st century. 2010 is sure to be a memorable year...I cannot wait to see what good things are in store!

There is a Sullivan family tradition of having your family picture taken in front of the Christmas Tree at my Mamaw Sullivan's house. Everyone expects it and is eager to get it over with! However it gets done, these pictures have become priceless. looking back over the years and appreciating where we've been and what we've done can be realized in just one picture...lots of memories. So..without further ado, here are this year's pictures We were only missing 2 grandchildren this year: Tara and Chris.

The Leonard Sullivan Family

Leonard, Elain, Susan, Sanford,

Anna Rose, Betty Jane, and Leonard Talbert

The Bo Sullivan Family

Kelsey, Trae, April, Kamryn, Chase, Blaine, Brandee, Chuck, Bo, Deborah Ann, & Savannah

The Steve Sullivan Family

Stephenie, Steve, Sue, Sarah, Elliott & Emma Claire

The Bill Sullivan Family

Bill, Teresa, Elizabeth, & Josh

The Triplets: Isaac, Isabella, & Ian

The Rex Sullivan Family

Brian & Kayla, Brett, Charles Verne & Vista, Rex, Brett & Jasmine, Kolemyn Grace

The Pat Sullivan Family (missing Tara)

Patrick, Tasha, Pat, Tanya, John Paul

The Tasha Sullivan Scott Family

Josh, Sawyer, Sydney, Tasha, Sadye

The Cindy Sullivan Roberson Family

Tim, Skye, Cindy, Scott, Summer & Kale

The Judy Sullivan Oglesby Family

Bubba, Judy, Kendra, Leah

Mamaw Sullivan & Emma Claire

Emma & Isabella

THE big news on the Sunday after Christmas was the news that both Trae & Scott killed deer! Trae got a nice sized 8-point and Scott got a very interesting 16-point. We do not know where this deer came from as no one had seen him before on the Trail Cams. This deer is quite popular around the Heartbreak Hotel because 1) it's a 16-point and 2) it has palmettoed tynes. Come to find out, this palmettoed characteristic is found in only a few geography pockets in the U.S. One of those is the deep, "coastal" South.

Trae (8-point) & Scott (16-point)

The infamous 16-point

This year was Chris and Stephanie's year to spend Christmas with her family in Alabama. We missed them on Christmas day, but I was thankful to have had some time during New Years to spend with them.

Callie's "big" present this year was a rocking horse given to her by my Mom and Dad (their grandparent names are still TBD...). She LOVES this horse...especially when Chris rocks it for her. She cannot quite get it to go as fast on her own...



Callie loves her Aunt Steph!

Candid of me and Emma Claire on Christmas night...

This year, I was fortunate enough to have been offered Dr Pepper tickets to the Cotton Bowl. Ole Miss received the bid, Dr Pepper was a corporate sponsor, and the Directors knew that being from Mississippi I might enjoy going. And they were so right! I think that Mom was the most excited to go, but everyone else was pretty pumped too. Mom's first cousin, Jeff, lives in Dallas. Since Sarah and Chris did not want to go to the game, we invited Jeff and his sons Doug & Ben. We had such a good time and really enjoyed getting to hang out with family AND watch a really intense ballgame.

Jeff, Doug, Kelly (Doug's wife), and Ben

Dad, Mom, & Me

The Crew

we were the ONLY Ole Miss fans in our section and the sections to either side of us...talk about sticking out like a sore thumb! Blue & Red really did not mesh well with bright orange and black!

The trophy presentation after the game