Surely the Sailboat

Surely the Sailboat
Last Day

Shirley's Sign

Shirley's Sign
Beginning the Journey

At the Western(Wailing) Wall

At the Western(Wailing) Wall
Tony, Joe, Myself

Heartbreaking Hawaiian Sunsets

Heartbreaking Hawaiian Sunsets
Scenes of Heartbreak in Haiti will follow later

Pastor Emory Gaskins, and his wife Cindi

Pastor Emory Gaskins, and his wife Cindi
University Ave Baptist Church

University Ave Bapt Church Cambodian Mission

University Ave Bapt Church Cambodian Mission
'Him' playing a Cambodian Thor

Waikiki Yacht Club Xmas 09

Waikiki Yacht Club Xmas 09
Guest of Brian&Kimmie Mahalo!!!!

Good Friends Brian&Kimmie

Good Friends Brian&Kimmie
We Were Kaiser Pediatricians In The 70's!!!

Our Family The Best To be Sure see Chris in other pics

Our Family The Best To be Sure see Chris in other pics
God Is Good, God Is Love, Thank you, God

Chris and The Volcano

Chris and The Volcano
Did He Inhale??

Chris Gets His Goat

Chris Gets His Goat
Date: 1010/01/02/2010

The Father, The Son, The Holy Goat

The Father, The Son, The Holy Goat
We Ask Thou Blessing, O Lord

Kauai Krushers Poipu

Kauai Krushers Poipu
Hard Way To Fish

Well Not Skunked

Well Not Skunked
Chris And The Wrass

Adam and Eve

Adam and Eve
Dec 17, 2009, Another Famous Day!!!

Life is good again!!!

Life is good again!!!
My Bird and Xmas has arrived!!!

Sounds of Aloha!!

Sounds of Aloha!!
Our performance at Kahala Nui 12/3/09

Sounds of Aloha!!

Sounds of Aloha!!
Dan and I

Mac Keral (speaks Spanish) and me

Mac Keral (speaks Spanish) and me

Jeff on GW

Jeff on GW

'Tea Fer' x 2

'Tea Fer' x 2

'Two Fer' x 2

'Two Fer' x 2

Condo Sept 09

Condo Sept 09
WOW!! Compare this with 1974!!

Bill's last Sunday, His Church

Bill's last Sunday, His Church
He left it on Fire; see the Smoke!!! ( Who will be the new Pope?? )

Bill's last Sunday

Bill's last Sunday
with Crystal and friends

Bill's last Sunday at the Pullpit in Hickory

Bill's last Sunday at the Pullpit in Hickory
Still looks young!!!

Commander Walls with me last days

Commander Walls with me last days
A very special person, a joy to work with

A Wonderful Goodbye, Cherry Point

A Wonderful Goodbye, Cherry Point
My CO, Cap't John, old me, Mike, the Base Radiologist, and the Paddle for my Butt for leaving

My doctor friend and old guy: Truk Hospital 1971-73

My doctor friend and old guy: Truk Hospital 1971-73
36 years seem to fade away that day we met again in Ala Moana Park

Chuukese Missison Church Nuuanu

Chuukese Missison Church Nuuanu
Classic Chuukese dress for the women; the head pieces are called Marmars

Chuukese Mission Church at Nuuanu Baptist Honolulu

Chuukese Mission Church at Nuuanu Baptist Honolulu
The young people sing the rich Pacific island spiritual songs

Chuukese Family and Haole Guy

Chuukese Family and Haole Guy
my doctor friend with his large family under the Banyan tree

Chris

Chris
FrontSteet, New Bern

Jamming at the Dink's

Jamming at the Dink's
Patsy fills and thrills!!

WB&Ruth brought the cake

WB&Ruth brought the cake
Go Back 44 years!!!

Gretchen and Joey

Gretchen and Joey
with Shirley at our BibleStudy weekend in May09

Beer Can Chicken and my sister

Beer Can Chicken and my sister
NannynannyPooPoo!!!

Father&Son: Ren&Bill

Father&Son: Ren&Bill
Dock Devotion Time

GG&GW: Jonathan&GradyWhite

GG&GW: Jonathan&GradyWhite
Lift Off!!!

July 2 at Shacklebanks

July 2 at Shacklebanks
Chris, Buzz, Lee, and his boys-Lee manwhatatan!!

Horace&Fran

Horace&Fran
"This is so nice"

Chris' GRRR888 MUSIC

Chris' GRRR888 MUSIC
OneManCBand

Airport Reunion

Airport Reunion
TheCMan arrives!!!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Hawaii and Haiti

It has been frustrating in that I am unable to go to Haiti immediately with disaster teams like with those where I helped out in Honduras, Macedonia, Lebanon, Iraq, S Africa, Byloruss, Vietnam, and Cambodia; but it is just as well since I am hooking up with Aloha Medical Mission here in Hawaii to go to Samoa in early to mid Feb. Being in Hawaii at this time where life is good makes me almost feel guilty, but with prayer and being with good church folks here is preparing me for His Works ahead.
I know that if the Lord wants me to go to any of these places it is His Will and not mine. So I will be patient unto Him. Haiti will have terrific needs for a long, long time; it already did before the earthquake. I had been there on 2 medical missions in the mid 60's.
To those who question God as to why these terrible things happen, the real question is how do we respond to help those in need in the Name of Jesus. I will await His Word.
Well, be careful for what you pray for: I was invited and now Feb 9, I have been here in Haiti for 4 days. I will try to cut and paste my emails to this blog. I cannot descibe all the people, events and feelings at this time, except to say that it has been overwhelming, tiring and yet I would not have had it anyother way. It tops all the other missions I have been invloved with. I will never ever forget it.
Last night I spent my 2nd nite in the Hospital-For Little Sisters and Brothers--aka St Damien's--I did so at the behest of the night shift pediatrician just out of her residency. A few moments later she came out of bathroom crying: at my wondering she said she lost her parent and her brothers in the earthquake. One of the other volunteers prayed with her. Later we brought her some dinner.
-
EMAILS sent:
-Feb 6---Aloha and Bon Jour BW, C, GG, WH, and all Acts 2, SS, Bible Study and Snyder, & friends in Hawaii!! Wow over whelmed here in peds Ed. Structure and organization is spotty and kinda wild but busy and naever catch up. At 430P a DKA diabetic is brought in by Doctors w/o Borders and therefore our ride back to the compound is out of the question at 530--so 2 of us stay to take care of him--5 yo sick x 10 days. Rx iv fluids and insulin and watchig his Blood sugars all night. all the beds here about 20 have been filled with little kid w IV for 1-2 days; the wards are alos filled. No beds.Language is problem but have excellen RT lady named Jackie Currie who was here x 5 years in 80's and still know her Creol. She had visited L' Pital Bon Samaritan in Limbe.A Haitian nurse name Sue is excellent and knows diabetics. I have tried to sleep on hard cot here in hospital but spotty at best. The pedaitiric hospital here was virtually undamaged and had been a life safer to this part ot Port of Prince in that it took care of adults also.It is a Catholic Hospital well run and clean and organized well. There seem to be plenty of supplies brought in from everywhere. GI's the 82, the UN , Franklin Graham's--we heard him speak our first night-- are all present, Choppers and planes are ever present, the roads are jammed. Tthings are better, folks say, now its organized chaos. It's still like a war zone.Sounds like things are better than when Steve Logue was here--I talked to him right after her cme back.Where the NC Bapt team is staying, 28 of us. after a 11 hour ride from Santo Domigo, is about 15 miles N of POP and is a sereal compound on 60 acres that Global Missions contracts to us; Samaitan's Purse is also here; it over looks the Caribean Sea, and far quieter than the chaos if POP. Missionary homes are where we stay; the missionaries left to go bak to the states after the earth quake; they had been here 17 years. Ok back to bed and try to sleep some. our team should be back about 7Am. More later. Thanks for your prayers, Al -
To SusieR, MaureenK: Feb 7--Father Rick, Director of the St Damian Hospital for Childrenand Babies, is also a physician; at mass this early morn he gave a most poignant homily about one of his parishers who lost his family, the memorial sevice being given on the ruins of the home where the deceased still rested. "This was true calvary, where Christ was placed on the cross; this was not drive by service in an air conditioned bus."I wish I could convery what all this about.
Feb 9--Aloha FraN&Horace&Shirley and Amy!!! Copy Dr Sisi:
How did the dinner cruise go?? Sent the mess below to John and Grace but guess they are away. Spending another 24 hrs here at this Little Brother and Sister Hospital; the lady peds nurse asked me to stay and help her; then she broke down and cried; her parents and brothers were all killed in the earthquake. We took her to supper here in the hosp and then stayed until we cleaned out the out pts.This is really very nice hosp--Catholic and well endowed and clean. It is so hot though and the work is burdensome w translaters and the ped ed is just not well organized. The DKA diabetic is finally turning the corner and peds endocrin is taking over--got him admitted to the ward. Spent wonderful morning yest with ped spec w HIV babies. He even had all of his pts on EMR!!Hope yall have had a good time. I am sorry I felt compelled to leave you and go on a another crazy tear. Youve got 2 more days--sure yall will make the most of it--how many suit cases on the plane!!!!????Regards to Amy and kids; Will be in touch w you asap when I get back late Fri nite in Honolulu. That will be some time travel from Haiti--Shrl will have to pour me out of the plane.Apprec your prayers for Haitian people. Love, me

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Our church here in Honolulu

We have been attending the University Ave Baptist Church almost every Sunday; I had visited this church several times on my missions to VN; Bruce Harless, the director of the ECR missions to VN, started the Vietnamese refugee church here back in the early 90's.
Emory Gaskins is the pastor, and his wife, Cindi, is the music director and we have really enjoyed the worship service there; much of it is similar to our New Way at Snyder.
God works in mysterious ways and presents us with recurring God-incidents. Cindi's sister in Pennsylvania, I believe, was one of the cofounders of Passport; they had already heard about our tragedy in Fayettteville out here, due to their youth meeting some of Snyder's youth in previous Passports, before I asked Emory to pray about all involved as I left to go be with my brother, John Fox, and his family in early November.
I will attach some pics of the church and the Gaskins.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Bill's last Sunday

Well in Aug 09 we visited First Bapt Hickory for the last time to be with Bill&Crystal for their farewell. We really enjoyed being there. I'm wating on Bill's response to my pic of his church with the cloud.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Books Review: Author Homer Hickam

Since my DIL(daughterinlaw) is a gr888 book reviewer, see Calico Critic, I might as well tell you about the above author, whose most famous work is October Sky, aka Rocket Boys. I fell in love with Keeper's Son when I picked it up on Ocracoke last year about this time, Jan 09, while I was the pediatrician at Cherry Poiont, NC, taking care of many Coast Guard families staioned at Ft Macon.
The protagonist, Josh, is one of the Ocracoke lighthouse keeper's sons, joins the US Coast Guard right before the U-Boats start marauding the NC coast. The fascinting weaving of the story includes a love theme, a look at the German side of the war, and then the most climatic build of any story I have ever read. I wish I could tell you more but--well you know. Homer also wrote the quintessential history of the U-Boat war on our Eastern seaboard.
Then to top it off he carries our same hero and other salty Outerbankers to the Pacific theatre, engaging them at Guadacanal and the Solomons in the Ambassodor's Son. I will let you read this one to find out who it's named after and see another interesting historical character who was in the same island group at the same time.
If that's not enough, he takes our erstwhile group to Tarawa and again weaves in haunting, heartbreaking, believeable love stories that will grip you way after you have finished this cannot-put-down novel: The Far Reaches.
He changes themes back to his NASA experience in Back to the Moon. It is not only another fast read but so pertinent in our day of changing tactics for space travel.
My hats off to Homer Hickam!! By the way Red Hat is out there, about another subject he knows well since he grew up there: West Virginia coal mining. Check out his website: homerhickam.com
Thanks, Homer; I can't wait for another sequal following Josh Thurow (hope I spelled it right).

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Hunting&Fishing in Hawaii

Chris flew in Dec 30 and we wasted no time flying the next day to the Big Island where, after staying at the Volcano House and Kilauea Military Camp, arrangements for a guide had been made months earlier from the Parker Ranch. Jack Ku who met us at his home at AM, was amazing as he regaled us with stories of his expeditions with colorful language as we drove almost 2 hours over the completely varied terrain of the biggest of the Hawaii'an Islands. Every eco system except for tundra is represented here.
We arrived somewhere NW of Waimea near Kohola and immediately began the quest for would you believe--goats-!! Goats are endangering the ecology by eating the scrubs and vegetation, and thus causing erosion. So we are doing a favor to nature for each goat we can de-goat and I hate to say: gloat about; that's really baaaaaaad. Sorry.
Chris and Jack's assistant, Bronson, must have tracked over the rough terrain for 8-10 miles all together following trails and sightings of herds that were out of range. Rocks the size of pineapples hidden in scrub grass were potential ankle sprangers. Finally a shot rang out. It was at 1010AM; I was sure hoping Chris had 'gotten his goat'!!! It took another 25-30 minutes for Chris to pop over the hill and gave us the big circle OK sign. I almost cried for him and myself (and the cost of the venture being justified). Jack went over the hill to help Chris and Bronson. Another 20 minutes followed then they appeared with the object of the hunt. It was one of those 'aha' epiphany moments. Suddenly out of somewhere a Hawaii'an chant was heard: 'Kamakanuinuimakahinikanakakamehameha'; we all fell silent as a wave of gentle wind of Pele Noa Na Ka Oi blessed us and kissed our okoles. The above pics describe the scene:

Monday Jan 5 we continued our sporting activities on the island of Kauai, catching up with good friend and minister Steve Bishop of the Eleele Baptist Church, and one of his deacons, Art, who took us fishing, both salt and fresh water. The former was some of the roughest sea cliffs I have witnessed with winds howling at 30 knots. They were able to pull in a few humuhumu-nukunukuapua'a s and threw them back. As they caught each one they sang the song: "My little grass shack in Kalakakua, Hawaii"!!! It was exciting and a little dangerous, especially singing the song and dodging the big waves!! Witness these pics:

These events were more spiritual than physical and will forever be embossed in my heart and mind, as I suppose for Chris also. Jonathan and I had similar father/son experiences on our trips to NY and Chicago. Hunting and fishing with Chris was a special bonding time. The actual hunt and tracking was one thing; the actual kill for him (and me vicariously) was another. In our evolutionary human experience fathers taught sons hunting and fishing and fed their families. The kill was more than for food though; it was a ritual process that gave thanks to God and gave man divine direction and purpose. It was implicit in its meaning where maybe a word cannot be found to describe it. The spiritual implications of the blood sacrifice are so a part of our religions and our Bible, that is whatever we receive, all of it came from Our Great Father in Heaven and we must give part of it back to Him. The other part of this is that the animal's life is given for us and that we must respect it and treat it as if it is the last one on earth. I wonder if we could bring back this spiritual and philosophical teaching in all that we do now on this earth which may be in peril either locally or globally. Now that I have said that Jack made us leave the carcass there for the island gods and pigs. He said they have to eat too. I was hoping to make goat jerky.