[honeychile]

Thank you all for the well wishes! I truly believe that my "ordeal" is nothing compared to what so many people are dealing with lately, but to me, it was everything. Thank you!!!

Now, an update on Monica (read: she was able to talk to her mother for over 5 minutes!): The doctor who was stationed with them grossed out & left (without telling the rest of them!) after a day and a half! That left Monica & the two nurses - who were only there for one week.

So, Monica IS the only medically licensed person there! It's a very poor town, and most of the people don't even own shoes, let alone wear them. A few people have stepped up as aides, so she can take care of the worst cases. She's seriously stressed out, and can't wait until Wednesday - her last day. Her father lives in Alabama, so she'll spend a couple days there, before returning to her home - where she has to go back to work on Saturday! Yikes!! So, we're trying to figure out how best to help her with the obvious "combat fatigue". I've volunteered a couple pizza night coupons, and a better restaurant for she & her husband to go out to, once she's up to it. Her husband, well, I've not said a lot about him, but as I drove by their house today (it's on the way to mine), I couldn't help but notice that he's enlarged their driveway, and put a really beautiful estate-type wall up! He's gone up several notches in my opinion!

Randomly, she said NOT to donate any clothing - it's to the point that they're either tearing it up for rags or just putting them in the dumpster! What they need (still) is bottled water, diapers, feminine products, shoes, people to help build, and money to rebuild.

As for prayer, Monica is exhausted. A National Guardsman guards the place where she's sleeping (on a cot). She's bone tired, and misses her family. If you could remember her, as well as the many thousand other volunteers who are in the Gulf. My word, between Katrina & Rita, we have some awesome people in this country, and I am so, so proud of my cousin!