Ylanne, This has been interesting to read. It is very intense with a lot of emotion. It feels a little choppy, but, can be smoothed out in the future. Would like to read more.

I wish the best for your friend.

Marilyn, I have a correction on the first site in my comment. It should read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-4_Euthanasia_Program.

Richard, Read up on your political history on Israel. By the way, socialism is just around the corner for the U.S. If you are a socialist that should make you happy.

Hondurans don't want socialism and that is why they ousted ex-president Mr. Zelaya. But, it looks like the rest of the international community will not allow Honduras to govern itself and maintain their democracy. They insist we take him back. I hope and pray that Honduras has the fortitude to withstand the onslaught.

Marilyn, I cannot vouch for the character of your congresswoman, but, any history buff can see the writing on the wall. Once a society begins to devalue life all life becomes less valuable. Check out these sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ActionT4 and http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-euthanasia.htm

Carl, Loved reading this and the responses to it. We have been doing humanitarian and missionary work in Honduras, Central America, for 13 years. We live on my husbands S.S. and teachers retirement. We also have no insurance policy. Honduras has socialized medicine. I needed surgery, so went to the public hospital. After paying for the tests that were required before surgery (The hospital would normally do the tests, but, the machinery needed repair. The staff were waiting for funds to repair them.), I was put on a waiting list and encouraged to call in a week to see if someone had canceled their surgery.

I proceeded to call every week. I felt blessed when two years down the road, I was given a surgical date. I went in on said date and there was a nurses strike in process which was followed by a doctors strike. Sooooooo......two months later and a conversation with one of the directors of the public hospital in her private clinic helped me to obtain a date for my surgery. A little plug from the "higher-ups" always helps with socialized medicine. Keep that in mind for your future.

I am grateful that I didn't have a life threatening situation. Others have not been so blessed. A number of years ago on a trip from the U.S. to here we were attacked by "banditos". We had stopped to offer help to a vehicle traveling ahead of us as it was late in the evening and they were smashed against the mountain face. We thought perhaps the driver had fallen asleep. We were a caravan of two vehicles, our van and an ambulance with medical equipment we were donating to the public hospital.

My husband and the ambulance driver exited their vehicles and went to see if they could assist those in the other vehicle. What they encountered was more than they had anticipated.

The driver of the vehicle had been shot in the chest a number of times and ,his wife, the other passenger had been shot in the head and her right hand. The man was not moving and the woman was moaning and waving her hand.

They hurried back to the road hoping to stop a vehicle and ask them to go to the next city and report it to the police and get an ambulance to come as soon as possible. We were approximately 15 kilometers from the next city. As they stopped a number of vehicles and asked them to seek help, another vehicle, a pickup came out of nowhere with two men and rifles in the back. They jumped out of the back of the pickup and proceeded beating the ambulance driver and my husband.

My husband lay stunned on the ground. They proceeded to rob the ambulance driver and tried to get the ambulance started. While their attention was directed on their new endeavors my husband stumbled back to our van and pulled open the door causing the robber who was already sitting in the drivers seat holding me, my children, and three other volunteers at gunpoint, to lose his balance, drop his pistol, and tumble out onto the ground. My husband stepped over him as he (the robber) was scrambling for his pistol, and got into the driver's seat and closed the door. I told him to lock the door.

It wasn't long and the other bandit with a rifle came to our window and started hitting the window with the butt of his rifle. I told everyone to get down as I was terrified he would start shooting. Everyone got down the best they could (The steering wheel was a deterrent for my husband.) A big rock soon came crashing through the window and the bandit with the pistol shot in, hitting my husband in his upper thigh, severing his femur artery, cutting through a testicle, and ended up in the doghouse over the van engine.

My husband cried out twice in his limited Spanish, "Usted, mata me. Usted, mata me." He then passed out. Blood was squirting everywhere. I believed that perhaps they had killed him. I quickly, told all of my children and the volunteers to open the windows and throw everything out. Which they proceeded to do, water jugs, the rock, pillows, blankets, shoes (that had been removed from feet), and a sundry other things. My 10 year old prayed out loud, "God, please send us an angel." Our 8 year old prayed, "God, send us anyone!"

At the moment a semi-truck began to slow down to stop. One of the robbers fired at him and he kept on going. He was the somebody. They gathered up what they determined to be valuable, jumped into the back of the pickup, and left with one of them driving the ambulance.

As they drove away the ambulance driver came limping up in his stocking feet. I still did not know if my husband was dead or alive, but, I could not locate the van keys. The robbers had stolen the flashlights and the light in our van had stopped operating earlier that day. I groped through the blood and broken glass that was everywhere looking for the keys. I could not locate them. I then asked one of the volunteers to help me move my husband to the passenger side so I could search by the driver seat. I also asked him to pray for my husband as he was an Elder in our church. We moved him and I began groping through more shattered glass and blood.

The volunteer laid his hands on my husbands head and prayed (He could not find his oil.), "Father, your are the oil. I just ask of you to bless my brother this very moment. In Jesus' name. Amen." My husband woke at that moment and asked for water. We located one last bottle and he drank it. Not locating the van key, I asked the volunteer to lift up my husband in hopes that it might be under him. It was.

As my husband passed out again, I started the van and began a mad race for help. On the way we met an ambulance. It was pulled over, so, I stopped and we talked to the ambulance driver. The accident had been reported and they were on their way to it when the ambulance had over heated so they had to stop. We continued on.

I drove into the emergency entrance where workers came and transported my husband into the Hospital Escuela, the public teaching hospital of Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras. They stripped him of his clothing, laid him on a bare metal bed, hooked him up to an IV (no blood), and told me I should bring him a blanket or something to cover him. Fat chance. Robbers walked with them.

They took him to x-ray. The surgeon determined from reviewing the x-ray that the femur artery was severed. He showed me the x-ray and yes that was evident. I asked him if it could be repaired. He said he didn't think he would have the skill to do it and that my husband might loss his leg. I then asked the volunteer, the Elder, to pray for my husband again. He had located his oil and rubbed it on the wound and we all prayed. Including all of the medical staff that was in the room with us.

They took him into the operating room and about a half hour later the surgeon returned. His facial expression showed his amazement. He looked once again at the x-ray and shook his head. He then told me that he had opened the wound area and the femur artery was in perfect shape. His statement, "This is truly a miracle." The Healer is the best insurance policy.

The other victims were not so blessed. When the ambulance finally arrived at the scene. They were certain the man was dead. It is against the law to touch a crime scene in Honduras unless a crime detective is present. He showed up at 6 a.m. The gentleman was not quite dead, but, died on the way to the hospital. His wife's scull had been crushed and the bullet had zigzagged through her brain and lodged at the back of her scull.

The medical staff had determined they could not do anything for her, so, were not giving her antibiotics or anything to help her sustain life and why should they do anything after all she will just be a vegetable anyway. This was her condition when my husband had visited her the following morning. We could not accept that decision.

We called friends in the US and through the help of Minnesota Senator Wellstone, she was
medical lifted to Minnesota where she underwent a 17 hour operation. The operation was successful although the surgical team also felt she would be a vegetable. My brother-in-law who is also an Elder in our church visited her in the hospital and prayed for her.

It is true in one night she lost her husband, her baby (She was pregnant), and her eyesight. But today she is praising God for His mercy and love. Today, she is healthy, helps run her mother's shrimping business, and has a little girl.

This blessing she experienced had nothing to do with having socialized medicine. Honduras has socialized medicine. It has to do with hearts and minds willing to go the extra mile for a stranger. Sacrificing and donating their time, God given gifts, and abilities for a Samaritan. But, most of all it has to do with faith in God and in one another.

God bless, Nana

Poddar, This was good! I could actually see her digging her toes in the cool wet sand, smiling. Nana

Poddar, February is the month the world celebrates romantic love. Love is as a breathe of life and hope, a birthing of such. I enjoyed reading this work. Thank you for pinging me. Perhaps, in place of connive, contrive.

Jan, What a terrific idea. This will be great for Vacation Bible school. In some of the villages we go to we get approximately 75 or more children. This will be a big help. Thanks for posting tis

Kathryn, This prose was very poignant and passionate. The emotion runs true and deep. I could feel myself wanting her to thaw and feel the warmth of spring again. Great job!

George, Just read Obama's speech. It was very well written and quite powerful rhetoric. Sorry, I say rhetoric because he never once mentioned the rights of the most vulnerable citizens of our great nation. To leave one sector out as if they didn't count or are not worthy of a voice is hypocrisy in my book. Especially for a man who says he was moved by his spiritual experience. There was not one mention of the rights of the unborn child. I know this is an issue that no candidate is willing to stand firm on. So, I ask, "Is there a candidate on honor and integrity for us to vote for?" If a candidate is not willing to stand up for the rights of the fragile and vulnerable, which someday I may be, he/she is not a viable candidate in my opinion.

Bob, I would be curious to know if you really believe there exists a viable candidate out there.

I'm sorry, I just can't bring myself to call you Mother Toad. You see, Papa Toad, has made my house his sanctuary. He has got to be eight inches wide and nine high. My only quarrel with him is his poop piles with half digested bugs. He is quite a homely fellow and frightens the bejiggers out of child and adult alike here. It's the 'leche' issue. He serves his purpose and is a quiet mascot and companion to have around. So, just can't call you Mother Toad. You are much too nice looking and I just can't imagine you at Papa Toad's side.