Well, it is that time of the year were we look back and say, well there went an other year and what happened to the time huh? I started to write to you and kind of list all of the clinics and projects we did but then realized you would probably hit the delete button before the first paragraph, so I thought instead I would share what goes on behind the scenes in our house. You know when there are no teams, or no guests or patients and we only have emergencies.

First I know most of you that have been here or read the news letter know we have a little petite Guatemalan daughter named Debora. She is now 6 years old and has finally let her hair grow out without sneaking off and cutting her bangs off by herself. She is turning more beautiful every day. She has beautiful brown skin and jet black hair. She kind of looks half Mayan and half Oriental. But she adores me and I melt like candy. She just came up to me this morning and said, "Good Morning PapaBryan, I love you." She loves to sit in my lap and say, "You are a good Papa and you work hard and you………………are a monkey!"

She knows that when she says I am a monkey, that I turn into The CLAW! And she is going to get the CLAW until she giggles and laughs until she can't breathe. I finally stop and then, she says it all again. But she is maturing and loosing her baby teeth and has her own unique personality. However she is totally a female. She knows that even though I am a tough guy with steel for nerves and can bite the top off a glass coke bottle just to have a drink, she knows she can come up to me and say, in her Shirley Temple character face, "Oh PapaBryan, can I please watch Snow White or Cinderella with you tonight?" I say, "No honey, I would let you but your mean old mother (Momma Miech) says no." She says, "Oh please PapaBryan, just this once, please." (Her face looks like she just had her favorite kitten stolen). How can I possibly say "NO" to this perfect innocent adorable angel? So, I compromise and say, "OK baby girl, we will watch a nice family movie (Die Hard3 with Bruce Willis) together OK?" She always agrees and then the Movie Nazi, (I won't say who) makes us watch Snow White.

Debora starts her first year of school in first Grade this year and will be going off each morning with Beto and Gaby in a van to school in her uniform with her back pack on and her hair in pig tails. I am sorry but we have never had daughters before, (well actually Riechelle and I had two twins daughters who died soon after they were born) so now having these two girls is just more blessing than I can take.

We also have another beautiful Mayan princess named Gaby. Gaby has always been a pretty girl and for me she is an angel. But in the past year she too has matured and is developing into a young lady. She and Beto are taking art classes from a local man once a week and they are doing very well. Here Gaby is doing her artwork so she is not dressed up but she has long beautiful jet black hair. When she puts her nice dress on and brushes her hair out, it is beautiful. Right now her and Debora gang up on me at night after dinner and try to wrestle with me and pin me down. But I being Superman Dad can take them both and tie them in knots until they have laughed so hard they can't breathe.

They both love the attention and I love giving it to them. I want them to grow up know they can have a daddy that will play and protect them and not fear a Dad who comes home drunk and beats them and their mother like so many men here do. Gaby was top in her class this year and also loves helping me in the Emergency Room. She loves medicine and is not squeamish about anything. Last night we had a Mayan Indian man hit by a car and his face was crushed in with bone and brain matter exposed. (I cannot show you the picture of this one believe me). Gaby was right there the whole time handing me instruments and gauze and tubes like a pro. She had it ready before I asked.

We have two doctor friends from Michigan who are paying for Gaby's education (Thank the Lord) and her goal is to become a doctor and help her own people.

Now Beto our 15 year old Guatemalan Son is the business man. He doesn't much care for blood and guts, but he is very good with numbers and math. He had learned how to make a Kaleidoscope in school and decided to make some on his own to sell. He now makes beautiful hand made Kaleidoscopes and uses the hand made paper from Banana leaves that he buys from Alfredo in the Jungle. He sells these for $25.00 and the people who come here, and the teams go crazy over them. They are very unique and he earns some money. He has one employee in his business, Gaby. He pays her $10.00 a day to break up colored glass to use in the Kaleidoscope. So Gaby sits outside with a facemask and gloves and breaks glass into little pieces. She asked him for overtime since it was the Holidays and said no. She asked him about health benefits and he said yes they were included, go see Papa Bryan when you are sick. I am very proud of him for learning about corporate America already. However when it was time to pay Gaby he said he did not have his check book. Gaby said, "You don't have a check book and I don't accept your checks anyway, I want cash my brother."

I'm thinking, "Are these the same Mayan kids we took in 4 years ago and didn't know what a check book was?" Yet they both speak fluent English, Spanish and Quetchie. I don't speak fluent anything.

Now we come to the real superwoman, Riechelle. This girl is amazing. She is still beautiful at 50 and is the hardest worker you can imagine. She is making a ceramic table with beautiful parrots, macalls and toucans that will be a piece of artwork when she is done. All of this while being a mom and wife, and hosting medical teams. She even sutures people up when I am gone to the city or on another call.

This is one special Gal. But she absolutely loves being a Mom. I always told her that after our two daughters had died that some day God will give us two daughters that would be chocolate brown. I don't know why I said that but it has come to pass. She is raising these three children as her own and they have all memorized so much scripture it is unbelievable, all due to her work and love for them. They can quote the entire Psalm 119 which is super long. (I can quote John 3 :16.) and John 11:35 Jesus Wept. But I don't like to brag about my photographic memory so I will move on here. (I can hear you guys saying, Yea Photographic memory alright, just no film). OK, OK, You guys are real funny.

Well I just wanted to share about my family here in Guatemala, but I also want to tell you that our oldest son Luke. After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, he got out and was accepted into the Howard Country Maryland Police Dept Academy. Out of 113 applicants he was chosen for one the 20 positions for the academy. He graduates Feb 13th. He is married and has a 2 year old daughter. He has turned into a fine young man and we are so proud of him. I wish I could be there for the graduation but I have teams at that time and I need to take care of the kids as they will be in school. So Riechelle will get to go to the States and visit with Luke. She will be flying to Atlanta and then Charlotte and then Baltimore and then finally up to Maine. She will get to see a lot of you guys and say thank you for all you have done to help us over the years.

And last but not least is our son Lance. He is in the United States Coast Guard and serving over in Iraq. He has been there for a year and has 6 months to go. He has a super great attitude and is funny and loves adventure. He has done very well in the Military and they have been good to him. We are very proud of what he is doing to protect the USA from terrorism. I know a lot of people don't like us being there but they were singing a different tune the day the twin towers where hit huh? Sorry to get political here but my boy is over there and God Bless him and God Bless America. While America ate Christmas ham and turkey. Lance was on duty eating sea rations on a mission somewhere he could not tell us about. We are not exactly sure what he does over there because he won't tell us. All we know is he went to Special Forces training before he left. So keep him in your prayers, OK?

Well I have to go run. I have been walking and running now for 2 months and have lost 25 lbs. I am starting to feel a lot less stressed and I think it is the exercise. (I know you are saying why would Bryan need to exercise?) But I had actually gained a little weight. I was 300 lbs. I'm 275 and still have 25 more to go but I am getting there. I was so fat they named highways after my waist size. (Highway 44) but now I'm 40 and getting in the fast lane. Actually I walk about an hour but when a car goes by with girls in it I take off running, then when the car is out of sight I walk again. Yesterday I was walking and saw two pretty girls running toward me, so I jumped down on the ground like a Navy Seal in training and did 5 push ups then took off running. But then almost passed out and they stopped to see if I was OK. I told them I was meditating and was a Yoga master and this is just my routine. Man was I embarrassed.

OK guys, enough of my ramblings. I have to go hit the road. From Our home to yours, we do wish you all Blessed and prosperous New Year in 2008!

God Bless,
In His Service,

Bryan & Riechelle and Kids

Junglemedic Missions
Rio Dulce, Izabal
Guatemala Central America

E-Mail: Bryan@JungleMedicMissions.org
Web Site: http://www.junglemedicmissions.org/
 

 This page was last updated 03/20/08

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