PT

The physical therapists at Twin Cities Ortho work as teams of two.  You always start with the most "degreed" therapist and then as you schedule, you generally get who ever is available.  

Wednesday was my last day of therapy and I was with the assistant therapist.  In between exercises, we discussed her son's (failure) at potty training.  It was great.  Somewhere in there, my therapist came over and asked me about Sand Creek because the client she was working with wanted to go zip lining.

As I explained how it worked, they decided she should try it.  And then it was back to potty training . . .    

One Interesting Fact . . .

This past Tuesday and Thursday, Noah (my supervisor) and I taught Basic Life Support and First Aid to the staff from Camp Streefland.  What a hoot!  As we introduced ourselves at the beginning of each class, we asked the participants to share one interesting fact about themselves.  We had some winners:

• I'm an identical twin;
• I've been to Nicaragua seven times;
• Last summer, I stood on top of the active volcano that just went off in Venezuela;
• I've climbed two fourteeners (sorry buddy, I've climbed nine!);
• I'm trying to get into the Guiness Book of World Records by holding my breath as long as possible and by balancing on a yoga ball.  I'll be happy with either one;
• I guess my most interesting fact is I'm the least interesting person here.

Here's hoping you all have an awesome summer at Streefland!   

More on Sand Creek!

Micah came in before 6 a.m. this morning to let me know this was on WCCO Channel 4 last night.  The link for the video is:  http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2018/06/03/finding-minnesota-sand-creek-adventures/  Now you can cut, paste and come zip with me!

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — There’s a part of Jordan, in Scott County, that’s both scenic and maybe a little scary. Imagine spending your summer days on top of a 100-foot cliff. It’s a reality for the good folks at Sand Creek Adventures.

They run a zip line course that encourages team building as you soar above the tree tops, where taking that first step goes a long way to overcoming your fears.

“The first step is a doozy. We are 100 feet off the actual creek bed right now,” Duane Larson said. “Once they take off, we take care of the rest.”

Seven years ago, he had a dilemma on his hands. What do you do when your family’s property is on a bluff? The answer: you turn it into a zip line.

“Really, the first step you hop off and it’s unbelievable. The feeling that goes down your spine,” visitor Jake Marciniak said.

Safety comes first. The rest is all fun and adrenaline. Sand Creek Adventures has three zig-zagging zip lines. The first line is the highest, the second takes you over the creek, and the third includes a slide so you get that “free fall” effect.

(credit: CBS)

And if you’re still up for it, there’s a high ropes course 40 feet off the ground that encourages team work among the tree tops.

“Just the challenge of being up there and figuring out what you are going to do and the problem-solving is just really cool. I like it,” visitor Laura Larson said.

Sand Creek Adventures has become a great place to hang out — pun intended — but it didn’t happen overnight. Larson said it actually took nine months. That’s because there’s a lot more here than meets the eye. When you are creating something this far above ground, you can’t be afraid of heights.

“(It took) a lot of tractors, loaders, that you can grab onto, and then literally boats that you can move down the creek, throwing down ropes and bringing it up,” Larson said.

Today, it’s used by businesses, church groups and even sports teams. Guests have come from around the world, even places as far-flung as Antarctica and Siberia. The motto here seems to be “Come for the view. Stay for the zip.”

“It’s an amazing spot. People drive up and they are like, whoa, you have a 100-foot bluff. It’s a very unique piece of property,” Larson said.

Sand Creek is looking to add more zip lines and they hope to expand their high ropes course by the end of the year.

Only at Sand Creek!

Only at Sand Creek can you have a most glorious day like we did on Saturday!  Our 9 a.m. group cancelled due to rain, so we started late and we stayed dry!  Every group was a fun group, to the over-sixty ladies wearing beanies to the birthday party at the end!  Can you say, "Lovin' it!"?

The Reunion.

I came across this picture as we were working on Micah's senior slide show.  It was taken in Liberia in 2007 with friends we had known on the ship since 2004.  The end caps, Lauren and Taylor, are from Tennessee.  The adorable blonde next to Micah is from England.  I sent this photo out to their parents and Olly came up with a most awesome idea - "we need a reunion".  He's so right!  We all agree!  Now, how to make it happen . . .

Leon

Another reblogged post from "Ainsworths in Africa" . . .

Many of us have injuries, stretch marks or war wounds – all of which leave behind a story in the form of a scar. We might try and hide these blemishes to avoid re-living the battle. But what happens when your scars become the focal point of your life?    

       

It was a normal Tuesday afternoon for 42 year old Leon, catching a lift on the back of a friend’s motorcycle. Racing through traffic, the driver swerved to avoid oncoming vehicles as they made their way across the city.  All of a sudden they lost control and Leon was thrown from the bike. Given the extent of his friend’s life threatening injuries, Leon counted himself lucky to only walk away with flesh wounds around his jaw. With the hospital closed and little money to spend on treatment, Leon made the long journey back home to his remote village. Little did he know that leaving his injuries to heal without medical attention would result in a keloid tumor of scar tissue that would grow larger and heavier every day.

Fifteen years later, unable to access the care that he needed, life with this wife and eight children had become increasingly difficult. He pushed through and continued working on a cocoa farm to support his family, but it was no easy feat: “There are certain things I just can’t do at work, like using a chainsaw. It’s just too uncomfortable for me” said Leon. “It brings me down that I can’t do my job properly”.

Word of mouth brought Leon to Mercy Ships, as his wife and children waited eagerly for his return to his village. Back home he was used to being mocked, the taunting voices becoming a part of everyday life: “There are few people left that empathize with me anymore. I am sad and not really living my life, but rather coping with life”.

The tumor, which was one of the largest keloid tumors the plastic surgeon had ever operated on, was successfully removed and a skin graft used to patch up the remaining wound around his jaw. But surgery alone could not remove the emotional baggage that had grown around Leon’s heart. Before long a smile began to spread across his face, where once there was sadness. The scar tissue that had grown from years of torment and ridicule began to break away: “I feel lighter” he proclaims, “like a weight has been lifted and not just because of the physical tumor. My burden has been removed”.

As the time drew closer for Leon to return home, he pictured his reunion with his family: “My younger children won’t recognize me, they’ve never seen me without my condition!” he exclaimed. Leon’s tumor had determined how he’d felt for a very long time; different, rejected and displeasing. But after time on the Africa Mercy, those feelings were exchanged for assurance, acceptance and contentment.

Bernard

Today's post is reblogged from "Ainsworths in Africa".  Enjoy!

Despite his passion for education, admirable work ethic and obvious intelligence, 19 year old Bernard faced a future in which he would be judged by his appearance. He would not be merited on his hard-earned qualifications nor his determination to succeed, but would be placed in a box of limitation due to the neurofibroma that had overwhelmed his face for over a decade.

When Bernard was four years old his parents first noticed a growth on his face, but were unable to get him the treatment that he needed. Hope was ignited when he was 11 and local surgeons agreed to operate. But that same flicker of hope was soon extinguished after doctors declared the condition too complex and cancelled the surgery. Bernard and his family were told they would need to pay $60,000 for a specialist and the reality of the tumor never being removed began to sink in: “That day I felt hopeless” said Bernard, his head hung. “I had told all of my friends that I was getting surgery and I had to go back defeated”.

Bernard used his disappointment to drive his efforts into school, promising to not let it affect his life. But deep down, he still waited for a phone call to say that something would and could be done. Over the years Bernard gained excellent merits at school and was striving towards a better future for himself. His father encouraged him to dream and always made sure to ask him what he wanted to become, motivating him to work hard to reach his goals.

The young dreamer soon became a top student in his class and a star achiever: “You cannot let what people say about you stop you from doing what you want to do. All my life I wanted to be something big and no matter what people said about me, I would not let it stop me.”

But all the qualifications and positivity in the world could not stop other people limiting Bernard’s ability because of his appearance: “I did not feel limited inside but I knew that my condition would restrict me externally as people would judge me.” As Bernard looked towards a college education and potential work, he knew that his tumor would play a factor in his future. “It’s great that it didn’t affect his personality or self-esteem but eventually these types of conditions can lead to further problems and it would be hard for him to get a job where he wasn’t judged” said Ward Team Leader Deb Louden (AUS), who cared for Bernard while onboard the Africa Mercy.

His school teachers knew this was a possibility and were concerned for their student. After pointing him in the direction of Mercy Ships, Bernard was given the opportunity to have surgery: “When they told me it was possible, I had a feeling of euphoria I can’t even explain!” exclaimed Bernard. But in the back of his mind was the knowledge that the removal of his genetically caused neurofibroma was no standard procedure.

Ten hours of surgery, and over 4.5 liters of blood loss later, Bernard awoke free from the weight that threatened to hold him back. Despite still feeling dizzy, disorientated and filled with drainage tubes, Bernard immediately began asking when he could return to school. At the first available opportunity he took out his study books and spoke to fellow classmates on the phone to catch up on lesson notes while down in the wards. Nothing was stopping this determined young man from taking the exams the following month that would determine his future.

Following previous disappointments and surgery cancellations, Bernard had only told a small handful of people at his school where he had been.

So when he walked into his exam hall filled with hundreds of his friends and schoolmates, there was an eruption of joy: “We cannot believe it!” cried one friend, “what a difference this will make to his life!”

Teachers and pupils began to dance and cheer as Bernard made his way to the front of the room to triumphantly greet his peers: “Before the surgery…” he began, “people would keep their distance. But now people approach me. It’s given me more confidence and self-esteem and I now have more opportunities than I had before! Thank you Mercy Ships!”