el salvador 2011

Travis spent Saturday, May 29-Sunday, June 5 in El Salvador. He went with about 30 other medical professionals and students to provide any needed health care for the local residents of El Salvador.

Their days were spent from about 9-5 working with patients. At night, the GHO team would get together for dinner and fellowship.

The GHO team being welcomed at the Oasis Church.

They received a wonderful welcoming!!

Presents given to the team by the members of the church.

Welcoming ceremony presented by the youth members.

Hotel Tolteka, where the team stayed Saturday-Thursday night.

Sunday night, Travis and Brent spoke at a local church in Texistepeque.

Brent opened up the lesson teaching about The Great Commission.

Travis taught the Four Key Ingredients to Disciple Making.

Travis and Brent with their interpreter, David.

The group that went to the church.

Monday morning, the GHO team was lead to the clinic in La Magdalena by parade....

Their wagon caravan lead by oxen.

When traveling by bus, they were accompanied by security guards.

The clinic in La Magdalena.

Dental supplies? Check!

Waiting to get treated.

Nick (a dentist from Oregon), Travis and Lane (a Pre-Med student from Georgia).

Matt (a D4 at UTM) and Travis with one of their patients.

Brittany (a D4 at UTM) and Travis drillin' and fillin'.

Dental Team.

While working with patients, they had the help of these interpreters.

Clinic in Texistepeque.

Courtney helping with dental work.

Success!

Either before or after being treated, patients met with members from the Oasis Church and GHO members to be presented with the Gospel. About 102 people accepted Christ or were rededicated. Amazing!

Alee and Stephanie, Trav's interpreters.

Courtney (a Physical Therapist) working with a patient.

Lots of people waiting to be treated.

Sweet little faces...

Travis said that he received more hugs and thank yous during this trip then he has in the past 6 months. Everyone was so appreciative of their treatment..

Matt, Brittney and Travis. All D4s at UT-Memphis!

One night for dinner, they ate at the Lover's Steakhouse. Trav was challenged to eat a 1 1/5 lb steak. He almost succeeded...

Matt.

Dental Team.

Friday afternoon, the ending ceremony.

Presents for the team. The coffee smells so good.

Friday night-Sunday morning, the GHO team relaxed as they stayed at Royal Decameron Salinitas.

Dental students from UT-Memphis.

Trav provided some of the entertainment for the group on their last night together singing Johnny Cash..

Dental Team at the resort.

The GHO team.

Travis said if you ever get the chance to go on a Mission Trip, do it. It will change your point of view and perspective on everything. You go with the intentions of helping someone else but you get more in return. He went thinking, "I want to help someone else but I feel like I got a lot more then I gave."

Thank you again to everyone who supported him by thoughts and prayers and/or financially. This was by far his best experience!

(I borrowed these pictures from Facebook, thanks to everyone who posted pictures!)

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all of Judea and Samaria and to the end of the Earth." Acts 1:8

prayers for memphis

If you've been watching the news then you know about the flooding that is happening in Memphis. As of today, we personally haven't been very effected. We live on Mud Island that is surrounded by the Mississippi River and the Wolf River. We have been told at any moment we can be evacuated from our home and that our home may flood. We have done some packing and made a plan, now we are praying and waiting.

Many Memphians have already been evacuated and their houses are already filled with water. Please send prayers to Memphis. The power of prayer is amazing and many people need to feel God's loving arms wrapped around them.

(I've borrowed most of these pictures from Facebook.)

As of May 6, 2011 this is what the Mississippi River looks like on Mud Island.

46.6 ft.

I took this picture yesterday. This is the road that I normally take every morning on my way to work and every afternoon heading home. This is a little back road that leads from our community to the North (back) side of the Island.

At the front of the Island....Island Drive. Where you see the bulldozer, that is normally the right lane heading off of the Island. The water you see is covering a parking lot. They are making a levee. The road has gone from a 4 lane to a 2 lane road.

Tom Lee Park, home of Memphis In May and BBQ Fest.

Memphis In May was just there last weekend. BBQ Fest will be held next week at a different location.

Cottages on the East part of Mud Island. These homes have been evacuated. They are on the Wolf River.

Riverside and Beale Street now closed.

Another view..

This picture was taken at the beginning of the week. At the edge of the trees (middle of the picture) there's a road, 2nd street. That's the road I take everyday to get to and from work. In this picture you can see the General Dewitt Spain airport. Now it is currently under water. The water that is with the trees is normally an open field..

This is the Shelby County Sheriff Training Facility.

This is Hwy 51 @ Watkins. I take this road everyday. Hwy 51 leads me straight to Millington, where I teach. The other day on my way to school I noticed the merging lanes had a little bit of water. On my way home, I saw 1 house and 1 business building sitting in about 2 feet of water and the merging lanes were closed. As of this afternoon, Hwy 51 @ Watkins was closed. I am not really sure what my new route to school will be....

Casinos in Tunica, MS have also been effected. I was just there about 3 weeks ago with my parents..

Parking garage at Baptist Hospital.

Across the street from the hospital is Christian Brothers High School. This is their football field.

Baseball field in Raleigh/Frayser.

I-40 leading into Arkansas.

Like I said before, please send prayers to Memphis! We know our God is awesome and has his hand in everything. He will get us all through this, it might be a rough road but there's a reason. We must not loose faith and always continue to put our trust in him.