 |
| My new favorite picture of Jesus Christ Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth alll understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus |
We delivered Sister Kinzer safely into the arms of her mother, so mission accomplished there.
 |
| Sister Kinzer was greeted joyfully in Las Vegas by her mother |
My sister Sue and her husband Garold met us at the airport and drove us up to St. George (about a 2 hour trip). Boy, was it HOT! And dry. My eyes noticed the difference in humidity almost immediately. Fortunately, we didn't land until about 8 pm, so most of the drive across the desert was made after sunset, but the daytime temperatures had been over 110 degrees (43C).
So our plan was: get home, schedule surgery, wait 6 weeks for clearance to fly, return to Fiji. I'm sure you've heard the saying "Man plans, God laughs"!
Our first visit to the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist, Dr. Chase, was on July 26th. He could not visualise the ear drum because there was significant fungal infection (up to this point, we had been treating for bacterial infection). The doctor filled Steve's ear canal up with an anti-fungal cream, popped a cotton ball in it, and said come back in 2 weeks. The doctor turned to me and apologised for the hearing loss he would experience because of the treatment. I laughed because he was not hearing anything out of the left ear anyway!
It was disappointing that we couldn't immediately schedule the surgery, but the two weeks allowed us to get settled in, start to find other projects, and make some plans. We were so happy to be able to attend the blessing of Ammon Diego Martinez, our newest grandson, on July 30th. We were also able to fly up to Rexburg, ID for our granddaughter Katelyn's marriage in the Rexburg temple on August 4th.
 |
| Nefi Martinez, Steve, Tracy, Moroni, Garold Naomi, Ammon, Angela b |
 |
| Angela and Ammon |
 |
| Katelyn and Jake Quast |
 |
| The first time we got to meet our newest great granddaughter Mila |
 |
| Justin, Jeanette, Steve holding Mila, Mickey, Michael Rebecca and Ares down in front |
 |
| Steve holding Mila, and Mickey "holding" Ares. (If you look closely, you can see Michael is helping me by supporting Ares weight from behind) |
 |
| It was raining in Rexburg, so we all crowded in front of the temple doors for this picture. The man in the framed photo is Jake's Dad. who had passed away just a few weeks before the wedding. |
We stayed in Idaho Falls (close to the airport) on our Rexburg trip, and it was the first time I have ever been there to see the falls and the temple. We had time before our flight on Saturday to take a beautiful walk along the river and enjoy a Saturday Outdoor Farmer's Market. The morning was beautiful, the storm had passed, and there were lots of interesting wares on display at the market. Since we were flying, no temptation buy much!
 |
| I was on the walking path across the river. |
 |
| Idaho Falls Temple |
I brought about 5 articles of clothing home that needed sewing attention and were just sitting in a pile in our flat waiting for me to get around to them. My sewing room at home was packed up and child-proofed so that it could be used for guest accommodation, and I didn't want to dismantle it too much. I pulled out the necessary basics and started working on projects. After I finished the mending and alteration chores, I worked on a new travel bag with lots of pockets and a trolly band. Steve bought me a new, smaller rolling carry-on suitcase so I can manage overhead bins on airplanes more easily.
 |
| The fabric is from a dress that I liked but it didn't fit well--so I repurposed! |
 |
| The trolly band fastens with velcro |
 |
| The new boxes stand at waist level |
 |
| Steve spent a lot of time constructing a PVC pipe structure to support shade cloth during the hot months |
 |
| Angela and Naomi enjoying the elevated garden box |
We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in one of our favourite spots, Zion National Park. We had briefly discussed some of the options for marking the day, and then Steve presented me with reservations at the Zion Lodge, and a rental car (while we were home we shared a small pick-up truck with our son-in-law) to drive the scenic route in style. Our children surprised us with flowers, chocolates, and dinner reservations. I wrote it up for the family, and if you want more details, it's one of the blog posts.
 |
| One of the beautiful vistas of the canyon |
 |
| 50 years seems like such a long time! |
The fungal infection cleared, and surgery was scheduled on August 21st. Everything went very well. Steve is a good and obedient patient, and follows instructions diligently about medications and rechecks. BUT he does tend to ignore weight-lifting restrictions. He wasn't supposed to lift more than 10 pounds (5 kilos) for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Since he was in the middle of a large garden renovation, I had to "remind" him several times that he needed to get help with the heavy stuff.
 |
| X marks the correct ear |
 |
| Chic post-surgery bling |
Once we were settled with Steve's treatment plan, I started exploring options to help heal my back and improve pain and function. I was able to find a chiropractor who offered laser decompression treatment. I went in for a session every day for 15 days (not weekends). The treatment was remarkably effective, and after 2 weeks I was able to get off all the around-the-clock pain medications I had been taking. I got several good massages, and have been faithful about targeted exercise. I am feeling "normal" most of the time now. It is such a blessing to be able to move without pain.
Some of the things we were able to enjoy while waiting for healing to happen were: visiting the St. George Temple open house; General Conference in real time, in our own living room; visits from 2 of our children, and some extended family, including 5 of my siblings; Sacrament meeting, Sunday School, Relief Society, and Priesthood meetings in "American" English!; preparing seedlings for the fall garden; the summer desert monsoons and rainbows; bimonthly "family" Sunday dinners; a few ministering visits within walking distance of the house; and, on the final Sunday at home Tracy and I were able to go visit little Alaia Jane Martinez who came to her new Mom and Dad, Amanda and Nefi Martinez, weighing a little over 6 pounds.
Random pictures:
 |
| Steve with Angela as she waited her turn for the haircut |
 |
| We took Naomi for her first haircut |
 |
| Summer Monsoons make beautiful rainbows and sunsets |
 |
| This guy came out to greet me when I was on a walk one day |
 |
| We took a group picture at church when we were all in our "pretty" clothes Left to Right: Naomi, Steve, Mickey, Ammon and Angela |
 |
| Larry Roth, Mickey, Steve, Tawnya Roth My brother and his wife were able to visit on our last Sunday |
Steve's final visit with the ENT was Wednesday September 27th. He has regained some hearing in the left ear, and it continues to improve as he heals. He got new hearing aids, which he can control from an app on his phone. The doctor wrote the release letter, and we got it to our Stake President the next day. President Meyer forwarded it up to SLC mission department, but that was right before General Conference, so I wasn't real hopeful about timely attention. We were surprised and pleased to hear back from them on the following Tuesday.
Finally, the paperwork, clearances, and travel arrangements were made and on October 9th we were able to return to Fiji. We will continue to serve for another year (we hope!)
 |
| Parked in Nadi, October 11, 2023 |
 |
Our adventure continues.
Love from Mickey and Steve Hinkson
Wow, i love your blog Mickey. I'm so glad you are back in Fiji! I miss it alot. We're in NZ south island enjoying wonderful sightseeing. So sad we didn't get to hook up before we left. We pray for you and Steve
ReplyDelete