Sock Monkey Adoption :)

Arrival of Last Monkey...(And Second to the Last Monkey Gets a Make-Over!)

2010-08-23T21:37:00.006-05:00

One custom monkey had been ordered long ago, but was waiting on his new care-taker to be born! The second to the last monkey to be made went home at the same time, after a make-over, to join the same family! One monkey for each brother!

Looking Back

2010-07-27T10:50:00.008-05:00

(Walther and Darcy)

Being stationed in the pharmacy, the experience Darcy and I had of the mission trip was different than what most of the team experiences. Unlike the others, we see EVERYONE who passes through clinic--not just a portion. We see each patient seen by all the other team members combined (the many physical therapists, the eye glass folks, and four to five primary care providers)...which means we have far less TIME with each person and far less chance to interact individually with any one person. In fact, our interaction primarily consists of filling the prescriptions they bring in. This trip, David, our interpreter, gave the instructions on how to take the medications to nearly everyone as the rest of us in the pharmacy scurried to gather the medications together. That is why, I don't see as much of what God is doing through the clinic at the time that it is happening. I don't generally have the one on one conversations with individuals (through a translator) that the most of the team has during the normal course of their day. Running the pharmacy is more a support position than a front line position. I get a more accurate sense of what God has been doing through us later on, as I hear storied from our fellow team members.

We are so fortunate to have such a large number of nationals who partner with us in this endeavor. Pastor Jimmie (the youth pastor of Gethsamani Baptist--son of the Pastor Renee) did much of the organization of this trip. There were many workers from the local churches in El Salvador and surrounding areas working with us throughout the clinic. I counted local workers from at least four different Baptist Churches and one Assembly of God Church. Everyone who came through the clinic was registered for future follow-up by whichever church is nearest their home. 375 people accepted Christ as their Savior while being seen at the clinic. I have seen enough of our sister churches in El Salvador to feel confident that those 375 people will be supported, loved, and discipled long term. The work in their lives has just begun.

In a country that has so much poverty, the simplest of things make a profound difference in people's lives...glasses to see with, a walker to be able to walk again... The medicines we are able to provide are just a band-aid because they are limited in quantity. Even bringing in 700 pounds of medications (as we did), still it is so little to distribute among so many. But the man who had not been able to walk for two years, since having a stroke, who now can walk on his own with his new walker--that is a life changing difference! The child who receives glasses and can finally see clearly again--that is a life changing difference! Dr. Brian Neely told me about a 14 year old girl he saw in clinic Tuesday (the day we were at Ayutuxtepeque). She came in by herself and explained through the translators that she wanted to be seen by a doctor because she had passed out three time in the past year. Dr. Neely examined her and found that she had a mass pressing on her carotid artery. This explained the times she had lost consciousness, as the pressure on that artery was sometimes depriving her brain of needed blood flow. Left untreated, she was at very high risk for having a massive stroke in the near future. Dr. Neely asked the child to go home and get her mother and bring her mother in to talk with him. When the mother came, she said she had taken her child to a doctor when she had passed out, but that they had not found anything wrong with her. Dr. Neely wrote out in detail what the local doctors needed to look for (what he had found was fairly subtle and could have been easily missed during previous exams) and wrote down his personal cell phone number, asking the doctor to call him if he had any questions. He gave this to the child's mom, and stressed the importance to her of having her child followed up with local doctors immediately. The mother asked many questions and appeared to comprehend the severity of the situation. That child's contact with our simple medical clinic may have saved her life....though we will probably never know the final outcome.

We are there so briefly. What we can do is so limited...yet, for some of the people we see, it will be their only chance ever to see a doctor. The clinic draws the crowds. Then the local church members do the real work...speaking one on one with each person as they wait in the lines...telling them about Jesus and giving them the chance to ask questions.

We saw a total of 1,994 people during the four days we held clinic. 375 of those accepted Christ as their Savior.

I want to thank each one of you who shared with us in this ministry, by making it possible for us to purchase our ticket to El Salvador. Thank you.

(Darcy riding to the airport in style...in the backseat of a police truck!)

(Jacob, Carlos, and David--David was our translator in the pharmacy!)

(Juan and Darcy)

Taty, Jacob, Darcy, and Karla.

(This last picture was copied from Karla Villatoro's facebook photo album.)

Our translators always become such good friends...it is heartbreaking to leave.

Link to 200 photos (with more coming)...

2010-07-26T20:23:00.002-05:00

I want to sit down and WRITE about our time in El Salvador...but, since returning, I've been busy sorting through the over 8,000 photos that I took...culling through them and posting some of them on my facebook page. Since facebook is more accessible to other members of our very large team (both here in the U.S. and those in El Salvador) than this blog would be, I have decided (at least for now) to focus on posting the pictures to facebook. Please feel free to visit my facebook page to look at the photos even if you aren't on the "friend list"...I am leaving the El Salvador albums open to everyone (you don't have to be on the "friend list").

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1433334749&v=photos

So THAT Was the Trigger!

2010-07-24T09:59:00.008-05:00

Interesting how missing one small fact can totally change how you see the overall picture. No one from the United States side of our group seemed to know exactly WHY we had such impressive police protection throughout this trip. All the facts I had on hand were accurate....but it was one small fact that I did not have on hand which totally changed the entire picture! Come to find out, Pastor Jimmie (from our sister church in El Salvador) APPLIED to the government in advance for us to HAVE this police protection. There is a special unit of police that specialize solely in the protection of visiting heads of state, diplomats, etc--called the PPI (Proteccion de Personalidades Importantes)(Protection of Important People--the El Salvadorian equivalent of our own Secret Service). Pastor Jimmie had APPLIED to the government REQUESTING that we have this protection....HE was the trigger!

It is true that a group traveling by bus was recently killed by one of the gangs in the exact area that we held our Tuesday clinic in (and where our sister church is building a mission church). It is true that it is rumored that the gangs are targeting church groups. It is true that gringos (white folks) aren't safe being out alone at night in San Salvador (but then, even our translators (native Salvadorians) said it was not safe for THEM, even, to be out walking on the streets of San Salvador at night. (San Salvador is like El Salvador's New York City.) But I added all the facts up--along with the observation that the other medical mission groups and church groups we saw here did NOT have a police unit protecting them and the conclusion I drew was that our group, SPECIFICALLY, must have become the target of one of the gangs. Well, that was totally wrong! The reason the other church groups did not have police protection is because they didn't have Pastor Jimmie watching out for their well-being, like we did!

Even WITH the police protection, still, one of the tires and the decal was stolen off Pastor's Jimmie's vehicle while it was parked in Los Llanitos on Tuesday. That is just a very rough area. That is where they are building the new mission church. We will be sending a construction team back to El Salvador next summer to help them build that church. While we were here this time, Herb and Larry were able to present our sister church with $5,500 that was donated by two families in our own church to buy the plot of land the mission church in Los Llanitos will be built on.

Wow! Can't Believe We Have Only One More Clinic Left!

2010-07-22T19:53:00.004-05:00

Well, I had a little apprehension yesterday, but today our police escort seems a big to-do over nothing. In the meantime, we are thoroughly enjoying our new heavily armed friends! Yesterday we were downgraded to only three policemen and that pattern carried through to today. I asked Larry and Herb if the policemen would be coming to the Orphanage tomorrow but they said they have no idea. We (all of us) really are not informed much...we just follow directions and wait and see!

The church we were at today, Mejicanos, is one of the most highly structured, well organized churches I have ever seen. The workers from that church arrived at 5:30 this morning to begin preparations for Clinic....the workers were 157 strong! (That number does not even include our translators and the helpers from Brother Jimmie's Church (Gethsamani Baptist) and from Strong Tower Baptist, and from an Assemblies of God Church that have come to every Clinic with us. The workers from Mejicanos almost all wear uniforms identifying them as workers...different uniforms for specific positions. I tell you, the Clinic we had today had the most people that have ever gone through Clinic in a single day (well, this year and the last trip two years ago!...guess I can't vouch for the ones before that). We treated 542 people from the community and 45-50 church workers today....for a total of 587-593 people in a single day...and we were finished by 4:30! Many hands make light work! Having 157 extra helpers who KNEW their jobs well, made today stress free and run like clock work! The workers at Mejicanos are superior at managing the flow of traffic and crowd control. There was far less waiting today for those being seen than on days when we saw less people, just because we had such excellent assistance.

More than 76 people made a decision for Christ today. 76 is the number that prayed to receive Christ during the group meetings, but, then, the industrious workers of the church meandered through the halls, pausing to speak with folks one on one as they waited in line to see the physical therapist or the doctor or to be fitted with glasses. They do not yet have the final count on how many additional people accepted Christ as their Savior during these more personal one on one conversations.

Jimmie told me today that we saw a total of 556 people on Monday (final count) at ..... and that 75 people made a profession of faith that day. On Tuesday, he says our final count was that we saw 446 people and 66 of them made a profession of faith.

One of the stories I head from one the physical therapists was about an elderly man who had had a stroke several years ago and had been unable to walk since that time. Everywhere he has needed to go, his family members have carried him. They carried him to Clinic. She examined him and found that he actually had pretty good muscle tone and she suspected that, given the proper equipment, the man would be able to walk. She fitted him with a walker and for the first time in two years, he WALKED across the room. After he sat back down, his wife kept quietly glancing over at the walker and then back to her husband. They did not comprehend that we would GIVE them the walker. But the therapist could read the longing in the wife's eyes and realized she did not understand and was too polite to presume to ASK that such a valuable gift be given to them. The therapist hurried to explain through the translator that the walker was theirs to take home and keep. Upon hearing this, the wife broke down into tears. Their lives had been changed significantly by something that we take for granted here in the United States...access to a walker.

One of our physician extenders (a nurse practitioner named Claudine) told about a woman about her own age who came through Clinic and did not really have any physical problem, but was unable to work past the grief at having lost her mother. God sent that woman to just the right person, because Claudine had been devastated by the loss of her own mother and could weep along with that woman and then tell her how Christ had helped her in that very same situation. She was able to listen with a tender heart and give the woman the opportunity to grieve with someone who's heart was so very tender to her.

Tomorrow we go to the Orphanage.

Vague Sense of Apprehension....

2010-07-21T23:47:00.009-05:00

As I posted earlier, last time we went to yesterday's location (two years ago) there were soldiers waiting there for us when we arrived...toting M-16's that had to be at least four feet long! But, they did not follow us back to the hotel...just left themselves as soon as we loaded up our bus and started out. This year was different though...five heavily armed policemen met us in the hotel at 6:00 am yesterday morning. The explanation we were given is that since we were going to a heavily ganged controlled violent area, the government had assigned this unit to accompany us and "guard the drugs" for us. (That was before I found out that 16 Americans were killed by one of the gangs in that very spot just a few weeks ago by blowing their bus up.) Well, the police unit traveled with us to that area and made a perimeter around us all day and, to our surprise, followed us back to the hotel again and STAYED. We kept expecting them to leave, but they never did and they have stuck to us like glue ever since. They don't leave the hotel unless WE leave the hotel and we have been told that we are not to leave the hotel unless it is as the entire group on our planned events. They came with us to supper at Pizza Hut last night...escorting and guarding us like we were some important entourage. It was kind of fun, having them along because in order not to get separated from our bus, they always block the intersections (lights flashing, sirens on) as we make turns. Then they jump out of their vehicle lickety split when we arrive, rifles raised, eyes scanning up and down the street, before we step off the bus. They are always with us, forming a silent perimeter and ever watching. Last night I heard a rumor that one of the gangs has been targeting church groups. But, still I didn't feel any apprehension...until this evening. This morning we went to a very small, secluded area of tourist gift stalls in a very good part of town...of course our police escort was there, silently shadowing us, forming an unobtrusive perimeter around us. Well, while we were there, we ran into another church medical mission group that had come in our same flight Saturday night, but having been staying at a different place. One of them glanced nervously at all the heavily armed policemen and said to us, "We thought this was suppose to be a really SAFE area!" We assured them it WAS...that the policemen were only there because they had come with us. That is when it dawned on me that THEY are a church group on a medical mission trip with lots of drugs and THEY have not been assigned 24/7 police protection and the other church group from Alabama that arrived at our hotel yesterday have not been assigned any police protection. And the police obviously are NOT worried about "protecting our drugs" or they would have stayed behind at the hotel with our 700 pounds of medicines today instead of going to the beach with us. Not only are they guarding us (rather than the medicines) but they are guarding US, specifically....not all church medical mission groups, just ours. Which makes me wonder why. What do they know that they have not told us?

Our police unit will remain with us 24/7 the remainder of our stay in the country. Tonight, as we were leaving the hotel to go to supper, I saw twice as many rifled hotel guards posted than I have seen since arriving here. One of them was on a second floor balcony and he kept looking at our bus and then staring far down either side of the street. THAT is the moment when the first vague sense of apprehension started to wrap up in a knot in my stomach. ...Enough so, that I changed seats so that I was sitting in the seat nearest Darcy so I could shove her down if needed. Probably melodramatic on my part...after all, I AM the woman who was stalked by serial killer Pete in Alaska! And we all know how innocent THAT turned out to be. Still, I keep noticing things that, in my heightened paranoia take on omnious signficance. We went out to eat papoosa tonight. I was expecting us to end up at same place we went to for papoosa on the last medical mission trip....a large busy restaurant that is open-air...one full side of the building open to the street and right ON the street...so that everyone in the restaurant is in full view of passing cars. This time, we went to a small restaurant high in the mountains and taken to a private room in back. It was a covered balcony looking out over El Salvador far below. My paranoid mind took in the fact that there was no way to approach the back of the building where we were without coming through the doorway, flanked by our policemen...and we were not at all visible from the street. The balcony jutted out over a steep drop, that could not be traversed on foot without great difficulty...a fairly secure, easy to contain set up. Paranoia! Then, I thought, "Yeah...and we didn't go to our "usual" marketplace this morning, either...instead we were taken to a much smaller, more isolated, safer area. Paranoia! When I asked why we didn't go to our "usual" papoosa joint, it was pointed out to me that our "usual" place was in Il Sulitan, not San Salvador and would have been a much further drive. That makes total sense! Last time, we stayed some of our nights in Il Sulitan...so, of course we would have gone to a different papoosa restaurant.

We leave at 6:30am tomorrow for the church in the inner city portion of San Salvador. I am suspecting we will see more people there than anywhere else while we are here. That church has it's own security force in addition to the San Salvador police unit that will be accompanying us. When we were there for church service Sunday evening, I had noticed two men with ear pieces standing on either side of the front of the church continually scanning the large crowd...and stepping up onto stage each time we bowed our heads to pray. It finally dawned on me they were security guards. I asked one of our translators about it later and he said that this church has it's own security force and that the pastor is guarded to keep him from being kidnapped and held for ransom. This is a very large, very well organized church. They have a HUGE outreach to the inner city in San Salvador. I expect we will see our largest crowds so far. We have never had clinic at this particular church before. Tomorrow will be a completely new experience...not a familiar one as Monday and Tuesday were for me.

My apprehension is past...it was fleeting enough. But, it surprised me that I had it at all...I don't tend to be a worrier. (I am quick to figure "worst-case scenario", but, then, having come to an awful conclusion, I do not actually feal fear or dread over it...to me, a worrier is someone who experiences fear and dread over what might be...but, easily envisioning "worst case scenario" with serene detachment is just being imaginative, not being a worrier!

The frustration of writing this blog is that there is SO MUCH I want to write, but honestly do not have time to write but a smattering of what is wanting to boil over through my fingers upon the keyboard.

I wanted last night, to be able to share the things I heard as we all met together and various members of our team shared what they had seen God do, thus far. I am going to write that...but, there is not time enough yet.

Tonight, the most pressing thing on my heart is the realization that God is in control. We can never be out of His loving hands...particularly not when our hearts are yielded to Him and we are obeying. Do I feel guilty for having brought Darcy along? No. Emphatically, no. She has been an enormous help and I see how this mission trip has impacted her mightily. We cannot live our life in fear of the "maybe's". To do so would be a poor life, indeed. This has been such a joyous trip for every member of our team. And God IS using us...life does not get any better than that! And, He sure gave us a wonderful break today as we had this one free day to go to the market and to the beach...the weather could not have been more perfect. And what a joy that we have five policemen literally living with us this week. Our translators interact with them often and there is always three or four of them sitting interspersed with these policemen during their meals with us. I know our translators well enough to know they are taking advantage of the opportunity to befriend these fellows and share Jesus with them.

Darcy goes to the marketplace and what does she buy? A MACHETE, of course!

"El Salvadorian Police just enjoying a day at the beach!" (with us!)

(It is a bit disappointing that the Police have such small rifles...only about half as long as the automatic machine guns (M-16's) that the soldiers carry. But, the Police are a lot friendlier than the soldiers ever were!)

Tuesday...Ayutuxtepeque...

2010-07-20T18:01:00.003-05:00

Another busy day! Today we set up clinic in the grade school at Ayutuxtepeque, a very impoverished area built on the steep sides of the mountains on the outskirts of San Salvador. The church we were at yesterday is planting a mission church in Ayutuxtepeque. We went to Ayutuxtepeque two years ago when I was on the medical mission trip. At that time, we were warned that it was a very dangerous area because it is heavily controlled by gangs. When we arrived, we found that there armed soldiers sent by the government to protect us. That time, the soldiers met us there and did not follow us out when we left later that day. They were very uncommunicative...all business. This time, I was surprised when five soldiers showed up at our hotel, automatic machine guns strapped across their shoulders. We invited them to eat breakfast with us after we were informed that the government had sent them to ESCORT us all the way to Ayutuxtepeque and back. This time, the soldiers were very approachable. It was only after we got back to the hotel tonight that one of the translators explained to us that 16 Americans were killed in tiny, isolated Ayutuxtepeque just a few weeks ago. They were tourists. One of the gangs blew their bus up. The translator that was with us in the pharmacy confided in us that HE did not feel safe in Ayutuxtepeque and was really glad the soldiers had accompanied us.

It is a very different setting in Ayutuxtepeque. The people are so much poorer and the needs are so much greater. One seven year old girl seen by one of the physical therapist had a racing heart. She told them that she was still frightened from the gunfire that broke out beside her house last night. The poverty there is so intense. What few medications we are able to provide those people, likely is the only medication they ever have access to.

We saw 454 people today...checked out by the physicians and the physical therapists, fitted for glasses, wounds attended to, medication provided for...and told about Christ who brought us. Again, every person that was seen by a doctor at the clinic also had the gospel shared with them. I had so much fun with the children today. The lines were very long and the kids were so approachable and loved having their photo taken. They were eager to show me the game of marbles they were playing or take me to see their brother, sister, or mother! Some of our team played "Simon Says" with a crowd of waiting children later this afternoon! There was so much laughing. And there was crying...Claudine, one the doctor extenders, told me this evening that the last person she saw was a 40 year old woman who looked far older than her years who broke down in tears as she talked to Claudine and told her that she wished she could just go to sleep and never wake up again. Claudine spoke with her a very long time through the translator and told her about Jesus and gave her a Spanish Bible. Please pray for her.

Monday...at Gethsemane Baptist Church in El Salvador...

2010-07-19T23:00:00.008-05:00

Too exhausted to post much tonight...will just suffice by copy/pasting my facebook status here!....

Wow! Full day today! Up at 5:45 am and ran non-stop until 9:30pm! We had so many people waiting to be seen in the clinic today that we worked 3 hours past what was originally planned to be our ending time and we saw 556 people!!! Every one of them listened to a presentation of the gospel!!! Got back to the hotel just in time for a quick supper and then all worked like ants counting pills and bagging them and labeling them for tomorrow's clinic! BUSY day!!! Several of the girls here are STILL counting, bagging, and labeling pills even now...but, most of us have hung it up for the night! We will be leaving the hotel at 6:30 tomorrow morning to go to the outsikirts of San Salvador in an area that is heavily gang controlled...the same area where the government sent soldiers armed with four foot long automatic machine guns to stand guard around the perimeter while we were there last time!

(Didn't get to bed last night until sometime after 1:45am....and was already behind on my sleep before even leaving for El Salvador...am so tired now I am about to fall over! Otherwise, I would post some photos and write a LOT MORE....but, the photos will have to wait until later. I haven't even had a chance to check my e-mail since leaving Bolivar! Might do that really quickly before working my way towards bed!)

Sunday

2010-07-19T00:58:00.002-05:00

Today was a practical lesson in treasuring the Lord over getting tasks done on schedule. It is so helpful that God chose to fill the Bible with examples of situations that speak right to where I am at! Today, we had such a blessed time of worship and fellowship...and, for once, I was able to lay the "Martha" in me aside and be in the moment even though "my" schedule was totally turned upside down.

Morning began quite pleasantly. We were planning on attending two church services, on in the morning at Pastor Jimmie's church and the other in the evening at the Tabernaculo Biblico Bautista Amigos de Israel "Mejicanos". Between the two services, we planned to count, label, and bag our pills for Monday's clinic (always an undertaking of mammoth proportions).

We had such a blessed time at our dear friend Jimmie's church. So many people hung around to talk with us after the service! I had such a fun time visiting with a sweet woman named Doris who could not speak any more English and I could Spanish...yet, by the end our visit, we actually knew quite a little bit about each other! It is so special to get to connect with brother's and sister's in Christ in a country that is not our own. We eventually got around to loading ourselves back up on the bus, and away we went to a Mexican Restaurant (not El Salvadorian foot, but Mexican food). San Salvador is like the New York City of El Salvador and it has many different kinds of restaurants to choose from. The food there was wonderful, but our huge group overwhelmed them. We had our mission team of 31 people plus a large number of our friends from Brother Jimmie's church with us. We filled up the small restaurant and there were no tables left. After we arrived, there were four or five other sets of people who came to eat there, who weren't able to stay because there was no room left. I had ordered Chicken Fajitas. Our tables were arranged in three long rows. The food trickled out four or five plates at a time. People on the near end of the first row had already finished their meals before the people on the far end of that same row had even been served. Next came our row. I was not worried, as either person in either side of me got their meals, but when the entire row had eventually been served and they began serving the third row (no one there from our team), I got a bit worried and spoke up. Someone went ahead and bused most of our team back to the hotel. I stayed behind, still awaiting my food(!) and six other people from our team stayed behind with me--all of them had been served already and most of them had finished. A bit later, Jimmie walked by with a burrito that no one claimed. It was just going to be sent back to the kitchen...and, I figured, any port in a storm!...so, I called the burrito in lieu of my still waiting to be cooked chicken fajita! I had considered getting the burrito made out of tongue when first ordering, just for the novelty of it, but, then had decided I did not want to invest my entire meal in something that I might not like. But, as I ate the unclaimed burrito, I, having no way of KNOWING what it was filled with, decided that the beef tasting meat was probably tongue! That made it worth skipping a fajita for!

By the time I wolfed down my "tongue" burrito and we raced back to the hotel, it was already 3:45 and we were to leave for evening service at 4:00! Gone was the time I had planned for us to prepare our medications for clinic! Oh, well...I figured that evening service would last about an hour and we could work on the medications after that. In the meantime, I was delighted to find that Darcy and three or four of the women had been busy bagging and labeling pills while I was still languishing at the restaurant. (Darcy has been a HUGE help already...from all the help she gave before we even left on the trip, unpacking and repacking the medications, to all the help she had genuinely been since we arrived.)

I thought evening service would be about an hour. And, truthfully, it seemed about an hour. So, I was shocked when Darcy pointed out to me that it had lasted THREE hours! Three hours...wow!...not much time left to prepare all Monday's medications!!! The church invited us to stay for supper, so we did. We had refried beans, fried plantains, cheese, sour cream (but not like our sour cream...this cream was good to mix in the beans) and the juice of a fruit I have never heard of that is grown here (begins with an "a", I think...already have forgotten its name!). By the time we got back to the hotel, it was already 8pm! Everyone went straight to work and we worked like crazy until 10:15pm. Then I came back up to our room and spent another hour and a half trying to sort out Thursday medications from Fridays (not labeling and bagging, just getting them separated from each other since customs tore open some of our bags and the medications had gotten mixed together)...and trying to figure out which suitcases had what day's medications in them (as the labels we had put on them in Bolivar had gotten smudged off)!

One thing God has taught me since the last mission trip is to live in the moment and not stress over what needs, yet, to be done. I am so thankful that my heart had the peace to be lost in the service tonight instead of fretting over what remained to be done back at the hotel. As it turned out, everything we needed to get done has gotten done, pretty much(!)...even though the time we had allotted to do it turned out not to be available for us to work in. God provided us with a second nurse this trip who has had past medical mission trip experience and has always been in charge of the pharmacy. What a blessing!!! And Sherry, who ran the pharmacy with me last time, has done SO MUCH ahead of time this time around...both of them had prepared so much before we ever even arrived in El Salvador that we were able to complete our preparations for tomorrow's clinic in the severely limited amount of time we had available today!

It has been a very good day! Tomorrow will be our first clinic. (Well, actually, today, since as I write it is already well past midnight.) We will be at Jimmie's church...our first clinic will be on familiar ground! My heart is eager to be there again! It's so funny...I was so stressed out and worn out before we ever left on this mission trip that my heart just was no longer in it. Honestly, if I hadn't already made the commitment to go, I would have bowed out. Yet, the moment I looked out our bus window as we sped through the dark night to our hotel last night, something in my heart just awakened and I was so very thankful to be back. As looked out the bus window into the night and saw familiar spots along the road, I remembered all over again two years ago when I rode a bus through the night and saw this place dimly in the dark for the first time. Then, everything had been so unfamiliar...now, everything seemed so familiar. A part of me felt like I was home again. And I am so grateful God has allowed me to come back. Last time, I was overwhelmed with the task ahead...always so exhausted and stressed...but, this time, something in me has learned Mary's secret of knowing what is most important and not letting the tasks which are piling up deter her from treasuring the gift God is giving in the present moment. That is the peace that allows you to get so caught up in a three hour worship service that you do not realize you have just worshiped right through the time you had thought you would have to finish all the work left undone! What a joy the service tonight was. What a joy the service this morning was! And what a wonderful time of fellowship we had together the hours that we spent in the Mexican Restaurant waiting on our food! I pray God will help me bring that peace back home to my life there, too...not just here!

Darcy and I Arrived in El Salvador Late Last Night...

2010-07-18T08:57:00.004-05:00

The final leg of our journey, out plane was about an hour late departing. Darcy and I had only had two and a half hours of sleep the night before our journey began (from 3:30 am to 6:00am) because we were frantically trying to finish up loose ends before leaving. Neither of got more than a catnap here and there during the trip, then our wait through immigration and customs was very long. There was another team of medical mission group who we let go ahead of us (while we were still trying to track down whether or not we needed to say "yes" to pharmaceuticals on our customs paper) and they got EVERY SINGLE one of their bags hand searched...even their personal luggage...took forever. Our team had nearly twice the baggage per person as their team. Each of us were hauling about 140 pounds worth of luggage apiece. Darcy and I were the first ones through the line, followed by Larry. Customs officials checked our two large trunk suitcases that were filled with medications and the medication suitcases that Larry had, but then waved us through without going through our personal baggage and without checking any more of anyone's bags in our group of 31 people. As we walked out of customs, I saw Jimmie in the distance happily waving to us...and Walter there by his side! What a joy to see their familiar faces once more...brought back so many memories of the last time I was here with them! I remember last time, there were so many new faces and I could not keep straight who was who...but, this time, two of the faces in the group were quite familiar!

We traveled by school bus the long way to our hotel. I was amazed at how familiar things looked. I am so geographically challenged and have such a poor memory that I get lost in my own back yard, yet, as our bus sped through the black night, I recognized so many familiar places along the road, from my time here two years ago.

I Awoke this morning to what sounded like very LARGE tropical birds singing just outside our window. Looked out the window for the first time in daylight and found I was looking straight at a very large, very close volcano...whose top was obscured in a blanket of low lying clouds!

Now I am sitting in a nook just off the open air courtyard typing to the sound of silverware being sorted and someone singing acapella in a deep, rich voice as he works! When we arrived last night, it was to the sounds of a very loud band playing lively music. Music seems to be an integral part of life here...be it the strange melodies of birds I've not heard before, or the joyous rhythms of a Latino band or the dear soul singing so beautifully this morning to the happy clinking of silverware being rapidly sorted.

We are to go downstairs to breakfast in a few moments, then we will leave to go to Jimmie's church this morning and another sister church this evening. In between times, we will be busy sorting medications and preparing for clinic that will begin tomorrow. I will try to post pictures later this evening if I have time!

Monkeys Keep Coming!

2010-07-12T12:16:00.003-05:00

My friends, Lisa and Laura, were recently making sock monkeys as they waited in the ICU waiting room between allowed times to visit their father. Here are two of Lisa's monkeys. I need to dig out the photo of Laura's monkey!...will try to get it posted soon! (The orange monkey Lisa was making for her nephew, Tommy, was not finished yet when I took it's picture...missing arms and it's entire adorable RAMBO costume!)

Also, I worked on a birthday monkey for Doug while hanging out with Lisa and Laura in the waiting room. Doug had begged for a "Bolt" monkey for his birthday, so I was able to surprise him with this electric orange monkey that Lisa gave me the socks for (fresh from Nome!). Bolt is pictured here BEFORE I had completed his super hero cape...but, he is almost finished in this picture.

Newest Monkey

2010-06-25T16:40:00.003-05:00

This is our newest monkey...a baby-safe custom monkey. The orphanage is closed, but we are still catching up placing monkeys adopted before the orphanage closed!

(This little monkey is completely hand-stitched and is only our third monkey to have embroidered eyes.)

Strawberry Has Received a New Name...

2010-06-21T09:57:00.004-05:00

Newsflash: This little monkey is still en route to Nome, Alaska (it's a LONG trip up there, you know!), but I just got word from her new family that her name will be Matilda Louise Jenkins from now on. Maybe the new name will perk her up! Meanwhile, her new family sent us this picture of the the family she will be joining and of the room they will be sharing...

(It looks like the monkeys have their OWN inflatable boat there in their room! And I really like the sock monkey design quilt on their bed!)

Matilda Louise Jenkins is Going Home to Alaska

2010-06-19T00:16:00.002-05:00

Well, we thought sweet little Matilda would perk up when she found out she was going home to her new family in Alaska. She still looks a bit blue, though...even in her cheerful new traveling clothes!

Lilac and Peanut Have Been Adopted!

2010-06-18T11:27:00.003-05:00

They've got their traveling clothes on and they are ready go! Lilac and Peanut are boarding a Priority flight for Arizona today!

Larry Arrives HOME!!!!

2010-06-17T16:03:00.017-05:00

Wow! Life is good! Bri already LOVES me and gave me LOTS of hugs and showed me around my new home and then her mommy suggested I rest on the sofa, in front of the TV (World Cup match on, you know!) and brought me POPCORN (extra butter!) and Lemonade! Life just doesn't get any better than this!!! I LOVE Bri!!!! It is so wonderful to finally have a family of my very own!!!

(Of course I have to root for MEXICO over France(!)...I DO HAVE Mexican connections, you know! When I was just a pair of socks, I belonged to Mr. Susunaga who may live in Nome, now, but was born in MEXICO!!!! GO MEXICO!!!!)

Larry Is Heading to Georgia!

2010-06-14T19:06:00.006-05:00

Larry is SO EXCITED! Considering how laid back he normally is, we are a bit concerned that he might be over-exerting himself tonight! But, who can blame him? He just found out he is being adopted by Briana! He boards a Priority Postal flight to Georgia first thing tomorrow morning. To celebrate, our normally not overly motivated extra large monkey spent the day scouring the stores for just the right outfit to wear. He found one he loves! The best part of this playsuit is that it is SO COMFY(!) and the second best part is that it has a chipper little monkey embroidered on it!

2010-06-13T20:36:00.001-05:00

Exuberant Nate

2010-06-13T18:05:00.009-05:00

(Nate is our first "upside down monkey". He was made using for his head,the cuff of the socks (which is normally the legs) and for his legs the foot of the sock (which is normally used for the head and body). He is made from size 3 toddler socks. Nate was completely stitched by hand.)

Aaron: "Happiness is having little Nate snuggled up in your arms!"

Name: Nate

About Me: Nate is everyones friend! He's smart and funny and you just love to be around him! He's always got his arms open for a hug and is a great monkey to talk to! He's an avid rock climber and skateboarder. He's always making others smile with his infectious laugh and his funny jokes. Nate loves to read and write and is quite the math whiz! He loves to watch action movies with Aaron! They particularly like X-Men and the Die Hard movies... Next, they're working on a Star Wars 1-6 marathon!

His best friend is Aaron who helps him reach the taller shelves when he just can't quite reach them!! Nate and Aaron are inseparable and are constantly hanging around each other!

Little Peanut

2010-06-13T18:03:00.002-05:00

(Like Lilac and Strawberry before her, Peanut was completely hand stitched.)

Name: Peanut

About Me: Peanut is a very tiny little monkey! She loves the colors purple and green. She's very excitable and bounces up and down and squeals when she's excited! For a monkey of her size she can eat enough for a monkey like Larry!!! She's very proud of her burping skills, as she can out burp all the boys! She has many friends and loves to be with them. Her biggest wish is to be adopted by a family with children!!

Sweet Matilda

2010-06-13T18:00:00.007-05:00

(Matilda was all hand stitched--no sewing machine used.)

Name: Was Strawberry but has since been changed to Matilda Louise Jenkins!

About Me: Matilda is the sweetest little thing out there! She's got a sad facial expression, but she's really nice anyways. She is a brutally honest monkey, she'll tell it to you like it is! She loves to play soccer and is a part time cheerleader. In her spare time she goes shopping and buys CD's for her collection! She loves all music and she likes it loud!! Matilda just can't wait to be adopted!!

Orphanage Will Close June 17th...

2010-06-12T15:00:00.007-05:00

We've been joined by two new monkeys...diminutive Peanut (made from size 3 toddler socks!) and despondent little Matilda Louise Jenkins. The remaining monkeys all spent the day together playing on the lawn and later hanging out in the family room. The Sock Monkey Orphanage will be closing on June 17th. So, if you have been considering adopting a monkey but just haven't gotten around to it yet, there's only a few days left to do so!

Update: Aaron has now been adopted. (the dark striped monkey with large wooden eyes) Larry has also been adopted!

Eskimo Doll by Beulah Oittillian: To Be Posted on E-Bay Soon!

2010-06-09T06:24:00.011-05:00

My dear friend, Lisa, in Alaska just e-mailed me photos of the collectable Eskimo doll that Beulah Oittillian just made for our fund-raiser! Beulah's dolls are featured in the Smithsonian Institute and other museums and are highly sought after. Beulah is a native of St. Lawrence Island (40 miles from Russian, 140 miles from Nome). My friend, Lisa, travels to St. Lawrence Island (and many other remote locations) regularly for her work as a public health nurse. This time, Beulah traveled to Nome and brought Lisa this wonderful doll! I'm so glad Lisa took a picture of Beulah with the intricate doll she created for us! Lisa also took photos of the doll itself from many angles.

Lisa wrote this about the doll on her own blog:

Beaulah Oittillian ... has dolls in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C! Her dolls have sold for as much as $1000 each!! ... The white ruff on the top of the hat is made from polar bear fur. The "jacket" is made from walrus intestine. The face, part of the drum/drum stick and hands are all walrus ivory, the eyes are made from whale baling...and I believe the drum head is made from walrus parts..maybe intestines. Bottom part of the clothes are made from seal skin....the shoes are made from sun bleached seal skin. The man is sitting on a walrus vertebrae.

This exquisite little drummer will be placed on E-Bay soon as part of our fund-raiser (if a buyer is not found here first).

Lilac

2010-06-04T19:14:00.007-05:00

Name: Lilac

Unique Fact: Lilac is completely hand-sewn!

There's not one stitch of machine stitching on her!

About Me: Lilac loves to drive! The faster she can go, the better. She really wants a red convertible mustang, but she would be happy with any type. She wants to go to a family with a spare car for her to drive around in! She sometimes goes a teeeny tiny bit over the speed limit, but she says that speed limits are just minor details. She wants to be a NASCAR driver when she grows up!

She may be retro, but that sure doesn't hold her back one bit!

New Monkey Arrived!

2010-06-04T07:30:00.006-05:00

A new little monkey has arrived at the Orphanage! She is totally retro...a real classic! She is our first monkey to be TOTALLY hand stitched....not a single sewing machine stitch on her. She is as HAND-MADE at they come!!! Rumor has it that her pictures will be ready to post on the blog tomorrow! Meanwhile, Darcy is getting to know her today, so she can tell us all about her personality and past history tomorrow when her pictures are available! All I know right now is she is traditional brown with button eyes and embroidery eye lashes and her name is Lilac!

(Guest written by Monica)

Girl's Day Out...

2010-06-02T18:29:00.014-05:00

Maria has been busy sewing! Since she's not too experienced at it yet, her zig zags are extra zaggy, but that's just fine with her! She's thoroughly delighted with her new hat and short summery dress! Maria and Emily spent most of the day today hanging out together in the front lawn of the Orphanage.

Maria and Emily are still both hoping to find a family of their own, soon!

Grover Relishing His New Vibe!

2010-06-01T16:50:00.008-05:00

Grover has taken up a new hobby--playin' the bass!

Grover's been being so good. He has amazed everyone here at the Orphanage with the new leaf he has turned over. He has turned into quite the helpful, polite, pleasant young monkey! Who would have ever thought it?!

These Four Monkeys are Still Wistfully Waiting to Find a Family of Their Own!

2010-05-28T00:40:00.007-05:00

Update: Maria was adopted on 6/9/10 and Aaron was adopted on 6/12/10. Larry was adopted on 6/13/10. Emily, as well as Lilac (not shown here), is still awaiting a home and family of her own!

Lisa is Bitten with the Bug...(guest written by Monica)

2010-05-26T00:03:00.003-05:00

We recently received an all too brief visit from our dear friend, Lisa (of Nome, Alaska)! She spent just one evening with us, but that was enough time for her to be bitten by the Sock Monkey Bug! Having three sock monkeys of her own (made by us!), it seems, is not enough for her! Lisa cut up a pair of socks and began working away on a sock monkey of her very own creation! The monkey was begun in the Ozark hills of Missouri and completed on an airplane en route back to Nome, Alaska! She e-mailed me this picture of her adorable new monkey, Virginia!

(I see Lisa co-erced Iran into helping Virginia model! I also see that Iran HAS HIS GLASSES on!!! Poor guy spent the past year without his glasses, as they were inadvertently boxed up and put in their storage unit in Kansas City when they moved to Nome, Alaska. Lisa DUG through that storage unit RELENTLESSLY until she found his glasses! In fact, she was so focused on FINDING the glasses that she actually got trapped in the unit. When I came back to the unit with a larger plastic tub for her to mail Iran's circular saw to Alaska in, I heard her voice, but, for all the world, I could not SEE her anywhere! I would have SWORN she was no longer in the unit if it hadn't been for her somewhat frantic voice assuring me she was indeed in the unit and could use a bit of help digging herself out! She was thoroughly boxed in to the furthermost corner--so tightly that she wasn't even able to stand back up until some of the boxes were pulled out, making room for her to pull herself back up! It was a funny sight! Hopefully Iran KNOWS the love that propelled his wife forward into the hazards of diving that deeply into the stacks of boxes in their storage unit!)

George's New Look:

2010-05-25T20:43:00.006-05:00

George traveled back to the Sock Monkey Orphanage recently because he decided he'd like to have some clothes! He hung around long enough to have a new outfit tailored for him! We managed to grab a couple of photos of him with his new look before he headed back to Peculiar where Grace is awaiting his return. (Grace didn't want any clothes. Clothes are an ACQUIRED taste for a monkey, you know! Evidently, Grace has not yet acquired the taste for clothes-wearing!)

It is rumored that George got back on the onions again while at the Orphanage! (His new family swore up and down that he detested onions at their home and would only eat M&M's and peanut clusters...but, he pretty much gobbled down a straight diet of NOTHING BUT ONIONS here. In fact, we were beginning to wonder if he really came back to get a new set of clothes made, or, horrors of horrors, maybe he really just used that as a ruse to get back to the Orphanage so he could dine on some more delicious onions in peace!)

River No More...

2010-05-24T05:38:00.000-05:00

The monkeys tend to change as they adapt to their new families. River is a prime example. The longer he has been with Doug and has hung out with his brother, Zeke, the more he has come even further out of his shell and gotten in touch with the more musical side of his nature! So much so, that he does not even go by the name "River" any longer. These days, he is known as ROCK STAR JOE! And he is one COOL monkey!

Emily Is Still Waiting for a Family of Her Own...

2010-05-23T05:23:00.000-05:00

2010-05-22T17:15:00.003-05:00

The monkeys were all so sweet to pause in the playing long enough this afternoon for a quick group photo! They are all loving these wonderfully sunny days!

Emily is sporting new duds. Meanwhile, George came back to the orphanage specifically to get a new outfit... He is pleased with what we came up with for him. He thinks Grace will be delighted with the outfit, too! We sure were glad to get to visit with him again!

Meanwhile, Doug has changed River's name to "Rock Star Joe". Joe is getting fully in the swing of his new identity, borrowing Doug's sunglasses which do go nicely with his sporty new shirt!

2010-05-21T19:33:00.007-05:00

Grover, Sparky, and Aaron

Sparky

2010-05-21T17:55:00.007-05:00

Name: Sparky
Date of Birth: May 16, 2010

About Me: Sparky is a very unique little monkey... He loves the shock of sticking his paws in electrical sockets! Sometimes, he licks his paws first and THEN sticks them in the electrical socket to get a more powerful buzz. He says it makes his fur stand up and gives his paws a funny feeling! We suspect that exposure to all that electricity has intensified his gray coloring to a more charred shade, but he says the electricity just makes his eyes sparkle more and keeps his hair curly! He's definitely one zippy little monkey!

Even though he has some shocking habits, he's still a very friendly little guy! If you adopt Sparky, just make sure you have some of those childproof plastic safety covers for your outlets!

Just Passin' Through!Cara and Carissa...

2010-05-19T04:05:00.007-05:00

Names: Cara and Carissa

Date of Birth: May 17, 2010

About Us: Cara and Carissa are twins. They are cousins to Grace and are just passing through for a visit! They have new homes here in town and just stopped in to say hi to Grace. However, Grace has already been adopted! They just missed her.

The twins are not only identical in looks, but also in personality! They are always thinking along the same lines. They each finish the others sentences and often say the same thing at the same time! They are best friends and love each other very much. They are each on their way to loving homes and are ready to get home!

Slight Change of Pace...

2010-05-16T08:40:00.031-05:00

To help us raise support for the medical mission trip, our friend, Lisa, has donated a small ivory carving of a Beluga Whale from the remote island town of Gambell, Alaska carved by Native Alaskan artist Charles Slwooko. Gambell is a village of about 700 people situated on St. Lawrence Island in the North Bering Sea 140 miles from Nome, Alaska and 40 miles from Russia. The people of the remote village of Gambell survive off the land now, just as they did thousands of years ago, hunting game. They use every bit of the animals they have hunted. What can't be eaten is put to use in other ways. This small carving is made from the ivory of a walrus tusk and is elevated above it's ivory base by a section of walrus whisker. The whale's eyes are made of actual inlaid whale baleen. Lisa has donated this dainty carving to help raise funds for the medical mission trip to El Salvador. This carving can be obtained for a donation of $75...just e-mail us at DublinLin@hotmail.com. (Lisa estimates it's market value to be about $45. 100% of the proceeds from this ivory carving will go towards the Medical Mission Trip to El Salvador.)

A few other examples of Charles Slwooko's sculpting:

(St. Lawrence Totem by Charles Slwooko)
(Bowhead Whales Breaching by Charles Slwooko)
(Bowhead Whales by Charles Slwooko)
(Seal/Shaman of walrus ivory by Charles Slwooko)
(Polar Bear of whalebone and baleen by Charles Slwooko)
(Walrus with Pup by Charles Slwooko)
(Whimsical Bowhead Whale by Charles Slwooko)

Photo of the artist, Charles Slwooko--taken by Lisa recently when her work took her once again to remote St. Lawrence Island.

Despereaux

2010-05-12T20:34:00.006-05:00

Name: Despereaux

Date of Arrival: May 12th 2010

About Me: If you have seen the movie "The Tale of Despereaux", you probably have a pretty good idea of what Despereaux is like. He's very adventurous and chivalrous, and is always up for a quest. He is working on his swordsmanship and acrobatics. His dream is to be able to fly just like Superman! He loves to read fairy tales and is wishing for his own happy ending, to be able to find a family!

Update: Despereaux has found a home in Bolivar, Missouri!

How To Pick a Monkey... (guest written by Monica)

2010-05-10T07:48:00.013-05:00

Here at the Sock Monkey Orphanage, we had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend! First, the kids' Texas grandparents came up to stay with us Friday evening through Sunday morning. The Texas grandma played with all the monkeys...including Doug, Rayna, and Darcy! Sunday morning we saw the Texas grandparents off and then hopped into the car ourselves and drove up to the Kansas City area to meet with the Missouri grandparents and the Kansas grandparents for lunch...delivering Grace and George along the way!

A moment in the weekend that I, personally, found rather enlightening was as the Texas grandma agonized over which monkey to adopt. She sat there in the recliner with all five of the currently waiting monkeys (Emily, Larry, Buddy, Aaron, and Maria). After a bit, she asked the Texas grandpa which monkey HE thought they ought to take home.

He decisively replied, "One of the three bigger monkeys." (That would have been Emily, Larry, or Maria.)

To which Texas grandma replied, "You WOULD say that! I was debating between the two small dark monkeys!" (Aaron and Buddy)

Texas grandma thought a moment longer and then asked, "Well, of the two small dark monkeys which one would you pick?"

Texas grandpa instantly pointed to the striped one. (Aaron)

Her problem solved, Texas grandma happily announced, "We'll take the little silver and black one!" (Buddy)

THAT'S how you pick a monkey!

(That is how soft-spoken Buddy, Grover's best friend ever, wound up becoming a Texan. Something that MIGHT have played into Grandma's decision making process is that Buddy is Darcy's favorite monkey, next to Grover, of course. Darcy loves him because his wonderful, big ears always make her think of the courageous, well-read, little mouse, Despereaux. Besides which, her monkey,Grover, and Buddy have been inseparable since their very first days here at the orphanage. I guess Grover will just have to go to Texas, himself, this summer to visit his best friend, Buddy! And that very well may have crossed Texas Grandms's mind...because, as we have seen, where Grover goes, Darcy goes!)

Stuart

2010-05-09T21:40:00.011-05:00

Name: Stuart
Date of Arrival: May 8, 2010
Unique Fact: Only monkey ever at the orphanage made from used socks. Stuart originated from the heavy wool socks that Monica wore last January while visiting Alaska and trekking through temperatures down to thirty-five degrees below zero. (Stuart is a Bass Pro Monkey with real life Alaska experience, and proud of it! He is a bit worn and snaggly in places, but he says those are just marks of character!)

Stuart is one of the most adventurous monkeys you will ever meet! He loves large, rambunctious, friendly dogs and sled rides! He is always up for any type of adventure. He loves playing in the snow and ice! He enjoys speed skating and ice hockey. His life's dreams are to ride in the "Sled of Death" with his own loving family, and to be an Olympic speed skater.
Even though he is very adventurous, he still loves to curl up next to a roaring fire with a good book!

Update: Stuart went back to Nome, Alaska with Lisa. He is now happily living with Clyde and Lambchop (who has actually been renamed Eunice after the monkey she, herself, inspired). We haven't heard yet whether or not Iran (Lisa's husband) has taken him on any wild sled rides behind the snow machine!

George Finally Arrived to Join Grace!Today They Went Home Together!

2010-05-09T21:05:00.003-05:00

As regular readers to this blog already know, Grace has been waiting at the Sock Monkey Orphanage since Easter morning. She was waiting for George's arrival so they could join their new family together. George finally arrived this morning and they are both now happily at home together in Peculiar, Missouri!

George

2010-05-09T20:47:00.003-05:00

Name: George
Date of Arrival: May 5, 2010 (Mother's Day)

George here is one of our most elderly monkeys! He's very calm and relaxed. He credits his longevity to his great love of onions. He loves ALL kinds of onions. He eats them just like popcorn! He likes them sliced, diced, chopped, fried, stewed, boiled, deep fried, baked, mashed, and battered! His favorite though, is an onion sandwich. A layer of onion put between.....two more layers of onion!!!! He even likes onion in his ice cream!!! He's one crazy monkey!
When he's not eating onions, he's out playing golf and swinging on vines. He has already been adopted and is very happy in his new home.

It Doesn't Get Much Better Than...a Barrel Full of Monkeys!

2010-05-05T15:56:00.002-05:00

Larry

2010-05-04T14:19:00.009-05:00

Name: Larry
Date of Arrival: May 3, 2010

About Me: Larry is a very laid back monkey. His favorite activities are laying on the couch watching football and eating chicken wings! He always just goes with the flow. He has a very spontaneous personality and is always ready to go! His life's dream is to live on the beach and take naps in the sun! He would be a great addition to any family!

(Like his cousin, Maria, Larry originally hails from Nome, Alaska.)

Henrietta Sends Pictures from Her New Home!

2010-05-04T06:02:00.004-05:00

Henrietta arrived safely to her new home in Illinois and she sent back these photos of her new family (Makayla) and friends of Makayla (Anni and Frankie)!

Introducing Maria...

2010-05-01T18:30:00.008-05:00

Name: Maria
Date of Arrival: May 1, 2010
Unique Fact: Made from socks received from Nome, Alaska.

About Me: Maria is a very colorful monkey!! She wears some of the most colorful outfits you will ever see!! She is fluent in Spanish as well as in English. She likes to hunt and fish and enjoys riding snowmobiles! She's very athletic and enjoys all sports. She has a very bubbly personality and is friendly to all!

Aaron

2010-04-30T17:04:00.011-05:00

Name: Aaron
Date of Birth: April 30, 2010

Aaron is the smartest monkey out there!! He knows all sorts of crazy random things that nobody else does!! He is top of all his classes and loves school! He wants to be on Jeopardy later on in his life. His favorite subjects are English and Science. He really likes Chemistry and writing classes. Like all monkeys, he is super athletic! His favorite place to be is up in a tree hanging upside down. He's a very likable guy! His biggest wish is to be adopted by a loving family :)

Boarding Their Priority Flights!

2010-04-29T17:38:00.002-05:00

All the other monkeys looked on with delight and just a bit of curiosity this morning as Henrietta and Nadia settled in for the Priority Flights to join their new families!

2010-04-29T12:24:00.014-05:00

Top Row: Nadia and Emily
Step: Buddy and Zeke (upside down, of course!)
Basket: Grover and River
Floor: Grace, Henrietta, Martin, Lily, and Kevin

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
The next couple of monkeys to be adopted will receive bonus quilted pillows to take home with them! Each pillow was hand made by Lambchop and Clyde's new mom in Nome, Alaska.
*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Packing up Tonight for the Flights Home Tomorrow!

2010-04-28T22:32:00.008-05:00

Henrietta has found a family of her own!!! She is so excited, she almost got up and danced with Nadia...but, then she came to her senses and realized she'd hate to get her pretty new dress sweaty before meeting her new family. Henrietta has always been very sensible, like that! She decided to celebrate, instead, with a pan of warm chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven and a tall, cold, refreshing glass of milk!

She is being adopted by Makayla and will be living next door to Princess Lokelani and Agent Mokihana! Henrietta arrived at the Monkey Orphanage about a week after the Princess and Mokihana left for their new homes, so she hasn't actually ever met them yet...but, the "old timers" here at the orphanage have told her so much about the Princess and Mokihana that she feels like she already knows them!

Henrietta is excited that she and Nadia will be going to the Post Office together tomorrow morning! Henrietta will be catching a Priority Flight to Illinois, while Nadia will be catching a Priority Flight to Oklahoma (with a brief layover in Kansas City, Kansas)!

(Of course the other monkeys in the orphanage had to give Henrietta a going away gift...a flower necklace to accentuate her cozy sweater dress! The other monkeys gave Nadia a necklace, too, but she had been so busy happily dancing away that she had forgotten to put it on yet when these pictures were snapped!)

fun fact: Henrietta's sweater dress is made from materials sent from Nome, Alaska by Lambchop and Clyde!

Nadia: Ready to Dance into Your Heart!

2010-04-28T20:01:00.004-05:00

Name: Nadia
Date of Birth: April 28, 2010

About Me: Nadia is a beautiful dancer! She likes all types of dances! She mostly does ballet but she can breakdance just as good as the next monkey! She has been in several recitals and has received many awards for her dancing. In her spare time, she enjoys the "Great American Past Time" of baseball!! Conveniently she also has a secret apple pie addiction!!

Nadia has already been adopted and is getting ready to travel to Oklahoma!

Grover's Weekend Out

2010-04-28T19:48:00.002-05:00

Well, this past weekend, Darcy, her grandmother, and her mother went to Branson to the "Women of Joy" conference. Darcy's mom was amused to see that although Darcy had FORGOTTEN to pack the netbook (that she is inseparable from almost every waking moment...living on facebook), there was Grover peeking his self-satisfied ornery little face out of her overnight bag. (I'm still not sure if Darcy actually PACKED him, or if he just sneaked into her bag after she left for school Friday morning!) At any rate, against my better judgment, Grover came with us to Branson.

I was worried, but, I have to admit, he behaved himself very well. He spent most of his time standing around the lamp and hanging off the wall mounted lights. He didn't wake us up at night, like I thought he might. He DID duck into the floor of the car whenever patrol cars pulled up alongside us on the highway, though...guess old habits are hard to break! But, really, I have to admit, he was a surprisingly good little monkey the whole weekend....until it was time to check out...then he hid, making us late to the last session of the conference...but, I guess he was just having so much fun he hated to see it end!

2010-04-20T18:49:00.000-05:00

Emily

2010-04-20T08:35:00.006-05:00

Name: Emily
Date of Arrival: 4-20-10
Unique Feature: First wool-blend monkey

Emily is perpetually curious! She is a pleasant monkey that always looks on the bright side. She has also won awards for her achievements in weight lifting. Many think she has a good chance of making the next Olympic wrestling team. She is a hardy, happy monkey!

Busy Day for the Regulars!

2010-04-19T20:58:00.008-05:00

The "regulars" (permanent residents at the orphanage, having been adopted by Darcy, Doug, or Rayna) spent the day getting new Spring outfits. Well, all except Zeke...because he already had his Spring outfit! Then they all dressed up to go hang out in the bushes and visit!

Poor, dear Kevin was a bit dubious about the whole idea of WEARING CLOTHES. He said it just seemed un-monkey-like to him...but, we finally convinced him to give it a go. He was just starting to get somewhat comfortable in his new outfit when his person, Rayna, arrived home from school. Rayna dashed over and grabbed Lily up, oohhing and ahhing over her new outfit (much to Lily's pleasure!) and then turned to me and asked, "Where's my other monkey?" I told her, right there where Lily was sitting. Rayna went back over to the bench where Zeke, Grover, and Kevin remained and then came back to me empty handed and queried once more, "Where's my other monkey?" I asked, "Do you mean Kevin?" She replied, "Yes. Where is he?" She had looked right at him and not recognized him! She thought a new monkey had arrived at the orphanage and meanwhile her beloved Kevin had gone missing! Well, that certainly did not help Kevin warm any further to his new clothes!!!

Tradition...(Guest-authored by Monica)(usually DARCY writes the posts)

2010-04-18T16:37:00.011-05:00

It has been the tradition of the sock monkeys to always hold a celebration in honor of the departing sock monkeys. So it was, that this morning, all the monkeys headed for their favorite tree to party! They did indulge me in this one group photo, before resuming their frolicking. The lucky monkeys who found forever families today were Eunice and Blossom. Blossom had only arrived at the orphanage in the wee hours of the morning this morning, so we hardly got a chance to know her before she was waving fare-well! But, we know her cousin, Lily, so well that we almost felt like we knew Blossom, too, before she even arrived! Eunice said she hopes her cousin, Lambchop (recently moved to Nome, Alaska) will check the blog and see that she has a home, now, too!

The other monkeys gave Blossom a butterfly necklace as a farewell gift. For Eunice, they chose a sheepy vest (since Eunice had admired pictures of Lambchop wearing her sheepy poncho before she departed for Nome)! Blossom and Eunice were very pleased with their going away presents!

(Oh, and in case you are wondering why GROVER did not get included as a guest of honor since he was adopted yesterday...it is because, much to the angst of the orphanage DIRECTOR, Miss Darcy decided to adopt Grover for her own. WHICH MEANS...Grover will CONTINUE LIVING HERE AT THE ORPHANAGE FOREVER along with the much sweeter Zeke, Kevin, and Lily. This is a very difficult situation. Grover continues to be a bad influence on the other monkeys and Darcy does not seem to give him the CONSTANT supervision that a monkey of his caliber NEEDS! We are STILL cleaning up trash out of our front lawn from last Tuesday morning...it seems that SOMEONE thought it would be HILARIOUS to sneak out and cut the bottoms out of each of the trash bags after Grant placed them at the curb....so, of course, when the trashman went to sling the bag into the back of the truck, trash flew EVERYWHERE. At least we have our dog back home safely now (after SOMEONE opened the back gate last week, lured her out, dared her to run riotously through the neighborhood AND THEN CALLED THE DOG POUND TO REPORT HER!!!!) I (Darcy's mother and director of the orphanage) suspect that Darcy just adopted Grover so he would always be here to vex me so that I would be so busy with him that I wouldn't have the time (or energy) to reign her in!!! (Personal theory!) The other monkeys are talking about getting Grover a florescent green vest....but, maybe that isn't so much a "congratulations on being adopted" gift as it is a way of making him a little more VISIBLE so he isn't able to slip around quite so sneakily! (Again, that is just my own personal theory!)

~Monica

Blossom

2010-04-18T08:46:00.004-05:00

Name: Blossom
Date of Arrival: 4/18/10

About Me: Blossom is the SWEETEST monkey you could ever adopt. She's friendly, cute, and completely adorable!! She likes being outside and around other animals. She's very encouraging and when you're around her she can always make you feel better. She doesn't let anything get her down!! Blossom loves children and is always ready to have fun :)

Status: Already Adopted

Pillows Tailor-Made for Sock Monkeys!

2010-04-17T15:44:00.008-05:00

Written by Monica:
Last January I visited my dear friend, Lisa, up in Nome, Alaska. The bed in her guest room was covered with a hand-made quilt featuring different materials with sock monkey themed prints. It was the first quilt Lisa had ever made. I LOVED that quilt, and thus began the inspiration for me to make a sock monkey! The next month, I made my first sock monkey with Rayna for her eighth birthday (Kevin).

On Lisa's birthday, a week and a half ago, she spent the entire day piecing together these little pillows from some of her sock monkey themed material that she had left over from the quilt she had made. These tiny pillows are the perfect size for a sock monkey to rest his or her head upon! The pillows arrived in the mail today!

Henrietta

2010-04-16T13:40:00.008-05:00

Name: Henrietta
Date of Arrival: April 15, 2010

Unique Feature: First THERMAL Monkey!

About Me: Henrietta loves fashion! She loves changing her appearance all the time!! She likes changing the color of her eyes and likes wearing lots of makeup.

She's a PLUSHED Sized monkey with a heart just as big as her hips! She is our softest, snuggliest monkey so far! She is definitely a couch monkey. If you like long afternoon naps, she's your monkey! 'Comfy' is her middle name! She is a one of a kind and she's delighted to be so unique! She loves to smile!...and she makes everyone else feel like smiling too!

Photo of the Most Recent Group:

2010-04-16T13:07:00.008-05:00

These are the current residents of the Monkey Orphanage who are awaiting adoption! (Someone has put in an application for Eunice. She is the only one spoken for out of this group! All the rest are still looking for families of their own!)

Eunice, Henrietta, Martin, River, Grover, Grace, and Buddy!

We are particularly interested in finding a family for Grover. He is not adjusting well at all to life here at the Monkey Orphanage. We had a near catastrophe yesterday involving the local animal control officer after SOMEONE opened the back gate and INVITED Ransom out to run LOOSE all over town! We feel it would be in Grover's best interest for him to move out of the orphanage as soon as possible. We are certain there is a home out there that would be just right for him...maybe one with a custom padded room, or something!

UPDATE: Grover, Martin, River, and Grace have also since been adopted. Only Henrietta, and Buddy are still available out of this particular group of monkeys.

Martin

2010-04-14T19:07:00.009-05:00

Name: Martin
Date of Arrival: April 13, 2010

Martin is short and pudgy and totally comfortable in his own skin! He is a funny little guy...the life of the party. He is so confident in his uniqueness that it is contagious...making him a regular trend-setter! He's crazy and is always up for a challenge! He loves playing truth or dare, (dares are his favorite), duck duck goose, and buck buck!!! He is also a big fan of the trashcan game. He is very competitive, but when he loses he's never sore about it.

He's friendly and sweet, but stay on his good side!! (He's a distant relation to Grover...)

River...still waiting...

2010-04-13T06:59:00.002-05:00

River is trying not to be too blue as she waits for a family.

Eunice

2010-04-12T21:07:00.006-05:00

Name: Eunice
Date of Arrival: 4/12/10

About Me: Eunice loves nature. She loves the birds, the flowers, the sunshine...She even loves the ticks and chiggers! She plays outside with Ransom on occasion and likes riding on her back!

She enjoys walks in the rain, and sitting on her front porch painting storms. She's a very creative monkey! She's like MacGyver. She can make something insanely cool out of gum wrappers and twine!

Eunice has a very big heart and loves all the monkeys and workers at the orphanage!

Status: Already Adopted

Off to the Great Northern Wilderness!

2010-04-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Today, Clyde and Lambchop leave to meet their new family--way, way, way up north in Nome, Alaska! Though it has been in mid-seventies here, it has been in the lower teens up in Nome these last few days. In fact there was such a fierce blizzard there this weekend that all the stores had to close!

Knowing how cold it is up there, Clyde had gone clothes shopping early on and had begun always wearing his little stocking cap, sweater made from socks, and brown trousers. Lambchop, though, had not gone shopping for clothes. She kept insisting, "Clothes?! I don't need no stinkin' clothes!" Fortunately for her, the other monkeys thought differently and they all pooled their allowance money together to buy her a woolly poncho! She is sure to stay warm now! The other monkeys didn't forget Clyde, either... Since he had already gotten himself some clothes, the other monkeys got Clyde a picture of all of them together for Clyde to take with him to his new home, so he won't forget any of his friends back here at the Monkey Orphanage!

Clyde and Lambchop will be leaving in just a few moments to board the Priority Postal Flight to Nome!

Grover...Looks can be so Deceptive!

2010-04-11T20:20:00.007-05:00

Even in spite of his perpetual coating of lint, Grover looks so adorably sweet swinging through the branches. If only!

Buddy

2010-04-11T19:17:00.008-05:00

Name: Buddy
Date of Arrival: April 11, 2010

Buddy is a soft-spoken, shy, intelligent young monkey. Though he is an accomplished athlete specializing in soccer and extreme tree climbing, he still prefers to be a behind the scenes type of monkey. He prefers to follow rather than lead. He has a humble, gentle heart as big as his ears.

Grover Already Causing Trouble...

2010-04-11T18:58:00.006-05:00

Okay, Grover hasn't even been at the Monkey Orphanage even a full day yet, and ALREADY he is getting other monkeys into MAJOR TROUBLE. Grover arrived yesterday and was told all the house rules. Buddy (not even introduced on this blog yet!) arrived today and before he had been told the house rules, Grover slipped him into the backyard (a DEFINITE no no) and we found the two of them happily playing in one of the trees back there. They ARE allowed to play in any of the trees in the FRONT yard, but there is a problem with the back yard.... It is the home of one very large German shepherd who usually views monkeys as small, delightful snacks. So, we nearly had a heart attack today when we glanced out the patio door and to our horror saw Grover and Buddy goofing around back there in the tree!

To our utter surprise, it turned out that Ransom (the German Shepherd) no longer views monkeys as delectable tidbits! Near as we can piece the facts together, Grover about got eaten, before Buddy jumped in and brokered a truce between the razor toothed canine and monkeys for all time. Perceptive Buddy quickly sized up Ransom and realized that Ransom's greatest frustration in life has been the tasty little squirrels that taunt her from the tree tops. Buddy pointed out to Ransom that the monkeys could be very valuable allies in the pursuit of the evil squirrels!

It appears we no longer need to restrict the monkeys from the back yard! Ransom has decided she is delighted to share her space with them!

Update: Grover has since been adopted Buddy still needs a home!

Grover

2010-04-11T08:00:00.007-05:00

Name: Grover
Date of Arrival: April 10, 2010

About Me: Grover has just recently escaped from federal prison to our orphanage! He is a very mischievous monkey that loves to cause problems. He's always playing tricks and pranks on our other monkeys! He has sticky paws and loves a good car chase from the cops! He's a very sneaky stealth monkey, thats how he escaped from prison! You may have to watch out for this one, he's always got some kind of sharp and pointy thing in his pockets...He is currently in rehab for his sneaky, thieving ways. :) Because he is wanted in 49 of the 50 states (the only reason he's not wanted in all 50 is that they haven't found the body yet...he claims he was FRAMED) he has also gone through plastic surgery! Thats why his hair and eyes are green..

However, even though he is a criminal, he is a very likable guy! If you meet him, you will want to help him, no matter what his situation is. He's funny and he always sticks up for his friends. He's very intelligent even if he doesn't like to show it very often. Before he became a wanted criminal, he worked at the movie theater and often gave away free tubs of popcorn.

Please adopt Grover! Once he's finished rehab, he would be the perfect monkey for your home as long as you don't have any small children for him to bully!

Status: Adopted 4/17/10

*Blog Editor's Disclaimer: I, Monica, only MAKE the monkeys...it is Darcy who imbues them with their personalities and histories!

First Monkeys to Head to Their New Homes!

2010-04-10T17:58:00.007-05:00

It was a hectic day today! Rose (Princess Lokelani) and Hana (Monkey Agent Mokihana) nearly missed their Priority Postal Flight to their new home. For a bit there, it looked as if they would have to be rebooked on a Monday flight, but, just in the nick of time, they made it to the Post Office and away they zoomed...en route now to Normal, Illinois to meet their new family--Anni and Frankie!

It was a bittersweet day. Rose and Hana were so excited that they are finally finding a family of their own, but, still, they were sad to leave their friends at the Monkey Orphanage. Just before they boarded their priority postal flight, the other monkeys gave each of them a special necklace to remember them by! Rose was given a bright yellow Smiley Face necklace by her monkey friends here, and Hana was given a lime green Peace Symbol necklace. Rose and Hana were both very touched by this. They said they will cherish their necklaces forever!

Their friends, here at the orphanage, are hoping they will remember to send back a photo of themselves with their new family!

Preparing for Farewells...

2010-04-09T15:36:00.008-05:00

The first group of monkeys are about to leave the orphanage! Clyde and Lambchop will be flying to Nome, Alaska to live with Lisa, while Rose and Mokihana are setting out soon for Normal, Illinois to live with sisters Anni and Frankie. Grace and River can't help but feel sad that they haven't found homes yet. Meanwhile, Zeke, Lily, and Kevin are feeling wistful about the soon departure of their dear friends because their own permanent home is the orphanage (having been adopted early on by orphanage workers Doug and Rayna). They love living at the orphanage...but, it's still hard when they see their friends moving on. So...they all decided to have a farewell party at the park...to end this chapter on a happy note, playing together one last time before they set out on their own individual adventures! (Clyde even mustered up his courage and spent some time high up the branches of their favorite tree! He says that hanging out in the tree is helping him get used to the idea of FLYING in a PLANE to Alaska. He has also taken to wearing clothes--something he found really weird at first, but which he thinks will be a good habit to have formed once he winds up in a place that is twenty to thirty degrees BELOW zero much of the year!)

Mokihana (the Secret Service Monkey)

2010-04-09T08:23:00.015-05:00

Name: Mokihana
Occupation: Secret Service Agent
Date of Arrival: April 8, 2010

Mokihana is the secret service agent assigned to protect Princess Lokelani, so Mokihana will only agree to go to the home that Princess Lokelani is placed in. (In fact, she will INSIST upon going to the home that Princess Lokelani is placed in!)

Mokihana traveled to France early in her career, where she received training in espionage. She apprenticed in Japan under a world renowned martial arts expert. She also spent considerable time in Germany where she honed her expertise in foreign languages. She is fluent in English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and numerous Pacific Island native languages.

Regardless of her expansive linguistic knowledge, Mokihana's favorite phrases remain, "Tuck and Roll!" and "Serpentine! Serpentine! Serpentine!" She is a bit of an adrenaline junky. She is stealthy and approaches problems with the no-nonsense ingenuity of a MacGiver. On a personal note, she detests snakes. (Her uncle on her mother's side, a rather inquisitive monkey, was once bitten on the nose by a rather irritable snake--resulting in quite a nasty infection and leaving a permanent scar.) Mokihana would not do well in a home that has any pet snakes. She has been known in the past to reflexively snatch unsuspecting snakes up by the tips of their tails and hurls them into the stratosphere.

Status: Adopted by Frankie (sister of Anni) of Normal, Illinois.

(Mokihana is named after Kaui's official plant, the mokihana which is a hardy green berry grown only on the slopes of Mount Waialelae. This berry has the surprising, exotic scent of Anise.)

Princess Lokelani (Rose)

2010-04-08T08:43:00.013-05:00

Name: Rose
Date of Arrival: April 7, 2010

Petite little Rose is a lost princess. Her true name is Princess Lokelani, but she goes by Rose since leaving the Pacific Island of her birth. She was separated from her sock family under tragic circumstances. After she has grown up and received a thorough education, it is possible that she might choose to return to the small uncharted Pacific Island of her birth to ascend to the throne.

Rose prefers to be pampered. She has ALWAYS wanted a dog of her own and hopes her new family will have a puppy. (Black is her favorite color of dog, but she is flexible!)

(Princess Lokelani was named after Maui’s official flower, the pink lokelani (Rosa damascena), or pink cottage rose. This flower, like the princess named for it, was a transplant, brought to the Islands in the 1800s. The lokelani is the only non-native plant to be recognized as the official flower of any of the Hawaiian islands.)

Status: Adopted by Anni (sister of Frankie) of Normal, Illinois.

Monkey Line-up!

2010-04-06T20:40:00.006-05:00

...........Clyde, Zeke, River, Lambchop, Grace, Lily, and Kevin.....

As always, ALL our monkeys are Kid-tested and Mother-approved! (:

Our Newest Arrival!RIVER Needs a Home...

2010-04-06T20:16:00.016-05:00

Name: River
Date of Arrival: April 5, 2010

About Me: I bet you could guess by his name, that River loves swimming!!! He can spend hours and hours just playing in the water! He's also won a gold banana for speed swimming as well! River is also does gymnastics, and he loves doing flips and twists off the diving board! He is a very friendly monkey and he likes making new friends all the time. He likes playing in McDonalds play places and especially loves monkey bars at the park. He cant wait to be adopted into a loving home. :) If River is the monkey for you, email us at dublinlin@hotmail.com

Status: Adopted.

Lambchop Has Found a Home!

2010-04-04T17:33:00.014-05:00

Name: Lambchop
Date of Arrival: April 2, 2010

About Me: Lambchop is a very quiet, soft spoken monkey. She's very intellectual and enjoys reading and taking long walks outside. She is a hardcore Facebook junkie and she likes reprogramming computers and other things like that.

Status Update: On April 9, 2010, the family who is adopting Clyde put in an application for Lambchop, as well....and they have a stellar home-study, so their adoption application was, of course, immediately approved! So, Lambchop will be living in Nome, Alaska soon...and Clyde will have a buddy to fly over with! Clyde is so happy!!! (He was a little bit nervous about moving away so far, all by himself!)

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CLYDE Has Found a Home!

2010-04-04T17:32:00.007-05:00

Clyde is our heftiest monkey yet! He arrived April 3, 2010

Name: Clyde
Date of Arrival: April 3, 2010

About Me: Clyde is our biggest monkey yet! However, he's also one of our sweetest. He's a little on the shy side but he loves everyone and everything! Even though he's really big, he wouldn't hurt a fly. Clyde has lots of friends and enjoys spending time with his family.

In his free time, Clyde plays a lot of football and basketball with his friends at a nearby park! He listens to a lot of country music and his favorite singers are Josh Turner and Kenny Chesney. He loves going to the movies, but his favorite movies of all time are "Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Terminator 3: Rise of the machines".

Clyde hates heights. Absolutely, positively hates them. Even though he's a monkey, he likes being on the ground more than up in a tree! He's also kind of afraid of deep water and drowning. He hates all types of Mexican food because "It's all too spicy!" he says.

Clyde goes to a loving home for an adoption fee of $75 :)

Status: Clyde was adopted at 12:56 am on 4/7/10. He was up late watching movies when the wonderful news arrived that he has a family of his own now!!! He is heading for Nome, Alaska...hopefully the flight won't be too scary for this monkey who does not like heights! Oh...and the final irony? His new dad is from Mexico! Guess he will have broaden his taste buds! Stretching is always a good exercise for all of us! Clyde is so happy about having a family of his own, that he says he doesn't even mind flying and he can't wait to taste some moose chorizo!

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GRACE Needs a Home....

2010-04-04T17:31:00.008-05:00

Name: Grace
Date of Arrival: April 4, 2010 (Easter Morning)

About Me: Grace is a very bouncy, petite, happy, dancing monkey! She loves all types of dance, but her favorite is ballet. She is always singing and she loves all kinds of music. She's very graceful and elegant, but she can also get down and dirty and play some sports with the guys! She likes shopping and being with family. She loves swimming and scubadiving in the ocean and lying on the beach! Her favorite place to be is in Hawaii, swinging from coconut trees and enjoying the sun!

Status: Adopted and Home!

Hanging Out Together at the Foster Home...

2010-04-04T17:29:00.004-05:00

..........Clyde, Lambchop, and Grace.......

Lily

2010-04-03T08:21:00.004-05:00

Name: Lily
Date of Arrival: April 1, 2010
Occupation: Fashion Model

About Me: Lily an international fashion model. Ever since the day she was made, she has always loved fashion. She's always wearing the latest trend! Everywhere she goes, she's got her iPod in listening to her favorite songs. In her free time, she plays tennis and golf and she loves to shop!!

Status: Adopted.

Zeke

2010-04-03T07:56:00.004-05:00

Name: Zeke
Date of Arrival: April 2, 2010

About Me: Zeke is a very happy-go-lucky monkey! He likes having a good time and is always doing something crazy. He loves being with friends and family. He's always dying his hair a new color to go with his crazy rainbow, tyedye t-shirts! He likes playing basketball and football when he's not at work or partying with friends.
Zeke LOVES music. He listens to a lot of rap and hip hop. His favorite song is "FANATIC" by LeCrae.

"I'm an F A N A T I C, I rep Christ 'til I D I E"

Status: Adopted

2010-04-02T14:36:00.002-05:00

....Zeke, Lily, and Kevin....

Lou

2010-03-31T21:29:00.001-05:00

Name: Bat Monkey
Secret Identity: Loose Brain. But his friends call him Lou :)
Date of Arrival: March 26, 2010

Likes: Lou likes wearing capes and spandex and running around the city at night striking fear into the hearts of criminals near and far!!! He also enjoys a good game of football (his favorite team is the Texas Longhorns) and he likes to knit. He loves any good movie, but enjoys comedies the most. He listens to a lot of motivational tapes. "Music.." he says "distracts me from the really important things in life.." Lou has a magnetic personality...well, at least his hands and feet are magnetic!

Dislikes: Lou absolutely hates all platypus. When he was first made, he watched a few too many episodes of "Phineas and Ferb" on Disney Channel....

Current Status: Adopted.

Kevin

2010-03-29T14:02:00.002-05:00

Name: Kevin.

Date of Arrival: February 26, 2010.

Likes: Kevin loves reading, swimming, painting, underwater basket weaving and tree climbing. He also enjoys a good banana every now and then but his favorite food is bacon. He is a trilingual monkey as he speaks English, French, and Arabian.
He listens to a lot of Christian, Country, and Pop music. His favorite song is "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" by the Buckwheat Boys.

Kevin is a dedicated ping-pong player and has played since he was a day old! He enjoys watching soccer, and tennis. He is a very talented chess player and has had a few run-ins with Viswanathan Anand, the world's leading chess master!

Kevin is a hardcore, yelling at the tv, cheering on his favorite player "Survivor" (the tv show) watcher! He watches a lot of movies but his favorite movie is "Taken". He also reads a lot of books but "Dear Mrs. LaRue" (by Mark Teague) is one he reads over and over again.

Dislikes: Kevin, ever since the day he was made, has had a deep set fear of clowns. Their big hair, scary face, and fake smile have always had him climbing up trees!.. He has a strong dislike of all vegetables, and most fruits...except bananas of course!

Personality: Kevin is a very loud, outgoing, bright monkey. He is always talking and having a good time. "Sleep is for the weak", he says. Often, he goes full weeks just running on energy drinks and a couple hours of sleep. He is a hardcore party animal too! He's always at this monkey, or that other giraffe's parties!

Current Status: Adopted.

A Few Examples of the Types of Outdoor Portraits I Can Take For You:

2010-03-26T23:30:00.009-05:00

If you would like to help out, but don't have room for a monkey in your family, you might be interested in our other fundraiser...outdoor portraits of pets or children:

$50 for a CD containing 100 or more pictures that you can take to Wal-Mart and crop, edit, print for yourself...or...

$75 for a CD containing 100 or more pictures AND the photographer's favorite 20 photographs touched up and cropped to your preferred size for you to take to WalMart and have printed...or...

$100 for a CD containing 100 or more pictures with the photographer's favorite 20 photographs touched up, cropped, and printed.
Just e-mail Monica at DublinLin@hotmail.com

Below are a few examples of the sort of outdoor snapshopts I take...

These are a few of the snapshots I took this January while visiting a friend in Nome, Alaska. One of her friends, a musher named Dempsey, offered to take me for a sled ride with the team he is training to compete in the 2011 Iditarod. It was twenty degrees below zero and there wasn't much time for photographing...the dogs were eager to get on with running(!), but I grabbed a couple of photos on the fly!

My oldest daughter, Darcy...always a challenging subject since she despises being photographed! I have the best luck shooting her from afar with a zoom lens so she doesn't realize I am taking her picture!

Our dog, Ransom, with two of her litter-mates. These photos were challenging because the other two dogs had not had much obedience training yet and the three of them were pretty keyed up over seeing each other again!

(One of our dogs, Ransom.)

(One of our dogs, Rivendell.)

(A dog we picked up off the side of the road last November. She had been hit by a car and left for dead. She had two broken hips which healed up nicely. She eventually found a permanent home with an SBU student. I took this photo the day after we found her, when I still had hopes of locating her owner. Turned out she must have been dumped and then wandered around until she was hit. She had such an adorable face!!! And she is very happy these days!!!)

These are a few effects that can be achieved when editing the photographs. Of course, I would preserve the ORIGINAL photo as well as the newly created version of the photo on the CD of photo files that you would receive. These are images of my oldest daughter, Darcy, taken a few weeks ago.