Our Baby

Hurray!! He was still alive this afternoon and has been eating a little. We really were not sure that he would be. His name is Edson. We went to the SPAR (grocery chain) here. We went to the one that Bro. Spencer owns as he carries more items than most - things that white people would want. Sis. Spencer happened to be there doing her shopping and I ask her about the baby formula. She showed me which one we should buy and I told her I also wanted to take them some mealie meal (ground corn maize). Then she said that she would need oil and tomatoes and rape (a green vegetable), onions, vaseline for the baby, soap to wash the nappies (diapers) -- I looked at her and said, "she doesn't have any nappies - well she had a couple of pieces of cloth that were not at all absorbent). They didn't have any cloth nappies at the store but she put in a package of disposable diapers. She said we are putting this on Rob's account (her husband) along with her groceries!! Wow!! We weren't expecting that but this lady did get a lot more than what we could have given.

We put it into a couple of cardboard boxes (so the whole neighborhood wouldn't see) and parked close to her door and took it in to her. She was very happy, of course. We felt good about doing this as she really did have nothing. Some people here lie and put on quite a show to try and get something.

Oh yes! Jim got arrested today!! He went through an 'amber' light (the robot was actually working). The policeman took his licence and said he had to come with him and pay a fine. He only had to go a few steps outside the vehicle where the 'judge' is located with his clipboard. Jim told the judge that he was sorry and that we haven't been here very long and didn't mean to break the law (in Canada we can make a turn on an amber light). He also told him we are here doing charity work. So - luckily he didn't have to pay the fine (they didn't tell how much it would have been).

Yesterday we got stopped as well because we didn't have our seatbelts on. We do wear them - honest! Yesterday we were taking Pauline to the store to try and buy baby formula and for some reason neither one of us had put on our belts. I always wear mine because the traffic and roads here are so crazy!! Anyway, the policeman was nice and just told us to put them on and he let us go. We went through that police stop 2 more times after that and smiled and showed him we had our seat belts on. The last time - they must have been getting ready to quit because they ask which direction we were going - hoping they could get a ride with us! Elder Taylor was arrested once for something and they wanted him to do community service. He explained that he was already doing that here everyday for 18 months - they let him go.

That reminds me of something --- we thought we might need a locksmith to get a key off of our container. It would have cost $30 to have the guy come or if we picked him up it would only be $25. They don't have much transportation so that is what they do - interesting. We asked how they would get it off and they said they would use an angle grinder (couldn't make a new key for it). We ask around here to our physical facilities director and he had access to an angle grinder so they took it off for us. We need it off to open both doors of the container so we can load it IF our container from Salt Lake City ever gets here.

This morning we went to Enterprise and the Branch President and 1st Counselor took us about 25 km up into the hills where 10 of their families live. They wanted us to look at some land there that a lady has offered to let them plant (she will take a percentage). It is about 11 hectares (we think that is 110 acres). It was very nice up there and a nice spot of land but of course they want LDS Charities to provide the money for diesel, seed, fertilizer and sprays. I don't think we can do that but we will ask the brethren from South Africa when they come in a couple of weeks. It was a nice drive (except for some of the roads) and I took some good pictures.

The road to the field the Branch President wanted us to see

On the way to see the dam near Arcturas Gold Mine

The dam

A Good place for a meeting

They want help from LDS Charities to start a garden/farm project. There are a lot of issues - like getting water from the dam to the field, diesel for tractor they need to fix first, seeds, fertilizer,
spray, tools, etc. etc. Notice the bag of corn maize behind Elder Bullock: that is one of the
brothers contribution to the bishop for the storehouse!

This bridge was on the road back to Enterprise chapel. Sometimes we wonder if we dare use them - so far, so good!

Nice bridge - note the railing!

Pretty drive on the way back to Enterprise Chapel

Stay to the LEFT on this road!

Tall grass along roadway

Carrying wood on bicycles!

On our way back we saw a few kids and decided to stop and give each a hygiene kit. Suddenly kids appeared from everywhere so we opened the kits and gave each one a little.

Dividing up hygiene kits

A happy child with a towel and a toothbrush

This bus is really loaded!

Balanced rock

Selling goods along road. We see this everywhere here. This is how a lot of people make a few dollars.

At lunch time we were invited to go out with the Mission President and his wife, the AP's and Elder and Sister Taylor. We went to a nice enough place. I had chicken/mushroom crepe that was very good and Jim had Bream (fish) that was just so-so. The service was slow but they did get most of the orders right.

Variety is the Spice of Life

Hi to our family,
 
Not a lot happening here - just trying to keep busy.  Yesterday we went to the temple and then met our Inkom, ID friends for lunch in SLC.   After that we went to the Missionary Dept.  to ask how long it would take to book our flights once they got the go-ahead from the doctor.   We met with a nice guy who seemed happy to meet us since he said they had talked about us a lot.  He invited us to his office and he talked a lot about Zimbabwe - good stuff.   He's anxious to get us on our way.  We told him that Jim was feeling really good but that we couldn't get back to see the Dr. until Thurs. the 5th because Dr. Doty only sees patients in his office on Thursdays.   He said, "well lets see what we can do about that".  He got hold of Dr. Doty and told him that they wanted to get us away as soon as possible and wondered if he could expedite things for us.  Dr. Doty agreed to see us on Monday between surgeries.   Those brethern can certainly pull strings.  It's great!!!    
 
Apparently as soon as they get the ok they will start working on our flight plans and it could happen quite quickly. 
 
Our friends the Bennetts, from Airdrie, emailed that their daughter just had some surgery at that same hospital where we will be on Monday so we will get together with them for a little while.  That will be nice to see them.
 
Tonight we are going to a ward party with mom.  Tomorrow we are going out later in the day with Wade and Kim and possibly Diane for supper.  Sunday we are invited to dinner at Glen's, (dad's brother) -- grandma Bullock will be there too.  They live in Pleasant Grove (not far from here).  After that we will go to Diane's place for sugar-free dessert that is really yummy.
 
The weather has been rather nice - sorry to make you feel bad - I know it has been cold up there again.   It is a little cooler today but is suppose to warm up to 59degrees on Tues.  NICE!!   
 
We will start going through our things and packing for Zimbabwe.  We have accumulated a few things over the past month.  (paperwork, etc. from the MTC).  We will decide what we really need to take.  They gave us each a water bottle that filters out 99.99% of bad stuff.  They are suppose to be really good.  We are each allowed 2 - 50# checked bags and 1 - 40# carry on plus a purse or computer. That isn't too bad really.  We will have to pack heavier stuff in our small carry-ons along with a change of clothes in case luggage gets lost.  
 
Hope you are all doing ok.  Keep in touch and let us know.
 
Love, mom/dad,   Jim/nancy 

Hi,  The stress test went just fine.  Dad is fine.  We saw  Dr. Doty and he will do the surgery on Monday (afternoon probably).  The samples they get will be tested and results will come back within a day or two.  He said that could probably travel after about a week.    He says he doesn't think they will find anything as dad is so healthy.  Hopefully that is the case.
 
Love, Mom

We are off to SLC this morning for the stress test at 11:30 and then we have an appt. with Dr. Doty at 2:00 p.m. He is the thorasic (spelling) surgeon. We will consult with him about the procedure to use a scope and take a biopsy of some of the lymph nodes.

We had a bit of stressful day yesterday - we made the decision to go ahead and to the biopsy and felt good about it but then Dr. maxwell told us that he wouldn't advise going that route. We talked to a couple of other drs. and then Dr. Doty called last night (from the missionary committee) and told us that he would definitely recommend doing the biopsy and getting to the bottom of things now and getting us on our way. He said he would call his son who is also a thorasic surgeon and see if he could see us today -- and he will. We are to pick up the CT scans from Dr. maxwell's office and take them with us. It sounds like both Dr., Dotys will be there this afternoon.

Dad had a blessing from Wade and his cousin, Fraser Bullock last evening and Fraser said that we would know very clearly the route that we should go and that the Doctors would be blessed through Jim that the procedure would go well. Afterward Fraser also said that his advise would be to have the biopsy and find out exactly what we are dealing with rather than wait for 6 months. So - that is what we plan to do. Dr. Doty called after Fraser was here and was very helpful. We feel good about our decision again!!

Diane dropped in last night when Jim was about to get a blessing and she wanted a blessing too. Wade and Jim gave her a blessing after Fraser left. She has some stresses in her life. We had a good visit and discussed our problems and helped each other out. It was nice actually. They were here a couple of hours or more.

It would be REALLY nice to get some emails from our kids!!!! Tell us what you are doing and what's going on in your lives.

Take care and have a really good day.
Love you lots, Mom and Dad

Hi everyone,  I will write this once and send it to all at once.    As most of you know our trip to Zimbabwe is on hold due to some health problems Jim has had.  He has some enlarged lymph nodes in his chest. So here is an update on what is going on with that.
 
Dr. Maxwell, the specialist we saw in SLC called late this afternoon.  He had discussed things with an oncologist and a pulmonary specialist.  They decided it could be: 1) an inflamatory disease called sarcoidosis  or 2) residue of a past infection,  or 3)  lymphoma or some other cancer. If it is cancer it is a kind that is very slow (takes years if not decades) and they would not treat it anyway as chemo therapy doesn't work on it.    Dr. Maxwell wants to do nothing right now - just wait and do another CT scan in 6 months. (He wants us to be reassigned to a mission near Utah).   He is going to request a copy of the CT scan that was done last year when Jim had his blood clots so they can compare.  We called Peter Lougheed Hosp. and they will send them 'stat' if his office phones and requests them.  Maybe that will be helpful.
 
Dr. Maxwell did call the mission dept. and talked to Dr. Holbrook (a brilliant Dr. who taught Dr. Maxwell).  Dr. Holbrook says he still wants to see us go to Zimbabwe!!   It has been suggested that if we want to go to Zimbabwe that Jim should have a surgery --- a scope through the trachea area that would go down and take out a lymph node or two so they can be tested. (Dr. Maxwell sees that there would be no real benefit by the surgery).  Also - Jim should have a stress test (on a treadmill) to make sure that the heart is ok since his original little bout of chest pain has nothing to do with lymph nodes problems.   So, we are going for a stress test on thurs. @ 11:30 in the same bldg. as Dr. maxwell's office.
 
So -- We are thinking that after we do the stress test on thursday then we will go to the missionary dept. and talk to them - hopefully to Dr. Holbrook himself (we will call tomorrow and see if we can set up an appt.).   We think they should send us to Zimbabwe and in 6 months we could go to Johanesburg and get a CT scan done since we have to go there a couple of times a year anyway for meetings.   If it shows problems then they can send us home.  If the Lord wants us in Zimbabwe then everything will be okay.  
 
Why do the surgery - if it is cancer, they don't treat it anyway since it progresses so slowly.    And, we haven't figured out anything regarding the sarcoidosis yet!!! -- other than what I read is that it mostly effects people 20 -40 yrs. old and mostly african americans -- so I figure he doesn't have that :)     But, then what do I know, right?  Maybe the surgery would determine that -- I don't know. 
 
We ask if our health insurance would cover the surgery, etc.  The Dr. wasn't sure but will check with Dr. Holbrook.  We will make sure it is covered if we do anything.
 
We went to the devotional tonight at the MTC and M. Russell Ballard was the speaker.  It was very good, of course.  
 
Must get to bed.  We will keep you posted. 
 
We are suppose to have some sunshine for the next few days which will be nice!!!  Although it is warmer here than in Calgary.
 
Love, Sister Bullock

Just to let you know that the Dr., requested another CT scan yesterday (of Jim's abdomen area). We suspect that we will hear something from him at the first of the week. We are still hoping it is nothing to worry about and that we will still be going to Zimbabwe. Time will tell.

We are on the missionary medical insurance and they don't seem to have any problem with any of this. We told them that we have some travel insurance with blue Cross for the first 30 days that we are here but they said that we should use Blue Cross as the secondary. We are certainly getting good service.

We are taking it easy today. It is snowing this morning. Hope you are all well.

Love, Elder and Sister Bullock

An update of our lives - never a dull moment. Tues. evening at the missionary devotional Jim had some chest pains. They went away after about 1/2 hr. but it worried him because he had some chest pains when he had the blood clot go through his heart last spring. (however, we have been told here that there wouldn't have been pain when that happened). It was suggested we should go get the pain checked out so we went to Timpanogos Hospital and they did an EKG, chest Xray and blood tests. At the end of all that they said everything looked just fine. However, the next day they called and said that the radiologist had looked at the Xray and could see something and they ask if he could come back for a CT Scan. So, late yesterday we went back. This morning we found out that he has some enlarged lymph nodes in his chest (the biggest one being 9.8 mm). We understand that it is good that they are under 1 cm.

This afternoon we had an appointment with a specialist in SLC. He will consult with two other drs. and they will look at the CT scan and he will get back to us in a day or two. So - we are not leaving for Zimbabwe on Saturday. They have postponed things for a few days. The Dr. thinks that they will likely reassign us (but we don't know for sure yet). He will recommend that another CT scan is done in 6 months. The Dr. doesn't know what would have caused the chest pain. Jim feels just fine. I guess we will see what the Drs. think about all this and hope it isn't too serious. One of the Drs. he is consulting with is a cancer dr. but we will try and to think about that unless we have to. So, keep us in your prayers.

We will let you when we know more.
Love, Elder and Sister Bullock