Hey guys,
If you want to get my new ezine on a regular basis, please sign up on the link to the left. It will be short & sweet, but packed with great information, household tips, and delicious, easy recipes. I'll be sending it out about twice a month.
Thanks,
justjulie :)
Friday, November 27, 2009
Leftover Turkey: What to do with Leftover Turkey?
Hey friend,
Many of you have leftover turkey you are wondering what to do with, so I wanted to share this yummy meal we had last week. It calls for leftover turkey, but at the time we didn't have any, so I just used cooked chicken, and it was still delicious.
Hope you like it. :)
Moo Shu Turkey (or chicken):
8 flour tortillas
3 T. Hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. Asian sesame oil
3 tsp. olive oil
1 pkg. (8 oz.) mushrooms, sliced -- I didn't have, so used canned.
1 pkg. (16 oz.) shredded cabbage mix for coleslaw -- I didn't have this either, so just used 1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin; 1 grated carrot; finely chopped green onion.
1/2 medium red pepper, thinly sliced. Didn't have this either, so used green pepper. We like green pepper better anyway, because it's not as sweet as red.
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger -- use the real stuff, because it makes it taste authentic. Only take off what you need from the bulb, and freeze the rest until you need it again. (keep the skin on the portion of ginger bulb you will freeze).
3/4 lb. leftover turkey, shredded. About 2 cups.
1. Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in nonstick pan; cook mushrooms until they are brown & liquid has evaporated. Set aside in bowl.
3. Heat remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in skillet; cook cabbage mixture, green or red peppers, and sliced green onions for 3 minutes. Stirring constantly.
4. Add ginger & garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add shredded turkey, hoisin-sauce mixture, and mushrooms. Heat through.
6. Heat tortillas.
Each person can place mixture in tortilla and roll. We also added more hoisin sauce in tortilla before rolling. Like you would with sour cream or another topping.
This was so delicious. My son said it was a "10!" He said it tasted like restaurant food. It really did, so give it a try. Let me know if your family loves it ..... or hates it.
Many of you have leftover turkey you are wondering what to do with, so I wanted to share this yummy meal we had last week. It calls for leftover turkey, but at the time we didn't have any, so I just used cooked chicken, and it was still delicious.
Hope you like it. :)
Moo Shu Turkey (or chicken):
8 flour tortillas
3 T. Hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. Asian sesame oil
3 tsp. olive oil
1 pkg. (8 oz.) mushrooms, sliced -- I didn't have, so used canned.
1 pkg. (16 oz.) shredded cabbage mix for coleslaw -- I didn't have this either, so just used 1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin; 1 grated carrot; finely chopped green onion.
1/2 medium red pepper, thinly sliced. Didn't have this either, so used green pepper. We like green pepper better anyway, because it's not as sweet as red.
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. grated, peeled fresh ginger -- use the real stuff, because it makes it taste authentic. Only take off what you need from the bulb, and freeze the rest until you need it again. (keep the skin on the portion of ginger bulb you will freeze).
3/4 lb. leftover turkey, shredded. About 2 cups.
1. Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in nonstick pan; cook mushrooms until they are brown & liquid has evaporated. Set aside in bowl.
3. Heat remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in skillet; cook cabbage mixture, green or red peppers, and sliced green onions for 3 minutes. Stirring constantly.
4. Add ginger & garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
5. Add shredded turkey, hoisin-sauce mixture, and mushrooms. Heat through.
6. Heat tortillas.
Each person can place mixture in tortilla and roll. We also added more hoisin sauce in tortilla before rolling. Like you would with sour cream or another topping.
This was so delicious. My son said it was a "10!" He said it tasted like restaurant food. It really did, so give it a try. Let me know if your family loves it ..... or hates it.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Holiday Party Planning
Hello Friend,
Major party time lies just around the corner -- Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years. You can stay on top of your entertaining with a little bit of planning.
In this blog, I hope to give you useful tips for entertaining and a recipe for our favorite holiday tea. :)
The 2 basic components of entertaining: cleaning the house & the food.
1. Your greatest asset is planning ahead. As soon as you know you are on point for the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast -- start planning!
**Plan your menu -- you may want to try a few new recipes and then of course, the tried and true favorites.
**Divide up who will bring what & e-mail or notify them right away. Keep a copy yourself; post on the refrigerator. You can send a friendly reminder the week of the celebration.
**Keep the easier food tasks at your house, as well as, those items which are difficult to “bring in” like the mashed potatoes.
**Also, keep the food items you insist follow a certain recipe at your house. We love our sweet potato puff recipe and would really miss it at a holiday celebration. :) You’ll love it too.
I have never served it when the recipe wasn't requested.
http://www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/sweet-potato-puff.html
**A nice division of food could be;
At the party house:
Meat, potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, holiday tea, coffee, creamer & sugar.
Assign to guests:
Salad or vegie, rolls, pies or dessert, olives, pickles & cranberries, paper products, drinks.
You may also include appetizers.
**If you are providing all the food; it will be a little more challenging, but doable. Go easy on new recipes, so it doesn’t add too much stress.
**Make your bars & cookies early and freeze them.
**Make pies a day ahead.
**Consider just tossed salad for the vegie or simple buttered green beans.
**You could order your rolls from a local bakery to save on time.
**The olives, pickles, and drinks just require purchasing and storing in the refrigerator.
**Plan your menu with timing, food preparation difficulty and your oven’s cooking capacity in mind.
2. Set up your schedule for the week prior to the party -- this will include grocery shopping & specific cleaning tasks. Follow this schedule to complete all your cleaning within the week. http://www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/cleaning-schedule.html
OK, your menu is planned, food items distributed, and your schedule is planned for cleaning.
3. Some cleaning tips: clean as you go. This is my greatest cleaning tip of all time.
Put things away right after using them; tidy the living area & kitchen every day; wipe the counters; load the dishwasher; etc.
This will help you prepare for your holiday entertaining, because you will only need to do your standard cleaning for the party.
The clean as you go philosophy allows your house to essentially, be clean all the time. :)
THE WEEK OF THE PARTY:
1. Post your schedule on the refrigerator & follow it for cleaning -- each day do what’s on the schedule, so you don’t run behind.
If you find yourself falling behind; don’t fret, just keeping moving forward. The next day may involve a few more tasks, but you have allowed enough time for everything to get done.
**Involve your kids, http://www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/chores-for-kids.html
**If your week is really busy the week of the party; plan to do some of your cleaning tasks the week before. A little touch up the week of the party should suffice.
**Your schedule should include grocery shopping a day or two prior to the party.
2. Be sure your linens are ready for the party -- table cloths, etc. Be sure to put them in the wash if needed and allow time for ironing if necessary.
This is the time to dig out your serving platters -- clean ahead and set out. Add this to your posted schedule.
**I recommend using sturdy, decorative plates, cups and paper products for large parties -- it’s the only way to go!
Makes clean up a breeze -- you’ll still have plenty of pots and pans to do.
3. THE FOOD:
You should be able to complete some tasks ahead during the week of the party; mix pie crust, crack ice, stock drinks, make cookies or bars and freeze.
http://www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/perfect-pie-crust.html
Add it to your posted schedule.
**Some dishes can be assembled a day ahead, and stored in the refrigerator, like sweet potato puff and mashed potato casserole.
http://www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/mashed-potato-casserole.html
**You can also make your pies a day ahead or the night before.
THE DAY OF THE PARTY:
1. Relax. You are well prepared, so you can enjoy your celebration.
2. Depending on what meat you are serving, you will most likely need to start this early in the morning.
2. Make your rolls -- you may need time for dough rising, so get this done early in the morning.
We love this delicious, very simple bread recipe. http://www.keep-your-home-cooking.com/60-minute-bread.html
3. If you haven’t assembled your potato recipes (sweet & regular); do this next. If you are making mashed potatoes on the range, peel your potatoes, and place in a cooking pot with water. This will keep them from browning until you are ready to cook -- plan for enough time to mash them. OR, if baking, a little bit before you want to start eating.
4. Wash the vegetables or salad. Cut up additional vegetables if necessary. Mix the dressing.
5. Place the olives, pickles and cranberries in a dish or tray; cover and refrigerate.
6. Place butter on trays & set out salt & pepper on serving table.
7. Have your family help with rearranging the furniture or setting up the tables and chairs. This can be done a day or two in advance.
8. Make the holiday tea.
9. Get your coffee brewing. If you aren't using a large pot, make some ahead and put in air pot to keep warm; brew some more. Set out your powder creamer, sugar & spoons. Liquid creamer can come out once your guests arrive.
10. Have your meat ready about a half hour before serving, so you can carve.
11. Make gravy.
When your guests arrive, have a place for their coats, boots/shoes and purses, so it’s not all dumped at your front door.
Put your kids in charge of that if they are old enough to handle it.
I hope this helps you enjoy your holiday celebrations!
Blessings to you,
Julie :)
Our favorite Holiday tea; recipe from Jean
5 individual tea bags
5 cups boiling water
5 cups unsweetened apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1. Bring water to a boil in large stock pot; add tea bags.
2. Steep tea for 8 minutes; discard tea bags.
3. Add remaining ingredients to tea; simmer & stir until sugar dissolves.
4. Turn off heat & reheat as needed.
Enjoy!
Major party time lies just around the corner -- Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years. You can stay on top of your entertaining with a little bit of planning.
In this blog, I hope to give you useful tips for entertaining and a recipe for our favorite holiday tea. :)
The 2 basic components of entertaining: cleaning the house & the food.
1. Your greatest asset is planning ahead. As soon as you know you are on point for the Thanksgiving or Christmas feast -- start planning!
**Plan your menu -- you may want to try a few new recipes and then of course, the tried and true favorites.
**Divide up who will bring what & e-mail or notify them right away. Keep a copy yourself; post on the refrigerator. You can send a friendly reminder the week of the celebration.
**Keep the easier food tasks at your house, as well as, those items which are difficult to “bring in” like the mashed potatoes.
**Also, keep the food items you insist follow a certain recipe at your house. We love our sweet potato puff recipe and would really miss it at a holiday celebration. :) You’ll love it too.
I have never served it when the recipe wasn't requested.
http://www.keep-your-home-
**A nice division of food could be;
At the party house:
Meat, potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, holiday tea, coffee, creamer & sugar.
Assign to guests:
Salad or vegie, rolls, pies or dessert, olives, pickles & cranberries, paper products, drinks.
You may also include appetizers.
**If you are providing all the food; it will be a little more challenging, but doable. Go easy on new recipes, so it doesn’t add too much stress.
**Make your bars & cookies early and freeze them.
**Make pies a day ahead.
**Consider just tossed salad for the vegie or simple buttered green beans.
**You could order your rolls from a local bakery to save on time.
**The olives, pickles, and drinks just require purchasing and storing in the refrigerator.
**Plan your menu with timing, food preparation difficulty and your oven’s cooking capacity in mind.
2. Set up your schedule for the week prior to the party -- this will include grocery shopping & specific cleaning tasks. Follow this schedule to complete all your cleaning within the week. http://www.keep-your-home-
OK, your menu is planned, food items distributed, and your schedule is planned for cleaning.
3. Some cleaning tips: clean as you go. This is my greatest cleaning tip of all time.
Put things away right after using them; tidy the living area & kitchen every day; wipe the counters; load the dishwasher; etc.
This will help you prepare for your holiday entertaining, because you will only need to do your standard cleaning for the party.
The clean as you go philosophy allows your house to essentially, be clean all the time. :)
THE WEEK OF THE PARTY:
1. Post your schedule on the refrigerator & follow it for cleaning -- each day do what’s on the schedule, so you don’t run behind.
If you find yourself falling behind; don’t fret, just keeping moving forward. The next day may involve a few more tasks, but you have allowed enough time for everything to get done.
**Involve your kids, http://www.keep-your-home-
**If your week is really busy the week of the party; plan to do some of your cleaning tasks the week before. A little touch up the week of the party should suffice.
**Your schedule should include grocery shopping a day or two prior to the party.
2. Be sure your linens are ready for the party -- table cloths, etc. Be sure to put them in the wash if needed and allow time for ironing if necessary.
This is the time to dig out your serving platters -- clean ahead and set out. Add this to your posted schedule.
**I recommend using sturdy, decorative plates, cups and paper products for large parties -- it’s the only way to go!
Makes clean up a breeze -- you’ll still have plenty of pots and pans to do.
3. THE FOOD:
You should be able to complete some tasks ahead during the week of the party; mix pie crust, crack ice, stock drinks, make cookies or bars and freeze.
http://www.keep-your-home-
Add it to your posted schedule.
**Some dishes can be assembled a day ahead, and stored in the refrigerator, like sweet potato puff and mashed potato casserole.
http://www.keep-your-home-
**You can also make your pies a day ahead or the night before.
THE DAY OF THE PARTY:
1. Relax. You are well prepared, so you can enjoy your celebration.
2. Depending on what meat you are serving, you will most likely need to start this early in the morning.
2. Make your rolls -- you may need time for dough rising, so get this done early in the morning.
We love this delicious, very simple bread recipe. http://www.keep-your-home-
3. If you haven’t assembled your potato recipes (sweet & regular); do this next. If you are making mashed potatoes on the range, peel your potatoes, and place in a cooking pot with water. This will keep them from browning until you are ready to cook -- plan for enough time to mash them. OR, if baking, a little bit before you want to start eating.
4. Wash the vegetables or salad. Cut up additional vegetables if necessary. Mix the dressing.
5. Place the olives, pickles and cranberries in a dish or tray; cover and refrigerate.
6. Place butter on trays & set out salt & pepper on serving table.
7. Have your family help with rearranging the furniture or setting up the tables and chairs. This can be done a day or two in advance.
8. Make the holiday tea.
9. Get your coffee brewing. If you aren't using a large pot, make some ahead and put in air pot to keep warm; brew some more. Set out your powder creamer, sugar & spoons. Liquid creamer can come out once your guests arrive.
10. Have your meat ready about a half hour before serving, so you can carve.
11. Make gravy.
When your guests arrive, have a place for their coats, boots/shoes and purses, so it’s not all dumped at your front door.
Put your kids in charge of that if they are old enough to handle it.
I hope this helps you enjoy your holiday celebrations!
Blessings to you,
Julie :)
Our favorite Holiday tea; recipe from Jean
5 individual tea bags
5 cups boiling water
5 cups unsweetened apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1. Bring water to a boil in large stock pot; add tea bags.
2. Steep tea for 8 minutes; discard tea bags.
3. Add remaining ingredients to tea; simmer & stir until sugar dissolves.
4. Turn off heat & reheat as needed.
Enjoy!
The flood & Emily
It's been a while since I've written. Many of you know our last month has been crazy.
Our Emily had a ruptured appendix the day of the heavy rains/typhoon here in the Philippines.
She had gone that morning with friends to Daniel's volleyball game -- we stayed home that day because an out of country friend was stopping by. By 10:30 a.m. that morning, we had lost electricity; and the rains hadn't stopped all through the night. It seemed inevitable that she would have to stay at the school with other stranded game goers. We didn't know she had a ruptured appendix yet, she just was not feeling well.
Daniel and his team never made it to their game; they were stuck in water & stopped traffic on the freeway. They ended up walking to a team members house through the rain & flood waters and stayed the night there -- they walked for an hour..... I was frantic!!
Emily texted saying how terrible she felt, but what could I do? We certainly didn't expect appendicitis, and we couldn't get to her; I thought she had the flu -- all the roads were blocked, which you may have seen on the news.
By morning, the rains had stopped; we still had no electricity and no telephone. We figured the kids would be heading back to us that morning -- little did we know the roads were still blocked with waist-high water, stranded cars and debris.
They had both headed home with their respective families they were traveling with, but had gotten stuck along the way. At 9:00 a.m. our friend called to let us know they had taken Emily to the hospital and they thought she had appendicitis. She had a fever and had been vomiting all night, and was in indescribable pain. I had to get to her! We had no idea what the roads looked like.
We started out in the car, but didn't make it 10 feet on the main road -- cars stopped everywhere; people milling; trees, branches and debris everywhere; road dividers turned over and strewn across the streets -- it was impassible.
Phil brought me to our neighbor, friend and fellow Action missionary; he took me on his motorcycle, and we tried to see if we could get through. Our first try was met with waist deep water; we turned around and tried another way. That was also met with waist high water. I decided to head out and see how far I could get on foot -- the hospital, with traffic, is an hours drive; without traffic, is about 20 to 25 minutes. It's a good jaunt away. I just started walking; the whole time praying for my baby girl to be fine and that the doctor's would have wisdom. Our friends were trying to reach me and I was trying to reach them, but we had no reception on our cell phones -- incredibly frustrating!
The water was waist deep and I just plunged in, and started trudging through it. Hundreds of people were doing the same thing as me -- I wondered, "Why would you be doing this if you didn't have to?" So, I guess they must have had to -- I saw pregnant women, old men & women, infants, children, all walking through muddy water to reach their destination. Each side of the road had people walking in a different direction. Large equipment trucks would pass by with 50+ people on them -- hanging to the sides to get a reprieve from the strong water. I thought, "I've got to get on one of those to get going faster." But, each time they passed by, they were jammed full.
I'd ask of people heading towards me who had already crossed the way I was headed, "How much further?" One man said 2 kilometers, and I thought, "You have got to be kidding!" "Waist high water for another 2 kilometers?" That didn't seem possible! But, he confirmed that to be true.
My mistake -- I always convert kilometers the wrong way -- I double it up, not divide it by 2. So, I thought it meant 4 miles left when in actuality, it was only another mile in waist high water. Phew!!
Until I figured that out; I thought I would have to turn back -- I would never make it another 4 miles in this water. It was too difficult. Then, I heard someone call my name.
Oh yeah, I should tell you I picked up a broken broom along the way to test my footing ahead of me. The Philippines is notorious for having open man holes, so I didn't want to fall in one.
Anyway, back to hearing my name. It was another missionary mom who had been at the game, spent the night and was walking the other direction -- she was with her son, a classmate of Emily's. They had abandoned their car about a half hour back and they were walking home. When she told me it was only a half hour more through that water; I was encouraged and fortified to keep moving forward. I knew once I got through the water; I would still have quite a walk, but at least it was on solid ground. I want to bear witness that when I was ready to give up; the Lord put someone in my path to move me forward. Thank you God!
I should also say that many people were praying for Emily at this time, and for us to make our way to the hospital safely. Everyone I saw on the way that we knew; I told, and Phil quickly let our Action leaders know, who patched it out to the team. Later in the day, I believe he was able to let our stateside girls know.
As I looked to the left, I saw a fishing boat being pulled by a man in the water. The boat was pretty full, but I could see room for myself. It was on the other side of the road, so I started running through the water, and yelling, "I have to get into that boat!" "My daughter's in the hospital, and I have to get there!" I was hoping they would have compassion on me. :) They didn't want to let me in, but I wouldn't take no for an answer and just started getting in. Their eyes all got wide as the boat leaned to one side while I got in; but, it leveled out again. :) The immerged man covered the remaining distance of water quickly, and as soon as the boat grounded, we all hopped out. I handed him 15 pesos and was on my way in only ankle deep water.
Abandoned cars made a maze of the road -- I simply walked wherever there was open space. It was an incredible sight -- the roads weren't cleared for a week; other places still have standing water.
Who should I see in one of the parked cars, but my son and a few members of his team. He got out and we headed toward the hospital. He said I looked like some sort of tribal woman -- I guess I looked pretty crazy :) I was soaked up to my waist from water; my hair was soaked with sweat and I had been pushing it back haphazardly; I had a broken broom as a walking stick and I had strapped my purse around my neck, so it wouldn't get wet. I guess it looked a little crazy, but you parents know -- when it comes to our kids; we'll do anything!
We continued on, trying to hitch rides whenever we could. People didn't seem to want to give rides -- I'm not sure why. Maybe they were afraid to be stopped & robbed -- I really don't know. Public transportation is very available in the Philippines on a regular basis; but, this was not regular, so there was no guarantee of a ride. I tried hitching with a man on a motorcycle; a van; a truck and a jeepney; but nothing. When the next van drove past me; I called him a jerk and slapped my hand on his window. Yikes!
Dan said, "Mom, let me flag down the rides and no more hitting cars." Wise boy. :)
We picked up several rides and then were able to land a taxi, which took us the last 5 miles. I almost couldn't believe it when he said he could take us the rest of the way to the hospital! I was so thankful!!
When we arrived, Emily was in the emergency room and they were getting ready to admit her. They felt as though her appendix had ruptured; she was fighting the infection, and we were waiting for a physician. Several more tests were done to verify the rupture, and to rule out anything female. Low and behold, they found a cyst on her left ovary. This was shocking to say the least. I remember thinking, "We'll just take one crisis at a time, and concentrate on the ruptured appendix, and deal with the cyst after." I also thought that in God's Providence, this may be the reason she had a ruptured appendix -- to find the cyst.
They decided to do a more exploratory incision because of the cyst on the left and the ruptured appendix on the right. So, she had an incision from under her belly button to just about her pubic area -- like a cesarean. They had started giving her antibiotics about 5 p.m. --- not soon enough for me. I knew we were in a race against time with the infection that was going through her body from the ruptured appendix. We were still waiting for the surgeon to arrive -- he was caught out in the waters somewhere. We finally requested another Dr. When he saw Emily, he had a 2 hour surgery ahead of her -- my patience was getting tested. She went into surgery at 7:30 p.m. about 12 hours after she arrived to the hospital; and probably 24 to 36 hours after her appendix ruptured.
I believe the Dr. we had was God's choice and that's why the other Dr. was not able to arrive. This new Dr. was God's annointed to do the surgery on our Emily.
The surgeon removed her appendix and cleaned out the puss; the OB - GYN drained her cyst. It turned out to be a follicular cyst which can fill up with liquid. The body typically absorbs the liquid, but hers didn't. She said it had no characteristics of cancer, and she was not worried at all. It was a "normal, abnormal." She will have a follow-up ultra-sound and CT scan within the next few weeks for the cyst.
Through it all, Emily was incredibly brave. We are so proud of her. Her friends were gems to her -- they were prayer warriors for her, and encouraged her all the way. Our friends and family lifted her and us up in prayer; and God healed her. He took away her infection, and cleared up the few complications she had after the surgery. Emily knew that God had safely placed her on the right side of the water, so she could get to the hospital. I'm not sure how she would have gotten to a hospital if she had been at home with us. She was with other missionary women that I trust and respect, and they took care of her. Our friend, was stayed with her and us through the surgery that night, is a nurse, and speaks fluent Tagalog, so she was there to help Emily and us. Thank you God for going before us and putting everyone and everything in place.
Colossians 1:17 says "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Amen to that!
Well, there's more to say, but I've talked a lot already.
God used this to touch Emily's heart & open her eyes and I am thankful for that -- she is too.
She loved the Lord before this, but He showed His faithfulness to her, and that has changed her. :)
Blessings to you all, and may God meet you in your lives.
Julie :)
Our Emily had a ruptured appendix the day of the heavy rains/typhoon here in the Philippines.
She had gone that morning with friends to Daniel's volleyball game -- we stayed home that day because an out of country friend was stopping by. By 10:30 a.m. that morning, we had lost electricity; and the rains hadn't stopped all through the night. It seemed inevitable that she would have to stay at the school with other stranded game goers. We didn't know she had a ruptured appendix yet, she just was not feeling well.
Daniel and his team never made it to their game; they were stuck in water & stopped traffic on the freeway. They ended up walking to a team members house through the rain & flood waters and stayed the night there -- they walked for an hour..... I was frantic!!
Emily texted saying how terrible she felt, but what could I do? We certainly didn't expect appendicitis, and we couldn't get to her; I thought she had the flu -- all the roads were blocked, which you may have seen on the news.
By morning, the rains had stopped; we still had no electricity and no telephone. We figured the kids would be heading back to us that morning -- little did we know the roads were still blocked with waist-high water, stranded cars and debris.
They had both headed home with their respective families they were traveling with, but had gotten stuck along the way. At 9:00 a.m. our friend called to let us know they had taken Emily to the hospital and they thought she had appendicitis. She had a fever and had been vomiting all night, and was in indescribable pain. I had to get to her! We had no idea what the roads looked like.
We started out in the car, but didn't make it 10 feet on the main road -- cars stopped everywhere; people milling; trees, branches and debris everywhere; road dividers turned over and strewn across the streets -- it was impassible.
Phil brought me to our neighbor, friend and fellow Action missionary; he took me on his motorcycle, and we tried to see if we could get through. Our first try was met with waist deep water; we turned around and tried another way. That was also met with waist high water. I decided to head out and see how far I could get on foot -- the hospital, with traffic, is an hours drive; without traffic, is about 20 to 25 minutes. It's a good jaunt away. I just started walking; the whole time praying for my baby girl to be fine and that the doctor's would have wisdom. Our friends were trying to reach me and I was trying to reach them, but we had no reception on our cell phones -- incredibly frustrating!
The water was waist deep and I just plunged in, and started trudging through it. Hundreds of people were doing the same thing as me -- I wondered, "Why would you be doing this if you didn't have to?" So, I guess they must have had to -- I saw pregnant women, old men & women, infants, children, all walking through muddy water to reach their destination. Each side of the road had people walking in a different direction. Large equipment trucks would pass by with 50+ people on them -- hanging to the sides to get a reprieve from the strong water. I thought, "I've got to get on one of those to get going faster." But, each time they passed by, they were jammed full.
I'd ask of people heading towards me who had already crossed the way I was headed, "How much further?" One man said 2 kilometers, and I thought, "You have got to be kidding!" "Waist high water for another 2 kilometers?" That didn't seem possible! But, he confirmed that to be true.
My mistake -- I always convert kilometers the wrong way -- I double it up, not divide it by 2. So, I thought it meant 4 miles left when in actuality, it was only another mile in waist high water. Phew!!
Until I figured that out; I thought I would have to turn back -- I would never make it another 4 miles in this water. It was too difficult. Then, I heard someone call my name.
Oh yeah, I should tell you I picked up a broken broom along the way to test my footing ahead of me. The Philippines is notorious for having open man holes, so I didn't want to fall in one.
Anyway, back to hearing my name. It was another missionary mom who had been at the game, spent the night and was walking the other direction -- she was with her son, a classmate of Emily's. They had abandoned their car about a half hour back and they were walking home. When she told me it was only a half hour more through that water; I was encouraged and fortified to keep moving forward. I knew once I got through the water; I would still have quite a walk, but at least it was on solid ground. I want to bear witness that when I was ready to give up; the Lord put someone in my path to move me forward. Thank you God!
I should also say that many people were praying for Emily at this time, and for us to make our way to the hospital safely. Everyone I saw on the way that we knew; I told, and Phil quickly let our Action leaders know, who patched it out to the team. Later in the day, I believe he was able to let our stateside girls know.
As I looked to the left, I saw a fishing boat being pulled by a man in the water. The boat was pretty full, but I could see room for myself. It was on the other side of the road, so I started running through the water, and yelling, "I have to get into that boat!" "My daughter's in the hospital, and I have to get there!" I was hoping they would have compassion on me. :) They didn't want to let me in, but I wouldn't take no for an answer and just started getting in. Their eyes all got wide as the boat leaned to one side while I got in; but, it leveled out again. :) The immerged man covered the remaining distance of water quickly, and as soon as the boat grounded, we all hopped out. I handed him 15 pesos and was on my way in only ankle deep water.
Abandoned cars made a maze of the road -- I simply walked wherever there was open space. It was an incredible sight -- the roads weren't cleared for a week; other places still have standing water.
Who should I see in one of the parked cars, but my son and a few members of his team. He got out and we headed toward the hospital. He said I looked like some sort of tribal woman -- I guess I looked pretty crazy :) I was soaked up to my waist from water; my hair was soaked with sweat and I had been pushing it back haphazardly; I had a broken broom as a walking stick and I had strapped my purse around my neck, so it wouldn't get wet. I guess it looked a little crazy, but you parents know -- when it comes to our kids; we'll do anything!
We continued on, trying to hitch rides whenever we could. People didn't seem to want to give rides -- I'm not sure why. Maybe they were afraid to be stopped & robbed -- I really don't know. Public transportation is very available in the Philippines on a regular basis; but, this was not regular, so there was no guarantee of a ride. I tried hitching with a man on a motorcycle; a van; a truck and a jeepney; but nothing. When the next van drove past me; I called him a jerk and slapped my hand on his window. Yikes!
Dan said, "Mom, let me flag down the rides and no more hitting cars." Wise boy. :)
We picked up several rides and then were able to land a taxi, which took us the last 5 miles. I almost couldn't believe it when he said he could take us the rest of the way to the hospital! I was so thankful!!
When we arrived, Emily was in the emergency room and they were getting ready to admit her. They felt as though her appendix had ruptured; she was fighting the infection, and we were waiting for a physician. Several more tests were done to verify the rupture, and to rule out anything female. Low and behold, they found a cyst on her left ovary. This was shocking to say the least. I remember thinking, "We'll just take one crisis at a time, and concentrate on the ruptured appendix, and deal with the cyst after." I also thought that in God's Providence, this may be the reason she had a ruptured appendix -- to find the cyst.
They decided to do a more exploratory incision because of the cyst on the left and the ruptured appendix on the right. So, she had an incision from under her belly button to just about her pubic area -- like a cesarean. They had started giving her antibiotics about 5 p.m. --- not soon enough for me. I knew we were in a race against time with the infection that was going through her body from the ruptured appendix. We were still waiting for the surgeon to arrive -- he was caught out in the waters somewhere. We finally requested another Dr. When he saw Emily, he had a 2 hour surgery ahead of her -- my patience was getting tested. She went into surgery at 7:30 p.m. about 12 hours after she arrived to the hospital; and probably 24 to 36 hours after her appendix ruptured.
I believe the Dr. we had was God's choice and that's why the other Dr. was not able to arrive. This new Dr. was God's annointed to do the surgery on our Emily.
The surgeon removed her appendix and cleaned out the puss; the OB - GYN drained her cyst. It turned out to be a follicular cyst which can fill up with liquid. The body typically absorbs the liquid, but hers didn't. She said it had no characteristics of cancer, and she was not worried at all. It was a "normal, abnormal." She will have a follow-up ultra-sound and CT scan within the next few weeks for the cyst.
Through it all, Emily was incredibly brave. We are so proud of her. Her friends were gems to her -- they were prayer warriors for her, and encouraged her all the way. Our friends and family lifted her and us up in prayer; and God healed her. He took away her infection, and cleared up the few complications she had after the surgery. Emily knew that God had safely placed her on the right side of the water, so she could get to the hospital. I'm not sure how she would have gotten to a hospital if she had been at home with us. She was with other missionary women that I trust and respect, and they took care of her. Our friend, was stayed with her and us through the surgery that night, is a nurse, and speaks fluent Tagalog, so she was there to help Emily and us. Thank you God for going before us and putting everyone and everything in place.
Colossians 1:17 says "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Amen to that!
Well, there's more to say, but I've talked a lot already.
God used this to touch Emily's heart & open her eyes and I am thankful for that -- she is too.
She loved the Lord before this, but He showed His faithfulness to her, and that has changed her. :)
Blessings to you all, and may God meet you in your lives.
Julie :)
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