Quiet and peaceful Satuday......

Today is a day to relax, clean and get caught up on studying. I slept until 0800 which is very unusual and it was wonderful.

When I was sweeping and mopping my floor this morning my phone rang and it was Gaspar. He simply asked me to pray for him because he is studying the Bible with some ladies in his community. I told him that I would pray for him and to remember that God is with him today. God will provide him with the thoughts and the words he needs to teach the Bible. As stated in I Peter 3:15, we always need to be ready to give an answer when we are questioned about the hope that we have. We need to respond with gentleness and reverence.

In most blogs, I focus on the medical clinics we have since that is the area that I work most with. During this time we introduce Jesus to the patients and pray with them. Many times there are members from the local Church to also talk with patients. There are other aspects of the work that branch into teaching and sharing the hope that Christians have. People are people, no matter what county they live in. Most struggle with physical, emotional and spiritual problems. We are here to share the hope we have so they too can experience peace and eternal life. Medicine can only help the temporary, God has the answers for eternity.

There are other studies that are taking place so please remember them in your thoughts and prayers. Gaspar has also been studying with a group of people that are having problems and they have asked him to help them study the Bible for a better understanding. Juan has also spent time with a family in his community that is struggling.

I will update you as I hear what results from these studies.......hopefully, people will have soft hearts and respond to the Spirit (Romans 8:14).

Day to burn the devil......December 7th

Within minutes of completing my last blog, I was reading about Day to Burn the Devil or Queme del Diablo. After reading about the events that would take place at 6pm sharp, I walked to the park to see for myself. I had read in other peoples blog that it might not be the best time to be in the streets but I wanted to see............

The streets were lined with small fires and you could hear fireworks whistling and see the colors in the sky. People clean their houses and then place their trash in the street to burn. This is done to purify their house before Christmas. They buy one of the pinatas that are in the first photo and then burn it with the trash. Usually pinatas are filled with candy and used at parties but for this event they are filled with fireworks. People were jumping around in the streets trying to stay out of danger. Some people tied them to light posts and ignited them. Once you thought everything had exploded and the excitment was over, there would be one suprize left.......this became humerous as people walked past fires expecting one last POP! Then someone on the sidewalk would scream and then laugh as people jumped into the air!

I enjoyed walking through the streets and seeing the excitement. In the last photo, even though I was across the street, I felt the paper exploding as the fireworks were ignited.

OK, I am back in the house safe and I can still hear the activities in the street.........goodnight!

Clinic in Mactzul V

Today we had clinic in Mactzul V and it was the third day for the ABC Dental Clinic. There were 14 dental patients today. They did not announce the medical part so we only had 8 patients.

We drove to the clinic with no problem and it was nice to have patients waiting for us. After the ABC celebration I introduced you to Tomasa Sandra. I was able to spend a little more time with her today. She helps her mom run the tienda at the clinic. The top photo is of Tomasa and her little brother and sister. I joined them for the next photo.

The funny moment of the day was at lunch when Gaspar shook his Coke to remove the fizz. When he opened the Coke it went all over his pants.......we all laughed and teased him about where the bathroom is located in case he had forgotton.....he took it very well and laughed with us :)

When we were finished, we all pitched in a carried everything to the trucks. It is amazing how fast a building can be altered from a church building, to a medical/dental clinic, to a restaurant and then back to its original state.

It was a good day and I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. I am going to clean and catch up on my classes. I should be able to complete module 5 of my English program and also advance another level on my Spanish program.

Clinic in Mactzul VI

First, before I forget, I want to update you on the granadilla fruit or passion fruit. One fruit has only 17 calories and 2 g of dietary fiber! I bought 6 in the streets last night for 26 cents!

We drove to Mactzul VI for our clinic today. We were not sure if one bridge was going to be open or not so some of our equipment was left in the home of one of the health promoters. Gasper and I picked it up and then proceeded to Mactzul VI where we met Juan. The bridge is still open but once it is closed for repairs we have been told it will be closed for 15 days. This will present several transportation issues but we will make the best of it.

I was so excited for Gaspar because he had dental patients today! At first we did not think he had any so once I heard his dental equipment start up.....I was excited for him. We ended up with 13 medical patients and 4 dental patients.

The little boy was so pleased with his bow and arrow. We sat on the steps in the sun today as he restrung his bow and then tested it out. If you enlarge the photo, you can see a character on his shirt who is probably his hero.

One man from the Church helped me translate for the K'iche' speaking patients. When I asked him his name, he told me hermano Julio or Brother Julio. He was very helpful and I enjoyed working with him. Later I told them of classes that we will be doing for people who want to help more with clinics and become health promoters. I hope that he will attend the classes.

Kemmel and Lisa have posted more photos on their site, http://www.kemmelandlisa.blogspot.com/ from the ABC Celebration last Saturday. Please check it out. They have interesting information, more photos and mention others who have done well through the ABC program...........

Clinic in Xatinab

Today we had clinic in Xatinab. We had 13 patients and as always we were welcomed into the home of Josefa. We met Josefa a few months ago at another clinic and at that time she invited us to start having clinic in her home because she felt she could help her community. She has since then opened her home to us and has welcomed her neighbors.

The hospitality of most Guatemalans reflects the passage of I Peter 4:9, where we are told to be hospitable without grudge or grumbling. In a moments notice, they usually want to share their food, home and anything that they possible can. It is a culture that is very refreshing and not concerned with how the house will look and if everything is in proper order.

Yesterday, Josefina introduced me to the fruit, granadilla, also known as passion fruit. I had never had one before so she showed me how to crack it open and eat the inside. All of us enjoyed one, except for Kemmel. I will not share his thoughts on granadilla.
Pop quiz for today: How many calories are in a granadilla??
The answer will be in tomorrows blog :):)

Clinic in Xesic

Today we had a small clinic in Xesic. It was a special day because we saw a patient, Juliza Lux who is 4 years old that is being treated for leukemia. Today she was full of energy and was enjoying the sun.

In the first photo Juliza is getting ready to see some photos that were taken of her before she began her therapy. Her family takes her to Guatemala City for her treatments and in the process has lost her hair. She wears a hat most of the time and usually also wears a smile. Please remember her and her family in your prayers as this is a difficult time for them.

ABC Celebration in Montellano

The ABC Celebration in Montellano was a day full of festivities and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time. I have too many photos to share all of them and too many stories to tell so I will try to and hit the highlights. I counted 16 buses plus trucks and vans that carried approximately 1,500 people to the celebration.

The first photo shows the temporary shelter that was built to protect people from the sun. It was a hot day but we were thankful for a slight breeze.

The second photo is of Manuela. She is talking to the crowd about how thankful she is for the ABC program. She has been sponsored since the age of 6 and she is currently 18 years old. She is now working as a dental assistant and has applied for dental school. She is a true success story for the program!

I met Tomasa Sanda that is being sponsored by Jeanie that lives in Morganton, NC. Jeanie attends the Church of Christ in Morganton and recently began sponsoring Tomasa. Maybe one day Tomasa will be speaking about her accomplishments and opportunities that she has had!

The children were given awards for their accomplishments throughout the year and each community had a bed and a chest of drawers to present to a student. The fourth photo is of Jose Luis in La Palma being presented with his bed. Many other students received awards for their grades in school.

Lunch was provided and considering the amount of people the lines moved rather quickly.

Buses, trucks and vans were loaded and the children were ready to return to their homes. The last photo is of one of the buses as they were preparing to leave.

Many thanks goes to the Guatemalan staff that organize this program and to the sponsors in the United States. Any missing link would prevent this day from being as successful as it was!

THANK YOU!