Another day.......another lesson.......

Each day that I am here in Guatemala, I learn more. Some lessons are not easy and many are very humbling and can drop you to your knees. The language barrier is very difficult at times. Spanish has been difficult for me and I hate to admit it. I doubt that I will ever be able to speak K'iche'.

I have been preparing a class for our guys on when patients immediately need to go to the hospital. The information is not difficult, the difficulty is doing it in Spanish.....but I can do it. I am sure there will be times the guys will snicker a little or I will get an odd look and I will just have to laugh along with them.

Tonight when I was walking home, I saw two boys in a small store, tienda, shyly waving at me. After I had passed, I thought that I would return and buy a Coke from them and help their business a little. When I entered the store, they were all smiles and calling me by name! Of course, not wanting to look stupid or as if they were not important, I acted as if I knew them too. They were kind and reminded me they are from Paxot II......an area where we do clinic once a month. When I reached in my pocket for my money, they told me that they did not want it. I told them I wanted to pay and repeated, "please let me pay." They wiggled their finger at me which pretty much means the topic is closed, not open for more discussion........I thanked them a few times and told them I would see them in clinic.

I have never been good at math but this does not add up. I enter the store wanting to help them and they turned the situation around and gave to me. It happens so many times here. People on the street are so kind and take time to talk.........we meet people who are willing to share anything they have. As I said, it can be very humbling..........

We had a good clinic today. There were 15 medical patients and 8 dental patients.


Tomorrow we head out at 0700 and will drive for almost 2 hours to a community called Xejox. We first visited this community when South Fork was here on Oct. 18-19. I posted photos on those days. In October, some of the patients told me that they have to walk 2 hours to be seen by a doctor. I am so glad that this year we will be able to return to this community once a month.

OK, back to studying and preparing........it will be an early morning and another adventure!