As usual, we are headed in different directions.

Lisa and Kemmel are headed to the coast to meet with the MET Students. On Tuesday, they will return with 6 of the students and they will live in Paxot II. The students are part of the Medical Evangelism Training Program. Most are students in the medical/ nursing field and are seeing if this is something that they might want to do someday....................they could follow in the footsteps of our Lisa and Kemmel!!

It is an exciting time. They will live with families and work each day with us in clinics. Half-way through the program, these students will return to the coast and the the other half will come up here to the highlands for the remaining time of the program. The families in Paxot also enjoy time with the students and close bonds are formed.

Today, Ruben went with Juan and I to Chuchipaca. We saw 21 patients. While Ruben was seeing patients, I worked with Cesi. This was a good opportunity to teach her how to take temperatures, the weight and pulse of the patients.


Toward the end of clinic, Juan told us about a young boy that had been burned in his home on Monday. The family said they could not bring him to the clinic and asked that we go to the home.

When we arrived, the family greeted us outside and it was obvious that one of the family members was drinking. We were invited inside where the young boy was. His legs and back were totally covered in 2-3 degree burns.

We began talking with the mother and then the man that had been drinking entered the room and did not want to hear any of it. The mother agreed that the boy needs care but she does not have any money. We offered to take her to Santa Elena in Santa Cruz, the National Hospital and this even disturbs the man more. I thought it was best that we went to eat, let them deal with their family issues and we would return if the mother wanted to go.

As we finished lunch, we got the call that they would meet us on the road. Ruben and I took the mother and the child to the hospital and got him admitted. As we were driving, the mother told us that the boy had turned away from a fire, lost his balance and had fallen backwards into a boiling pot of tamalitos...................I can not imagine that pain! They then took him somewhere for some type of injection. I was just praying that the hospital would take good care of him.

When we arrived at the hospital, they placed Elmer on a bed, on his stomach and asked his mother a lot of questions. They got him admitted and he was very calm for all that was happening. Please pray for Elmer, his mom and his family. In just the few minutes we were in the house, I could see a lot of dysfunction and abuse. I will try and visit Elmer on Monday and let you know how things are.