Clinic in Xepol

This morning we all met in Lemoa before we went to different clinics.  The MET students have arrived and will be with us for a few weeks.  Part of them went with Ruben to San Jorge today, while Kelsy and Anna went with Enrique, Josue and I to Xepol.

Several months ago, the church building at Xepol was destroyed by a mud slide.  For the last three months, they have been using a metal structure to meet in.  Today, we saw the beginning of a new building.  Tomas told me that it will take two years to build.  There are only about 12 people in the church here so they do not have a lot of funding.

The supplies that they have been able to buy.

We had nine patients today.  Some of the children attached to Anna and Kelsy.

Kelsy and Anna with one of the little boys.

While I was trying to listen to patients story, this sheep was making loud noises!  I finally asked Tomas where it was coming from since it was so loud.  He was right behind me on the hill.

When we got to Los Encuentros, we stopped for lunch and then headed hack to Chichi.  I think the students enjoyed their day and they will have more adventures tomorrow!

Clinic in Chutzurob

This morning, the guys and I headed to Chutzurob.  We had a good clinic with nine patients. 

Manuel and Josue worked with taking vital signs and the pharmacy.  Gasper went on a home visit with one the the men from the congregation. 

This is one mother and son that came to the clinic today. 

On the way home, Josue and Gaspar wanted to practice driving.  Josue started and then Gaspar finished up on the dirt roads.  They both did great and it is nice to see their confidence grow.

Tomorrow, Gaspar is going to follow-up with the diabetic lady that we saw in clinic last Thursday.  After returning to the clinic, her blood sugar has dropped but Ruben found an abdominal mass.  Her family is not interested in helping her so Gaspar is going to visit with the family in the morning.  I just hope that they will get the ultrasound done so we can see what we are dealing with.

ABC Class in Paxot II

This afternoon, we had the ABC Class in Paxot II.  There was a good turn out with 70 children and parents.

Manuel wanted me to eat lunch with his family so I arrived an hour early.  He walked up to the church to get me and then we returned to his house.  His wife is a really good cook.  We all gathered in the kitchen and enjoyed lunch.  We had soup, tamalitos and Coke.  One of his daughters went and picked me fresh plums from their tree for desert.  Yum.........

We walked back up to the church building and began the class.

This young  guy lead us in a few songs and "professional" was his middle name!

This is the family that I lived with two years ago.  The children have really grown  lot!  Unfortunately, the oldest girl, Angelica quit school so she is no longer in the program.

This is Manuel with his family.

When we were finished for the day, I parked the truck at Lisa and Kemmel's house.  Their cat was sitting on the porch but was disappointed when it was only me.

Time for the weekend.  I thought about going to the lake but is has been raining every afternoon so I think I will stay in Chichi for the weekend.

Diabetic Class

Today, Enrique and I did the Diabetic Class III in Lemoa.  I was excited with having eleven patients in the class.  The questions and participation were wonderful.  After we finished the class, they wanted to review the second class so we reviewed for another thirty minutes.

For lunch, we wanted something different than beans and chicken.........so I called in a few orders of Chinese food and went to Chichi to get it.  It was the first time Enrique had eaten Chinese and he enjoyed it..............in fact, we all did!

In the afternoon, we were scheduled to have a Gastritis Class but no one came for it.  Oh well.......I was not sure how afternoon classes would go in Lemoa but felt we should try it.  Now, I know.

Class Prep and Clinic

This morning I remained at home and started to prepare the next ladies Bible Class.  The primary focus of the class is how to be a good disciple of Christ and how to apply His teachings to our life today. In the first class, just to introduce the topic, I used John 8:31-32.

Jesus is talking to His disciples.  He tells them that if they are really His disciples they will remain in his teaching.  In the Spanish version, the word, "obey" is used.  Other versions use "maintain" or "continue in" His teachings.  So, there is a responsibility to act on His teachings to be a disciple.  Only hearing or believing His teaching are not sufficient. 

So they focus will be how apply scripture.  What will I do different in my life today to be the disciple that I want to be? 

For the next class, we will study John 13:34-35.

In the afternoon, I went to Caris to help in the clinic.  I saw a few diabetic patients, a patient with a urinary infection,  a baby that needs surgery on his palate and a patient with a cataract.

One of the patients is a diabetic who takes insulin only twice a week since she can not afford it more often.  Lisa gave me some good advice on her and then Gaspar and I spent a long time talking to her.  She will follow up with Ruben on Monday.  Her blood sugar was 365 and she is not following the diet.  We will see what happens on Monday. 

Tomorrow, we are back in Lemoa with a Diabetic Class in the morning and a Gastritis Class in the afternoon.

Two more classes

Today, Josue went with me to help with the classes.

The first class was in Chuguexa and it was a Diabetic class.  I was disappointed with only seven people in the class.  Even though the class was small, they kept the questions coming.  I enjoy that!

We finished the class and went back to Chichi for about an hour.  I went and bought more peanuts for the next ABC Class in Paxot II.

The afternoon class was in Choacaman IV and this was the Gastritis Class.  We only had six people in this class.  During the class, the heavy rains began!!  And I mean HEAVY.  Josue and I just looked at each other and started laughing.  This happened several times because we knew we could not return to the truck in this rain.  After about an hour, the rains finally slowed and then stopped.  I was very thankful.  I was not looking forward to the idea of us sleeping on the floor at the church building.

Josue drove back up to the main highway.  He did a good job and I enjoy watching the promoters do new things.  Of course, we need a little more practice before he sets out for his license.

On the way home, Josue and I talked about the ladies Bible classes that we are doing. He was sharing with me how much faith he thinks that the ladies have.  Many times they attend the worship and do not have any idea what the scripture says if they do not speak Spanish. This is becoming more obvious to me the longer I am here and the more it saddens me.

I am sure that tomorrow we will have another adventure!

Monthly health promoter class

Today, we had our monthly health promoters class and it was another good one!

We started with a short devotional.  Josue led us in a few songs and Enrique read some scripture from the Old Testament where Hannah promised and dedicated her son, Samuel, to the service of God before he was born.

Ruben taught the class on pregnancy, warning signs during pregnancy and different information that helps the promoters while they are in their community.

The color of the photo is altered due to the blue tarp that we hung so we could better see Ruben's photos. We had twenty-three people attend the class.

Before the class got in full swing, Sandra, Ruben's wife led a ice breaker.  Here, she is explaining how this game was to proceed.

A team consisted of three people.  Two people created a house with their arms and inside lived a "squirrel."  Depending on Sandra's command, the house would move or the squirrel would move so you had to listen good, to know if you would remain still or need to run.

Tomas and Tomas form a house around Gaspar, who is the squirrel.

Here, Lisa and Josefa form a house around Mauri.

The class was really good.  I think that after the class the promoters felt a little more comfortable with problems that pregnant ladies might have.

We enjoyed a good lunch together before we started our afternoon.  As always, there is a lot of work do.  The guys hung new window blinds, cleaned the trucks and changed windshield wipers, we counted medicine and then we had a short meeting about what would take place int he next few days.

One of the patients that Lisa saw this morning has an abdominal mass.  She went o see Dr. Hoak in Chichi and then went for surgery.  Please remember her in your prayers.  She lives in Xepocol and Gaspar has been studying with her and her family.  When I get some more news on her, I will update you.

Ladies Class in Mactzul II

This morning I went to Mactzul II for a ladies Bible Class.  I was real pleased when twenty-six ladies there.  One lady, Tomasa, helped us with translating into  K'iche' and she did a wonderful job.   The ladies in this congregation do not have any Bible studies so they told me that they are looking forward to us meeting on a monthly basis.  I think it will be a real good class.

One lady in the group read a scripture for us and I think that she is the only one that could read in the group.  Later on, she told me that she could read but many times does not understand what she is reading. When we remember that many women do not speak Spanish and not many people at all can read K'iche', it makes studying the Bible even more difficult.  So most women attend worship services but do not understand much of what is going on, unless the service is in K'iche'.

After our class, I met  lady that lives in Mactul I but worships in Santa Cruz.  She has been very sick so I took her some medicine.  She can speak very little Spanish but I can understand her some.  So, I am hoping that the medicine helps her.

I will return to Mactzul II in a few weeks for a ABC Class and another Bible Study with the ladies.

Ladies Class in Mactzul VI

Mauri and Martina went with me to class this afternoon.  It was the first class for the ladies in Mactzul VI.  I always tell the classes I enjoy their questions but that also means that I will also have questions for them.

So my question for you is, "What is the most depressing thing to happen when you are teaching a  class?"  My response will follow in a minute.

The class was much larger than I had anticipated.  There were about 45 ladies with about 15-20 children and young people.  Martina took a few photos for me. The guys set up the microphone for us before we started.

Ana Maria translated for me.  She did a great job.  As I mentioned the class was larger than what I had anticipated.  It was difficult to get participation and people did not seem to remember the class last week.

We talked about meeting next month to begin a Bible Study on Discipleship.

Well, for me it was a discouraging class.  The response to the above question is that, many of the ladies went to sleep during the second part of the class.  I tried different techniques to keep them awake but just could not do it.  I could not get them interested..........next month is going to be a real big challenge!!  I hope that I am up to it!

Gastritis Class

Today, we had the Gastritis Class in Mactzul I.  Rick is here visiting so he went with Gaspar and I.

We had several people in the class.......about 50 adults.  A new group has formed in the congregation so they sang for us first.  They are a young group and Tomas is helping them.  They did a great job and I hope they are an encouragement to the congregation.

The rains have started!  Soon after we started the class the rain on the tin roof drowned us out.  Gaspar started to use the microphone..........and then the power went out!  Life is a challenge!!  I am thankful it was close to the end.  There were still a few questions and people were listening as well as they could.

Clinic in Chuguexa

This morning, I went to Chuguexa with Manuel and Josue.  We had a good clinic of 14 patients. It rained most of the morning and it was the typical cool clinic day here.

The first patient was a lady that came to the clinic last month.  She is a diabetic and her blood sugar was super high and her ankle was infected.  I gave her an antibiotic injection and also an oral antibiotic.  Her ankle looked so much better and is no longer red.  I was afraid last month that if it did not improve, she might have to lose that leg.  I was so excited for her today!

Tomas came to see us again.  His sons still have to help him walk but he said he feels better.  He has gained 10 pounds since his last clinic.  I hope he continues to improve.  

Below is the star patient for the day!  When she came to the clinic last month, her blood sugar was 500!  Today it was 137.......whew!!  How exciting is that?

We had two families with scabies today.  Hopefully, they will follow all of their instructions. 

It has rained all evening........the wet weather is upon us.  It is greatly needed so I am not complaining!

Clinic in Lemoa

Ruben needed to get is VISA stamped so I worked today in Lemoa for him.  We had a great clinic of 27 patients.  We had a wide variety of patients and everything went well.

I enjoy working the different clinics because I get to work with different people.  We welcomed everyone this morning and prayed outside the clinic before we started.  Tomas and Enrique were the promoters. 

We had s few patients that needed some good ear cleanings.  Gaspar and Tomas helped me with this.  It is unbelievable what can be washed out of an ear.

There is a mother in the clinic today that looked very familiar.  She is Anastasia's mom.  Anastasia had her cleft lip repaired almost two years ago.  She returned to have her palate repaired but when they got her back to the operating room, she had spiked a fever and they could not do the surgery.  It was very sad for us but her parents understood.  The other thing about Anastacia is that her dad also needs to have his palate repaired.  I am hoping that she will return to Lemoa in a few weeks and we can get them both scheduled for surgery.  How exciting!!

I will keep you posted.

Sandra was not feeling too good today and I hate it when people do not feel their best.  We got her started on some medicine this morning and she was feeling better this afternoon.

We had quite a bit of rain this afternoon.  When it was time to go home, we all jumped on a bus and made our way to Chichi.  We had a lot of fun on the bus and provided some people with some entertainment.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day!!  Mom, thank you for everything that you have done and continue to do.  I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.  I love you!

This morning, I met Manuel at Lisa and Kemmel's house to get the truck.

The guys were welcomed with a flat tire! Ouch! They quickly changed it and then we were on the road.  When we arrived in Santa Cruz, we stopped and had the tire fixed and changed it out with the spare for our travel.

We arrived in La Palma about 90 minutes later than we were suppose to but were met by friendly faces.  This area does not have electricity so the challenge to do a good class is even more difficult.   Neither is there water here, so be brought water so we could do the hand washing exercise.

We sat under the pine trees and had our class.  You can see the bundles of things under the trees at the top left of the photo. We opened with a prayer and they are very thankful for the ABC Program and also are thankful for the work that Kemmel and Lisa have done for this area.

When we talked about sources of protein, we ate a few peanuts.  After we talked about hygiene, we headed down to the truck.  We gave each student a tooth brush and talked more about the importance of brushing.  We then practiced washing hands.  We had two igloos with water so we had two washing stations.  The families washed their hands together and then the parents inspected the hands.

I took a photo of each family and will get their photos to them.  There are two congregations represented here.........La Palma and Las Cuevas.

This is Agostin with his family.  He lives in La Palma and helps at every clinic.

When we finished with the class, we returned to Santa Cruz.  We stopped and a guy swapped some of the tires around.  Then we finished traveling back to Chichi.

Please check out Lisa and Kemmel's blog at www.Kemmelandlisa.blogspot.com
They have some exciting posts of new work that is being done in the area. The church is really growing and it is exciting to see this take place.  If anyone is interested in helping with some financial assistance with the vehicles, please let us know.  We really appreciate any help that can be offered.

I am sure that next week will be as exciting as this weeks was!!  I will keep you posted!!

Diabetic Class II in Lemoa

Today, Mauri and I did the class in Lemoa.  About 20 minutes after the class was suppose to start, Mauri reminded me that today there were celebrations for Mother's Day so we might not have any students.  About 0930, six patients arrived and we were ready to start class!

I am very thankful that some ladies arrived.  For me, this is the most exciting class in the series.  We talk about each of the food groups and this helps explain the teaching sheet that we use in the clinics.  When there are a lot of patients waiting to be seen, sometimes it is difficult to answer all of the questions and be sure that the patient really understands. 

So, we ate a few peanuts when we talked about protein.  We used photos to design a good day for a diabetic and then I had a few volunteers tell us what they had to eat the day before.  I always wonder if one patient will laugh or ridicule another patient's diet but that has never happened.  They are always respectful of each other and I appreciate it.  We can always learn from each other.  

ABC Class in Mactzul I

I spent this morning running around and getting things done.  I went to buy more peanuts for the classes but my peanut-supplier moves his stand on market days.  Thankfully, people were helpful and I finally found him.

This afternoon Manuel and I went to Mactzul I for the ABC Class.  There are about 42 children in the program and everyone attended. We had about 70 in attendance and it was wonderful.  They sang the top of the church building off!  When I asked them about the class last year, their answers were very good!  I was really impressed.

Before the program even started, I had five children come to me and want me to look at their hands!  They remembered this from the last class.  This year we actually went to the pila and practice washing.  Only one child in the program needed to have their nails clipped.  I was very encouraged with the condition of their hands.

Now, this young lady is using some soap!

This young man was very particular in how he dried his hands.

After the class, Manuel did a recap of what we talked about.  Each promoter adds a special flare to the class and I enjoy this.  Manuel did a great job with the review and we could tell that the students had listened.

This sponsors of this young lady, Paulina, sent her a Bible and I was able to give it to her today.  Thank you, Rick and Sarah!  She was really excited about her gift.

Another day and another adventure!!  Tomorrow, we have a diabetic class in Lemoa.

Classes for Chutzurob and Mactzul VI

 This morning Kemmel came by to get me and we drove to get one truck that was ready at the mechanic's shop.  It was the first time in many months that I was able to drive the Suk and it seemed good. But the Suk still does not have the best health so Kemmel stayed to talk to the mechanic about those problems.

Gaspar and I went to Chutzurob to do the first Gastritis Class.

I started the class by talking about the first time that Gaspar and I were in Chutzurob.  It was about 3 years ago that we met with Sebastian about starting a clinic there. He had some doubt that the congregation would be interested so we said we would pray about it, as he talked to the members there.  We were so excited when we received the call saying that the clinic was welcomed.

We had 22 students and the class lasted 2 hours. There were lots of questions, since stomach problems are very common here. People are very willing to share their stories.  They have asked for more classes and this is an encouragement to us. 

In the afternoon, we went to Mactzul VI for the ABC Class.  As I took this photo, I realized that the first slide is in English........opps.........

On the way to class, we were talking about some of the photos and Kemmel helped me realize that I had been saying the words, "balance" and "scale" wrong.  I will have to work on this.  Spanish remains frustrating to me and I have so much to improve on.

Lisa and Sandra had the monthly clinic today in Mactzul VI. They had not finished yet when we arrived.  One young patient of Lisa's is a diabetic and is using insulin.  This is not very common here but Lisa said her blood sugar was good and she seems to be well controlled. 

Sandra and Maria helped us out with the dental part.

Maria and Gaspar are very valuable since they are able to speak K'iche'. Without them, many people would not understand.

Maria continues to demonstrate proper brushing.  Sandra explained how you can use strips of a plastic bag to floss your teeth.  Many people do not have dental floss so this is helpful information.

The ABC children and their parents.

There are 24 students in the program and I think everyone was there.  We ended the class by talking about what a blessing the ABC Program is to the children, family, church and community.  Gaspar led a prayer as we closed and I think everyone enjoyed the afternoon.

We confirmed the Bible Class for the ladies on May 18th in the afternoon.

Lady's Class in Chichi

As many of you know, we have to remain very flexible in our work.  Sometimes things happen that we have no control over and we just have to roll with the day......sometimes with Plan B and sometimes with Plan C.

Today, we had clinics scheduled in Xepocol but the road was closed due to construction.  We planned on having medical and dental clinics in the morning and a class for the ABC families in the afternoon.  Because of the road situation, we had to cancel the clinics.

Gaspar was able to continue with the ABC Class in the afternoon and I was excited to hear about this.  This is exactly what we want to accomplish.  Eventually, the Guatemalans will do the classes and educate their community.  It is exciting to watch them grow and to do things that they have not done in the past.

I did a class this afternoon for the ladies in Chichi.  We do not have the ABC Program in this area but the ladies had asked for a class on health and hygiene.  Mauri was able to come and translate for me.  Thank you, Kemmel!  We had 9 women in the class and it went well.  They had a lot of questions since this is the first time the had heard the material. It was a good class and I hope to return to be with them at a later date.

ASELSI Clinic in Mactzul I School

This morning I worked with another clinic that is near my house. The name of the clinic in ASELSI and you may have read about it in previous blogs.  ASELSI has a milk program so we work together with the babies that need surgery for their cleft lip or palate.

They have a large group here for a few days and Cathy asked if I would be free to help out.  Sure!!  We went to the school in Mactzul I and set up clinic.  There were three of us seeing patients.  We saw a total of 60 patients for the day.

I worked with Julie, who is a P.A. and lives in Tennessee. Julie is with Tomasa, who translated into K'iche' for us.  Tomasa was a big help!

This is Carol, who is a nurse.  She was working in the pharmacy area.

These two ladies are also from Tennessee.  They packaged the medicines before Carol gave them to the patients.

This is a visitor from Tennessee with Cathy and Colleen.  Cathy is a Nurse Practitioner and Colleen organizes the group and their activities.

I did know one of the patients that came to the clinic and it was very sad for me.  It is a young girl that we use to see on a regular basis that has seizures.  Her seizures were controlled but her mother has not brought her to the clinic for four months.  She has stopped giving her daughter the medicine and has started giving her, "natural medicine."  She said that now she is having bad seizures.  On our way back to Chichi, Cathy stopped by ASELSI to get the medicine that the young girl needs. Maybe we can get her controlled again and her mother will see the need for follow-up.

ABC Class in Mactzul III

This morning, Manuel and I went to Mactzul III for our first ABC Class.  This year we will be talking about basic hygiene, dental care and good nutrition.  I will also be talking to the parents about basic parenting skills.  Yes, I know that I have so much experience in this area...... but maybe I can spur on some good thoughts.

When talking about nutrition, I felt we needed to give some good examples.  This year, I am sharing  peanuts with the classes.  Peanuts are easy to find in the market and are not real expensive but many people do not eat them.  It is an alternative for more protein in the diet and are very easy to carry to work or to school.

We are also talking about the proper way to brush our teeth.  So, everyone got to practice.....

We formed a circle and brushed away................brushing up and down, not side-to-side.  We need to develop good habits.

I think the parents enjoyed it as much as the children.

We need to start the children young..................

Then it came time to wash our hands.  This child was having the best time.  If you enlarge the photo, you can better see his fingernails.  I never like to be the one to tell the child their hands are dirty.  This is the responsibility of the parent.  So when he was finished, I had him ask his father if his nails were clean.

His father decided that more needed to be done so I let him use my clippers.  Manuel, standing behind, offers support.  This might have been the first time this father has clipped nails.

The final result! Spotless!!

This little girl was not sure she wanted to participate in all of the excitement.

This is Marleny.  She is my ABC child and live here in Mactzul III.

Fourteen on the sixteen children were able to attend the class, with their parents.  Next week, we will continue in other communities.

Diabetic Class in San Jorge

Today, we had diabetic class  in San Jorge. 

Gaspar and I left Chichi and headed toward Santa Cruz to pick up Tomas and Enrique.  Once we were on the road we saw Sandra, my ABC daughter.  She needed a ride to Lemoa, so we offered to let her ride with us.  She told us that she heard the road was closed after Lemoa to Santa Cruz but did not know why.  Well, she was correct.  Once we got down the road another mile, the traffic had stopped and people were standing outside of the vehicles.  Apparently, a huge truck had turned over on the road and they were not making progress on re-opening the road.

Gaspar and I turned around and proceeded with a long drive through Lemoa, Mactzul I, Mactzul II and Patzite.  We called everyone to let them know of our problems and that we would eventually make it.  We arrived in Santa Cruz 90 minutes later.

We arrived in San Jorge without any further problems.  We had a small class of three students.  I was hoping to see one of Ruben's patients that needs cataract surgery but he did not come to class.  He has bilateral cataracts and is only 40 years-old.  I called him at home and told him that we can still work him into the clinic but he told me that he just did not have the time to go. I encouraged him to change his mind and hopefully, he will follow-up with Ruben on Monday.

After our class, we returned to Santa Cruz thinking that the road would surely be open after almost five hours.  When we left Santa Cruz, we could see that we were wrong.  The road was still closed but we heard that another truck had flipped over and this delay was not from the original accident in the morning.  It was just not a good day for truck drivers between Lemoa and Santa Cruz.

Tomorrow, Manuel and I will go to Mactzul III for an ABC Program.  There are 16 children in the program there and I thnk we will have a good class.

Some catch up........

A few things have happened that I want to let you know about.

Jane and Joe came to Chichi last week to visit us.  It was Joe and Jane that got us started in helping babies with cleft lips and palates.  One of the very first babies was Edison.  This is Joe and Jane as they celebrated Edison's fourth birthday!

This is Edison the day before he had his surgery.  What a difference some people have made in the life of Edison and other babies.  Thank you, Joe and Jane!

We were able to enjoy dinner together one evening.........Kemmel, Lisa, Jane and Joe.

Please check out their blog site at www.Evelynsbaskets.blogspot.com

Another blog that is a very good one is that of Lisa and Kemmel.  A few days ago they did a recap of all the employees here in the highlands.  It was a great blog and I think you would enjoy it.

Their blog is www.Kemmelandlisa.blogspot.com

We try to maintain the blog sites to keep you to date on the work that is being done.  We all enjoy doing the blogs and also hope that you enjoy them.

Dead battery, Xepol and patient visit

When I was waiting for Manuel to arrive at the house this morning, Lisa called and told me the other truck had a dead battery.  For the last few weeks, we have really struggled with problems of the vehicles.  As soon as Kemmel gets one taken care of, something happens to another one.  I have my opinion on why this is happening and I will share that in a minute.

Gaspar and I went to Xepol today for clinic.  You may or may not remember but this area was hit hard with a mudslide a few months ago and they lost their building that they use for worship.  To proceed with clinic, we tied up some sheets for some protection and were able to continue.  Today, we were able to have clinic for the first time in a place they have built with lamina.

These were the children at clinic today.  Most of them played outside while their family members were seen.

A group photo with Gaspar and Tomas.  Tomas is the gentleman to the left and he always helps us with clinic.

After we finished with clinic, we drove back to Chuguexa to search out one of out patients.  I  mentioned Tomas in a previous blog.  He is the diabetic patient that has lost 46 pounds and his sons brought him to the last clinic in Chuguexa. His neighbors were a big help to us and when we found the house, his family invited us in.

He was sitting on the patio area.  He now uses crutches since he is able to walk without assistance.  He seemed to have a little more energy than last time we saw him but he is still very, very sick.

Gaspar and I visited with them for about an hour.  Gaspar read part of Hebrews, about faith, to the family. He talked to them about their relationship to God.  It was good to see Tomas feeling a little better and to meet his family. After seeing where he lives, it must take him an hour to walk to clinic. Not the easiest thing to do.........

Well, there are a lot of things in this world that are not easy...........we all know that. It is a reality that there are struggles. For us, right now, maintaining the trucks is a struggle.  I believe that Satan is as powerful now as he was in Bible days.  He will do everything in his power to prevent goodness, to prevent us from sharing truth and also to prevent people from opening their ears and eyes when they hear.

If he can find a way to discourage us, he will. We need to be strong and continue to do what we know is right.

James 4:7-10----Submit yourselves then to God.  Resist the devil ad he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners and purify  your hears, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.