Clinic in Chuchipaca and home visits

Today we had clinic in Chuchipaca.  Manuel, Sara and I went from Chichi and met Cesibel ad Cesar there.  Cesibel gifted us some of the earliest plums of the season.  They are awesome!  Thank you, Cesibel.

As we had clinic, Manuel went to help with transporting some building materials for the church in Xepol.  I think he had a real busy time getting this work done.

We had about 9 patients.  There was nothing unusual........

After clinic, we were invited to have lunch at Cesar's home.  We enjoyed a very good chicken soup, tortillas, chili and a papaya beverage. 

Cesar was concerned with his mothers blood pressure since she has a history of high blood pressure.  We gave her some medicine and asked her to follow-up in the next month.

Then we went to visit a patient with cardiac insufficiency.  It is hard to see someone suffer, with not a lot of hope of getting better.  We explained things to the family, gave her some more medicine and then we prayed with her.

It is now the weekend............time to study, clean, do laundry and get caught up on things.

Clinic in Quijel

This morning, several of us took off for Quijel.  It is a fairly new clinic and this was my first time of being there.

I picked up Sara and we met Gaspar at the gas station.  We waited for Marcos and he had Enrique, Martina and Maury ride with him.  We picked up Cesibel on the highway.

When we arrived, we were told that the owner of the home had taken a family member to Guatemala City due to complications with her diabetes.  We were sad to hear about this but because of this situation,  they had not announced the clinic.

The exciting part of the morning was when Gaspar shared with us that some of Manuel's family are thinking about being baptized next week.  If you remember, Manuel is a man that we met in Chicua a few weeks ago and was baptized in Panajachel.  How exciting to know that he is sharing the gospel with his family and they are seeing the changes in his life!

There were a couple of patients waiting but I am always hopeful that more will arrive.

We had one young girl that has a small hernia.  We talked with her dad about different options and he decided that he wants the surgery done in Montellano.  So, if her lab work is good, she and her dad can ride with me to Montellano in June for surgery.

While, we waited for more patients we sat and talked on the porch of a store.  Gaspar shared with us how a young boy came to his door late the other night.  He came looking for Gaspar because his dad had beaten his mom and she would not wake up.  Gaspar was a little nervous to return to the house with the boy but he did.  Eventually, the lady woke up and Gaspar spent a couple of hours with this family.

Martina had gone into the store and was eating something that looked very small........I had no idea what it was.  It was a small cup of creamy candy that she was eating with a small spoon.  So, the rest of us got one too.

Martina and Cesibel, who were full after their cup of candy!

Sara and her HUGE portion!! 

I think that this is the smallest spoon in the world.

We finished with four medical patients and five dental patients.

We pray that the lady with diabetes soon feels better and that the lab results for the young girl are good.

Tomorrow, we have clinic in Chuchipaca.

Clinic in Chuguexa

Today, we had clinic in Chuguexa.  It was a busy clinic and I loved it..............

We had twenty patients, with eleven of them being diabetics.

The first three patients were ladies who were pregnant.  The issue with two of them is that they have no idea how many months pregnant they are.  The are all related to they had a little, "pow-wow" to help them decide but they could not agree.......we will see what happens.

The sad story of the day is a young man, Tomas, with diabetes.  He has not taken care of himself, had not come to clinic and he has lost 33 pounds, now weighing only 78 pounds. His blood sugar today was 498.  I asked him to go to the hospital and he agreed to go.

We finished clinic and drove back to Chichi.  I went to Santa Cruz with Tomas.  After about 10 minutes, someone spoke with us and took Tomas' information.  After he heard the story, he let out a soft whistle and slowly shook his head.  We said our goodbyes and they took him to a bed. 

I got Tomas' phone number so I will call him tomorrow and see how he is doing.  It will be a good opportunity to follow-up with him.

Clinic in Mactzul II

Today, we had clinic in Mactzul II.  There were seven of us.......Sara, Tomas, Enrique, Marcos, Martina and Cesar and I.

We had 9 medical patients, 7 dental patients and 3 for dental cleaning.

These were some young girls that hung out with Sara and I.

In the afternoon, Cesar worked with some of the children who had homework to do.
There were also a few children who received a book with Bible stories.

This is Anastacia.

This is Elias.

After clinic, we went to deliver a few things in Mactzul I to a family.

It was a good day and tomorrow, we will go to Chuguexa.

Hungry for The Word??

This morning, I went to Santa Cruz to worship.  It was a very good message and it struck a chord.  His message focused on Christian growth.  He asked who had been recently baptized.  One lady stood and said she was baptized just a few weeks ago.

He read from Hebrews 5:12----In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.  You need milk, not solid food. 

When people are baptized and become Christians, the growth process begins. People do not understand Bibical truths over night.  It takes time.  A new Christian will grow, if the desire is there.   It is very simple.  If there is no spiritual intake, the growth will not take place.

People usually become Christians when they realize that their sins have separated them from God.  Because of God's love, and the gift of Christ's death we can still have a relationship with God. As we grow, we have understanding on a different level.

Without spiritual food or hearing The Word, we can not grow.  We will become weak and our Spiritual life will fail.  It is something that we need to think about on a daily basis.  Do not be fooled.  Satan is alive and will take any opportunity that is available to him to cause us to stumble.  Nothing pleases him more for us to become stagnant and not grow.

Just something for us to think about during this week.

What if I had lived in Sodom and Gomorrah??

Today, Sarah and I worshiped in Santa Cruz.  We jumped on a bus by her house and arrived in plenty of time.

The lesson was about Abraham in Genesis, when God told him that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.  The story can be found in Genesis 18th and 19th chapters.

God told Abraham he was going to destroy the city because of the evil that existed there.  Lot, Abraham's nephew, lived in this city so this news greatly concerned Abraham. In Genesis, we are told about their sin of homosexuality.  In Ezekiel, we are told that they were arrogant and did not help the poor or needy.

Abraham approached God several times to ask for mercy on them. He first asked God to spare the city if there were 50 righteous people.  Abraham must have known the sinful condition of the city because  he continued to return to God, decreasing the number until he reached ten people.

So, how can I apply this story to my life?  If I had been living in this city, would my life have been considered righteous or would my life have been considered sinful?  Would I have helped or hindered the survival of the city?

While I may not have been guilty of the specific sins mentioned, sin is sin.  Sin separates us from God. There are no big sins and little sins. 

Does my life and example hinder others from wanting to be a Christian?  Can people tell that my life is different or do I just "blend in" with others?

Just something to think about.

Water Filters in Mactzul V

Several of us met in Mactzul V today to deliver water filter replacements.  It is time for the replacements to be delivered.

We had four teams to deliver about 35filters.  My partner was Franciso.

Our first house, was the home of Jeronimo.  Many have heard the story of Jeronimo, and quite a story it is.  He had a family member that was coming to our clinics at the Church of Christ in Mactzul V.

Lisa was the physician that was attending his family.  To make a long story short..........he was very pleased at what he saw and could not understand why people would show this kind of love.  He was a Mayan Priest and was held in very high standing in his community.  What he saw, started to prevent him from sleeping.  He wanted to know more about Christ, even though it conflicted with how he practiced as a Mayan Priest.  The members of the church started visiting him and he was baptized.  What a testimony to show how the gospel can change lives and how important the actions of Christians are!

When we finished delivering the filters, we were all invited to lunch in the home of Tomas.  This is Laura, mastering the art of tortilla making.  She did a great job!  Juana is Tomas' wife and she is such a special lady.

Laura is here this week with Clay, who is doing the classes in Lemoa.

This is the soup that we enjoyed.  We started out with a bowl of broth, then we added to it rice, carrots, corn, squash and beef.  We all joked about how the bowl of soup continue to grow, even though we were eating...........it was wonderful!!

We enjoyed dinner together.

Tomorrow, some of us will head to Mactzul V again for clinic.  Lisa and Kemmel will travel to Antigua with a group and then on to the airport Saturday.  We pray that everyone has safe travels!!

Clinic in San Jorge

This morning, Sara, Cesibel and I went to San Jorge. There is a study going on in Lemoa, so some of our promoters are taking part in that group.

This turkey was a our first patient of the day.  She sat right next to the scale and patiently waited her turn.

When this chicken came out of hiding, we all busted up laughing.  Talk about a case of having ruffled feathers!! 

Maybe it was trying to start a new feather-style!

Last time I was in San Jorge, I talked with a young couple that was about to give birth to their first child!  I want to introduce you to Hedrick!

These are the proud parents.  For those of you who know people in Sacapulus, this is the daughter of the family where we have our clinic.  Her mom is Anna and her dad was Martin.  They all asked me today when Roger and Marybeth will be back to visit! Please be aware, that you are thought of often. 

It was a good day but a very HOT day.  San Jorge is always very warm but today was exceptional.  As we waited for more patients to arrive, Sara and I walked to a store to find some cold water.  It was nice to get back to the cool area of Chichicastenango.

Clinic in Mactzul I, ABC gifts and a home visit

Today, we had clinics in Mactzul I.  We had 7 medical patients and 5 dental patients.

Cesar also went with us today and we gave more gifts to ABC Children.  This is Rosa.  She is really doing well and becoming quite a lady.

This is Ottoniel.  He is full of activity.

We had gifts for several children.  After we handed them our, Cesar talked to each family about how the book should be used.  The purpose if for the children to read to their family during the week.  This will help them practice their reading skills, help others in the family who are not able to read and will also provide some Bible study during the week.  So much will be accomplished with just a few minutes in the evening.

I was asked to go and visit a young lady that could not come to clinic.  She has been very sick for 3 months and has been in bed for 3 weeks.  She is only 35 years old.  I was told her problem was high blood pressure and headaches.

When we arrived, her blood pressure was excellent and it has been several weeks since her last blood pressure medicine.  Enrique and I talked to her for a long time as the other family members waited outside.  It was obvious that something else is going on. We prayed with her and the church members said they will visit again to see if they can help in some way.

Tomorrow, we will visit San Jorge!

Baptisms in Panajachel.........the Angels Rejoiced

This morning, Gaspar and I made our way to Panajachel.  On the way, we picked up Manuel, from Chicua II, who I mentioned the other day.  He is one of our patients that wants to be baptized today. 

On the way to the lake, Gaspar and Manuel talked about different stories in the Bible.  He is very excited about learning and continues to have a lot of questions. It was a great drive to the lake.

When we arrived, people were gathering.  There were about 150 people here for the 9 baptisms.  There were people present from about 6 communities.

This is Manuel leaning against the tree as we were singing.

The gentleman siting on the right, is Victor's dad.  Victor is one of our patients from Xepol and the family is very excited about today!

Francisco from Patzite, opened the service with a prayer.

One of the ministers from Chuguexa talked about baptism.  He read from the scriptures where the jailer and his family were baptized.  He also read from Acts, when the crowd asked Peter what they needed to do and Peter responded to repent and be baptized.

Before the baptisms began, the elders prayed.

A group from Chuchipaca sang, as all 9 people were baptized.

This is Tomas, Victor's dad. He entered the water, the elders talked to him for a few minutes and then he was immersed.

This Manuel.  It was just Saturday that Gaspar shared the gospel with him.  When he heard, he wanted to be baptized.  He did not want to wait.

Romans 6:3,4---Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ  was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a  new life.

It is only through baptism that we can be buried and be raised to live a new life.

This is one of the ladies that was baptized.

After the 9 baptisms, those that assisted continued in prayer.

I know there was rejoicing in heaven today. 
Luke 15: 7---I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Today, nine more names were added to the Book of Life. All of us need to be sure that our names are there.  The Bible is very plain about what will happen if our names are not found on the day of judgement.
Revelation 20:15---If anyone's name was not found in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Because of days like today, I know why I am here in Guatemala.  It was a great day!  It was an emotional day.  It was the beginning of nine new lives!

Finishing in Chuchuca

This morning, we returned to a home that we visited last night.  No one was at home so we returned today.

You can see Cesar with a stick in his right hand.  We had a little problem approaching this house due to their dogs. 

The day went without any difficulties.  We delivered the remainder of the filters and then went back to the church building to deliver the rest of the gifts.

This mother and her daughter had been for their dental check. The young girl loved her balloon, made from a glove.

This mother and son were leaving the clinic as we arrived.

As we were giving out a few gifts, this little guy was really enjoying his cola.

This young lady enjoyed getting her book of Bible stories.

We finished will all of the patients about 2:30, loaded the trucks and then made out way back to Chichi.  The people in my truck quickly fell asleep.  Sandra stayed awake, which helped me stay awake.  We accomplished a lot of work and I am thankful for that.  A hot shower and my bed will feel good tonight!

Chuchuca........dental, water filters and gifts..........

This morning, several of us headed to Chuchuca and Xejox.  These are two communities, where we have the ABC Program.  They are about 2 hours past Santa Cruz, depending on what is in the road!

When we arrived, we quickly unpacked the trucks.  The members of the church usually want to give us a snack when we arrive.  We had cake and soft drinks........then we went to work.

Sandra will be seeing patients with Mikaela, Marcos will be seeing patients with Martina, Manuel will be doing dental cleanings, Tomas and Luis will be doing education on how to properly brush teeth and Cesibel will be teaching how to properly floss.

Cesar, Enrique and I will be visiting homes and delivering water filter replacements and delivering gifts to ABC Children for their birthdays.

As we were walking to homes, this was our view.  It was a pretty day to be walking. This area is also dry.  I think all of Guatemala is anticipating the rainy season.

This was the first home that we visited. The filter was kept very clean and we were pleased how we found it.  We replaced the filter, prayed with the family and then went on to the next home.

After several houses, it was time to go back to the church building.  This young boy received a book of Bible studies and a backpack from his sponsors.  These areas are very poor and the children really appreciate what they receive.

Cesar, talking to the children and parents about the students reading this book of Bible stories in the evening to the other members of the family.  It will help with their reading skills and also provide a time of Bible study in the homes.

This was one of the homes that we visited.  I wanted to bring a lamb home with me but know that Nakko would not be gentle with it.

As I mentioned, these families are poor but most maintain what they do have.

One young girl, cooking tortillas for lunch. 

While we were out hiking from home to home, dental was pressing on with the day.  This is Cesibel teaching this father and son how to properly floss their teeth.

This is Luis, from Montellano, teaching this family how to properly brush their teeth.

When we finished with our filters, it was almost 7pm.  We returned to the church building and dental was also finishing for the day.

We enjoyed a dinner of chicken, rice, tortillas and soft drinks. Everyone was in their sleeping bag or sheets within an hour for a good night of sleep.

Clinic in Chichicastenango

Sara and I met Tomas and Enrique this morning and we started clinic.  We had 17 patients and again, it was quite a variety of patient problems.

We had several diabetics, which is typical for Chichi. Two of them are brother and sister and are not well controlled at all. I talked to the guy that helps with clinic about having a Diabetic Class.  He said he will get back with me on a day that will work for them.

There was a gentleman that has had a significant eye infection for 6 months.  

While we were seeing patients, I got a phone call from Manuel.  He is the gentleman that lives in Xepol.  He wanted to know what day we were coming to his house to talk about the Bible.  I called Gaspar and they agreed on meeting in the morning.  I will be going to Chuchuca with our group but hope this meeting will go well. we will see what happens. 

After clinic, Sara and I walked back to our houses.  It was a nice afternoon for a walk!

Back at home to pack for Chuchuca.  We will spend the night there and see ABC patients for dental care and also deliver water filter replacements. It will be an adventure!

Clinic in Xepol

Today, Enrique and I went to Xepol.  It was an unusually large clinic and we loved it!  We had 16 patients, with several different problems. 

We had a family with scabies, several diabetics, two young children with high fevers and several other issues.

The family with scabies, were not excited about washing all of their clothing and sheets but it is something they must do.  If they skip this part of the treatment, they will not get rid of the problem. 

The diabetics were not excited about their blood sugars.  Most everyone wants to say that their sugars are high because of Semana Santa but if they were never well controlled before Semana Santa, that is not the only problem.

The children with fevers, took medicine before they left the clinic.  I do not like to see children leave clinic without taking medicine for their fevers. Sometimes, the parents have walked quite a way to clinic and I do not like for them to wait longer. 

Tomas asked me if I am coming to the baptisms on Monday.  I told him that I was going to try.  There are going to be baptisms from Xepol and Chuchipaca.  The baptisms will be at the river in Panajachel and they said they will begin about 9 am.

When we left Xepol, we were asked to visit a family in their home.  The mother said that she had three children sick in bed that could not walk to clinic.  We loaded up the truck and drove closer to the home.

Three children, ages 9, 11 and 12 years were in bed sick.  Their tonsils were huge.  The interesting thing about this family is, that these three children, can not speak of hear.  The first child and the last three children, can speak and hear. What a difficult life they have.

Tomorrow, we will have clinic in Chichi with Sara.

Clinic in Patzite

This morning, Martina, Sara and I met Enrique and Marcos in Patzite.  It was a cloudy morning and looked as it would rain.  This is good, since we are in need of rain.

When we arrived, there were several children playing on a small hill by the church.  They had pieces of cardboard boxes and were using them to slide down the hill.

This young guy did not stay on his for long.......

This time, he took a few steps for sped, jumped on the box and then knelt down..............good technique!!

This young guy hung on to the end!

This time, he did not have as good as luck!

We had a good clinic with 10 medical patients.  There were several diabetic patients.  One young boy had a hard time controlling his bladder.  He will follow-up next month with Sara.

As we began to load the trucks.........the rain began.  By the time we were finished, we were pretty soaked.  The sad part is that after we left Patzite, the roads were dry.  we should be getting some more rain in the next few weeks. We sure need it :)

How is your relationship with God?

This morning, Sandra, Sara and I went to Quiche for worship.  The group was smaller than usual so there must be some type of activity going on today.  Sometimes when there are baptisms in different communities, people gather for lunch and spend the day together.

The lesson was good. He talked about out relationship with God and asked us to personally evaluate our relationship with God.  It is a good question for each of us to ask ourselves from time to time.  It is important to evaluate our earthly relationships and it is equally important to do the same with our relationship with God and Christ.

When we finished, we went to look for a dresser for Sara.  We found one that she liked and after talking a little, got a decent price.  We drove the Suk or we could have taken it back with us.  She will be able to find a way to get it back to Chichi if she decides that is the one that she wants.She is slowly getting her apartment fixed and getting settled. 

Clinic in Chicua

Today, Cesar and I went to Chicua for clinic.  We had a great day  with 17 patients.  What was even more exciting about the day, was a contact we found.

The first patient, was a gentleman that came to the clinic for the first time. His name is Manuel. He asked about the clinic and told him about Health Talents and how we usually work with the Churches of Christ.  He wanted to know where the Church of Christ is in Chicua and  I told him there is not one.  He said he wanted to hear more about it and that he was interested in studying the Bible.  His name is Manuel and I got his phone number.
 
There were a few really sick people in clinic today.  The diabetic patient that we took to the hospital a few weeks ago, is very sick again.  She did not continue her medicine or follow the diet.  Her son and daughter came with her today and I talked with them.  This lady will die if she does not take better care of herself.  Her son said that there are a lot of problems within the family, so he may have her move to Guatemala City with him.  We will see what happens.

It is the weekend!  Tomorrow, I will worship in Santa Cruz and prepare for next week!

Sara and Zacualpa

Sara went with Tomas, Enrique and I to Zacualpa today.

Sara is from El Salvador and first came to help us in November.  She enjoyed the work and had decided to move and work with Health Talents full time.  We are excited to have her and pray that she enjoys the work as much as we do.

In Zacualpa, we had 3 patients.

We visited a patient in her home and it is a very sad situation.  The patient is 36 years old and can not walk.  She has a history of seizures, severe arthritis and is confined to her bed.  She has a young girl who cares for her.  Her physical issues are only one part of the problem.  Another aspect, are the emotional issues that come from being confined to a bed for two years.  Such a sad situation.

When we finished, we stopped for a quick fried chicken lunch and then continued to Lemoa for a meeting.

When we arrived, there were more patients to be seen so we grabbed a few that were in line.

About five years ago, in Chocaman VI, we followed a patient during her pregnancy.  Now she has a set of twins.  This is Sara with one of the twins.

This is Joel with is two sisters and mom.

This was the day when I told Joel's parents that they could soon expect an addition to the family!

It was a good day!
Tomorrow, we will have clinic in Panjaxit.