Clinic in Chuguexa

Today, Manuel, Teresa and I headed to Chuguexa.  We had a good clinic of thirteen patients.

We talked about the upcoming IVVA and Pap day on May 5th.  Kemmel has decided that Lisa, Sara, a few promoters and I will go and see all of the 40 ladies in one day.  Oklahoma Christian University will be here since it is there spring break and they will be able to hold down the fort in Lemoa. 

It will be a good day to provide care for that area.

Clinic in Chutzurob

Today, we all went to Chutzurob.  Manuel, Teresa, Andrea, Maria and I arrived within a few minutes of each other.  We had 20 medical patients and I think there were about 10 dental patients.

It was about a week ago when Jodi Boyd was here.  We talked about several things as we made our way to clinics, visited ABC Children, traveled to Antigua and visited San Antonio (Guatemala, not Texas :)

We visited with a young man who has a large mass in his right eye.  He studies in school and does well.  He says that it bleeds a lot on some days but it is unbelievable how well he does.  We then went to visit with his mom.  She had some exams that were done in the capital.  The mass is not cancer but very vascular so they will not be able to do any surgery for him.  It is a very sad situation but it is also good that he is able to study in school.

I wanted to also share some work that is being done in India.  The Church there baptizes in streams and at times there is not enough water.  So they have been building a baptistry.

It has taken several moths to build due to finances but God provided.

Some teaching by the minister in that congregation.

Please pray for this congregation and their financial situation.  If anyone is willing to help, please let me know and I can have the money sent to the church.  Thank you.

Rain, Means Not Many Patients

OK, so we have been praying for rain and FINALLY we have had a couple rains.  I think this is why not many patients were in clinic today.  It is time to prepare the field and plant the seed.    It has been three weeks since I have been able to wash clothes at my house. so I am welcoming the rain.

This is one child that was brought to see me today. Hector, who usually brings us babies with cleft lips and palates is hoping that we can do something for this child.  Both hands are the same and both feet are the same.  I have sent photos on to Dr. Dwayne to see what his thoughts are for August.

We will have a busy week ahead of us and then the next week, Oklahoma Christian University will be with us for a week.  We pray that they will have safe travels and good clinics with us.

Sara and Dad

Yesterday, we had the honor of having Sara's dad with us.  He shared some of his thoughts with us during our devotional.  He talked about the work that we do do, the seeds that it plants and how it is is for the kingdom.  We thank him very much for his time and thoughts.

Sara has had the privilege of having her parents here for about a month.  They will soon be traveling back  to El Salvador.  Yes, we stole her from El Salvador!  We pray for her parents ad their safe travels.

We had a small clinic today and my thought is, that it is due to the rains that we have had.  It gives people the opportunity to prepare their fields to plant.

Tomorrow, vamos a ir a Chutzurob!!!   Tommorrow, let's go to Chutzurob!!!

Clinic in Chuchipaca

So much has happened since I last blogged.  We had a great week having Jodi here.  I will post some more of our events of last week in the near future.

I left Antigua this morning at 0530 to arrive in Chuchipaca in time for clinic.  Cecy and Maricela were there to help Manuel and I.  Teresa had a church activity, that Lisa and Kemmel also attended in Chijtinimit.

We had a good clinic of 17 or 18 patients today.

One of the patients that came was one that we saw last week.  I asked Cecy if we could call Ana Maria to see if she would return and she was glad to.  She was a very sick lady last week, who had just delivered her baby 9 days before.  She had developed a severe infection and it was amazing what the correct medication can do in a week.  I am so thankful that Ana Maria is better and her daughter, Melissa has gained two pounds this week!

Cecy, Manuel and Maricela took turns helping me as needed today.  I appreciate them very much!

Maricela had the "opportunity" to help me with a mother and her child that was probably the worse behaved child I have seen in nine years.  This child is four years old, still breastfeeds and does not eat any food.  He is very under weight and the mother is exhausted.  He hit his mother several times as she just turned and looked the other way.  I tolerated it as long as I could and then talked to the mother and grandmother about this behavior.

She told me that he hits the other children in the family and even the father...........and everyone allows it to continue.  I told her what will happen if she and her husband do not get this young boy under control now.  He is doing this for attention so she will continue to breastfeed.  Then he came in and screamed so loud that we could not continue to consult.  He then bit his mother's arm. I took him outside and closed the door behind me.  I told them that it will not hurt him to cry and to be angry but they need to start discipline and teach him respect.  It may be too late but we will see what happens.

The last patient of the day was a young man who has some spots on his face from the sun.  They are small, not cancerous and just from working outside.  He has been to several doctors who have told him several things.  One told him that he has problems with his liver and the last one gave him medicine that is yeast from beer.  It is sad some of the treatments that people receive.  This young man just needs to buy some sun screen and apply it before he leaves the house in the morning to go to work.

After clinic, I was able to wash some clothes at the clinic.  This evening, we are having some rain and it is welcomed.

Tomorrow, I will head to Quiche for worship and spend the rest of the day studying and cleaning the house.  It will be a good day to relax and enjoy :)

Chichicastenango with Jodi

After worship this morning, Jodi and I enjoyed lunch at Santo Tomas.  I always enjoy their salad and mango!  It was so very good.

We had plans to meet two ABC Children about 2 pm.

First to arrive was Gabriela, Jodi's ABC Child.  They had meet a couple of years ago in Mactzul V, even though she lives in Mactzul II.  She has really grown in the two years and it was nice to see her again.

Gabriela came to meet us with her mom and aunt.  Jodi had met her mom before but this was the first time of meeting the aunt.  Gabrila's aunt told us that Gabriela loves to study.  She takes her classes Monday through Friday but also twice a week in the evenings, takes additional classes to learn.

Then we had the opportunity to meet Juan, who lives in Chijtinimit.  His sponsor, is Billie, who is a friend of Jodi.  Billie sent a photo and Juan enjoyed seeing it. Juan wants to study astronomy but says there are not many places in Guatemala to study that. 

Here, Juan is with his mom and dad.  He is a good kid with a positive future.  What a blessing the ABC program has been for him and his family.  Notice how he is taller than his mom and possibly be taller than his dad!

If anyone is interested in helping sponsor a child, please let me know.  You have no idea how your gift will help a child remain in school, continue their education, remain in church and also receive medical and dental care.

Clinic in Chuchipaca

We had a great clinic today in Chuchipaca.  As we were driving, I asked Manuel if Cecy might be there and he said that he did not know.  He knew that Maricela would be with us.  I was surprised and happy when I saw them both :)

We had 22 patients and some were quite a challenge.  The first two patients waited to come and see me instead of Lisa.  I am having a run of non-compliant diabetics.  The wife had gone 2 years without medicine and the husband 8 months.  We are in this community every Saturday so there is not much more we can do on this side.

A mother came that had delivered her baby 9 days ago.  She had a horrible post-postpartum infection.  I called Sara for some advice and added her thoughts to mine.  I returned to talk with her and her mother over the treatment and what she needed to do.  I wish I could have taken a discreet photo of Manuel teaching her how to express her breast milk.  He is such a good guy and I love working with him.

This is Maricela and Cecy as we were finishing clinic.

Jodi Boyd will arrive later today.  She as been in Montellano at the surgical clinic and now will spend about a week with us.  She will be seeing her ABC child tomorrow and also meeting the ABC child of her friend.  Then on Monday, she will have the opportunity to experience a Guatemalan wedding.  I have told her to put on her running shoes..........we will have a busy week!

So Much to Tell

Things have been quite busy the last couple of weeks.  Clay Bartee was here and did some class concerning marriage counseling.  There was also a Men's Bible Seminar and the Dunhams had some friends visiting from The States.

Some of the best news was that in La Palma there were 9 baptisms and in Las Trampas, there were 4 baptisms. 

One of the men baptized in Las Trampas was a patient of Lisa's in Chicua.  She had a consult with him and opened the door....... then Gaspar followed up.  Tomas decided that he wanted to change his life. He  accepted Christ and was baptized.  It is a good reminder for us........to remember the primary purpose that we are in the communities.

Today we had clinic in Lemoa.  As I was seeing patients, Noe was in front talking to the diabetics about exercise and how it can lower blood sugar.

It was finally time for lunch.  The morning sailed by very quickly.  When we had finished eating, we sat around the table and chatted for a few minutes.  Gaspar was telling us about a man that was recently drugged and then had his money stolen.  When he paused for a minute, Maury screams, "Sheri, there is a dead fly on your tortilla!" I ate one of my three tortillas so I hope that it was not toxic for me as well.  :)

Tomorrow, we will head for Paxot II and I hope that we will have several patients.  We shall see...........

Clinic in Panajxit......Dental up by One :)

I met Martina in Sepela.   A few mornings ago, I was so excited because we had a little rain.......yes, it was a little rain but it still was RAIN.  But since then, we just have had more dust and smoke.

As I was waiting for Martina, there was almost an accident on this one lane bridge due to the smoke. One of them finally backed down when they saw the other vehicle on the other side.

I had mentioned a few days ago that Aura and I have had a little competition going on with the number of patients.............dental took the lead by ONE patient........I keep telling them that payback is gonna be rough :)

After we finished, we loaded the trucks and drove over to Enrique's house.  We had a wonderful lunch of chicken, rice, tortillas and black berry juice.

What is the sweetest fragrance????? Rain!!

About 2 am, I heard a faint noise that I had not heard for a long time.....................I just laid in bed and savored the lightly falling RAIN!!!  Wow, I was so excited!  I got up and put my hear out the window to enjoy it.  Then about 0730, it quit but I had hope that the rainy season had begun.

Manuel and I headed out to Xepol for our clinic. We ate a banana as we were traveling.  A young lady returned that we had seen in November with pneumonia.  She never took her medicines and then was hospitalized for pneumonia in January.  Today, was the first time I had seen her since November........and her lungs were BAD!!!

So, I wanted to take her back with us to Quiche to the National Hospital but I know that is far away.  She promised that she would go to the National Hospital in Solola the next day.  She really has me worried.  There was a new brother at clinic today and he helped translate to K'iche for me.  He prayed for her and for safe travels.

Victor came to see us again and he had a sad story.  His mother told me that he had had a 2 hours seizure.  Of course, Victor does not remember anything about it.  He saw Lisa last month and she asked him to increase his medications but he did not :(  When he went to Manuel to get more medicine, Manuel saw that he had about 20 pills in a bottle and asked Victor if he has been taking his medications regularly.  He responded yes but Manuel doubts it because there were to many in the bottle.

The good thing is that Victor has an aura before his attack.  So, it gives him a little time to prepare himself.

This is the building in Xepol.  They have been working on it for several years. It can still be pretty chilly since the wind and rain comes in around the windows.

The lamina roof, also causes challenges when it rains hard or when the sun is really strong.

Yesterday we had clinic in Patzite with Aura and Martina..........we have a little rival going on to see who can have more patients. As of right now, Aura is beating me.  I will play nice for a few days and then, watch out!!!

I hope to hear something soon about the lady with the pneumonia.  Too young to be sooooo sick.

Nature Reserve in Panajachel

I made a quick get away to Panajachel for the night. I went to the Nature Reserve to see the butterflies and monkeys.

This is a mapache, which is a raccoon.  He looked bored and pitiful.

The butterflies were beautiful. I want to get a book so I would know what their proper names are BUT the book would sit next to my bird book and collect more dust.

The colors were very pretty.

Still have a lot to lean about this camera but it is fun trying.

And the last one....................

So then I was on to find the monkeys..................he looks so sad and is wondering where all his friends are!

He is not a young thing...........but greying very nicely.

Who you looking at?!?!?!?

He decided he needed a change of scenery.

Strike a pose!!

He eventually got tired of me watching him.

Then it was time to watch the North Carolina Tar Heels!  They heard me cheering them on and we have one more game on Monday night.

Congrats Tar Heels.......................Good luck on Monday night!!