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.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
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.
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!
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.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
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.
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.
It was a good day and tomorrow, we will go to Chuguexa.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
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.
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.
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.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
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!!
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!
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!!
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!!
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