Chuguexa, Tomas and The Silver Bullet

This morning we set out for Chuguexa and we arrived without any problem. When we arrived, we noticed that Tomas was not there to greet us.  Another Tomas, told us that he was there since the other Tomas had fallen and was not doing very good.  We made a mental note to visit him.

The clinic went well but it was a diabetic clinic.  Most everyone was out of control and it was for a variety of reasons. Some people had not come for a few months to refill their medicines and others just were not watching their diet.

This mother brought her baby to see us and she was precious. She is only 3 months old but the parents do not have a photo of her so I told the mother that I will print a couple of photos for her.  She is a very content baby.

When we finished clinic, we went to visit Tomas. I was very sad when I saw him. He had fallen and had scraped his shoulder. He was very weak and tearful.  We sat and listened as he told us about his fall. He had been bathing in the tuj and fell as he was getting dressed. Now, all he can do is shuffle and his family helps him a lot.

We gave him some medicine that he needed and then we prayed with him and his family. When we finished, the family served us lunch.

When I arrived in Chichi, I ran a few errands and then it was time to meet for dinner.

Since Jennifer owns the wheels, also known as The Silver Bullet, she sweeps through town and picks us up.  Shes lives next door to her so that is her first pick-up, then they came to my house and then we proceeded to Carol's house.  Chichi does not have many restaurants to chose from so we decided to live on the edge and leave town.  We drove a few minutes down the highway to what us to be an old mill.

It has been very cold, so we stayed pretty chilled through dinner. The food was decent but the company was a lot of fun. The peacock asked us for a photo so we could not turn it down.

Shes and Jennifer are physical therapists at ASELSI, close to where I live.  Carol was the director there at one time, but now she is working some with us .  We are not all here at the same time very much.  Shes goes to Xela every weekend.  Jennifer will be leaving for the states and then I will be leaving a week after her. Carol will be going to the states this fall for several weeks. So, we take advantage of these rare opportunities.  Our main focus is to keep The Bullet in shape!  It is ALL for The Bullet!

Tomorrow, we will have clinic in Lemoa. It should be a busy clinic and I look forward to it.

Clinic in Lemoa and Class in Quiche

This morning, I met Carol on the way to Lemoa and we headed to clinic.  Last year, Carol went with me to Montellano for a surgical clinic and enjoyed it.  Since then, she has signed up for several surgical clinics and has expressed an interest to also help us in Lemoa.  Today was her first day with us and we tried to break her in gently. She started by counting and bagging medicine and then helped to vital signs. The team welcomes her anytime that she wants to help!

We had about twenty-two patients so it was not a busting clinic.

I talked to Fernando, who arrived with Armando the first time that we met him.  Armando is the gentleman that had the mass on his back and he had surgery to remove it a few weeks ago in Montellano. Fernando called to tell me that he had gone for his post-op visit and all is well!  He is healing and not showing any sign of infection. We are so thankful and for that and we always give God the glory!

After lunch, Ana, Carol and I went to Quiche to have a IVAA and Pap Class.  There were about twenty-five ladies present and all went well. They had good questions and there is interest in us returning to do a clinic for them.

When it was time to leave, we had a list of about seventeen names. They also want to speak to the other ladies who were not able to be present today.  We then were invited to have coffee at a nearby coffee shop.

It was a very good day, with positive outcomes!

Clinic in San Jorge and Meet Manuel Junior!

This morning, I stopped and picked up Manuel before heading out to San Jorge.  I have not introduced your to Manuel yet, who is our newest employee!

I met Manuel the first time in Montellano, when he was helping with some surgical clinics. Manuel lives in Xepocol, recently finished nursing school in Xela and now is working with us.  When he and Manuel Sut work together we refer to them as Señor Manuel and Manuel Junior.  It is kind of funny watching their response!

I think that Manuel Junior will wear many hats with us, as does Señor Manuel.  Manuel Junior is a nurse, working as a promoter, is learning the pharmacy, does dental cleanings and now is learning how to drive................we appreciate him a lot and his willingness to do what is asked of him.

Since I was just riding, it was a good time to take a photo of the drive back to Chichicastenango.

San Jorge is much different than Chichicastenango, where I live. Chichi is about 6,500 ft. in elevation.  San Jorge is only about 700 ft. and is very hot and dry.  They harvest corn twice a year and primarily use their water to keep their crops alive.

We had a small medical clinic today and we expect that.  Dental won the competition with about eleven patients.

Clinic in Patzite

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about Led Zeppelin and the Stairway to Heaven song in Patzite.

Today, we had a great clinic.  Medical had fifteen patients and I am thankful that these patients came to see us today!

Several people had urinary tract issues and infections. I hope that the antibiotics work well and when they return, they are feeling much better.

One one young lady has mass on the side of her neck, that she has had for five months.  Hopefully, she will return with an ultrasound next clinic. 

We talked with a family who attends the Church of God in Patzite.  They are very interested in us coming and presenting an IVAA/ Pap class, followed by a clinic for the ladies.  We will see what happens there.

This was my view of the Stairway to Heaven today! They had recently washed white clothes and hung them in the wind to dry.

It reminded me of two things.  First, the transfiguration of Christ, as recorded in Mark, chapter 9.  I like the NIV translation that says, "and his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone on earth could bleach them."  I like using bleach and have ruined many clothes by accidentally making a splash.

The other thought was from Revelation 7:14, "These are the people who are coming out of terrible suffering.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb."

It was a very good clinic with Tomas, Brenda, Aura and Martina.  On the way home, we stopped and had some ice cream........a perfect way to conclude the day.

Tomorrow, we will head to San Jorge.  We are just thankful that the bridge has reopened and I am not expecting to drive five hours again.  :) 

Forward with Chuchipaca Ladies Class

Last year, I began a series on Proverbs, chapter 31, on the Virtous Woman.  This was a class requested by the ladies and we needed to postpone it for a few months. Now, we are up and running again and have a class planned for every month of this year.

I was encouraged since it has been awhile since we met. When I asked a question, they responded with good memories.  What is the name of the virtuous woman?  Where did she live?  Who was being given this advise?

I like to use a lot of examples when I teach, of ways that they can apply what we read. To tell someone that they need to be virtuous, is not enough. How do you lead a virtuous life? What  characteristics are present?  What do I need to change in my life to make this occur?  Examples here in Guatemala are sometimes difficult since the culture is different, but no less important.

There were around 30-35 people present.  This photo is one fourth of the seating in Chuchipaca.

The Power Point that I am using for the class.  Maria translated for me into K'iche' and she did a great job!

Lisa holds a clinic here every Saturday and that clinic continues to do very well.

We will meet again in two weeks and I look forward to our time together.

Weekend Fun in Panajachel

Once and awhile we get out of Chichicastenango and have a little fun........a little diversion!

Jennifer was in Panajachel for the weekend so Carol and I drove over on Saturday to have lunch with her.

We parked the truck and started walking to the restaurant, which is quite well-known in Pana. It is called Smokin' Joes and it is awesome!  He starts grilling steak, burgers and ribs in the afternoon on Saturdays. If you plan a trip to Pana, be sure it includes a Saturday aftenoon!

Before we ran into Jennifer, Carol and I ran to a little supermarket and pretty much wanted everything in the store. I found this raspberry jam and it looked so good..............yes, I now own it :)

We went back to the restaurant and found a table.  The restaurant was pretty full.  We all ordered the same thing, BBQ ribs................sitting down to a feast.

You are allowed to select different sides so this was Jennifer's plate.  She had a baked potato, green beans, salad and garlic bread.

If you can see Carol's plate, she had the famous macaroni and cheese.  We loved every minute of it and every bite!

It was good to get out of town and have some fun. It was warmer at the lake than it has been in Chichi, so that was an added pleasure.

We offered to take back a plate for Kemmel and Lisa but they had visited Smokin' Joe's the weekend before.  As I mentioned, it is a HOT SPOT!

Mactzul I Clinic, Competition and Driving

On Friday, we had clinic in Mactzul I. I was with Tomas, Aura and Martina.  As always, there is a little competition between dental and medical. Well today, I blasted away and took the win!!  Eleven medical and ONE dental...............ONLY ONE!!  As we were loading the trucks, we were all joking around and then I started feeling bad.  Why??  I know not.  But it use to happen when I would compete with my dad. I always felt bad if I beat him................oh well, I do not think I would make a good professional gambler.

When we finished packing the trucks, I asked Martina if she wanted to drive.  She said yes, so away we went.  We will continue to practice....................Good job Martina!

It is Friday.....and I have big plans for the weekend!! I may tell you about them in another post!