It's Thursday already. Our last official work day in Guatemala. How quickly time flies when you are having fun.
Thanks to Twig, we have all been well fed this week. Any thoughts anyone had about taking off a pound or two this week have flown out the window.
Monday, the medical team was "banished" to the house. It was a great day for us. We helped ferry the work team to their first job sites, then accompanied Twig to the market for fruits and veggies. I love third world markets! You can get such a feel for the community there. Then, we returned to the house to count pills for the week. After counting, we got to help Twig in the kitchen, and we played with knives!
We had been really concerned about the fact that we did not have a physician with us, nor did we have antibiotics, etc. But, God provided for us when we arrived. Laurie had a full pharmacy for us, and two medical students decided to join us. All of our worries had been for nothing.
So far, the medical team has had two wonderful locations to work in, and it has flowed like a well oiled machine. The only thing we have been short on is vitamins for the children. Note to self: Next year, more chewables and gummies. But, Laurie had been so much help with the pharmacy, and the pastors of the churches have been so welcoming. What joy we receive from the smiles of gratitude from the patients.
I can't wait to see what today will have for us. Our third, and last medical day.
God is so good!
Tuesday night we had devotions together at the end of a long, hard, grueling day of mission work. Jayne had asked me if I would lead the devotion that evening. I gladly accepted her request. All day long, I thought and did quick prayers to the “Big Man” to open my eyes and thoughts to what he wanted me to express to the team that night.
After lunch, I was all caught up on my chores and errands for the team and cooking, so I headed out to see if I could be of any assistance to the medical team as they were 10 minutes from the mission house. As I pulled up, I observed 100-150 people outside of the church waiting their turn to be seen by the medical team.
I parked and made my way through the crowd and into the church which had another 50 people crammed in this tiny 500 square foot church. As I stood there, I could see five medical stations, each staffed with one of our team members or one of the two doctors, each bent toward the patient smiling and talking to a patient about their medical needs. In the center of the room was Laurie King, the local medical missionary coordinator and her granddaughter Emily. I push politely through the crowd to each station and asked if I could do or get any of them anything.
You see, my mission is more than to “just cook.” I have made it my mission to be the team leader’s gopher, driver and to get anything they need logistically or to run any errand they need to make the mission a success. I even play nurse when there is one of our own who may fall ill and need to stay at the mission house. After checking with each person, they were all good!
I sat down with Laurie and Emily who were passing out meds to each person the medical team had examined and diagnosed. After about 15 minutes, one lady, I would say she was 80 plus in full traditional dress, came to the check out. Laurie read her examine card and went to finding her the meds she had been prescribed. The lady made eye contact with me. I smiled and nodded my head and she smiled back and our eyes locked on each other for at least 30 seconds. In those few seconds of the noise and bustle of the room, I became overwhelmed by the feeling of this lady looking at me. It was one of those rare moments where you feel a connection with a total stranger. Her eyes were warm and loving and tender, yet thankful and communicating, all in one. The transmission of feelings and communication without a word was awesome and overpowering to me. At that moment I felt like I was seeing Jesus and he was here in this tiny place! Her smile grew bigger and her eyes warmer as she stared at me. She reached out and patted my hand. Laurie came back and the lady turned her attention to Laurie’s advice and direction on her meds. She thanked Laurie and me and turned toward the exit and disappeared in the crowd.
That night, when it came time to have devotion, we circled up and I started the devotion by saying that I saw Jesus today in the clinic and I asked each person how and if they had seen or experienced Jesus in their short time here in Guatemala. Each team member shared their personal experiences. Each person’s experience was wonderful and confirmed that Jesus was here leading and guiding us as a team and as individuals.
Two people’s stories caught my attention, that they had or were feeling overwhelmed by all they had seen and that they felt helpless! That they felt Jesus here but…. there was so much to be done and so much need. Then, WHAM, there it was! Jesus gave me the words to share. After each person had spoken I thanked them and shared these words from Him.
That we could not build each family that needed a house, a house. We could not heal every person. We could not feed everybody. But, we could, while we were here, give each person we came in contact with the following…….
FAITH that Jesus would send someone to come and help them ...
HOPE that Jesus would send people who cared about them…
LOVE, through our smiles, hugs, gifts, affection, and time just showing them love!
Because, you see, we can love because Jesus first loved us and Jesus is LOVE!
In closing, I shared with the group that because of their actions the day before and today, FIVE families had except Jesus as their Lord and Savior in the community they had been working in building houses, passing out food and attending to their medical needs. That our Church and many other Churches would continue to come and give FAITH, HOPE and LOVE by building, feeding and healing the people of Guatemala.
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