Saturday afternoon we met up with a group from North Carolina/Indiana/Arizona. We headed to Vicente Guerrero to spend a week working with the church there. We stayed in a concrete compound/bunkhouse that we affectionally called prison. We slept on foam mats on the floor. It wasn't like a hotel but we made it just fine. Saturday we got there and spent some time with the preacher and his wife and had dinner. We then got settled and got some rest for the next day.
Sunday we had service with the brothers and sisters there in VG. Then we served everyone hotdogs. After that we did a medical clinic. They brought a doctor and two nurses. I worked with the doctor and we worked for about 3 hours on Sunday. I have grown to love working in the clinic. It can be something so helpful and also something that really touches the lives of the people we are working with, just showing them that someone cares about them.
Sunday afternoon we went to church again. But we didn't go to the building in VG. Instead we went to a house church of sorts. It is in a city called Zapata which is close by. They are working on building a congregation there. For now, it is just several Christians reaching out to the community there and meeting at the home of one of the brothers. It was a great experience to get to worship with them.
Monday we did the clinic at a community center the church has right across the street. We worked from 8:30-3:30. It made for a looooong day but it was well worth it. We got to help a lot of people. One thing I loved about this medical team is that we prayed each morning before we got started. Also, the doctor I worked with all week made it a point to pray with each person we saw before they left. We would ask if there was anything special they would like us to pray for and then he would pray for them and I would translate it. It made the whole thing more personal and also allowed us to serve them spiritually and not just physically. Monday night we had classes for everyone. I sat in on the women's class. Sara translated it and did a great job as always.
Tuesday and Wednesday we had more clinic days. But we did them in Zapata to try and reach out to the community there. We did it in a community center there. This place had no air conditioner and no lights. That made for a very hot couple of days. We worked from 8:30 to 3:30 again with a short break for lunch. We were blessed to get to serve over 120 people in those two days. We met several people that made a great impact on me. One of them was a 20 year old girl whose mother had died several years ago and her dad left the family two years ago. She lives with her elderly grandparents and takes care of her 5 younger siblings. When the doctor commented on how strong she was and how sorry he was for the situation she replied, "Don't be sorry, this is God's plan and he is taking care of us." It is amazing the faith she has. I can't imagine having to take care of 5 people but she does it and does it with a smile.
Thursday we did a half clinic day. We worked from 8:30-12:30. Our last patient was a baby whose mother brought him in. His name is Miguel and he is a month old. His skin looked like he had been burnt all over. His ears were swollen shut and he couldn't breathe well because his nose was swollen as well. We asked the mom if he had been burnt. She said no, that he was born that way. She showed us papers that said he was born with a rare skin infection. He needed to see a specialist but she didn't have the money to get him there. We talked with a nurse who is from Zapata and had been working with us. He promised us to get her an appointment with a specialist and we gave them some money to get her there. It was a sad situation but we are praying that everything turns out well and that Miguel can live a happy, healthy life.
After clinic on Thursday we went to visit a house of a young girl that one of the nurses had gotten close to. Her name is Bendita and is 16 and she has 3 younger siblings. She is constantly abused by her stepmom and has to provide for her siblings. Her father and mother left her and her siblings to go to the states and left her with her stepmom. Its a very Cinderella-like situation. We talked to her for a long time and have got her to consider reporting the situation so that she can get some help for her and her siblings. Please keep them in your prayers.
Thursday night we had class again and said our goodbyes. It hit me about halfway through class that this was the last class of the summer. The summer has been a roller coaster of emotions but it has truly been a great one and it was strange thinking it was time for it to come to an end.
Friday we said goodbye to the group. They did a great job and we were truly blessed to get to work with them. We came back in Ensenada and then turned right around and headed for the beach! We spent Friday night in Mexicali and then drove the rest of the way Saturday. We had a lot of fun with the group which was Me, Sara, Allyson, Matt, Misha, and Arturo. Also Liberato and his wife, their daughter, and her kids came as well. It was a wonderful time of relaxation and spending time together.
We drove all the way back today, spending about 9 hours in the car. We just got back to Ensenada. Tomorrow we will go to say goodbye to the kids at the City of Children as well as our friends there. Its gonna be a hard thing to do since we have been her so long. I have grown used to seeing the kids and everyone every week. They mean so much to me and it will be hard to leave them. We head back Wednesday afternoon and will land in Nashville Wednesday evening.
Thank you all for your love, support, and prayers this summer. I plan to do at least one more blog post when I get home, sharing with you guys the feelings of the last couple days. Its been a crazy summer but definitely one that I will never forget. I thank God for the opportunities He has given me and the people He has put in my life this summer.
In His Service and For His Glory
2 comments:
what 1 month old Miguel had sounds a lot like Ichthyosis. I had a little boy in the Walker class at Tusculum years ago that had it. He looked like he had been burned and his skin was always peelingand oozing--as if he had had a bad sunburn. I'm sure the doctors, nurses, and parents of theses children appreciate all your hard work and dedication to the people of Mexico. I have enjoyed reading your blogs and hope you have a great trip back home with no complications. I look forward to reading your next blog as well. Take care.
In Him,
Aunt Sherri
*sorry for the typos : (
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