So it is Saturday morning, I get up early to watch the sunrise, read Oswald Chambers, then I make coffee. The med shopping is already done for the next trip and I am doing the laundry so we can pack. We left most of the mobile clinic, plus our tents locked up in the El Mosco clinic. We pick up the new group around 3:30 this afternoon.
This morning we plan to go and rest by a nice pool, as soon as we get off our computers.
Car troubles
We took 5 vehicles loaded with people, gear and supplies. Halfway up the mountains we had car trouble and had to load the kids into the back of an open truck and Eddie and I accompanied the crippled truck down the mountain. Halfway back the driveshaft broke in half, here is Isidro and Eddie removing it. Isidro drove to a safe place to store it without difficulty in 4-wheel drive, only using the front two wheels.
Llano Verde
We saw nearly 80 patients in Llano Verde while the students helped distribute food and toys and played with the children.
You might be familiar with these boxes of high protein meals by now, which are loaded here on the burro. Again we were told by the doctors, the greatest problem here is malnutrition. We left what we had left of the "dispensa" with the president of the town to distribute to the most needy.
Jeff and Maureen Leathersich, a Physician’s Assistant and nurse who spent 2 years working on a medical boat on the Amazon joined our medical team. They were great. Maureen was the most experienced help I have ever had and she made everything go so smoothly. They can come back any day!
We got back late and, as always, had patients waiting for us in El Mosco. God gave us a special blessing with a total lunar eclipse! In the dark of the moon, the stars shined brighter than usual, it was amazing. Sorry, no picture.
Pueblo Viejo and El Mosco
The next day we arrived late to Pueblo Viejo due to more patients, and one very sick pneumonia patient in El Mosco. In Pueblo Viejo the students did a program for the children, made balloon animals and played with the kids as before.
Dr. Dave examining a young patient, who was unusually cooperative!
When we arrived back to El Mosco, we found a man who had been carried in a hammock lying on the ground on a blanket waiting for us. We ran over two liters of I.V. fluids and gave antibiotics for pneumonia, probable sepsis and likely liver disease. He and his family spent the night.
In order get out of El Mosco we awoke very early, packed and left before sunrise. The doctors and Laura carried the patient and his family in the back of their truck and he was received at the hospital in Jamiltepec.
As we drove out of El Mosco we encountered a couple walking up the drive way, at 6:45 in the morning. I opened the window and said, "regresamos el domingo en la tarde!" (We are coming back Sunday afternoon) The needs are so great!
We arrived at Roca Blanca just after noon and we saw the team to the bus terminal that evening. It was a great time. We really enjoyed getting know Dave Nelson. We really didn’t want him to leave. But he will be back soon….in time for his wedding April 12th!
Afterwards, Drs. Dave and Mary Kay, Laura, Eddie and I talked over a light meal and some yummy frozen mochas. We love the little family God has given us here.
Please keep praying
So, tomorrow we leave for El Mosco again. We will be with a medical, construction and children’s ministry team. Please pray for us.
We get back on Thursday and on Saturday and Sunday we will be holding cleft lip surgeries…phew!
Thank you for your continued prayers!
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