Always something different

It is almost 10 PM as I sit here outside the wireless connection at Misión Victoria. I was going to do post this blog 2 hours ago, but as I was eating my cerviche tostados we got word of a patient arrival. It turned out that she needed a lot of care, so I just got away to post this.

Language School at Roca Blanca!

Eric, Timothy, Correen and Issac Anderson with Spanish Academy director Dave Nelson

Maestra Paulina and Joanne with Paulina and Dr. Eder's little girl, Nelly

This January David Nelson started the Spanish Language academy with 5 students. The Anderson’s are a family of four preparing to work in a children’s home north of here in Oaxaca. Joanne, the other student, is getting ready to start her Master’s work in ESL and wants to experience learning Spanish as an adult.

I try to check in with them to see how they are doing often. Eddie and I both remember what a challenge it was to study this intensive language curriculum. We fixed dinner together Wednesday night, fried chicken and baked potatoes! On the weekend I showed them how to use the micro to go to Puerto Escondido, and I introduced Joanne to her first Tlayuda! They seem to be doing good. They are smiling a lot more this week than last week. I cannot think of a better place to study Spanish than Roca Blanca!

Bethany from Lancaster, PA experiencing her first Tlayuda!

...and more students

Vernessa with little David Solomon

Last Friday we received a group of student from Elim Bible Institute, Lima, New York. Elim is a missionary training school that is over a century old.

Drs. Dave and Mary Kay, and Clinica Corban are hosting a Community Health Assessment and Development course for medical missionary students. Today we started classes with Dr. Jody, a pediatrician and missionary who lives north of here in Zihuatanejo. Jody works with CHE (Community Health Evangelism), a global community health mission organization. She is with us for a week teaching a effective, holistic model for improving community health and sharing the gospel.

I will be attending as many of the class hours as my clinic responsibilities will allow. We began today by looking at the scriptural imperatives of living in the Kingdom of God; God’s plan for His people to live in the fear of the Lord and worship Him, as well as be stewards to nurture His creation. God’s word directs us to act “justly, love mercy and to walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8). And we spent a lot of time discussing what that meant.

Dr. Jody helping us consider how to involve community involvement and ownership of their own health projects

We considered what many have called “the social gospel” which seeks to meet the social and physical needs with little recognition of the individual’s need for a Savior. One of the students said that was like getting them all cleaned up and nice and pretty for hell.

And also we recognized that to just preach the gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ without obeying his mandate to be stewards and to stand strong for justice was ignoring the whole gospel.

Rosie and Angela show how the community's solutions to their own problems can be more sustainable and effective than those solutions brought in by outsiders

It was a stimulating time, including thoughts on how to utilize community health models including missionaries, health care professionals and individual members of the community.

If you have read any of my blogs or heard me share about the indigenous group we work with in the mountains of Oaxaca, you are aware of the darkness and the emotional and physical health issues we deal with. This afternoon we looked at the beliefs that were the roots of the values that lead to the behaviors (domestic violence, witchcraft, drunkenness, kidnapping young girls to make them wives) that result in the consequences of poverty, depression, illness, illiteracy and hopelessness that dominates the Mixteco people that come to our mountain clinics.

Katlyn and Katie assessing and assigning care to patients!

We agreed that their belief that God doesn’t love them results is no hope and no vision. We believe that this is key to understanding the health problems of the Mixteco. Recognizing this we talked about how we can bring in hope and model the love of God, and how evangelism can be relevant to the needs of a community. Medicines, sanitation and clean water is just the tip of the iceberg.

And today was just the first day!

Dr. Jody cited Multiplying Light and Truth Through Community Health Evangelism by Stan Rowlands. I hope to obtain this book when I return to the States.

Finding ways to make Community health evangelism practical

As I listen to Jody’s teaching I am inspired to consider what God would have me do with this information. When I left Seattle 3 weeks ago, I told Eddie that I thought God had something to say to me while I was here alone without him. Hopefully many of you know what it is to have an experience or hear a message that gets your attention, and you go to the Lord and say “is this going to change my life?”

So if any of you out there are still thinking that you want to get involved with our work in medical missions, or community health outreach…keep your ears open. We may be getting together latter this year to begin considering what God may have us do.

Life without Eddie

Well, I am grateful for a good phone connection (when I walk 4 stories up to the top of the guest house) and I talk to him every other day, at least.

Just a little info on my life here without Eddie. God has blessed us with such wonderful friends here. Berta (Bertha) comes from upstate New York with Drs. Dave and Mary Kay. She has become a close friend, and my partner in crime. We can get rather silly, and she goes right along when I make up words to some old Mexican ballad about the guacamole.

Berta came to the U.S. from Colombia when she was 16. My grandmother’s mother was born in Colombia, and Berta sounds, and acts…and tells stories like my grandma used to do. Sometimes I hear her down the hall telling one of her stories, and it sounds just like my grandma with all the exaggerated expressions, with the same vocal cadence and the same accent. Perhaps my family will even look at her picture and see a little resemblance! She is a great comfort to me.

I have moved into a tiny room in our bodega (storeroom) but as my air-conditioner is still in route, I am using Dr. Eder and his wife Paulina’s room (they are not using it this week!) Their air-conditioner works and I have been enjoy comfortable nights of sleep!

Yes it is hot! The students keep saying, “I cannot believe it is January”. But this is a normal January for me since I have spent every January in Mexico since 2004. As usual I am covered with mosquito bites, I think my repellent must be out of date. But all the same, this is still the most beautiful of places. Sunrises and sunsets, palm trees, water lilies, beautiful white herons, dramatic magpie jays, funny little geckos, and the crashing surf…and in the evening a cool breeze off the water, yes I am glad to be here.

Just wish Eddie was here too.