We're Home!

Team Guatemala is home safely - we arrived late last night! Thank you for your prayers and support.  Our team is still in awe of what we saw and accomplished through the power of God.  Many lives were committed to Christ, the physical and spiritual needs of over 900 individuals were ministered to and the hearts of our team members were deeply touched.

Here's a final recap of our team:

Faye Boore, RN (Triage Leader)

Debby Deichman (Triage)

Randee RN (Team & Clinic Leader) & Michael Halvorsen (Team Leader)

Russell Halvorsen (Triage, Clinic & Child Entertainer)

Stefani Hillborn (Clinic & Triage)

 Jean (Children) and Dick Hatfield (Pharmacy)

Sandy Ives, RN (Clinic) (with translator Maria)

Janice (Pharmacy) & Brian Lee (Crowd Control)

Debbie Madden (Pharmacy Leader)

Melisa Snyder, RN (Triage)

John (Evangelism) and Faith Solt (Pharmacy & Children)

Dawn Vining (Vision)

Barbara Westwood, RN (Clinic)

Dr. Geovany, Dr. Sacbaja, Nurse Carmen & Brian (Clinic, Clinic, Dental/Nutrition & Team Translator)

Hugo, Karen, Maria, Judah, Diane, Jodi, Katy, Christian, David and Jefferson. Not shown, Sharon, Oscar, Monica and Daniel (Team Translators and Helpers). 

The whole gang

Next Year's Trip Tentatively Planned for November 2015

Santo Domingo

Wow - what a day.  Many team members felt today was the highlight of our week.  We visited a new village that was very remote and poor.  Many homes were constructed of sticks or corrugated steel with no bathroom facilities.  We were fortunate enough to work in a newly constructed elementary school, but our attendance was light given the fact many of the residents were working to harvest crops for the weekend markets.  We saw 85 people in total, a number we felt a little discouraged about, but then God did two remarkable things. 

In our last batch of patients came a new mom who couldn't understand why her baby's head was swelling.  Hydrocephalus (a condition where spinal fluid does not properly flow from the spinal canal to the brain) is not well known in poor and uneducated areas, so she did not realize the significant danger her daughter faced (i.e. brain damage).  Our doctors were able to make a referral to a local hospital for emergency surgery to correct the issue. 

Our next miracle came after we closed the clinic.  We had five cross necklaces left that we had been giving out to the children this week.  Jean asked Mike to give them to five children who had not come to the clinic.  A short distance from our clinic five children were playing that appeared ideal candidates for our final gift.  Four of the children came forward to accept their gifts, but the fifth stayed on the ground.  Through a translator, we asked if he didn't want a cross and were told that he was unable to walk.  What we saw next was shocking.  The little boy, Wilson, used his hands to drag his body along the ground.  We asked if he would like to see the doctor, but he said no and started making his way down the path to his home. It's hard to describe the emotions we felt seeing the suffering this boy endures.

Fortunately, we were able to locate his older sister and learned his story.  He was abandoned at birth by his mother and was taken in by a loving family who had raised him for the last ten years.  His sister carried him to our clinic for an examination by one of our Guatemalan doctors.

After examining Wilson the doctors felt with intensive physical therapy, and perhaps surgery, he could walk again!  What a joy to see what the gift of a cross could bring to this boy!  We are working with a leader in the community and the doctors to obtain the necessary care and ask you keep Wilson in your prayers as we ask God to perform a miracle.

Here's Wilson after his exam with a few gifts from our team, including the Cross of Jesus around his neck.

 

We will make one final posting tomorrow before returning home.  Thank you for your continued prayers.

El Aquacata

Our translators have been great.  When people come in with frequent headaches the nurses explain that they need to drink more water since they are dehydrated.  Some people receive a talk about nutrition which the translators will tell the patient in Spanish.  Today Randee's translator, Bryan gave the talks to the patients all by himself before Randee had a chance.  Well done.

Jefferson has been the translator at the pharmacy.  He is given the bag with the drugs the doctors prescribed and he explains how much to take and how often.  He has been very patient with the people as they ask questions.

We are so fortunate where we live.  People can get cataract surgery as soon as their vision is impaired.  Here that type of care is not widely available.  As a result cataracts lead to blindness as was the case with this man, who, if he had the surgery ten years ago would be able to see.  But since the care was not available he is permanently blind and surgery won't help him now.  A brother in Christ is blind for something that could have been prevented.  Luke 12:48b  "From everyone who is given much, much will be demanded.  And from the one who is entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

Santa Maria Cauque

Here is as picture of our team with the translators.

After devotions each night we share stories of the day.  Here are some of the funny things people said when asked "Why are you here today?"  "What problems do you have?"
1. Since I ate lettuce on Saturday I hear strange noises.
2. I took a bath and bot bronchitis.
3. After I took my medicine for a sore throat, little balls grew in my throat.
4. When I walk a lot, I get tired.  (The woman was 73)
5. What problems?  I don't have any problems.  My husband is dead  (From a 70 year old woman.)


Hey, our day isn't over yet.


We saw 270 people today.

San Bartolome

Today we will write about a patients day at the clinic.  When they arrive John gives a gospel presentation and local church leaders pray with each person.  They then wait to see a nurse for registration.  The nurses take their blood pressure, ask them what is wrong and record the information for the doctor to review.

After the patient sees the doctor they then receive teaching on dental hygiene and nutrition while their prescription is being filled.












If someone is having trouble seeing they will see Dawn who determines which pair of reading glasses is best for them.

While the parents are waiting the children have some fun coloring, playing with toys, and singing until it is time to see the doctor.  Each person on our team has a special role.









To show you how great our nurses are here is a picture of Melissa demonstrating  a back stretch.

San Jose Pacul

Today was our first day of clinics.  The nurses who take the medical history of each patient hear many stories.  We will tell you three stories today.
A forty-nine year old woman who has 15 brothers and sisters told Faye that she never went to school when she was young because she had to take care of her siblings.  Last year she went to school and was proud that she was number one in first grade.  Now she can read but she doesn't see well.  We were able to fit her with glasses.

One of the questions the nurses asked was "Have your accepted Jesus?"  The lady replied no but I want to.  A local church leader, Oscar lead this woman to Christ and the nurses hugged her as a new sister in Christ.  The local church will follow up with her to encourage her.

Another lady who was pregnant told the nurse that she can't sleep and was depressed since her brother died.  This woman has two boys and two girls.  When asked what she wanted a boy or a girl she replied "Whatever God blesses me with."  The pastor's wife prayed with her before she left.

A total of 145 people, mainly children were seen by the doctors today.

Church in Guatemala

Today we were blessed to be part of the local church here in San Lucas.  Church was long by our standards but you never were bored as the service was vibrant and time went by quickly as we praised our Lord and Savior in Spanish.  Today's service was pretty special as seven children were dedicated to the Lord and the parents were challenged to teach the children Biblical principles and be Godly examples.

In the afternoon we had the privilege of visiting one of the oldest cities in Guatemala called Antigua.  We had a little bit of fun shopping and negotiating the prices to be reasonable. 

After our group devotions, we finished the day getting the medical supplies ready for our first day of clinical outreach. 

We are planning to visit a village tomorrow that we have never been to before so we are not sure what to expect.