This month we did the clinic without Susanna as she was still in the States finishing up her holiday visit. Jim and I enjoyed the drive down, as we always do. There’s always so much to see that’s “different” and it still catches my eye…a woman carrying a huge bundle of cut up limbs on her head taking it home for her daily fire, clothes hung out to dry on the bushes and the broken down fences, houses with such large gaps in between the broken boards and pieces of zinc that you can see right in, families riding 4 on a motorcycle, often times with an infant as one of the passengers, a man walking down the street carrying a live chicken in each hand, frilly-aproned women balancing large plastic tubs filled with tortillas on their heads, buses so filled with passengers they are literally hanging out the doors and windows, the ever-present haze of smoke from the cooking fires…I could go on and on. This country and its people fascinate me and I admit are firmly attached to my heart. Only God could have done that.
The numb
er of patients this month was lighter than some months. We served 67 people and the top two items dispensed this time were vitamins and acetaminophen. Vitamins are a staple item on every prescription. They are horribly expensive here which means that without our providing them, those people would not have them. They might as well not be available when the cost is so high. We were able to give vitamins to pregnant women, children and adults and when told to take only 1 tablet a day, they listen just as seriously as when you give them directions for their antibiotics or blood pressure medication. We take so much for granted…
er of patients this month was lighter than some months. We served 67 people and the top two items dispensed this time were vitamins and acetaminophen. Vitamins are a staple item on every prescription. They are horribly expensive here which means that without our providing them, those people would not have them. They might as well not be available when the cost is so high. We were able to give vitamins to pregnant women, children and adults and when told to take only 1 tablet a day, they listen just as seriously as when you give them directions for their antibiotics or blood pressure medication. We take so much for granted…We also had a great supply of reading glasses this month…thanks to First Baptist Ch
urch in Cassville, MO! They sent an amazing donation down to us…our friends who came to visit over Christmas delivered 112 pair of reading glasses, most of them brand new, for us to have available at these clinics. Jim and I were able to find 3 sets of 3 plastic drawers each that were ideal for separating and storing the various strengths. We put out samples of each strength along with a gospel tract in Spanish so that folks could get a “feel” for which strength would be best for them by reading the tract. You can see the "samples" laid out on the cases to the left of Rhonda and me.
urch in Cassville, MO! They sent an amazing donation down to us…our friends who came to visit over Christmas delivered 112 pair of reading glasses, most of them brand new, for us to have available at these clinics. Jim and I were able to find 3 sets of 3 plastic drawers each that were ideal for separating and storing the various strengths. We put out samples of each strength along with a gospel tract in Spanish so that folks could get a “feel” for which strength would be best for them by reading the tract. You can see the "samples" laid out on the cases to the left of Rhonda and me.Getting people to understand that these glasses were only to aid with reading or close-type work and weren’t regular eyeglasses was sometimes difficult but honestly, the most difficult part was getting people to understand that once they had found a strength that worked well for them, that they then could choose a frame style they liked. Almost without exception, they all wanted to take whatever pair they tried on, regardless of how they looked on them, whether they were women’s glasses or styled more for the gentlemen. These folks aren’t used to having choices like that…they’re used to being handed something and then having to make it work for them. Again…we take so much for granted.
We were able to wrap up the clinic fairly early in the day. As we were leaving, we had a gentleman come and the doctor consulted with him right on the sidewalk of the school. Prescriptions were filled out of the back of Roger’s car and then we were once more on our way, only to be stopped again by a regular to the clinics, Emelia, a lady in her 80’s who was walking down the road towards the school. Of course, we stopped again and this time, the rutted road served as the “clinic”. Rhonda was able to find all the necessary medications for Emelia and Roger put her in his truck to drop her off at her house on our way back to town.
As we bump and bounce along on our way home after clinic, we often pass motorcycles and bicycles, horses and oxen. But the mode of transportation that caught my eye that day was a “
covered wagon” bouncing wildly along the road and finally ending up semi-“crashed” in the grassy ditch. Nothing was broken and no one was hurt…simply some out of control steering egged on by shouting and laughter and purposeful guiding! Some very ingenious little children had made a wagon and used broken pieces of Styrofoam lashed together to be the covering. They were so precious I as
ked Jim to stop. I took a couple of pictures from the car but Rhonda suggested we get out and get a closer look. I’m so glad she did. We met some delightful little people with that little wagon and they were ecstatic that we wanted to take their pictures. I’m surprised we were able to get them all to hold still long enough to get the photos as the little ones literally were jumping up and down with excitement…the camera is a powerful thing here.
covered wagon” bouncing wildly along the road and finally ending up semi-“crashed” in the grassy ditch. Nothing was broken and no one was hurt…simply some out of control steering egged on by shouting and laughter and purposeful guiding! Some very ingenious little children had made a wagon and used broken pieces of Styrofoam lashed together to be the covering. They were so precious I as
ked Jim to stop. I took a couple of pictures from the car but Rhonda suggested we get out and get a closer look. I’m so glad she did. We met some delightful little people with that little wagon and they were ecstatic that we wanted to take their pictures. I’m surprised we were able to get them all to hold still long enough to get the photos as the little ones literally were jumping up and down with excitement…the camera is a powerful thing here.We knew there was another child in the wagon but we were surprised to see a two more child
ren all hunched over inside…their smiles much larger than the small space their frames took up. We laughed and they laughed and it was just a fun moment all the way around. Jim remembered the bag of candy we keep in the console, just for such times and we gave them each a piece. Sweet pay for a sweet moment. I love those kinds of moments…you know, the ones that you just can’t plan for and that take you completely by surprise? Those are perfect boosts of energy that God gives us, dispensing His own kind of vitamin for worn out workers…we were all in high spirits as we drove the rest of the way to Roger and Rhonda’s house.
ren all hunched over inside…their smiles much larger than the small space their frames took up. We laughed and they laughed and it was just a fun moment all the way around. Jim remembered the bag of candy we keep in the console, just for such times and we gave them each a piece. Sweet pay for a sweet moment. I love those kinds of moments…you know, the ones that you just can’t plan for and that take you completely by surprise? Those are perfect boosts of energy that God gives us, dispensing His own kind of vitamin for worn out workers…we were all in high spirits as we drove the rest of the way to Roger and Rhonda’s house. On the way home late that Saturday afternoon, I thought about those children. They obviously didn’t have much in the way of material things but my goodness, they had million dollar smiles and priceless parcels of joy contained in their thin little bodies and they were freely sharing both. I believe God can and will use anything necessary to teach us some of His spiritual truths. He used those children that day to remind me that there is such joy in giving whatever it is of value that we have to give…whether it’s vitamins, reading glasses or smiles just bursting across dirt-streaked little faces…we are to give to those in need. I hope you give someone something today…
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