Thursday, October 4, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Reflections
As Kristin and I entered the tent, I was surprised by the number of children running up wanting hugs and kisses. As they energetically threw their little arms around me and lifted their faces to mine for a kiss, my heart was heavy. This was our last night of the kid´s program, and they all knew it. With more volume and excitement then usual they sang the songs we sang every night, Cancion de Creacion, En El Arca de Noe, and Yo Tengo Gozo, a few of their favorites. As we talked about heaven, and how much Jesus loved each of them, I hoped with all my might that I would see their precious faces again in a place much, much better than this old world. I pray that the seeds we planted God will watch over, and see that they start to grow in their tender little hearts.
The next day, Sabbath, marked the end of the evangelistic meetings as well. Our faithful bible workers have toiled and the Lord has blessed. They baptized about 50 people, and started a new church in this community. Very exciting!
Today Kristin and I made our last visits to the families in our health program, as well. Everything is coming to an end, and we are now looking forward to the next campaign, starting this Sunday, 18 hours southeast of here in a little jungle town. That will be our home for the next six weeks!
As this campaign has now come to a close, I look back on it and am so thankful. We have learned a lot already about how to communicate and teach, but more importantly I have learned so much about the importance of reaching out to others. That is truly what this life is all about. We will never know just what these families do with the information we shared with them. Sure, some will disregard it completely (after all, what do gringas know about Peru?), but I pray that the Lord will use the interactions we had with them to touch even one person. I have realized that if we were in the right place, said the right thing, for that one person, it is all worth it.
The next day, Sabbath, marked the end of the evangelistic meetings as well. Our faithful bible workers have toiled and the Lord has blessed. They baptized about 50 people, and started a new church in this community. Very exciting!
Today Kristin and I made our last visits to the families in our health program, as well. Everything is coming to an end, and we are now looking forward to the next campaign, starting this Sunday, 18 hours southeast of here in a little jungle town. That will be our home for the next six weeks!
As this campaign has now come to a close, I look back on it and am so thankful. We have learned a lot already about how to communicate and teach, but more importantly I have learned so much about the importance of reaching out to others. That is truly what this life is all about. We will never know just what these families do with the information we shared with them. Sure, some will disregard it completely (after all, what do gringas know about Peru?), but I pray that the Lord will use the interactions we had with them to touch even one person. I have realized that if we were in the right place, said the right thing, for that one person, it is all worth it.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Finally, some more pictures!
Cheva and Lola, our faithful friends at km 38
Kristin and I, the travelling nurses!
The girls! This is our first night in Peru. Can you believe we´re all crammed in the back seat of a taxi?! Good thing we´re small!
Here´s the vampire bat Kristin found sleeping above her bed.
This is a picture of the man we are sponsoring. His intestines are literally in a bag.
And, here is the newest addition to the family.
The girls (minus Laura) before boarding our plane to Pucallpa.Friday, September 21, 2007
News
Kristin and I followed the mother along the sidewalk that wound along the buildings making up the Hospital in Yarina. Entering the pediatrics ICU, she led us into a small room where three babies lay in basinets. One was clearly very ill, and it was hers. As we peered down at the tiny 23-day old preemie, my heart broke. Skin and bones except for a big, bloated belly, the baby had been in the hospital for nine days and couldn´t keep anything down. The family didn´t have enough money for the medicines and treatments it needed, so Kristin and I had filled a prescription for it. I could see the weariness and worry written all over the woman´s face as she leaned over her little one. I wanted so badly to help this tiny life. To find out what it needed and fix it. But, it was out of my control, and all I could do was fill some prescriptions and pray. I am realizing this is a constant struggle in the mission field. There is really only so much you can do, and then you have to trust God and pray. This is very hard, especially when there are no gaurantees things will turn out well or the way you want them to. Thankfully this baby is getting better. He is now nursing and able to keep it down. He still has an uphill battle ahead of him if he is going to regain the strength he lost, but I am praying, and I know prayers work. Prayers do things we are unable to do humanly. I am realizing when I feel hopeless or like things are totally a mess, I can always pray. God has the power to make any situation, any life, any problem all better, working in ways we aren´t even aware of. That´s why I am so happy to be able to do the little bit I can. I may be limited, but the God of this universe who loves and cares about each of us more then we can even imagine, and knows our needs better then we do is only limited to the extent that we ask.
I forgot to mention in my last blog, that if anyone chooses to donate the surgery for the man with his intestines in a bag and we end up with multiple donors, we will be creating a fund for future people in need with any money left over. So, if you would like that money returned to you if we meet this need, just let me know. Thank you.
Our programs are going well. We went through the community and did an evaluation of the letrines. They are all above ground, and many are not even fully enclosed or covered. This is a real contributor to disease and diarrhea in the families here. But, it is very difficult to come into a community and tell them that something they all practice and believe is just fine needs to be changed. It is a good challenge, and we are learning more everyday.
I forgot to mention in my last blog, that if anyone chooses to donate the surgery for the man with his intestines in a bag and we end up with multiple donors, we will be creating a fund for future people in need with any money left over. So, if you would like that money returned to you if we meet this need, just let me know. Thank you.
Our programs are going well. We went through the community and did an evaluation of the letrines. They are all above ground, and many are not even fully enclosed or covered. This is a real contributor to disease and diarrhea in the families here. But, it is very difficult to come into a community and tell them that something they all practice and believe is just fine needs to be changed. It is a good challenge, and we are learning more everyday.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
The Front Lines
Hello!
Kristin and I are now located in a cute, clean apartment in Yarina, a few minutes from Las Brisas and Teodora Vinder, the two communities where our campaign is currently running. For these last two weeks remaining of the campaign we will be focusing on building sanitary letrines with our families, a real need we´ve noticed. It is important to dig a pit to bury waste, and every home we´ve visited has an above ground letrine. This means the pile of waste sits on the ground, and rats, chickens, and other creatures run through it and eat from it, contributing greatly to the spread of disease and infection. Not to mention the many flies that lay their eggs and travel from letrine to the kitchen and back again.
One of the latest discoveries we made while visiting km 38 for a few days was a vampire bat happily sleeping above Kristin´s bed. David kindly rid us of the nasty looking thing, and I was once again so thankful for my mosquito net. It and I will be inseparable, I´m sure, by the end of this trip.
A while back I wrote about a man who came through our clinic with his intestines in a plastic bag, and said that we were going to look into raising money for the surgery he needs to put them back in. We are still trying to raise the money he needs for the surgery and would like to help him with it as soon as posible. The surgery will cost $500. I know a lot of my friends have been putting up information about this guy on their blogs, too. If you are interested in donating money to help this man, please let me know. He is a member of the SDA church in Las Brisas, and is a fisherman by trade. However, he can´t fish because of the strain it puts on his stomach, so he is doing odd jobs for members of the church in exchange for food and money, earning enough to live, but no more. He has been faithfully attending the meetings, and just yesterday as Kristin and I sat under the tent for Sabbath school, I looked over and saw him eagerly reading his Bible. When you look into his eyes, you can see the pain he´s in, but he keeps going, smiling and remaining true to the Lord. Why else are we here but to help those who can´t help themselves? I was impressed that if we could show him God´s love by meeting this need, his faith will be strengthened in such a tangible way.
I want to thank you all for the many prayers said daily for me and the project here. I believe prayer is powerful, and we are on the front lines. Satan is not happy to see the people here responding in love and gratitude to the Lord for the joy He is bringing to their lives. He is working hard to weaken the efforts here in any way he can. Please continue to pray for the people of Las Brisas and Teodora Vinder, that the Holy Spirit would move on their hearts and use us in whatever capacity He sees fit to bring the precious gospel of love to their thirsty souls.
Kristin and I are now located in a cute, clean apartment in Yarina, a few minutes from Las Brisas and Teodora Vinder, the two communities where our campaign is currently running. For these last two weeks remaining of the campaign we will be focusing on building sanitary letrines with our families, a real need we´ve noticed. It is important to dig a pit to bury waste, and every home we´ve visited has an above ground letrine. This means the pile of waste sits on the ground, and rats, chickens, and other creatures run through it and eat from it, contributing greatly to the spread of disease and infection. Not to mention the many flies that lay their eggs and travel from letrine to the kitchen and back again.
One of the latest discoveries we made while visiting km 38 for a few days was a vampire bat happily sleeping above Kristin´s bed. David kindly rid us of the nasty looking thing, and I was once again so thankful for my mosquito net. It and I will be inseparable, I´m sure, by the end of this trip.
A while back I wrote about a man who came through our clinic with his intestines in a plastic bag, and said that we were going to look into raising money for the surgery he needs to put them back in. We are still trying to raise the money he needs for the surgery and would like to help him with it as soon as posible. The surgery will cost $500. I know a lot of my friends have been putting up information about this guy on their blogs, too. If you are interested in donating money to help this man, please let me know. He is a member of the SDA church in Las Brisas, and is a fisherman by trade. However, he can´t fish because of the strain it puts on his stomach, so he is doing odd jobs for members of the church in exchange for food and money, earning enough to live, but no more. He has been faithfully attending the meetings, and just yesterday as Kristin and I sat under the tent for Sabbath school, I looked over and saw him eagerly reading his Bible. When you look into his eyes, you can see the pain he´s in, but he keeps going, smiling and remaining true to the Lord. Why else are we here but to help those who can´t help themselves? I was impressed that if we could show him God´s love by meeting this need, his faith will be strengthened in such a tangible way.
I want to thank you all for the many prayers said daily for me and the project here. I believe prayer is powerful, and we are on the front lines. Satan is not happy to see the people here responding in love and gratitude to the Lord for the joy He is bringing to their lives. He is working hard to weaken the efforts here in any way he can. Please continue to pray for the people of Las Brisas and Teodora Vinder, that the Holy Spirit would move on their hearts and use us in whatever capacity He sees fit to bring the precious gospel of love to their thirsty souls.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Newest Addition to the Family
Hi all.
I´ve had so much more internet access lately, I just don´t know what to do with myself! It doesn´t feel like I have much to tell. Kristin and I have been working really hard on creating a program for our health program, since discovering there really wasn´t enough of one for our limited spanish to make work. It is tedious, but rewarding.
The group got back Sabbath from their exciting adventure on the river, and brought a new addition from deep in the jungle to join our little family. Yes, you guessed it - el mono. It´s a really cute, tiny little spider monkey, with a first, middle, and last name, making up for his small size. His first name is Franc. The girls fell in love with him despite his inability to be potty trained and bad habit of wiping urine all over his little hands to ¨clean¨himself.
I´ve had so much more internet access lately, I just don´t know what to do with myself! It doesn´t feel like I have much to tell. Kristin and I have been working really hard on creating a program for our health program, since discovering there really wasn´t enough of one for our limited spanish to make work. It is tedious, but rewarding.
The group got back Sabbath from their exciting adventure on the river, and brought a new addition from deep in the jungle to join our little family. Yes, you guessed it - el mono. It´s a really cute, tiny little spider monkey, with a first, middle, and last name, making up for his small size. His first name is Franc. The girls fell in love with him despite his inability to be potty trained and bad habit of wiping urine all over his little hands to ¨clean¨himself.
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