RANDOM REFLECTIONS AFTER COMING HOME FROM CHIAPAS

Some random photos and random thoughts since I am home.   I am acclimating, but I am a bit distant, and my thoughts often stray to Chiapas.  I think of specific patients, like this little boy.  His osteochondroma may someday convert to malignant tumor.  We probably won't see him again.  There is not much we can do to change the course.  He has a loving family.  Did we make a little difference in his life?  I ponder this a lot.  

Another family, smiling, amiable.  Village people, no education, no health care, marginal living, all treated for worms and parasites, so common, robbing children of the joy of eating and developing normally.  Will they make any changes based on the hygiene and nutrition education we imparted?

Strong, older lady, trying to describe some daily, discomforting symptoms.  A bag of ibuprofen will help immensely.  We can walk to any of hundreds of stores with aisles and aisles of medications, for every ailment under the sun.  Is this a good thing?   Not sure.

We love the people who are trusting us, to come to the clinic, to believe what we say, to feel confident with our medical treatment.  A good feeling.

Another typical family happy with a toothbrush and a worm treatment.  When were you last happy with something so simple, so basic?  Have we become greedy?  Wanting more and more, without pleasure or satisfaction?

Children are the same everywhere!   That's my heart!

Dr. Bill Herring meets Dr. Gerardo Cruz Gomez.  He is bright and personable and I hope I was able to impart some love and wisdom on life and patient care.  What a miracle it was that he came to us, and that I could be there for some weeks of orientation.

Children next door to the clinic.  They live in a hut, there are 8 of them.  The baby has no name yet...the card is Josue.  They are clean and bright.  They would read books while there was no school for 3months due to the strike.  I shared apple slices with them.

This is one of many instances when I really wonder, "What have I done?"   I'm the one who is touched and blessed.  I don't remember her ailment, but she was so grateful she promised to make me a purse.  She returned with the purse several days later.

The next generation.  Maybe one by one we will show them God's love, and teach them good health practices for a better life

Nurse Lidia.   She too is a miraculous addition to the clinic.   What a privilege to mentor and orient her in the way she should go.  Old nurse imparts wisdom to new nurse!  Generous benefactors, friends of Hebron, provided her tuition thru school, and she now pays back by working in the clinic.  A win-win situation!

Village patients

Jose'    He has Down Syndrome.  He's done well with a lot of village support.  He's never received any education or special support services.  He works doing chores with the men.  I wrote an article about him many years ago when I was in his village and working in Zion for a facility for people with disabilities.   I wrote an update for the DD nursing newsletter.

He had some URI, but was up playing later!  He is attended by Dr. Jerry

Another sweet family of girls.  Treated, as well, for worms and parasites.  Stern, but loving hygiene advice given!

Another child with Down Symdrome.  Also with loving parents.  

You don't have to travel to contribute.  3 sisters in North Carolina got together and made 70 darling sundresses.   Nurse Penny carried them. They were distributed to 2 different villages.  The girls grinned, and laughed, as they tried them on and chose patterns.  The boys got balloons!

Sweet Margarita.  She is a good friend of the mission.  She comes and volunteers her time for every caravan.  It's all about relationships.  We have developed deep friendships over the years.  

Who says we don't like to see the doctors and nurses!

Nicolas translates the lady's symptoms from Tzeltal to Spanish for Dr. Bill.  We've been praying for Nicolas' wife, Margarita.  She has had severe, recurring "cysts" all over her abdomen.  They were trying  to raise money for surgery, a treacherous venture of its own

The 2 older ladies made friends while waiting.

Sights on my way to town.  It was extremely pleasant to walk every day.  It was time to stretch and breathe and take in the surroundings.  No cares other than to absorb and enjoy the environment: children playing ring around the rosy, flying hand made kites, and swinging on a rope over a garbage dump.  The steep hill was fraught with potholes, spontaneous construction, irregular cement and blocks and cobblestones.  The mountains in the background are stunning.  Everyone smiles and says Buenos Dias!  When have you last walked and had your senses so pleasantly bombarded?

And then there was a cattle drive right down the street just outside town.

There were so many signs during my time in Chiapas.  Don't forget to watch for them!

Nurse friends share the joy of Chiapas 

Home made swing over a garbage dump

Typical Tzeltal woman

Well, I told you that the sights were interesting....

Another chance to touch just one person.  Think of the people you might influence today.

A young mother with some unknown familial auto immune disease.  She was normal until age 20, when her limbs started to sclerose and become edematous and actually disintegrate.  She "walks" on her knees and actually came in for us to look at open wounds on her knees, not to evaluate the disease.  She was used to living with that.  She was very pleasant, smiling and was a huge role model for grace in the presence of adversity.  I've thought often of how we deal with challenges

A wonderful way to leave Chiapas, in good hands.  

Remember, the name of the clinic is Las Manos de Cristo, the hands of Christ.

More later.   I'll be reflecting for a very long time.  May you find the time and place to do the same.  It feels really good.

Carolyn

THANKSGIVING, 2013

Thanksgiving Day...

A day for giving Thanks.   I feel as though that that is all I have been doing since I am here!  I don't need a special day to do it.  I honestly have been giving thanks non stop.  From the safe trips all over, to the gracious hosts everywhere, to the beauty of the surroundings, to the time to even be here, to the touching sendoff prayer this morning at the little church, to the flow of patients and their treatment, to the miracle of hiring the doctor AND the nurse, to the Holy Spirit who has been faithfully surrounding me the whole time, to my special friendship with Jan, to the peace and refreshment I have found here, to my faithful church family, to my beautiful biological family who have supported, loved, and encouraged me to go, to the amazing number of friends who pray and donate and follow my crazy adventures, to my clean, comfortable little room at the clinic, to the hand made clothes rack and shelf, made just for me, to rice and beans and tortillas and plenty to eat, to my I Pad and Facetime, allowing me to communicate and see my family, to the pleasure of reading not just one, but several books, to the Bible study that we did, and to new ways to talk to The Lord, and new commitment to make Him first in my life, to walking and weight loss!, to my job waiting for me at home ( i hope...) and the nurses who have covered for me in my absence, to turkey and the fixings and a warm family dinner with the Feliciano family!  

    I give Thanks.

To the little faces and hugs at the other end, as I return home.   They said they would miss me at Thanksgiving....    

 Yes, indeed, I have much to be thankful for.

So, if you try real hard, you can come up with a list of things to be thankful for, too.  Even in dire, or ordinary circumstances, God is so good, and his blessings abound!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Chiapas.  

CARAVANA MINI....SIBAL

CARAVANA MINI.    SIBAL.    Week of November 18, 2013

Well,  Jan and I are taking a little shopping break after seeing patients in the rustic setting of the village all week.  We travel by combi (a little van) to the colonial city of SanCristobal.

 It is our stepping-off, and transition-home city.  We have a lovely, ancient, cheap hotel that knows us well.  It is a little more touristy here, and has several magnificent markets, including a native artisan market with hundreds of stalls, set on the giant steps and all around the ancient cathedral, and a thriving, noisy, dirty, crowded people's market.  We did not sample the seasonal delicacy shown here...fried giant ants, or something similar...

We will eat lunch in a restaurant and shop!    Jan is bound and determined to have a real (butterball, that is..) turkey, and sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.  Neither can be found in Ocosingo.   I, of course, will be buying native made gifts!

The trip is 2 hours, on a beautiful day.   The combi  is actually pretty nice.  I have a little window seat, that actually has a lap belt.  There are children and old ladies, but no live chickens.  I buckle up and say a prayer.  I read a little, but I thoroughly enjoy gazing out the window at the stunning vistas that are all around.  There are green, lush hills and valleys and magnificent mountains in the near and far distance.  Around every sharp curve and switchback there is a breathtaking view.   

The dropoffs, landslides, and boulders in the road are also breathtaking!!!     But It is a great time for reflecting.   Sometimes I doze, as I have discovered that this truly is the most comfortable way to travel here.  It is not good to see what is ahead, or to anticipate every rut and sunken portion of the narrow and unmarked road...   The sight and thought of cars coming at us in our lane, or of us in their lane is disconcerting.  There are a few signs around, but they are completely ignored.  If it says slow your speed, they actually speed up.  If it says do not pass, they do.   Curves mean nothing.  Whoever gets there first, wins!   In Ocosingo there is one 4 way stop intersection, only one.  And a single, brand new red 4 way traffic light at another intersection.  They mean ABSOLUTELY nothing.  I have never seen anyone stop.  There are topes(speed bumps) all over the roads, 180 of them from Ocosingo to San Cristobal, built haphazardly to get speeding drivers to slow down.  They do work!     I rather like the topes....   Of course, the driver has just accelerated in the short distance before the tope, making the stop (usually in the other lane..), especially jerky....   Anyway, back to reflecting.  Riding in any vehicle here is a good time to get close to your God!

I reflected on the recent Caravan to Sibal.  It was great!

 Sibal, though difficult to get to, is a sweet village.

The church there, Pablo's church, is especially gracious.  They cooked and cared for us for 4 very full days.  This was the first fully Mexican caravan, and other than a little disorganization on Day 1, (ok, so it was really pretty chaotic...), things went very well!  By Day 2 the patient flow process was much better.  

Some  patients were Ill, needing acute care, but more needed routine care, and supportive medicine.  Remember, this is a very remote village, and these folks will not be able to easily travel to the clinic in Ocosingo.    

For most patients it was the first time they had seen a doctor, or ever been weighed, had their blood pressure taken, or had received any medication at all.  Hard to fathom that.  

Infections go untreated.  I had a lady with another acute ear infection, probably one of many.  Her hearing was gone.  Another little girl, 4 years old, had a front baby tooth break off from rot, and part was left in her little gum.  It was hurting.  We could give her medicine for pain, but there is no dentist available to fix the One man knew his blood pressure was high (there is a small government casa de salud nearby), but they have no medicines there, so he was not able to take anything for it.  His blood pressure was very high.  Jan expertly fit many patients with reading glasses.   We prescribed a lot of Albendazole, for the endemic worm situation.  

And on and on...    We saw 340 patients over the 3 days.  The new doctor and nurse worked very well, as did the para-medics who are so faithful to our mission.  They are self taught practitioners who are experienced, and enjoy the learning experience and camaderie that comes with the caravans.  

We left full and satisfied that we had served well.  The patients were grateful for our presence.   And we were humbled.  Our final dinner and prayer from one of the brothers was for God to watch out for us, and an apology that they could not serve us in a better manner...    

My reflection was on that thought, and the deep sincerity of it, why l feel so humble when I am here.   I have done nothing.  I am the one who has been blessed.    

My time here is running short.  There are now a lot of "lasts".   I am feeling sad. 

Until Dia de Gracias....         Carolina