REPORT ON CHIAPAS, FEB, MAR, 2016

Well, my time in Chiapas is near an end. How the 2 wonderful months have flown!  It is bittersweet returning home.  Part of my heart remains. But I really miss the daughters and grands and I am looking forward to condo hunting!  

Here find a few photos.

It was a productive time, with several medical groups, ending with a team that included medical students, a first.  

We attended many, many sick people, as well as those with routine ailments.  We saw patients with sky high BP's and blood sugars.

 We saw patients with eye, skin, GI, orthopedic conditions. We saw TB, Dengue, Chikunguna, and other unknown ailments.  We next want to obtain an ultrasound machine, an auto refractor for checking eyes and using pre checked prescription glasses,

and a machine for doing more lab tests. 

 We also traveled to several mountain villages

to explore teaching opportunities for the children and their very young "teachers".  

Quite an eye opener.  We also traveled to several other lowland and highland villages with Pablo's church work.  

We are now in Sibal, a low village, in the Lacandon jungle,  where is it usually hot, for part of Easter week.    But a Norte blew in and it is COLD and rainy.  We only brought our summer clothes for 3 days. 

We had communion yesterday on Palm Sunday, in the little mission church in Ocosingo before driving the 3 bouncy hours over a mostly gravel, rutted , barely single lane mountain road to Sibal.  Pablo preached about the king coming in a humble way, on a donkey.  The people here can identify with this. 

We attended a wedding,

a funeral, and a baby dedication.  We ate a lot of beans and tortillas. I did NOT find a vacero o caballero....despite the fact that Pablo announced in several villages to the "brothers"(elders of the church), that I was soltera and looking....

We brought the med students to the small (Veinte Camas, 20 Beds), which is in dire straits.  There No meds.  The single ultrasound machine is not working.  They are not able to do any simple surgeries as they used to .  It is a travesty.

I did have some down time, reading, walking, writing.  Jan and I did a little 3 day runaway to a beautiful, unknown beach town in Oaxaca.  

I am refreshed, despite the significant inconveniences in a culture such as this.   The country is in a lot of turmoil and so much is sad and bad.  But its people for the most part, are humble, grateful, loving, and at the mercy of the government.  

Being flexible, rolling with the punches, taking the challenges in stride, and trusting in the Lord are Mandatory!  We have been safe and healthy.  We have been served.  

Muchissimo gracias! For your interest, your prayers and your support.