Where Have I Been?

Talk about hitting the ground running! When I returned to Guatemala on May 23rd, I thought I would have a few days to get ready for the team coming on the 28th, relax a little, and catch up on my blog. Was I ever wrong! Plans change hourly here.

We are on our fourth team now since May 28th and there has not been a day when there has not been a team in the mission house. One of those, of course, was FFBC which made me extremely happy. What didn't make me happy was that I was sick the day they left and didn't get to say goodbye to them.

Even though the days have been busy the people of Guatemala still have needs. For example, some ladies brought me a written diagnosis from an ob/gyn doctor in Chimal of the aunt of one of the ladies. Discretion demands that I not go into detail as to her condition, but let it suffice to say that she was no doubt in very much pain and discomfort and was in desperate need of surgery. The family did not have the money for surgery so pleas were sent out by email for help and the surgery was paid for. I visited the lady a couple of days after the surgery, the day she was going home from the hospital, and she was most grateful.

In a couple of other instances ladies have come to ask for money for food. Two ladies asked for Q10 each, the equivalent of $1.25. Another lady needed money for an x-ray for her son who had been beaten and robbed.

Health care here in the national hospital for the most part is free, but no one wants to go to the national hospital because of the poor quality of care. Doesn't say much for socialized medicine, does it?

I have a work crew this summer to help clean the mission house and it is great. I actually have a couple of days off each week. My crew fell in love with Don and his team. They call him Pastor Don, so I fully expect to hear him preach next time I am home.

Luisa