Our day is winding down after
a marathon clinic at Good Samaritan Hospital seeing prospective surgical
patients. The Mayan women and their families are very patient. We started at
around 8:45 and finished around 8:00 this evening. 32 women were evaluated, treated,
and 9 were scheduled for surgery. We have several operations scheduled over the
next few days and will be busy but our patients will be much better and back to
their daily normal activities soon. We are exhausted but in a satisfying
fashion. I am always reminded of mercy, God’s mercy, when I come in contact
with these women and their families. Their families, by the way, are so caring,
supportive and participate in their care and recovery. They do it with style
and with sincere love, appreciation and support. We learned so much today from
the interactions with the patients and their loved ones. We learned patience,
compassion, out and out honesty with no secrets, faith-faith in our ability as
well as in their belief in a mighty power, trust- in us and the blessing of
God, the power of a smile or a laugh and the power of a touch, a human touch.
We ask for your prayers for us as surgeons for agile, healing, skillful hands
and prayers for the quick and full recovery of our patients.
Dr. Heidi has had a most
eventful week thus far. I was amused by the fact that she volunteered to check
her carry-on in Raleigh through to Guatemala City but failed to pick it up at
baggage claim. It has been entertaining watching her make call after call to
American Airlines who has now issued a statement informing Dr. Heidi that they will make a one time exception and
deliver her bag to Chichi tomorrow. Tag the bag and your finger Dr. Heidi!!!
Don’t forget the bag! Secondly, she arrived in Chichi with a horrendous cough. After
clinic this evening, she experienced an ill timed coughing spasm and has pulled
a muscle in her lower back. Poor Heidi! We will support her and care for her
and pick up the slack. To top it all off, she somehow managed to microwave her
tea this morning with a set of keys still in the microwave~ Mind you, she and Tom have used the “leave
the keys in the microwave as you come or go” system for the last almost ten
years, so that statement is not as weird as it sounds. Luckily, it seems the vinyl and leather
wallet keychain thingy that they were in seems to have saved them from actually
combusting. So there’s that. Feel better Doctor! And also, please try not to burn the place
down?
More to follow. For those of
you reading this blog who are not a part of any missionary work, listen to me!
I am very new to this concept and, in fact, I shunned the idea for years!
Believe me, I had many opportunities and requests, but felt that I should care
for women at home. I finally gave in and accompanied Dr. Heidi to Chichi in
2016. My life changed in 24 hours and I realized that the needs of women in
third world countries far exceed the needs of women in the US. So, I ask you to
involve yourself in some form of missionary work. Agape in Action is a great
choice. Time or cash! Remember, Jesus tells us that what we do for the least of
my children, you do for me. Think about it. Double shot. You do for Christ and
your fellow man!
Let us know if you want any
further information about how to get involved~
sending money, of course, is pretty easy. Unfortunately, you will find that most
missionaries have learned to kind of dread the question, “what do you need?”—because
the answer is pretty much always “money” and missionaries HATE asking for
money! So if you ever want to make a
missionary’s job easier, that’s how to do it.
But also, please don’t ever, ever, ever forget or underestimate the
power of prayer. Every missionary—definitely
including use this week!—covets your prayers and appreciates them more than you
will ever know. Let’s go change the
world together, folks!
In Christ~
