Hungry?

Another medical clinic was about to begin.  Today’s beginning had a few challenges.  The entrance into this school was a short steep embankment that all 3 vans drove right up.  The schoolteacher had not allowed us to use the classrooms so we set up shop under the awning of the school, this set up worked but it was tight for both lines of people to work through the clinic.

I was completing my normal tasks at the clinic of setting up the med boxes, scanning the crowd for anything medically abnormal, taking blood pressures and checking blood sugar.  I also was watching the Dentist that had come on this team from Keokuk Iowa do his magic on teeth that were in desperate need of attention. As a team we were about 75% through the line that had formed in Patzun, Guatemala. 

The next person in line caught my eye.  This man was relatively tall for a Guatemalan, although he was literally skin and bone, his hair was brittle, and his eyes were sunken in.  This man is sick!  I quietly walked behind Dan, a fellow missionary, and began eves drop  I looked at the paper that records age and meds needed, WHAT, he is only 32, he looks like he is about 15 years older.  My thought was, “what is wrong with this dude?”

ping on his conversation.

Not only did this team come with a dentist, they also came with a doctor.  After gathering some information from this patient, Dan turned around and began to spill all the usual info with the Doctor and myself.  The first thing out of Doctor Tammy’s mouth was HIV or Hepitits.  My fear had been confirmed this man was in trouble.  A few more probing questions were asked, but some of the information wasn’t quite adding up. 

To confirm diagnostic suspicious blood work was needed.  This man, Juan Carlos, was admitted to our long term patient care program.  He proceeded to the back of the clinic to receive the meds that we did have to help him.

Next in line was a woman with a bunch of kids.  It came out that this is Juan Carlos’s wife and kids.  Again my brain said, “WHAT” why didn’t they come through as a family?   Whatever, it is what it is.

After the patients had been seen, our medical team gathered with Juan and his family to make a plan of when he could return to receive the exams that he needed.  After some interesting glances for Juan’s wife, it was decided he would come back on Wednesday, one of our staff would return to the village and pick him up because Juan was unsure how to navigate the bus system. 

Thursday came and Yohanna went with Juan to Obras, the hospital they arrived at 5 in the morning to get in line for the doctor.   Blood work was drawn, Doctors were chatted with, and stories were shared.

The blood results were picked up on Friday and our mind was blown.  All blood results were normal.  “WHAT.”  Normal, was as Normal can be, no HIV, no Hepatitis, no infections.  Why did this man look so…terrible?

 As the words fell out of Yohanna’s mouth, my skin started to rise with goose bumps, my mouth fell open and my heart broke.  His wife and mother-in-law were starving Juan because they didn’t / don’t like it that he is a Christian.  WHAT this man is being starved because he is a follower of Jesus?  WHAT, he is anorexic because he loves my Jesus?  What, Juan has lived in hunger because he was hungry for salvation?

Juan and His family

Juan is currently living with his sister and being feed with food and gaining weight. 

He is also celebrating Easter this Sunday and being feed by the Holy Spirit spiritually. 

AM I willing to approach my Jesus with hunger?  Am I willing to stand up to surroundings when I am being persecuted?    Do I love Jesus more than anything or anyone?  Lord please let me follow you with the dedication and determination that I need to meet the challenges you place before me!

LORD, please feed me!