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!
