Medical Mission and more

Ok, So first sorry that it has taken me so long to blog. It is so easy to get into a routine and things like this easily get pushed off the radar screen so I apologize. But a lot has been going on lately that I really want everyone to know about.

First of all, this past week we hosted a medical team in South Quito. I use the term we loosely because I still had class and could only attend one day but it was amazing. Just so that you know, Quito is basically divided into three sections. You have North Quito which is the rich section of town. Then you have Central Quito which is commercial and the Spanish Colonial Old Town, then you have south, which is the poor district. You can tell this just by driving the roads. They are considerably worse and you have to be extremely careful due to all of the manhole covers missing. Apparently the people steal them, melt them down, and then sell them as scrap metal. Not to mention the housing in most areas looks so miserable.

But then when I got there I was really unsure what would happen. I knew that most of the OMS Missionary jobs would be to translate for the American doctors, and while I feel confident I could do it, I was still afraid. And at first that was where I was put, in triage as a translator. But I was quickly removed. Not because of my abilities seeing as I hadn't seen a patient yet but to be put with the eye doctor who was inundated with work. Everyone wanted to see him. So I went to help and was completely relieved to see that he was from Puntilla (an area near Guayaquil) and therefore was fluent in Spanish. So mostly I just got to take his notes for him, play with the occasional kid, and choke back a few tears.

It's hard to explain but so many of the people came through the eye exam area and you wondered why they received clearance. They were having to be very specific with those who got to see him because there were so many. Some would go through and have 20/25 vision and receive some eye-drops and a prescription for glasses, and oftentimes you could tell these people weren't rich but they could afford what they had gotten. But then you'd see the older, poorer people come through and hear the words from the eye doctor, "tiene cataratas" (She has cataracts). For an eye doctor in a mobil clinic that's like saying she has cancer. Basically it is to say that they are going blind and there is nothing we can do about it. He would always tell them that their only option was an operation and they would almost always reply with "pero somos campesinos pobres." Basically that they are just poor farmers. He would explain that there were some clinics that would do it for free but that they would have to call certain numbers to find them. So they would normally go out with long faces, or try to fake smiles and thank yous. One man couldn't even see the doctors hand at less than a meter from his face. How do they live? And what can we do to help them? And all this is not to mention the countless kids who came in with eye problems from the dust, or parasites from the water. It's hard to bear at times. And I was there for just one day.

So that is about all I have. That was a hard fare to stomach but then to know that some good came out of it. Some people of south Quito got to see the love of Christ in a more tangeable way. But it has also opened a lot of questions for me. I know that the gospel was shared to the people there and a lot of people responded. But I've heard from years past that the people often just say yes in order to secure their treatment or their visit with a doctor. So I ask myself where is the transformation that Jesus spoke of? Is this the best method? These are just questions that are sort of floating around in my head right now. How are we to live our lives and our testimonies in such a way that others see Christ's love and want to join us on our walk with him, and not just say yes because they are afraid that we will turn them away?

So I guess for some prayer requests, pray for all those who did make a decision or ask for pastor visits. Whether they meant it or not one of the Every Community for Christ pastors should be visiting them in the next couple of weeks so pray that God's love will be seen and that transformation will take place. Also pray for me as I struggle with some of these questions and try my hardest to seek God's face on these. Pray that God's wisdom will come over us all as we seek his will and his method. Also pray for me as I prepare to leave for my ministry sight in Cuenca. I have just about a month before that happens so please pray that the ministry God has for me will open up and that all of the details like apartments and such fall into place. Thank you all for your prayers. They are well appreciated.