January Clinic

Our latest campaign saw us quite close to home, which in fact was quite lovely indeed. Sleeping in my own bed for more than two nights in a row, eating at the house with everyone and just taking a break from hostel/city living was very much appreciated on my part.

Clinic this time took place in 3 different places. Sunday through Tuesday we were at Dos de Diciembre, about 5km. down the road from our house. The first three days saw little patients. The pace was slow and the lines short. The biggest excitement was a runaway bull charging through our clinic away, scaring everyone as we heard screams and loud stomping of the bull as it neared the schoolhouse where we were holding clinic. Thankfully we were able to get everyone safely inside the building and watch as someone on the back of a truck tried to lasso the bull. Cf course, it didn't work and the bull ran away. Quite fun. The people of Dos de Diciembre were quite nice and with the clinic being a slower pace, I was able to sit and chat with some of the people hanging around. That's when you really get to know the people and see the needs. One of the ladies asked me if I had any children. Well, I said no, but then she started talking about how there were so many orphaned children in this village or children with parents, but the parents are unable to support the child. no money for food or clothes. The lady then proceeds to point to a boy standing just in front of us, who I guess is a child of parents who can't afford to take care of him. He is smiling broadly and joking with one of his friends. As I looked at him, trying to imagine life without parents, a life without ever having enough food to eat or having clean, hole-less clothes, it made me really sad. At that moment, I so wanted to just adopt that boy and all the other homeless kids in Peru and take care of them. Of course, right now for me that would be impossible, but....

Wednesday found us quite busy in Santa Catalina. With only one day in this village, the people made the most of it. With leftover donated glasses from the Gordon Hospital group clinic back in August/September, David and Kristin were quickly trained and were able to pass out prescription glasses to those in need. Definitely a popular place to be. The optical team were quite busy the entire day…and clinic for that matter. Dental was pretty crazy too.

With each clinic, I get better, more confident and efficient pulling teeth. Some patients take less than 10 minutes, while others I have poured sweat and worked on for over an hour. Those are the patients that test my patience and trust in God. Each time I honestly feel like giving up and letting someone else try, right on the brink of giving up, the tooth pops out! While working on each patient’s mouth, I am praying to God for a steady hand, clear head, and patience. I could not be able to pull these teeth without God’s help. Some patients are nearly impossible to numb, which makes it all the more difficult to pull the tooth. So I pray for patience, a firm steady grip, and the knowledge to know how to get the tooth out quickly and smoothly without too much discomfort.

Driving farther in for clinic on Thursday and Friday, we were able to help people in the larger village of Nueva Tunuya. These two days were quite busy for us in dental and so I didn’t have much time to take pictures and get to know the people as well, but those I did meet were so kind and helpful! Many of the kids enjoyed just hanging around and watch dental. They were all so cute and sweet!!:-) Friday was a crazy long day with seemingly extra-long/hard patients. After lunch I worked on this elderly man’s teeth for what seemed like forever. He wasn’t getting numb and I was getting frustrated, because he seemed to be wincing in pain with the slightest touch, though ALL of the kids I had worked on earlier that day had been tough as steel!! Grrr…finally I was able to get the teeth out he needed and finished up. I was still feeling a little grumpy as I took my last patient for the day and clinic. She was only six yrs. old and the cutest little thing ever. Actually she and her twin sister came in at the same time and Brent took one and I took the other. Sooo adorable. Both of the girls just needed a little help getting some rotten baby teeth out, so with just a couple gentle tugs, I got her tooth out. All done. Less than 10 minutes!! I like finishing the clinic week with a good patient like that. But what really made my day was when her and her sister both thanked us for helping them and shook our hands. Not only was it the most precious thing ever, but it just really made me realize yet again how much a simple thank you and smile can make someone’s day!!

On a really sad note, our team found out on the Monday after clinic week that one of the leaders of the village of Nueva Tunuya and his family had been shot and machetted to death over the weekend. Apparently he had made an agreement with the government to inform them of the location of his village’s cocaine fields. The town found out and took revenge, killing him, his wife, his brother, and his children. It really hit home, knowing that we had seen these people and helped them in medical, dental, and/or optical on Thursday or Friday. Life is soo short! I pray that in the short time we were in Nueva Tunuya for clinic, we were able to show Christ to these people and be a blessing!! I hope and pray I will see these precious children of God in heaven one day!