Hola y Bienvenidos de Chiapas! Here we are on the morning of our last day of clinic. We’re going back to Los Llanos, the same place we went two days ago. I stumbled upon a verse from the Bible last night and I thought it fit what we were doing here in Chiapas so well. The verses are from 1 Corinthians 12: 12-20.
For just as the body is one and has many members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot shall say, “Because I am a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The more I thought about these verses, the more I realized its relevance in our group and on this trip. Every person on this trip has a purpose and without them, our group wouldn’t be able to function the same way. Every person in this group has an integral role to keep us functioning the way we do. This group is all here to serve one purpose, and that is to serve the people in Christ’s body. Christ has given us gifts and an incredible opportunity to come serve others in his kingdom, and it is a blessing I cannot describe. Seeing the change in the people’s emotions towards us in the hours that we served them has been incredible. Also, there is an incomparable feeling that I get when serving these people that I never would have felt otherwise. Just knowing that you are not only helping someone by means they could otherwise not achieve, but furthering God’s kingdom is incredibly overwhelming and humbling. Before clinic starts today, we will have already seen and served upwards of 400 people. I feel like I’ve been blessed to be able to come here and be a part of this incredible team or “body” as I alluded to before. I can’t believe we have come to our last day here, it feels like we’ve just started! I know I can speak for all the members of our team when I say we are so thankful for your thoughts and prayers. We love and miss you all! Luke
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Hi everyone at home! We are doing great and serving a lot of people. The most amazing thing about this trip is the wildlife and scenery. The sheep and the cows sitting on the side of a mountain is amazing also the way that people farm here is awesome. They plant corn and other crops up the mountain it is just amazing. Apparently they have stuff to stop bloody noses because of the pressure when they plant and harvest. The chickens here roam free, but always come back to their owners. Then the dogs run free as well many of them are herders for their owners sheep, but tons of them are strays that just look around for food and walk sometimes right into our clinic. Also a lot of the people don’t wear shoes here so they walk down the gravel roads barefoot. Anyway my trip has been great and I have learned a lot of Spanish and medical stuff it has just been awesome. Thank You for checking in on us!
- Jake Today we are way up in the mountains. The village is called Pajalton Alta. The ride here was beautiful and we are set up in the local church which is a small wooden room with a tin roof. Today I am working at intake. Luke and I switched for a change of pace. The patients all speak their native language of Tzotil and we only have 2 interpreters so the pace is a bit slower but we are working hard to serve as best we can.
This team is amazing; hard working, compassionate and caring. So far we have served about 350 patients and as I see the providers focus on serving the patient in front of them it warms my heart. Even amongst the moments that can be chaotic they slow down and focus on the family sitting across from them. Yesterday the docs were all inside and intake and pharmacy was outside. The people were lined up all day and at first the women just looked so sad to me. I believe they work hard just to survive and they have a hard life. As the day went on Jake began to play with the kids and the women’s faces started to light up. They were laughing with us and probably sometimes at us but who cares they were laughing!! It was so nice to see that. As Karen wisely put it play is a universal language and all kids love to do it. As a team leader it is always interesting to see how a group of people who really do not know each other well prior to the trip quickly become an effective team and feel like family. I feel honored to serve with all of them. Thank you to all of you back home who support our efforts and please keep up the prayers. Peace, Susan It is a different day. We are at a village of 800 people called Los Lannos. The people here are Indigenous. They have been lined up all day. The women and girls wear handmade skirts made from angora black wool. They wear bright cloth on their shoulders and bright cloths on their heads. They stand in the sun in line with hope that they can be seen. Many have deep furrows across their foreheads and eyes - from squinting in the bright sun. They watch but I don't see many smiles.
Luke and I are working at intake. Many do not know their age and some say they are 50 or 60 but look more like 80 or 90. The children sit quietly watching us. They have big eyes and do not have the opportunity to bathe very often. Once again I know what a luxury we have. Babies are carried in a bright colorful cloth across their mother's chest or on their back. As they watch, I wonder what they are thinking. These people speak their own language so an interpreter takes information in Spanish and converts it to Tzoltzil, and then back to us. The interpreter is very good but it is a slow process. They sky is bright blue and the sun is hot, yet they sit with patience. We feel helpless with communication yet know that we are providing a service for the needy. It is a wonderful feeling that they can put their trust in people they have never seen, much less let us clear their ears, inject their knees, and anything we suggest. That is truly amazing. Back home it seems so many people need a second opinion. Many don't like their pictures taken but some allow us to take one of them with their children, with us - then we see smiles! Some children are OK until we get close but the mothers try to comfort them. The men sit back all afternoon. We find out that they are letting the women and children go first. Several want to be seen by a doctor but they are waiting. It seems like a picture out of a National Geographic magazine but you feel that spirit so much more. We hope we can see all the patients and our hearts are broken when we are unable to see them all. We arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas early this afternoon. After checking into our hotel and having lunch, we spent some time at the market here. The entire group met up to go to church together at 7:00 p.m. The bells started ringing about 20 minutes before mass began. We walked from our hotel across the plaza to the Cathedral on the other side. On our way we saw a classic scene from México: a band playing in the gazebo in the center of the plaza and people all around enjoying a beautiful evening.
Our mission team is diverse in religious perspectives, but we were all together at mass. In a way, that reflects the larger work of our team. Each one of us brings a unique gift and talent and we work together toward a common goal. The Gospel reading at mass today was about Jesus’ call to the first apostles. The other readings emphasized that the time to serve God is now. Life is short and we are called to make the most of the time we’ve been given. Bishop Felipe Arizmendi was the presider at mass tonight. His message was about building the Kingdom of God which is not some far off place, but exists where there is holiness and grace, peace and justice, faith and love. He challenged us to move beyond words to put our faith into action. It seemed appropriate given our work here. It is clear that this bishop is loved by the people as was the bishop before him who strongly defended the rights of the poor in the face of injustice. After mass, people quickly moved to the front of the church where the bishop was tracing a cross in blessing on the foreheads of all who had gathered around him in a large circle. Nancy, Jody and I also made our way up followed by many other members of the team. When the bishop came around to see us, we introduced ourselves and explained that we were here on a medical mission. We asked for his prayers for each of us and for our mission. He asked where we were from and expressed his gratitude and appreciation for what we were doing. Seeing his connection with the people and hearing his call to build the Kingdom, it seemed a blessing in itself to be able to connect with the bishop and tell him about our work here. I am grateful for his prayers, but especially for all of the people back home praying for us and our work. Day 3 - Friday, January 20
We started our day on the rooftop of our hotel with morning prayer and reflection led by Susan and Nancy. The weather is very comfortable and sunny. We can hear the roosters crowing and smell the smoke from the cookfires in the area homes. After a wonderful breakfast at the convent in Coapilla with the Sisters, we enjoyed a spectacular mountain drive to Pantepec. We are planning to visit this community again on Saturday as there are many people who would like our help. The 45 minute drive on twisting climbing roads yielded one beautiful vista after another. When we finally arrived at the parish. People were lined up on benches waiting patiently. We quickly set up the clinic and worked non-stop from 10:00 a.m. until about 4:30 p.m. During the 6 1/2 hour clinic we were able to help 64 people. There were more there people waiting, but we will return tomorrow. The building we worked in was located next to the church, which is a massive, structure built with rugged, old stones and concrete. Mid-afternoon, I took a short 10 minute break and strolled into the church. Inside there was a elderly woman who had been at our clinic. She was kneeling behind the altar and in front of the Tabernacle on her knees on the stone floor. She was praying outloud with great emotion. She was there for a long time. Although I couldn't understand her Spanish and of course I would not have not wanted to eavesdrop, I could feel her great faith reverberate throughout the entire church as she had her conversation with Jesus. As we make this journey, so often we are humbled by the great faith of the poor we meet. What courage, trust and faith they have. We are humbled and inspired as we continue our personal spiritual journeys. After supper we strolled through the central park. Many children came to smile, try out their English skills and pose for pictures. They especially liked playing with Jake and Luke. Lots of laughs for all! Next we split into two teams and enjoyed a couple of very spirited and competitive games of Bananogram. With the cheating, creative spelling and rapid-fire smart remarks, a good time was had by all. - Helen Peterson Dear Family and Friends of MDP,
We are sorry that due to circumstances beyond our control we were unable to access the internet until today. The area we served in was so remote that there was not any internet available to tap into. We tried at the convent, our hotel and the stores in the town where we stayed were small. There wasn’t even an internet café. We apologize if you have been wondering or worried about us. We have arrived in San Cristobal and will now continue the second portion of our medical mission adventure. All is well! - Helen Peterson & the team Day 1 – Wednesday, January 18 It was a crisp, early morning for our team. The temperature was a chilly 3 degrees in Minnesota. Aaron woke at 3 a.m. He drove from Blue Earth to Nancy’s farm outside of Easton, from there they traveled to Jodi’s place near Mapleton and arrived in Mankato at 5 a.m. to join up with Susan, Bob, Jake, Lia and Helen. We stopped in St. Peter to pick up Thalia and enjoyed a quiet, uneventful ride to the Minneapolis Airport. Karen and Luke arrived from Wisconsin and like clockwork; Curtis appeared from Iowa promptly at 7 a.m. Our team was on schedule – perfectly. Off to a good start… well almost. We sailed through the check-in and security checkpoint with lots of time to spare before our 9:05 a.m. flight, and then things slowed down considerably. After sitting on the plane for an hour and a half we had to de-plane. It was a mechanical issue and had to do with the gas tanks. We got in line to board another plane but it was overbooked. At noon we boarded the original plane and finally were on our way to Houston. Everyone took it in stride as we know that is all part of traveling. Luckily our original 6 hour layover in Houston enabled us to stay on schedule for the important connection to Tuxtla, Mexico. I write this as we are flying over the ocean. Our co-leaders Susan and Lia are already doing a great job. It is interesting how teams come together, share in the mission and enjoy a certain kind of kinship. Although we all know someone on the team, many of us are meeting for the first time. Good people, God’s grace, a sense of adventure and the ability to have fun will help us to assemble into a medical team tomorrow. We are all anxious. We will meet Lia’s cousin Pablo tonight. He is a priest and has been instrumental in helping to arrange the first part of our trip. And then it will be on to Coapilla in the morning and to our first day of clinic. We are all grateful for this opportunity. Thanks to our families and all who help to make this possible. Day 2 – Thursday, January 19 We had a nice flight into Tuxtla. Everything went well through customs as we had all of our paperwork in order with our medical supplies for the mission. We stayed in a comfortable hotel near Lia’s cousin’s church and got a good night’s sleep. Refreshed and ready we climbed into our van. Vincente, our driver is a skillful and kind. We are delighted he will be driving us for the second year in a row. People sometimes question how safe Mexico is. Lia, who was born in Mexico, has a deep love and passion for her country and people. One of the wonderful things which we quickly learn is that the country and people are indeed beautiful. The ride to Coapilla was about 3 hours long. In addition to the great scenery, interesting conversations began to percolate amongst team members. We always say that in order to come on an MDP trip one needs a sense of humor. There is no doubt that we will be greatly blessed in that area. After arriving in Coapilla, a city of 8,000, we hit the ground running. We team up with the local sisters and Caritas who asked us to have a clinic there. We had little time to shake off the travel dust and first clinic day jitters. Eighty-four people had signed up to have an appointment with our MDP team. With three medical practitioners working in three stations with 3 interpreters, a friendly intake area and our crackerjack pharmacy team, we began at noon agreeing to work until about 8 p.m. People gathered, checked in and waited. It’s always such a wonderful experience to watch each team member work with such care, diligence and compassion. “First days” are always the most stressful as people settle into their roles. At 9 p.m. having served 95 patients we finished our work. Everyone was truly exhausted and happy. It was dark and the two bare light bulbs that lit the building didn’t shed an overabundance of light – but we had all that we needed to do a really nice job of serving these people. Most suffered from pain; pain caused often from hard physical work. Many had stomach issues. They displayed a quiet, respectful presence and they were a joy. The sisters served us a great meal. There was so much food. We were hungry and happy. We checked into our hotel about 11:00 p.m. It was a good day! Please check back soon. We are packing medicines this afternoon and making final plans for our medical mission trip to Mexico. Thanks for your interest, prayers and support.
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