His ways our not our ways

Tuesday night, shortly after supper, Jorge received a call notifying us that our medications had been released by customs. We all shouted, “Hallelujah!” Jorge travelled to Guatemala City and spent the night with his father so that he could be at the airport to pick up the medicines first as early as possible on Wednesday morning.

In the meantime, the team prepared to have our final clinic at El Shaddai church for the people living in Guazacapan. All week we told patients to return to the clinic on Wednesday to pick up the medicines that we could not provide on their original clinic visit. Our best guess was that Jorge would return with the medicines about 12:00 noon. So, even as we saw patients Wednesday morning, we encouraged them to return to the clinic that afternoon for their medicines. By late morning, most of the medicines that we were given over the weekend were running low or were gone.

Noon came and went – still no word from Jorge. About 2:30, with the clinic still very full of patients waiting to be seen, we heard from Jorge that there was yet another delay. The officials would not release the medicines because one of the crates contained Sudafed which is illegal to bring into the country.

Pastor Edgar announced to the people still waiting to see the doctors that, because of government red tape (my words, not his!), we would not have any medicines today. And, we may or may not have them on Thursday. However, if anyone still wished to see the doctor they were welcome to stay. No one left. No one complained. Pastor Edgar told the crowd that if the medicines arrived during the night, the doors of the church would be open at 9:00 a.m. to fill the “prescriptions.” If the doors were closed, then we had nothing to give.

Many of us were in tears. We so wanted to be able to provide for the needs of these beautiful people in the way we were equipped to do so. Many of the Guatemalans comforted us and thanked us repeatedly for coming.

At supper on Wednesday night we heard that customs still would not release the medicines. Now, they wanted a letter from Pastor Edgar, signed and notarized, explaining that the medicines were for the use of persons in Guazacapan and that we were here at his invitation. Pastor Edgar wrote the letter, got Brian Shaw’s signature on it (the customs claim check was in Brian’s name), got it notarized and left for Guatemala City – two hour’s drive.

Pastor Edgar and Jorge arrived back at Fe Viva with the medicines right at midnight! Plans were quickly formulated to rapidly dispense what was essentially three days worth of prescriptions - all in one morning. Right after breakfast we loaded the bus with the medicines (and ourselves) to head to El Shaddai church. And…the bus wouldn’t start. The battery was dead!

Truly, by this time many of us were wondering why we were not able to get these medications into the hands of the people that so desperately needed them. What was the lesson each of us was supposed to learn?

The medicines were unloaded off of the bus and were taken to the church in a pick-up truck along with a few of our team members. Our bus driver got another battery (from somewhere!) and used it to start the bus. Finally, we were off to the church to give out the meds.



Many people were there to pick up medicines for themselves or for family members. How many? Well, it’s hard to say because it all happened so fast. At least 300 prescriptions were filled in less than two hours!



After all of the people had been given their medications (plus tracts and t-shirts!), we were invited to have a seat inside the church building for a presentation by the mayor of Guazacapan! Honestly, though we were pleased to hear his words of thanks and to receive his presentation of gratitude, it was hot inside that building! According to one thermometer…over 100 degrees!



We returned to Fe Viva, repaid the medicines they had loaned us with more than we took, and loaded the bus for Antigua-our final stop before catching a plane tomorrow morning (early!).

Depending on who you talked to and when you talked to them, several different variations of the story of “the trouble with the meds” circulated, but roughly it went something like this:

• Friday arrival- customs says they need a signature and stamp to release the meds. Office that can provide that is now closed.
• Saturday- person cannot be found for needed signature; brothers donate medicines left from previous medical mission teams.
• Sunday-progress is being made but now we need to pay taxes to bring the medicines into the country. Fe Viva loans us medicines they have onsite.
• Monday- We are notified that we need an inventory of all medicines (in Spanish) and a letter from Pastor Edgar. Two different organizations are now involved in trying to redeem our medicines.
• Tuesday-Taxes are paid, and that night we hear they have been released. Jorge leaves to go pick them up.
• Wednesday- Sudafed pronounced illegal; we are accused of knowingly trying to bring illegal medicines into the country; another letter from Pastor Edgar needed. Late that night medicines finally released.

This is perhaps one of the few medical missions trips ever performed where there were no medicines. And yet, there was medicine! Not what we provided, but what God provided.

Chances are we will never know the “why” of our medications not being released. But, we do know the “who”.

It’s true-His ways our not our ways. Thanks be to God!