A Super Soggy, Satisfying Sunday

Last night I slept like a log (for those not from the south, that means I slept great!) The temperature was cool enough for a blanket, but not too cold.  A gentle rain began to fall during the night.  Against the tin roof of our sleeping room, the sound of the rain was like a mother’s hum, gently lulling us all to sleep.

Honduras has two seasons - rainy and dry.  January is the dry season.  On previous trips, we’ve experienced soft rains during the night, but rarely if ever during the day.  Well, today was different.

Creative engineers putting their gifts to good use

We awoke to the steady, soft rain that continued right through breakfast…Pastor Doug’s devotion…the setup of all our clinic stations…and, it is still raining.  We worked here at Cofradia, so we didn’t have to travel.  Given the weather, that was a good thing! Our team has not experienced set up (or clinic for that matter) in the rain, so the “normal” set up routine was out the window.  And yet, everything got done.  Just as it always does. 

Some of those “unseen” gifts I mentioned yesterday came into play when the tent canopy for the de-worming tarp was assembled.  Several plastic joints for the tarp frame came up missing, so creative construction techniques were employed. 

Ashley with one of the nursing home residents

The church operates a small nursing home here on this compound.  In Honduras, senior adults (by law) go to the front of any line.  Although it is law, there is also a great deal of cultural respect here for the elderly.  

Seniors waiting patiently

So, it made sense for the residents of the nursing home to be the first patients seen by the medical providers. The rain hampered efforts to transport patients from the nursing home to the chapel where the medical stations were setup, but again, the team rallied.  Deworming medicine and vitamins were brought from the entrance gate down to these patients inside the chapel, so they would not have to navigate the outdoor stations. 

Team “newbie” Laura marveled at how particularly grateful the elderly were for the care they received.  And, instead of complaining about their ailments, they often remarked about how blessed they were to only have one medical problem!

Perhaps the rain kept the most chronically ill away, but overall, the medical professionals believe that the health of the people who visited the clinic today is better than in been in previous years.  Why?  Several reasons may factor into the equation.  First, this is the location where the first water chlorination system was installed in 2013. Safe drinking water was made available to the community, and that definitely seems to have made a difference.  Second, this is an area where Dr. Ponce is available to do follow up care after we leave.  Those with infections and other illnesses are treated by Dr. Ponce and the patients are also educated in basic hygiene.  Finally, Pastors Nelson and Letsbi have an obvious connection with these people.  They share the gospel, they educate folks in proper hygiene and assist Dr. Ponce with needed follow up.

Pulling out tools for one last patient

My proud moment of the day: Late in the afternoon, after the dentist and his assistants had everything cleaned and packed away, a young man in his early thirties arrived at the clinic.  His only request was that we pull a bad tooth.  The dental team dug back into their packed crates and pulled out all the tools required to extract the one tooth.  No complaints. They just pitched in and went right to work.

The last dental patient of the day

Overall, today felt – in a word - small. The number of patients was smaller than normal. It was a satisfying beginning to the week.  A small clinic is such a satisfying way for a new team to work out the kinks and to bond.  In all, we saw 334 patients.  We expect tomorrow (Monday) to be our largest and busiest day of the week­.  We will start EARLY and work LATE. Pray for safe travel (about a two hour bus ride) and for stamina.  Oh, and pray for a break in the rain and for warmer weather.  Our fingers are turning blue!