Day 4 - Monday (Feb. 8) - Surgery

The surgical team was able to complete 18 more surgeries (that represents 53 total surgeries!) today.

They had a 25 year old woman who had been in some sort of accident that had mutilated her ears, in addition to leaving some scars on her face and throat. The team was able to perform reconstructive surgery on one of her ears.

Additionally, they were able to reconstruct a drooping eyelid on a 4 month old baby, remove the pareidal gland from a 60 year old man (while avoiding all of the nerves in the face!), and remove a keyloid tumor from the ear of an 18 year old.

Once again, it is wonderful to see God working through these gifted men and women.

Day 4 - Monday (Feb. 8) - VMC

Village Medical Clinic - Copper Bank

One of the highlights of the trip was getting to ride a hand-cranked ferry across the river. Of course, we had several photo ops with the "gringos" operating the hand-crank. Probably made it go slower but we had a lot of fun!

Copper Bank rests by a lovely river which provided a cool breeze, a very welcome cool breeze. As we were setting up the medical clinic the breeze grew a little strong, lifting up a portable canopy shelter that was set up for some of the children, and then it began to come apart. We ran over to make sure the children got out and then safely disassembled the structure. No one was injured. God enabled us to be in the right place at the right time to help out.

At Copper Bank we were able to screen, evaluate and treat 140 patients. That means we have seen over 500 patients by this third Village Medical Clinic -- over 500!!

In addition to the medical patients, we were able to distribute 13 more reading glasses and 16 more Bibles. That means that we have distributed almost 90 pairs of glasses and almost 50 Bibles.

Day 3 - Sunday (Feb. 7) - Construction

The construction crew was finally able to start work on Ishmael's home. The concrete foundation and walls were poured prior to our arrival. After some bartering and negotiations at the local hardware stores, the crew obtained the necessary supplies and were able to install the window frames and slats.

Upon completing the windows, they moved over to the school where the VBS is being held and performed several repairs.

Day 3 - Sunday (Feb. 7) - Surgery

The surgical team continued to use their gifts and talents to bring relief to several who could not afford otherwise. They were able to dramatically impact the lives of 14 more people today (that is 35 total in just 2 days) .

Once again the team was able to help so many with a variety of ailments, including: cleft palette repair, cleft lip repair, adenoidectomies, tonsillectomies, thyroid cyst removal, thyroid gland removal, lipoma (fatty tissue) removal, scar revision, and mole removal. These men and women have been blessed with gifts & talents and are now able to be a blessing to others... that really seems to be the theme for the week. Whether surgeries, medical assistance, construction, VBS, or ultrasound training -- it is all about using the blessings we have received to bless others.

Day 3 - Sunday (Feb. 7) - VMC

Village Medical Clinic - Progresso

The Village Medical Clinic moved to the village of Progresso. Using key learnings from the previous day, set up started a little easier. However, shortly into things, we realized there would be a whole new set of challenges. We were setting up in a school and it was hard to find regular chairs -- most of the chairs were small and had a desktop connected to it. We worked with the local contact and were able to obtain chairs in several locked classrooms on the second floor. After that issue was averted, we realized that the people in line waiting to register would soon experience heat exhaustion with the sun bearing down on them. Using "creativity" and "flexibility" as hallmark traits, Ed Carl optimized the flow while providing shade by creating small queues in front of each station and moving the bulk of the line to the shade. (God brought the right people for the right moment on this trip.)

After getting the initial kinks worked out, we began the process of screening, diagnosing, and treating the people waiting. But we ran into one more snag -- and a big one at that. A large number of Mennonites had heard that we were coming to Progresso. And while we were happy to help them, we had a big barrier... they only spoke German. Who would think we would run into German-speaking people in Central America -- go figure. Well God had prepared help for us. One very kind gentleman was able to speak English, Spanish, and German. He translated for every single Mennonite, which meant he had to stay for the entire day. His kindness and generosity was a godsend.

We helped the largest number of people at Progresso, with over 200 people being seen. In addition to handing out over 25 pairs of glasses, we were also able to distribute over 30 Bibles (providing both English and Spanish translations).

Day 2 - Saturday (Feb. 6) - VBS

This is the first year for the Vacation Bible School. The key word for a first time event is "flexibility" and a second key word is "adaptability"... and the VBS team was filled with both, including "creativity"!! The VBS was held in San Victor, the same location as the home construction. They started with over 100 children and the numbers kept growing (kind of like rabbits) over the course of the day.

And while you are thinking about that number of children, understand the VBS team only had 7 members. By God's grace, the construction team's supplies did not show on the first day and they ended up joining the VBS group -- which caused much rejoicing on the part of the VBS team.

Even with the complexities of a large # of children, spanning a wide range of ages, coupled with language barriers the children had a great time. You saw lots of grins, giggles, laughs, and smiles. I guess that is why the # of children kept growing. The VBS team treated the children to games, crafts, a balloon show (that included Adam and Eve) and creative teaching.

Pictures were taken of all the children so that they could be printed out later tonight and given back to the children on Sunday. However, since we used digital cameras, the children were able to see their pictures immediately through the camera displays. They thought that was pretty wonderful by itself. The printed pictures will be incorporated into another craft which the team prepared for later in the evening after returning to the hotel.

Day 2 - Saturday (Feb. 6) - Ultrasound Equip

With generous donations received, Dr. Frapper was able to deliver the portable ultrasound equipment along along with a cart and a laptop. He was able to start the training with 7 doctors, including the hospital Chief of Staff. As he moved from describing how to use the equipment to actually demonstrating how it works, the doctors used the equipment on each other.

In the process of the hands-on training, one of the doctors discovered he had gall stones! Now that was a powerful demonstration -- one remembered by all present.