El Salvador--Day 6

It's hard to believe today, at how fast the week has gone! I feel a second wind! I haven't talked to my family in a couple of days now...have had no connection with the outside world that I know...but I am ready to finish up serving here as I am needed to serve, and ready to relax later today and to celebrate a fruitful week!

 We all loaded into the back of this truck, and headed for Oasis to load up the equipment and supplies so we could drive on a few more miles to La Hacienda village where we would be serving today.

As has been the case every day, the people know we are coming, and they are waiting around for us as we come in! We truly have seen patients across the entire lifespan. We have seen more women than men, and lots of children. 

Today, we went inside the old run-down building that we were supposed to be serving out of. There was great dis-repair and absolutely no lighting inside. We decided it would be most comfortable for everyone to set up our clinic outside in the back of the building. The dentists set up their station on a small, covered patio area in the front of the building. 

The weather was beautiful. We did set up under a mango tree for shade, with full knowledge that any of us could fall victim to the falling fruit! 

I felt like the people were a little more friendly here. Their smiles came faster and were more abundant. Some of the kids enjoyed hearing their heartbeat for the first time...as well as listening to mine. 

Dr Miller brought 10 or so packages of earrings, hooked into their own piercing systemr. He did babies, little girls, and adults. I also got to pierce the ears of a few kids. It was a special treat for them, and a fun new skill for me!

We cleaned out the rest of the kids' sunglasses, stuffed animals, and punch balloons that came over from the states. 

The balloons were a HUGE hit here. 

And they ran miles chasing one another around with them. I'm not sure how many hours those balloons may have lasted, but definitely long enough to provide hundreds of giggles and smiles.

One of the ladies that I saw had injured her hip. She has had a seizure disorder for decades. But because she has limited access, she has not been able to take her seizure medication. She had a seizure a couple weeks ago that she has been healing from. She had another seizure last week. Thankfully, Dr Morataya was going to be able to bring her the medicine she needs next Friday when he comes back to do a clinic. 

It seems that lack of medication compliance due to lack of resources is universal. I have many patients in the US that don't take their medications correctly because they can't afford it financially. Medication prices in the US are out of control. Though the medication prices in El Salvador are much cheaper, the majority of the people on this island make less than $1 per day. So limited access to medications, and limited funds make double trouble for compliance. 

As a side note, each of us got a packet of 6 pills before we left for the US. We were to take them when we got home to treat for any parasite that we may have picked up while we were gone. The six tablets of generic medications cost a few dollars at the most. When I looked it up in my medication resource at home, I found that, because it is in low demand in US, that it is considered "off label" and the cost for those 6 tablets was OVER THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS!! That discovery made me absolutely furious at our system of health care!! Problems like that...rooted in the fact that no one will make any money off of them otherwise...and at the expense of the people that need them...takes the joy out of my job!

One of the highlights of this trip for me was the simplicity of caring for people without all the beurocracy that we deal with here in the US. 

One woman sat down in the chair across from me and when I asked her how she was, she replied "You have descended upon us like angels from heaven. We are so grateful for the care you are giving us." That attitude was a blessing to my heart as well!

The week before I left, I turned around in my office to get something off of a shelf behind my desk. My little eye spied a English/Spanish translation book for medical words that I had scored years ago, but rarely have the chance to use. I held on to it for the week in case we needed to use it, but I promised Edwin that he could have it when I left so he could practice the words for interpreting. We did a small, official ceremony for the sake of a picture! ;-)

And then we staged a picture of Sylvita trying to steal it. HAHAHA!

They hired a horse and cart to take the three American providers back to Sister Magdalena's. While we were waiting for that to show up, this ox cart came by hauling green bean plants to the cattle since there isn't any grass right now. The cart had concrete wheels. It was an interesting sight. 

And on our way back on the horse cart, we passed a couple more carts in the road. It just struck me as funny, since it is so different than the life we know! 
I don't think we are in Kansas anymore Toto!!

This is the Island ambulance. A number of people actually have cell phones here, so if there is a medical emergency that can't be solved, one of Sister Magdalena's sons picks them up and takes them to the mainland in the boat.

We ate lunch, packed our things back into the boat, and headed for the mainland where our great driver Malchi was waiting on us to whisk us to the little medical clinic for our COVID tests. 

The tide was much lower than it was when we came in, so we had to separate from the rest of the team and go back in smaller groups. Bittersweet moments of goodbye. 

We were back in time to get settled in for the evening to our house that overlooked the beach. 

And we enjoyed a quick dip in the really warm ocean, as well as some amazing pictures as the sun sank into the sea. 

This was a picture of the pool at night from my bedroom door!!

Saturday morning we enjoyed a beautiful waterfront breakfast at La Pampa. Lydia left early in the morning, Steve left after lunch, and Rudy, Larry, Monica and I eventually ended up back at the mission house for the last night after we toured a huge cathedral and the historic National Palace in downtown San Salvador. The Palace was a place where they used to conduct the business of the country. It was absolutely huge, and we enjoyed the architecture and the green parakeets squabbling in the trees inside the courtyard! I saw ONE hummingbird the whole week. It was in that courtyard. I think it dove into the bush to roost for the night so the sighting was very brief!

So here we are...

At the end of a journey.

 It was a fast journey, with not much preparation. It was a busy journey, without much time to ponder what was going on. Because of the urgent way that God brought me into the journey, I allowed myself to believe that something huge was going to happen while I was gone. I believed that God was going to rock my world a little bit...or a lot....or that He might rock someone's world through my time there. 

I didn't see that though. 

In fact, I left wondering...and asking, "God, why me. Why then. What was so important that you led me right into that trip in a way that was completely YOU. What am I not seeing here?"

 I prayed over it for days. That God would enlighten me about the purpose of this trip. I worked hard. I loved hard. I served hard. I loved all of it. I learned from it. I was humbled by it. I would do it again and again...in a heartbeat. It was an amazing experience for certain...but I just felt like I was missing something.

It was beautiful to see the way God has used Larry and Monica to take ownership of this community in a way that is serving His purposes for the good of these communities. They are literally being the hands and feet of God in a tangible way--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But my question to the Lord was this "where do I fit into all of this. What are the lessons that you had for ME Lord? How will this change my life? How does this affect You and I?

I went back to my old life Monday afternoon. Back to my family. Back to my job. Back to being the me that God placed in this community nearly 30 years ago. And Tuesday evening, in the quiet of my thoughts, the Spirit broke in. He reminded me of a song that I love. It's called "I'll go where you want me to go." 

The lyrics read like this:

1. It may not be on the mountain’s height,
   Or over the stormy sea;
   It may not be at the battle’s front,
   My Lord will have need of me;
   But if by a still, small voice He calls,
   To paths that I do not know,
   I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in Thine,
   I’ll go where You want me to go.
   • Refrain:
     I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord,
     O’er mountain, or plain, or sea;
     I’ll say what You want me to say, dear Lord,
     I’ll be what You want me to be.
2. Perhaps today there are loving words
   Which Jesus would have me speak;
   There may be now in the paths of sin,
   Some wand’rer whom I should seek;
   O Savior, if Thou wilt be my guide,
   Though dark and rugged the way,
   My voice shall echo Thy message sweet,
   I’ll say what You want me to say.
3. Refrain
4. There’s surely somewhere a lowly place,
   In earth’s harvest fields so white,
   Where I may labor through life’s short day,
   For Jesus the Crucified;
   So trusting my all to Thy tender care,
   And knowing Thou lovest me,
   I’ll do Thy will with a heart sincere,
   I’ll be what You want me to be.
5. Refrain

Music has always ministered to my soul. After I heard this song a number of years ago, I printed it out and kept it my treadmill--periodically I would sing it as a prayer (I do a lot of prayer walking on my treadmill.). I have prayed this for years. Often I focus on the the second verse more than the others since I am always talking to people and counseling them--it's what God created me to do.

But Tuesday night, the chorus kept running through my mind...and I felt like the Spirit was whispering to me, "Child. For years you have told Me that you would go where I want you to go...and be what I want you to be. I took the path of short notice, faith walking, no months worth of planning. It's uncomfortable for you. I asked you to go. And you went. You have always said you would go on YOUR terms. I wanted to see if you would go on MINE. I asked you to go. You were obedient to the call I placed in your heart. The things that I did through you while you were there aren't to be revealed to you now. Obedience is what I desired."

Wow!! 

This trip to El Salvador was a beautiful gift from my Father. He was giving me the desire of my heart--to travel to the "least of these" and serve Him by serving them. 

And its true...in MY perfect world, I would have researched out all the organizations, all the possible locations, all the lengths of stay, the cultures, the food, the fun things. I would have picked the perfect dates...or put it off for years waiting on the perfect date and perfect set of circumstances before I would commit. I would have spent SIXTY dollars on a passport rather than $650 on one. 

He was right, I would have preferred it on MY terms...controlled by ME-giving credit to HIM. 

BUT...in His perfect plan...He tested me. He gave me a gift that blessed my socks off. On HIS terms. His trip, His way, His timing.

And that was it. That was the lesson. That was the thing. 

He wanted to know if I would obey His call.

I have no doubt that I impacted people in El Salvador as much as they impacted me. 

I have no doubt that I met needs there that no one else on earth could have. 

I have no doubt that God used me physically and verbally to touch lives. 

I have no doubt that God is going to use my written story to encourage others to trust in the great big God that we read about in the bible, and that still small voice of the Spirit that says things that don't seem to make any sense. 

I also have no doubt, that the Lord will continue to draw me into the next thing and the next thing, because of my obedience to this thing!!

Most of the time, the next thing is right out my back door. And I have no doubt that the next things will continue to be right in my own little sphere of the world--not across the seas!

The most profound moment, truly, of my whole trip, was going through customs in El Salvador. They asked what our business was in their country. Dr Larry looked at them and said, "We are missionaries." MISSIONARIES!!! 

In my mind, those are people who leave everything they know and never come back again. 

But in that moment, I realized he was right. 

Missionaries are those who are sent on a mission, especially to do religious or charitable work in a territory or a foreign country. 

And we were sent on a mission by God to the forgotten boys in prison...to the rural villages of El Salvador...and to the little forgotten Island of Calzada.
I. AM. A. MISSIONARY!! 

But as I pondered that over the next 10 days or so, I realized that truly, I am a missionary in my own community. God gave me the mission to bring His news to teenagers in my area. He gives me the mission to bring hope and encouragement into the lives of the people I serve in my work every week.  

And the fact is, anyone who has accepted Christ as their Savior and Master...Has. Been. SENT. already. They/we have been sent to take God's gospel of salvation through Jesus to the ends of the earth. In our homes. In our neighborhoods. In our counties and states and countries. My mission is different than your mission. And your mission is different than the person who sits next to you on Sunday. But we all have a mission, given to us by God Himself! 

If you have received Christ by faith, you are also called to be a missionary. Are you taking that call seriously??

And I'm here to tell you, this was a heck of a way to figure that out for myself. But I'm glad for God's lessons, and God's methods, in God's time!! 

Thanks for reading through my story!! If you have a question, drop it in the comment box at the end and I'll be glad to answer!! Make sure that you don't leave without clicking the last song link...it applies to all of us!!

                                                                   Won't Stop Now