El Salvador…take 2, day 7

Friday morning...our last mission day. It rained all night again and was raining when we got up. Dee was still running fever though the night and had completely lost her voice, so she opted to stay in the little house we were in. Monica was also still feeling really badly, so she stayed home as well. Dr Miller and I were picked up by the team...and Dr Morataya had gotten us all breakfast from a street vendor...Pupusas and coffee!! They put their coffee in little plastic bags and then tie them shut and set them a little Styrofoam cup to keep it from spilling! He had gotten enough for everyone..and since Dee and Monica were gone..my dental friend Oscar got TWO...best day ever for him! :-) 

Thankfully for Google maps, the route we were going to take showed a traffic accident...which can stop traffic for literally HOURS...so we knew in advance that we should take "the long way" around to San Marcos-which was a couple hours of driving to the east. We saw a lot of flooding...and the roads in this little community are also pretty yucky, so our patient load was lighter than it has been all week...which was great because we were two men down!! And a little bit tired.

When we got set up, Dr Miller saw a crate of this "juice" and sodas sitting off to the side. Like in America, people are completely addicted to sugar, and often by the way of their beverages. He was taking pictures of the ingredient list and blowing it up so he could see it on his phone!

Most of the people here, don't really realize that there is very little "juice" in the "juice" that they drink!! Maybe Americans don't either. They also don't realize how harmful the excess sugar is...and just like here in the States, sugar is addictive--it stimulates the dopamine receptors in the brain like nicotine, alcohol, and street drugs do...and so they are always looking for their next shot of Coke or "juice" to perk them up. Dr Miller spent some time talking to them about the hazards of drinking so many sweet things. It's hard to hear for people...and many times, while they may WANT to stop drinking sweets...they find that they can't!! I have had several patients tell me that they actually went through WITHDRAWL (think alcohol withdrawl) symptoms when they cut their exceedingly high sugar intake down. 

Here is Dr Morataya watching the lecture...but I also liked this picture because it showed the layout of this big kitchen. You can see the white PVC pipes strung along and through in the back right corner. There is a large cistern of water connected to it. Everyone has flat top devices to cook...

And most people cook right over a small wood fires too. This was our lunch simmering away!! Its so absolutely fascinating to see!!

These girls were outside the front of the kitchen grinding corn that had been soaked. There is a water source that drips the water into the corn, and it spits out masa dough for making their tortillas.                                  

My friend Oscar and sister Vanessa below did all the dental work. Next time you go to the dentist...remember this little girls posture in a plastic lawn chair, and be thankful that you don't sit in one for your dental work..and then, if you don't mind, pray for more resources to be accessible in these impoverished communities!!

Oscar and Vanessa are people of light. They have such fun personalities...The last time I went, we would joke about something with our eyes or gestures or tone of voice (because we couldn't speak the same language) and we would just belly laugh!! It was not any different this time either!! It's amazing that God gave us a way to communicate with others OUTSIDE of a common language!! 

Again today, we saw a lot of people that couldn't afford their medicines or the cost of a visit to the doctor. So we helped to bridge that gap for them...and also had time to do a lot more educating today! 

We handed out the last of the gifts...I was swarmed by kids desiring a slap bracelet, even if they had seen another doc ;-) I could hear those going off all morning, along with plenty of giggles!!

They were practicing on each other!! 

Silvita is my tiny little interpreter. She has spent the most time with me through these last two trips! She was explaining to this young woman how to use one of the little menstrual kits. It was important to me, that each community was able to have someone in it that had the kits...in the hopes that an industrious person in their community could potentially craft a similar system for people. Having such a beautiful little package of comfortable pads to use seems like a little thing...that most people, myself included would have NEVER even considered a thing...but they were delighted with them..and several women came to see me earlier in the week primarily to get one for themselves. They will be well loved!

Dr Miller had brought more earrings to put in. I put some in a young girl a few days back, but many of the girls we saw already had pierced ears! This older girl was so nervous to get hers put in..you can the smile of anticipation. 

Today was a much more laid back day..so I was able to catch more photos and Sylvita and I had time to just chat. She asked questions about our traditions in the States. She hopes to visit here in 2025. She has been trying to work on the paperwork and process to get a visa to come visit.  She thinks the process is about done. She works for Christ for the City International, which is based out of Omaha, so she would like to come visit them...and her friends along the way!! Please pray with us for that to happen...and for the funds she needs to come in from the Lord whom she is petitioning!! I was able to give her a love gift before I left that will be very helpful in getting some plane tickets. She is hoping to go to Spain in September for her birthday to visit a friend. She has saved half the money for that ticket...and she has been asking God to provide the rest to her!! She is trusting His goodness! He is SO awesome that He provided some of that answer through the help of our community!!

We got to take off early and praise God...the rain stopped around 2....and didn't restart!! Juan took Larry and I to the beach house, and Pastor Cota brought Dee and Monica over. It was an absolute beautiful evening to overlook the beach and admire the artistry of God's sunset!! 

Like seriously...who could do THIS better!! 

We stayed at Tortuga Village at Costa Del Sol. It was beachfront with a couple of pools. Breathtakingly beautiful!! Larry and I walked on the beach while we waited on the girls. It was fun chatting..and we played around making some more videos :-) He is a pretty neat ole guy who has devoted his life to serving the least of these through mission work...and has plenty of stories to share. He will be 85 in September...if you take care of yourself, you are NEVER too old to do the Lord's work!!

We order dinner here and they bring it to your room..they had fixed smoker things on the deck to keep the mosquitos at bay, but we opted to eat inside instead. Pina coladas and seafood were on the menu for most of us. 

I had a ceviche that was TO DIE FOR. It was a mixed variety of seafood that is "cooked'  in acidic foods..in this case it was lime. Served with crunchy hominy and fried plantains and sweet potato. One of the best meals of my life.

Saturday morning I enjoyed an early, lengthy HOT shower and hair wash...and then grabbed my binoculars and my book and headed for the beach. Larry was heading out at the same time. He went his way, and I sat down to Facetime Jeremy and just soak up the SUN...breakfast is included with the stay, and a waiter appeared after a while and took my order and brought it right to me. Breakfast "Typicos" (eggs, fried plantain, refried black beans, fresh queso and coffee) with the waves, watching the herons and the fisherman!! Things that dreams are made of.

After that, I enjoyed my own really long walk on the beach with God. Enjoying the antics of the fisherman, watching the sand dollars try to sink their exposed selves into the sand to preserve their lives, admiring the "art" made by the swirling of the dark colored iron flakes in the sand, and talking with my Father. I can't even have imagined a better way to end the week! 

This week..I want to do one more recap post...because I don't want to forget to keep the main things the main thing!! There were a lot of answered prayers during this trip...and there were some life and spiritual lessons for me...and I have some advice for you all too!! 

Thanks for reading...