El Salvador….take TWO-days 1 & 2

God does it again!! 

Mission trip opportunity #2.

About 6 weeks ago, I received an email from Dr Miller telling me about his upcoming mission trip to El Salvador and La Calzada Island. I had really felt a longing to join his ministry again when I saw their posts from the February mission trip...He and his wife Monica usually lead medical and dental brigade teams three times a year...However, their work to provide sustaining aid to the people on the "forgotten island" has gone above and beyond a few visits per year!! They have been working at providing consistent health care, have helped improve a local school, and have made major improvements to a small clinic. 

As God would have orchestrated it, I was able to clear out my schedule for the week they were going and got airline tickets!! And the story begins!

The last time I went, a friend donated a large suitcase and I packed it full of stuffed animals, toothbrushes and paste, and lots and lots of eyeglasses. I thought that is what I would do this time as well...but God had other ideas!! Nevertheless, I set to work trying to collect some things to take along. 

While I did have some eyeglasses, and quite a few reading glasses...I filled an entire suitcase and half of my own suitcase with exam gloves, toothpaste, dental floss, sutures, wrist splints, menstrual kits, dresses of all sizes made by a church in my hometown, knapsacks and little sew purses, bilingual childrens books, NT stories of Christ, some bilingual story book bibles, stuffed animals, slap bracelets and some balloons. Additionally, enough cash came in that I was able to make up the difference in a monetary shortage for the medications we need for the week, and some extra cash to use during the week as the Lord leads. 

I spent several hours packing, repacking, and weighing before I closed those suitcases for the last time. Each bag, according to Jeremy's freight scale was 49.7 pounds. The backpack weighed about 35 pounds and the "purse" weighed around 20 pounds. I had a LOT of stuff!!

At the airport...the first bag weighed 50.2..which he allowed, but the second one weighed 51.4--because I had stuffed in a small can of bug spray and an extra book. The book was what I grabbed out of the pocket to lighten it up...and the man at the counter saw the title of the book by JB Hixson on end times and was asking me about it. It turned out that he teaches on spiritual warfare in his church...and he let the rest of the weight slide!

I met Monica and Larry in Houston in the airport right before we boarded the flight to El Salvador. Here we are with our giant load of medical supplies, and very small amounts of our own personal things. Christ for the City International sent their van to pick us up and get us around. Originally, the plan was to spend the night at a beach house..but due to Father's Day and several members of the mission team not being here...we ended up with no beach house and our first change of plans!

We ate lunch with a couple who have recently retired here and are interested in helping with the Miller's ministry! I was ecstatic to see the fresh cheese that I grew to love the last time I was here...as well as an avocado egg salad on the cafeteria line! I also tried little balls of chorizo and some type of empanada...Delish!

Before we caught our boat to the island Saturday afternoon, we stopped at local grocery store for some chicken and fresh veggies. This was on my bucket list this trip...so I felt like I hit the jackpot to be able to go in and check it out!! Even though El Salvador grows everything they need in their country, they are also becoming more and more dependent on processed foods...just like we are in the states...and their health is also declining as a result of it!

The front doors are wide open and the floor is concrete but we found all the things we needed!

So we unloaded all of our supplies onto the dock and into this little boat..And then the fun really started. It is winter here in El Salvador...also known as the "rainy season." And rain it did...It started not far into our 30 minute open air boat ride through the mangrove forests. All of us had rain gear...but it was all neatly tucked into the abyss of our suitcases full of stuff!! Additionally, because of the time of day...the tide was out, and the water was too low to get to the new boat dock at Oasis...the medical clinic and our home for the next few days.

So we stopped at the dock of Sister Magdalena, whom we stayed with the last time I was there. By the time we got there...it was P-O-U-R-I-N-G down rain by the bucket full. And Monica didn't have cell service due to weather...and our ride forgot to come and pick us up to get us the half mile or so to the clinic. So, we hauled our luggage out of this boat..up those slippery dock steps without any railings into the mud at the top. 

And then we stole this truck. Or so I thought!! Apparently, we found out later that they had left the keys in it in case we needed it...We threw all the luggage into the truck...in the middle of a monsoon...and Dr Miller drove us through the crazy muddy roads over to the clinic. Dee, another team member from Arizona rode up front...and Monica and I stood in the back with the luggage. There is no road maintenance here...and truly there are only a handful of vehicles on the entire island of 1600 people...so it works fine for feet, bikes and mopeds. But every time Larry hit the brakes, about 2 inches of muddy water moved from the front of the truck bed to the back, soaking the bottom of the luggage!

And once we got all the luggage unloaded---in a monsoon...and moved into the appropriate rooms at the clinic, we looked like drowned river rats!! But we were HERE!! Lots of unloading of clothes, supplies, and the shoes we were wearing had to happen next in an attempt to get everything dried up!! One of the neighbor ladies named Paca came over and helped us cook some dinner--grilled chicken, fresh pineapple, avocados, and veggies--all grown right here!

Challenge number two...not only is it monsoon season...and heavy rains are called for every day this coming week...We got news that Dr Morataya--the doctor that works closely with this medical brigade--and his wife Nellie, lost their pregnancy a couple of days ago. They have one healthy little 3 year old boy, but have had the misfortune of a handful of miscarriages in the past...and a new one to add to their heartbreaking collection. If that isn't enough on their plates, they both are sick with flu-like illnesses including fevers...so his needed services won't be available to our team for at least the first few days...

We had a team meeting to consider possibilities for moving forward with the work. 

This morning...Sunday...a new friend Chino came to collect us in his moto-taxi. It is essentially a golf cart pulling an open cart. He fashioned a tarp for us over top to keep us dry...which was great!! We decided to make some home visits today...and since Chino transports people around for a living, he was glad to help us!! 

Our first stop was down the road a bit to the house of a boy who has cerebral palsy...Until 2016, when the Miller's started coming to serve the medical needs of this tiny island, child birth death rates were really high. There were no doctors, and there wasn't a lot of comprehension about anything health related among the people. The boy is around mid teens...and can often be very violent. Today he was in a good mood. I found a bright yellow stuffed animal in my backpack and gave it to him...which he promptly threw across the one room house...We turned it into a game and enjoyed playing with him. The picture above is a photo of their "kitchen" with their house directly behind it, and their bathroom the small structure with steps in the right side of the picture.

Here we are inside the kitchen and his mom is getting ready to make tortillas out of this big bowl of dough. The open coals just smoke until she needs them!!

They also had a granddaughter there today...She had an eye infection that I noticed...I asked her in Spanish if her eye hurt...to which she replied it did..and it was "leaking milk." Tomorrow after clinic we will take her some medicine for her eye...and I promised to bring her new dress from my stash!! I can't WAIT to do that!! 

After that, we got a few names of people to visit from Sister Magdalena in a nearby community called Ranchon. We stopped and visited a lady that had a little boy with Downs syndrome-and his level of function was much like the little guy with CP. We also visited a few older ladies in their homes. Most homes here are open air in some degree or another. They may be made of cinder blocks or sticks too. It was a really good opportunity for us to talk to them about the medical services available this week...as well a with the doctor who comes in every Wednesday to provide more consistent care. One of the older ladies told us she has diabetes...so Dr Miller had me check her blood sugar. My monitor is new to me...but her reading wasn't in numbers...it just read HI. Which...turned out to be over 600....a normal blood sugar reading would be around 120 or less...We are hoping to see her tomorrow in clinic to get her some different medication!! 

It just breaks my heart at how very little they have...few possessions...few resources...and few people that even give them a second thought. 

When we were finished with the home visits, we went over to the school. We had the key to get into the new kitchen that was provided to them recently through this ministry...however, there was no key to get into the gate...so in addition to stealing a vehicle yesterday...today, we picked a lock ;-) 

Here is a common type of sink used across the villages...it's in the center of the school, which you see in the background.

Here is a little peak inside their classroom. Open air with bars. 

The bathrooms were in a different building outside!!

And here is why there are soooooo many loose dogs running around....They were pretty cute. Dogs and chickens...there are more of them than people...and this afternoon, while we visited Sister Magdalena...3 random horses walked by down the road...and 30 minutes later, went by again!! So different than I am used to!!

The school has a few different types of mango trees...Here is Chino snagging a couple of mangos for Monica and I!! 

This afternoon we got ready for a 4:00 church service but it was suspended due to the rain...again, everyone bikes or walks here...and it poured down rain all day long...so it isn't very practical for people to get out much during weather like this...It does make us a little worried for people not being able to come to the clinics this week either!!

So instead, we spent a few hours visiting with Sister Magdalena who is a powerful force of God on this Island. She lost her husband to poor trauma management about 6 months ago. He was hit by a car on his motorcycle in San Salvador...and essentially bled to death in 7 hours of no treatment in the hospital. It was a horrible story...but I believe that God will use that experience to fuel a new movement to help teach their doctors skills and knowledge that they currently don't have good access too!! 

Magdalena and her late husband Carlos are ministers and missionaries as well. 

It was good to visit and pray with people today...As of last week...we had our human plan...but as of today...we are offering open hands to GOD'S plan for our time. El Salvador, as of tonight, is in a red alert for weather...meaning that due to the excessive amounts of rain coming in will open up chances for devastating mud slides and flooding. Tomorrow we plan to continue with minor surgeries and well woman care--both things that aren't accessible to the people here!! Chino will go around to pick up people to transport them to the clinic for care!! 

Praying for a great day!!