El Salvador…2026 Day 5

 The place we are staying these next few days is so nice and I was especially glad to have a HOOOOOT shower this morning!! I despise being cold. And cold showers are absolutely not enjoyable to me. 

The property is perched on a steepish hill, and we walked up plenty of stairs to get to breakfast…

And made a new friend at the top. Dr Steve’s hand for reference to the size of this guy!! The biggest grasshopper locust like insect I believe I have ever seen.

Breakfast was a “desayuno típico” or typical breakfast…Beans, eggs, fresh cheese, salsa Fresca and plantains. It was a nice short drive this morning. The traffic is terrible. I had forgotten about how much people here LOVE their horns. They utilize them generously. It took us about 30 minutes to get to the center.

This is a senior center of sorts. They have activities every day and lunch for them. This was the most organized of all, as they had two groups of 60 patients to work thru…it again felt very chaotic as we were trying to share interpreters between a lot of us!! I was actually able to fly solo on a handful of patients without any problems. That was an exciting milestone for me, but it has to be such a simple problem as there are so many things I can’t understand. I did try using my phone translator. This can be helpful but so many things aren’t quite accurate. 

One of the ladies I was finishing up with alone started crying and talking fast. I asked her to wait so I could start the translator.

I was able to catch parts of what she said…and I screenshotted what I could so I wouldn’t forget. There were several more shots, but this was the gist of it…

 

She was so grateful because it is hard to get care for them. The people were so sweet and grateful. Most were in their late 70s to early 90s. One lady I saw needed a pacemaker but she was 88  and her daughter didn’t want that for her. Her pulse rate was around 40 and she had been falling. Her only complaint was that her neck hurt after she fell and now she can’t sleep. 

We were also able to catch some more prediabetic people that were very close to the magical number that deems them diabetic. Diabetes is much like obesity…you don’t just one day wake up obese…it’s a spectrum…a few pounds too many,  to a few more pounds, to overweight…and you know, that if changes don’t happen; that you will continue to gain. Same concept with diabetes and pre diabetes. We KNOW, that with those higher numbers, that the body’s metabolism isn’t working correctly…and that with more time and no changes, diabetes will happen. It’s an epidemic, not just El Salvador and Mexico, but in the United States and other places around the world…I’m so glad that we were able to be a part of this revolution of care! Please pray for a way that the A1C testing can be accessible to Dr M and his patients over the next year, so that they can become standard of care here, giving people the best chances to heal!!

Here was my office view this morning!

And my office later in the morning for the practicality of sharing an interpreter. 

The dental staff had a catastrophe first thing this morning…they plugged in their dental machine and it popped. It was irreparable. Apparently the electricity is pretty horrible here. And unfortunately the dental equipment succumbed. They were still able to work, but were unable to place fillings. Dr Vanessa and her brother Oscar are the dental staff that I have worked with over my three trips. They are always joking and laughing…and we were able to interact today and remember stories from my trip 4 years ago. And still communicating with hand gestures and facial expressions..as well as Spanish and English mix! I love them both so much!!

Molly and Monica were also on dental duty today. It sounded like it was a good day. Only one extraction needed so Molly got to watch and decided that would NOT be here thing…she was sticking to hygiene only!

Dr Paul is an eye specialist from South Carolina. He generally does eye based mission work, but he has really enjoyed this trip because it was something different every day. He has been a phenomenal worker wherever he is needed. He did all the A1C tests today for us..which was a great help!!

Dr Larry is loved by everyone for his gentle and quiet spirit. He is a true teacher at heart and loves to educate the masses about the many things he knows!! Today he worked with Sarah, an aspiring medical student. She also has been a great help doing whatever has been asked of her.

Dr Steve is from Buffalo New York. He and I served together 4 years ago in ES. We got lost on the island our first trip while we were waiting for the other boat to arrive while Dr and Monica were in a meeting. It was one of the scariest things in my life…but you will have to scroll back to my first trip blog posts to read that. I have truly enjoyed getting to know him. He has an inquisitive mind and also loves making house calls, which he has been able to do this week. 

Dr Marvin is here for his first mission trip from Long Island. Initially he was pretty quiet and kept to himself, but as the week has gone, he has really opened up and I have enjoyed it! He would be the stereotypical mafia guy in a good movie…the way he cocks his head when he talks, the tone of his voice, and the accent!! It makes me smile every time!! He has a natural, diet is medicine approach like I do, and we enjoyed connecting over some of those perspectives!!

We worked hard this morning into mid afternoon caring for the needs of the people. After that, we walked down the streets of Soyapango…the fourth most dangerous city in the world until president Bukele came down on the gangs. The CFCI headquarters are there, as well as Dr Moratayas office. We took a tour of the clinic building that they have been able to purchase. He works with no AC because, even tho there are two units, they run on 220 and the only electricity is 110. They need several thousand dollars to update the electric, and that sounds to be in the works. He is a saint with Gods heart for continuing to pour his heart and soul into the people in that neighborhood. I believe in his ministry, and he has needs that could be met with some additional financial support. If that is something that interests you, please message me!!

Actually as we were leaving, we passed by the electricity workers. Sketchy at the very best!!

Zoom into those photos and see if you notice anything that wouldn’t pass the US standards!!!

Soyapango street view.

This mural was on the wall outside the clinic. I love it so much!!! I’ve never seen anything quite like it!

After that, we drove to the San Salvador city center. They have just opened a new Starbucks. I’ve also never seen anything like that either.

Here is a view from the third floor looking down at the baristas!!

After that we walked around the square…went into the cathedral and the crypt underneath…and finally into a brand new library that had 7 floors and great city views.

I have always been fascinated by their police system. There are SOOOO many of them everywhere!! They always look so smartly dressed. People feel very safe now since the country has been under the leadership of this president. The economy is improving and that is good news!! People feel safe and it showed!

There were people out everywhere enjoying life. We ate dinner in the top of the library and caught  great evening view of their old government building that is now a museum.

And a stunning view of the cathedral. It was a very full, very exhilarating, sometimes overstimulating day. Tomorrow we report to the van at 6:00 for the two-ish hour drive to Santa Ana to the women’s prison. Cami and I will have to cut off our permanent jewelry bracelets and remove our ear piercings per the prison rules. 

They will search our bags, wand and pat us, and take our passports until we leave. The only pictures will be the ones in our heads because phones nor watches are allowed in either. They have 400 patients on tap. We will do what we can do. 

Please continue to pray over the people that we have seen this week. And thank you for continuing to pray for us as well. Everyone has stayed healthy. One morning of diarrhea for a handful of them, but nothing profound. 

My heart continues to be broken for the lack of resources here…broken for the people who are suffering…broken over the disparity of the world systems…and left wondering…where DO I fit in all of it. I am praying for Gods wisdom and His guidance to sort it all out for me!