Medical Mission to Santa Emillia, Puerta Azules, and Las Loma del Nance, Nicaragua
Buenos Dias! Saturday, January 14
As I am writing today’s update the team from Nicaragua is almost home. Rod & Jeremy have posted news of the teams arrival in Atlanta.
I can confirm that the medical team, though delayed, arrived safe and sound. After an uneventful trip through customs and immigration we headed to Jinotega, arriving about 6:00 pm. We are thankful for safe travel in both directions and are excited and looking forward to next week.
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Lunch at Tipitopa
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As usual Martha and Maria had a wonderful dinner prepared for us. After dinner we began to prepare for the week. Bags were unpacked, crafts were sorted for the ” caje del tesoro.” (treasure box), medicines are being sorted and cataloged, vitamins are being counted out and bagged. The old hands are integrating the new members. Already the team is working in unity.
As I write this I am witnessing the essence of Philippians 2:1-4 “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care- then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” From the Message
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The makings of a rope pump
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Each member of the team has found a place to help, following the leadership of the ones God has place here. Chrissy and Kristen as we prepare the meds, Dayna and Angie as we sort through the crafts, Bill as we prepare the rope for the pump in Puerta Azules. Shared Apostolic leadership is empowering the team to reach beyond themselves to create opportunity to bring the love of Christ to Santa Emilia, Puerta Azules, and Las Loma del Nance.
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)
To the God who is able to do immeasurable more than we could ask or imagine, pour our your blessing this week on your servants. Amen.
Buenos Dias! Sunday, January 15
Today started off as a rainy day in Jinotega, but the weather cleared up for us to go check out our first clinic site in Santa Emilia. The Baptist church in Santa Emilia is the site for our clinic tomorrow and Tuesday. We are expecting at least 100 people from the medical tickets that the construction group passed out last week.
Santa Emilia is about 45 minutes from Jinotega, so we were able to see another city, Matagalpa, and more of the country side. We noticed the homes in the cities have more structure, but on the outskirts and in the rural areas they are more like shanty shacks. The shanty shacks look like scraps of wood propped up against each other with a roof on top.
After lunch, we had some time before going to church at Shalom, so we headed over to the orphanage to spend some time with the kids. They were really into their Nintendo video games, but they also played some other games with us like basketball and jacks.
We went to church this evening. Most of the service was in Spanish, but we were able to sing along with Dan and Leigh Anne for one song. Then Dan shared with us and the congregation about God’s provision last week in putting the water tank on the tower at the orphanage.
After dinner at the house, we continued our work on some projects for the week ahead. We also finished counting the vitamins into one month supply units for the clinics. we bagged a little over 22,000 vitamins.
We are looking forward to our first clinic of the week tomorrow. We pray that God will use us to minister to those who are sick and hurting in the rural areas of Nicaragua.
Buenos Dias! Monday, January 16
We woke to a breezy rainy morning. Rain in Nicaragua has little affect on the people. Many walk, ride the bus, or ride bikes regardless of the weather and go about their daily routine. Even the field hands go into to the fields to pick coffee. So we loaded up our supplies and equipment and headed out to Santa Emilia. Upon arrival the weather created several new jobs. Jason Barr and Moises, one of our translators, hauled gravel to fill in the low spots in the path to do as best they could to keep us all out of the mud. The damp weather could not dampen our spirits as we readied the clinic to receive those in need of medical care.
One of our first clients proved to be one of the most memorable. A 95 year old gentleman in a walker and his wife were coming up the road. Ron and Troy went out to help, giving the wife the walker and assisting the gentleman into intake. Later Ron helped the couple back home. As he was turning to leave the old man hugged Ron not wanting him to leave. Ron sat with the gentleman and the two embraced as both men were overcome with emotion. What a reminder to us of the need our world has to know that someone loves them.
Though wet and muddy, we were able to serve 110 persons from the community today. We are excited to see what tomorrow brings! Continue to pray for our team and the people of Santa Emilia as we share the love of Christ through hugs, medicine, toys and bubbles to the glory of the Father.
“For your Name and Your renown is the desire of our hearts”
Buenos Dias! Tuesday, January 17
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| Ron and his new friend, Frank |
Our day began with great hope! The weather was clearing and we were confident from our experiences on Monday. We loaded up and headed out to Santa Emilia. Leigh Anne even commented that we were actually ahead of schedule. As we arrived in Santa Emilia the sun was shining, the ground was drying up and we had a host of moms and young children waiting to see the Doctor. We quickly set up so we could begin our clinic day only to find out we had left the bags with today’s medicines in them back at the mission house – one hour away! We had the left over meds from the day before but not near enough for the day and we were out of most pediatric meds. Eliud and Troy took off back over the mountain to get not only the meds but our scales and the stand to dispense our drinking water.
Chrissy and Troy were bummed thinking that they had let the team down. Things happen! It wasn’t a good thing but what is the first rule of missions? That’s right, be flexible!! So armed with the med. from the day before we began clinic on time at 8:30! We filled prescriptions for as long as we could but about 9:30 we had to stop. Chrissy was worried that all these people were having to wait and that many would not return to receive their prescriptions.
Not very long after that Jason Ellis and Moises gathered a group of children together and had them counting in spanish at the top of there lungs. This was the beginning of what God had for us to do today. Who would have suspected that today was play day! If we would have had our meds we would have never taken the time to play with the children. The doctors finished seeing all the patients we had before lunch and joined in playing with the kids. During all of this the meds arrived and those of us in the pharmacy got to work. While Angie, Ron, Troy, Jason E., Jason B., Sara, Gail, Moises, and Heilymn entertained the children, we got caught up on the meds. At a little after 12:00 we had seen 74 patients and filled 191 prescriptions and spent two hours playing with about 40 children. We worked to the sounds of children singing and laughter as our “big kids” played with their little kids. After lunch we continued to serve the people in need of medical care. By days end we had seen 121 patients, filled 296 prescriptions, and hokey-pokeyed all to the glory of God.
I never cease to be amazed at how God accomplishes His purpose if we will be open and willing. What in the beginning looked like a disaster God turned in to joy. God really did turn our sorrow into dancing!!
Buenos Dias! Friday, January 20
Buenos Dias! Thursday, January 19
Well we finally made it back to Jinotega after two days of ministry in Puertas Azules. God blessed both the communities of Miraflor and us. From our clinic in the school in Puertas Azules we saw people from 32 communities in the area of Miraflor.
Wednesday morning we had planned to leave at 5:30 am but after our forgetful day the day before we took our time and made sure we loaded all the supplies we that we would need for two days of clinic as well as the materials to repair the well pump at Puertas Azules. Leaving at 6:00 am we made our way towards our home for the next two days. The paved road lasted about 30 minutes of a two and one half hour drive. Learning from past trips we did not push ourselves to make up time. Besides we’re living on Nica time!
We arrived in Puertas Azules at 8:30. We surveyed the school, made our plan, and quickly went to work setting up our Clinic. At 9:30 we were open for business. Leigh Anne, Sara and Dr. Rios, saw patients at our clinic while Dr. Darlyn saw patients at the Minsa clinic next door. Our team served 166 patients from 9:30- 3:30 and the pharmacy finished up with their 456 prescriptions around 4:15. We were greatly assisted by Allissa, Amy, Sara, and Jessica. These young ladies are Peace Corps volunteers in various villages around Nicaragua and were recruited by Dr. Darlyn to assist us while in Puerta Azules.
Earlier in the day, Eliud traveled to the village and enlisted a lady to cook our dinner. We packed and ate dinner at the clinic. Dinner was beans, rice, cuajada, and tortillas. Cuajada is cheese made by hand squeezing the curds of soured milk. After dinner we drove about 20 minutes to the “community center” in Miraflor to spend the night. The 10 ladies slept upstairs in one room while the guys slept downstairs in the meeting hall. It was just a litte chilly! Troy has a thermometer that also gives the wind chill temperature. At one point during the night the wind chill in the guys room was 50 degrees! We were a bit unprepared but we all managed to shiver through the night.
Thankfully the night ended. We packed our gear, then feasted on breakfast bars and water before heading back to Puertas Azules for the second day of clinic. Though tired from a long cold night, we began clinic at 8:30 am. Realizing that we had a long drive home we decided to work straight through and take lunch in shifts. While some took a break and ate PBJ and chips the rest of the team continued serving. By 3 pm our clinic team had seen 180 patients, Dr. Darlyn had seen 38 patients and the pharmacy had filled 455 prescriptions. In our two days in Puertas Azules we touched the lives of 428 patients and their families, gave out shirts, shoes and toys, as well as dispensed 911 prescriptions. At one point during the day Gail was sharing with a family in evangelism and all 4 daughters in unison prayed to receive Christ! Shy and reserved Gail gave a big shout for all the clinic to hear.
While all of this was going on Jason B. and Bill were working on the well pump in the same community. Last week when Bill was surveying the well he was told that the well was 60 meters deep. As he arrived to begin working to replace the rope for the pump on Wednesday he got new information that the well was 80 meters deep. He and several of the guys had spent countless hours assembling a piston rope for a 60 meter well. Moving ahead in faith, Jason and Bill fed the rope into the well. As the two ends of the rope came together at the well head, once again God, the “GREAT ENGINEER” had made the correct plan. During lunch, the helpers from the community were so excited about have a working well that they sanded and repainted the pump housing cherry red! Testing late in the day saw water gushing from a well that had been unusable for ten years. Sixty-six families who currently travel over a mile to the river will soon have access to clean water in their community.
Thursday was to be a day of fine turning. While making an adjustment on the rope tension Bill and Jason were met with disappointment. After shortening and re-splicing rope, the splice failed during testing, and the rope fell into the well. Without time to go fishing for the rope, it was decided that Bill and Eliud would return on Sunday while the language school team holds registration and finish the repair.
Philippians 2: 4-7a has been the theme of the week of ministry here in Nicaragua.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.
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Buenos Dias! Friday, January 20
Reflections from the week
This is my first time coming to a third world country, so I was very nervous about this trip. My verse coming into this trip was Isaiah 41:10 “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” God has certainly kept these promises to us this week. He has been with us every step of the way, and it has been amazing to see how His plan has worked out even when it didn’t seem right to us. He has encouraged us through His word, each other, and the people of Nicaragua. He has given us strength and endurance even through long days and not much sleep. He has given us victory with a successful trip to Nicaragua to help His people. This trip was not about us. It was all about God and His love for His people. Psalm 115:1 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.”
Kristen
This week was really all about humbling ourselves and moving outside of our comfort zones. I believe God calls us not to settle or remain complacent in our walk. This week has really brought to my attention, even as a minister, that we forget the glory of God because we become so busy and overlook the great things He has done for us. The verses that have been my verses for the week are Romans 12:3-5, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We have all worked together using our different talents and abilities all for the glory of God during this trip. This week has shown me that we often sit around waiting for God to show up in our circumstances, but He is really always there. We just get distracted by our personal agendas sometimes.
Jason Ellis
I have been looking at these beautiful people of Nicaragua through Your Eyes, Lord; hugging them with Your loving arms, and speaking Your words of life to them this week. Thank You for using me and this wonderful team of Your servants! All honor and praise to You, Jesus we give who is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine. Eph. 3:20
Gail Walston
Ron Jaeh
What an amazing week this has been. I have learned so much about Nicaragua and these wonderful people. It has been my honor and privilege to share the love of God with them. I have received so much more than I ever have given. Have received so many hugs, smiles and shared laughter with them. I am humbled by some of their meager existence, but yet there is laughter and smiles. We all worked together as a team filling in wherever there was a need. It has also been my privilege to get to know all of us on this team and YES what a team we became. I was moved when we visited the orphanage in Jinotega and saw what the Lord has done for these needy children, thanks to a wonderful lady named Joy who heads the orphanage. This week that has impacted my life in such a positive way. I also greatly appreciate the leadership and love that Dan has shown all of us. Thanks be to God.
God blessed me today when he broadened my role from ‘pharmacist inside the pharmacy’ to ‘pharmacist with a home delivery service!’ Shortly after arrival in Las Lomas del Nance, our medical team was made aware of 87 year old Catalina who was partially blind and too feeble to travel to the clinic but wished to receive medical attention. Leigh Anne and Troy were sent to her home along with an interpreter for a brief examination. Upon returning to the clinic, Leigh Anne informed me of Catalina’s heart arrhythmia that we could not do anything for. Aside from some multivitamins, calcium, and Tylenol, that was the extent of medical care that we could provide. We decided we would cut our lunch break a bit short so we could personally deliver her meds. After PB&J with chips, a portion of our pharmacy team including Kristen, Dayna, Troy, Alex (an interpreter), and myself set out on a hike to Catalina’s. Feeling very inadequate with our feeble supply of meds, we entered her house to find tiny Catalina feeling well enough to sit in a chair close to the door. This room was sparsely furnished with 1 chair and a wooden bench. There was no light except for the sun coming thru the doorway, but that’s all we needed to see the delight and joy on her face with our visit. I approached her to shake her hand and sit beside her. She took my hand and didn’t let go until 15 minutes later when I stood to leave. As I prayed with her and hugged her goodbye, I realized we had all the medicine the Great Physician had ordered. God sent us to Nicaragua to supply a physical need for health care but also to meet the people’s need to know God’s love – a need we all have. I am so humbled that God allowed me to be His instrument to share His love with Catalina. I’ll gladly fill that prescription!
Chrissy Lightsey
As I reflected on this week during our worship time tonight, I’m amazed at God’s power and strength to work through our meager hands, to accept our meager offering, and to use us, His instruments, to point people to the path He has laid before them. My prayer all week long has been, “Lord break my heart with the things that break your heart”. However along with that heart break comes such joy in seeing all of our group work together to make each day such a success. Not a success in the world’s eyes, but a triumph in God’s eyes. I had the privilege of meeting every person that came through the clinic, and I was humbled by how incredibly thankful they were. They were thankful not just for the meds but also for the shoes, the t-shirts, the toys, the hugs, and most of all God’s love.
Angie Bowling
I am so thankful for the opportunity-our last day here, to make a “house” visit today for our medical team. I got to meet a sweet, little, frail, 87 year old lady. She lives in a dimly lit, mud and stone hut. Walking into the house, I prayed that the Lord would be my help-not knowing what her needs would be. It was so dark, with only a dirt floor. No tables or chairs, no furniture at all. Only a wooden, homemade bed for her. She said she hurt all over, and felt weak–couldn’t walk anymore and that what she really wanted was a wheelchair. I thought at this point that all we had in our little mobile pharmacy for her, was vitamins and Tylenol….and then I knew, that the one thing we could offer was our Lord-His love and comfort.
How true are the words that we sang tonight–“Into the darkness you shine,” His love was there in that dark little house–in the smiles and touch of these humble people.
We prayed with her–and as I left that little quiet home, I felt as if the Lord was saying to me “What a beautiful, long life she has lived.” He is in control.
A verse that has touched me and given me guidance this week is Isaiah 50:4.
When I felt as though I had very little to offer or say to these people in such desperate need-I claimed this verse.
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.”
Leigh Anne
Most of you have no idea who I am, but Sara (my wife) and I felt that we should join Celebration in serving the people of Nicaragua. I am glad we decided to come along. Sara is a Physician Assistant, so it makes sense for her to go on a medical mission trip. I have no medical background and wasn’t sure what God would do with me, but I felt confident that He wanted me here.
On the flight over, I read about Nehemiah (Dan also talked about him on our first full day here). Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer. He had no construction background, but he had a vision and passion to rebuild the temple. God used him to do exactly that. God doesn’t care as much about our ability as He does our willingness because our abilities are pretty insignificant compared to what He can do.
He used a farmer to build the arc, a meek shepherd to slay a giant Philistine, and a persecutor of Christians to write half the books of the New Testament. When we put ourselves in uncomfortable positions and rely on His grace and power rather than our ability, we truly do see that His power is perfected in our weakness.
Jason Barr
Buenos Dias! Saturday, January 21
Another week of ministry in Nicaragua is complete. Our week of medical clinic was simply amazing. God provided in so many ways. Though tired and warn we are content in Christ. Paul talked about being poured out as a drink offering, this team of wonderfully gifted people poured themselves out on the people of Santa Emilia, Puertas Azules, and Las Loma del Nance. Thank you to all of you faithful servants.
The baton has been past and we are looking forward to what God has in store for this coming week in the language school. We have a great group of workers this week. Nine from Hibernia Baptist Church in Fleming Island Florida, one from Hickory Flat United Methodist Church in Canton, Ga. and seven from Celebration. Pray for unity, strength, and flexibility as we go about the work God has prepared for us to do.
“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
Philippians 2:14-17
