Clinic day 3

I have to admit, I am really tired right now. Today we were in the sticks...but what a view. The elementary school that we set up at, sat atop a ridge that overlooked a beautiful valley. In the valley is where most of the families live. I have to admit, the view today beat out any I have experienced in any other "working" situation. It was a great day all around and working today in the pharmacy was quite a joy...and I now have a whole new respect for pharmacists. All the counting...30, 60, 90 by twos. And don´t intterupt me, I will lose track and have to start over!! We filled and filled numerous scripts for all four doctors. But it was good to know that most would sleep better tonight than in the last many.

The whole team today worked really hard and most of them are now out shopping in Chichi. Today is market day, and the city came alive at 6am. You could hear the vehicles backfiring, the horns honking and the hum and buzz of excited merchants and customers. When I finally rolled out of bed, my first glimpse of the organized chaos was out my hotel room window. There a man was selling dead chickens, which he held by the feet and placed them into the customers shopping bags with whatever else was in there. Not quite the sights I see when I look out my bedroom window in Amarillo. But for those lucky few that were there at 6.30am, they will have one heck of a dinner tonight. We have eaten so much chicken here, I was glad to see those four dead ones leaving the premesis. Maybe we will experience something different tonight! NO POLLO!!!

I awoke rather early this morning and yet did not want to climb out of my warm bed onto the cold tile floor. So I grabbed my bible and for some reason was compelled to read through the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac there on Mt. Moriah. Not my usual morning reading. Today I was reminded that even though you may read a story 100 times, the Holy Spirit can teach you something new on the 101st time. For some reason, this story hit home for me in Guatemala and I understood it in a whole new light. If you remember the story, there are three main characters...Abraham, Isaac and the ram. To make a long story short, I had this picture in my head of Abraham and Isaac climbing up one side of the mt. and the ram climbing up the other. Neither of the parties knew the other was there. Neither of the parties knew the full story. Abe knew he had been asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac dutifully carried up the wood for the sacrifice. And I imagine the ram climbing higher and higher looking for food. As you remember, Abe lifts the knife to slay Isaac and the Angel of the Lord stops him. Abe passes the test. And there, caught in the thicket, is the ram. God had provided the sacrifice.

Here was what was new for me today in Guatemala. Sometimes we are like Abe, asked to do the seeming impossible. Sometimes we are like Isaac, we are asked to "sacrifice ourselves" for the greater good. And sometimes we are like the ram, we are the answer to prayer. This week, I think this team, myself included, has experienced times when we have been any or all of the 3. It has been a different one for everyone and a different one almost everyday, I am sure most would attest. I am not sure I have done justice to what the HS laid on my heart this morning...but I hope you can catch the drift here. It was just an interesting morning for me
and as I shared this with our team, I think it hit home...God has asked all of us to go far beyond our comfort zone, most have sacrificed vacation time, family time, money, etc. to be here, and most have realized that each of us this week were an answer of prayer for many who were hurting...physically and spiritually. I am sure every one last team member would tell you it was worth it...worth the sacrifice, worth the bumpy roads, worth leaving "life" for a week to be here.

Well, enough rambling...tomorrow is our last clinic day and then we transfer back to Antigua on Saturday...we will do some last minute shopping, and then its on a plane back early Sunday morning. I am excited to see what God has in store for Thursday.