Unilla

It always takes me a few days to process all that has happened after a trip like Unilla. We planned and prayed for so long beforehand that I need time to pray through and understand it all. The trip itself was great - the people were welcoming and helpful. The mayor had organized everyone so well. The building where we worked was clean and adequate in all ways. There was even a bathroom, of sorts, which is always a bonus. The weather cooperated although we were praying pretty hard when we woke up to rain on Friday. And most importantly we learned that there has been some evangelism done in this tiny village as there are 2 small but seemingly thriving evangelical churches.

Disturbingly though, were several facts that indicate a deeper spiritual need. One is that this village in the middle of nowhere, is famous for the sugar cane liquor that they make. We had many men confess to drinking problems and in the evening, that drunkenness became more visible. The other problem was that very few women or children came. They were there - in the evening, as we walked through the village they hung back, lots of the children appearing malnourished and many visibly sick with skin infections. When I asked, I was told that they were afraid of us. But the other thing that concerned me was the lack of an advocate for the women. Always in the past the local mid-wives come either to translate or to be with their pregnant patients. Here, there was no one speaking for these women. And in a culture were woman are considered servants - at best - this was disturbing to me. My prayer is that we will be invited to return and that the Lord will provide someway for us to be able to reach this overlooked group.

We returned from that trip Friday night and turned around to do 2 more busy days of our normal weekend clinics. We were so grateful to have the help of our friend Arlen. His energy and humor always keep us going! By Monday night though, I was so tired all I could do was cry. So Tuesday after clinic, Duane packed us all up and we left to spent our Sabbath at the lake in Panajachel. It was great to get away and relax for a little bit.

This weekend will be a busy one as well as Katie and Aaron are scheduled to take 2 of our cleft lip babies into Antigua to have their surgeries done by a visiting team of surgeons. That will leave Don and I alone to work in the clinics.

Enough whining.... Here are some pictures from Unilla. It is a beautiful place!

For those of you who wait for news about the airplanes, the props are on the Aztec! The boys hope to get it started up this week.

And some other good news...Abi's hearing for her adoption is finally scheduled for the 16th of April. We will take her in and meet with the judge. If all goes well - and we are not anticipating any problems - we should have her legal Guatemalan adoption within a few weeks. Please pray that the judge will rule in our favor!

God is faithful!

For those of you who were praying for Joseph and Duane's safe return home, thank-you! They got home just before nightfall last night. I am overwhelmed this morning with gratitude to the Lord for His amazing faithfulness to us. He asks us to do difficult things at times and always asks that we walk in integrity, but as we do all in our power to follow His ways, He always provides a "way out". This trip was no exception.



It was an 11 hour flight in the 182. They left in the morning Thursday, arrived in Brownsville late in the midst of rain and fog, spent one day there and left to return to Guatemala yesterday morning. As you may have been reading in the news, the situation in Mexico is volatile right now between the drug enforcement agencies and the drug rings, so all of the airports are on "red alert". And when you fly internationally, you must pass through immigration in whatever country you pass through. Yesterday when they landed in Tampico Mexico, they were immediately surrounded by 3 heavily armed guards and the supervisor of the "aduana" (the agency which assesses taxes). They demanded that Duane and Joseph unload the plane and open all the boxes so that they could determine the value of each item for taxation purposes. This of course, was totally illegal because they were only passing through Mexico - they were just looking for a pay-off. But they were angry and threatening so of course, Duane and Jo did exactly as they ordered. Our policy since our arrival to this country is to never pay bribes as it feeds into a system of corruption that runs deep within this country - and Mexico - and unfortunately our own country as well. One of Duane's best gifts is his ability to talk fast without a trace of intimidation, and because we know that the Lord honors integrity, He always provides us a way to get out of bribery. Oh, the stories I could tell.... Anyway, these "officials" demanded receipts for all the items in the plane. Duane said that they were all "regalas" (gifts) and thus he had no receipts. Some friends had had boxes sent to Brownsville for us to take back which Duane had not even opened. And the props, which were very expensive, were lain flat, on the floor of the plane. Duane was a little fearful as the guards began cutting the boxes open. But when they opened the first box, it popped open with plastic toys, the second box was filled with books, the third with candy and after that, they didn't open anything more, realizing that they really were gifts and of no real failure to them. They never opened anything that would have been "taxable" nor did they even see the props! The supervisor grudgingly stamped all of his paperwork and they loaded the plane back up and flew off. On arrival in Guatemala, he again had to pass through immigration where they could have legally searched the plane and assessed the contents for taxation, but they never even looked in the plane. They just stamped his paperwork and he was off. The men in the control tower here in Guatemala know Duane now and knew he was eager to get home before dark, so they offered to file his flight plan for him and they arrived in Guatemala about 5 minutes before dark - safe and sound and exceedingly grateful for God's protection and provision!



For us here at home, it was an interesting day as well. As we finished clinic yesterday, a young man came to the door asking for milk for his baby. His wife had given birth 6 weeks earlier in their home in the mountains. She bled heavily afterward and the local midwife had treated her by having her lie between two very heavy rocks to stop the bleeding. After several days of treatment, this young woman became gravely ill and was taken into the hospital were she stayed for 3 days. When she left the hospital, the doctors gave Juan (her husband) prescriptions for antibiotics that cost over Q500 (about $70). Juan didn't have the money so they just returned home and 3 weeks later she still is unable to get out of bed. So after lunch we hiked up to see her. It is the dry season here and each day the smoke gets denser as fires rage through the forests. So when we met Juan in his village, he pointed to his house - which was right next to a huge cloud of smoke. When we arrived at the house, we could hear the crackles of the flames as they moved closer, but we were assured that there was no danger. Fortunately Juan's wife was better than we anticipated finding and little baby Kati was fat and healthy. So we left her with antibiotics, lots of vitamins and hydration drink, and prayer, and will check on them in a week. When we came out of the house though the flames were within 50 feet of the house and there was lots of scurrying around as they were concerned - not about Juan's house but for his in-laws house which was directly above them. People here usually do not attempt to put out the fires but accept them as they accept everything else that this life has for them. And fortunately, adobe does not burn well. So we left amid the smoke. Don and Lori took lots of pictures so check out their blog.

prayer requests...

I have two requests for prayer this morning. One is for Hannah Allison who broke her arm last weekend. We have been debating about whether or not it was really broken for several days. She is so sweet and never complains and said it didn't really hurt that much but after watching her, her parents decided to take her into Quiche yesterday for x-rays. Unfortunately it is broken. So they drove on into the City to have it set this morning. Please pray for them. It is always a little troubling to be at the mercy of doctors about whom we know nothing and to have the extra problem of communication. You want to really understand when they are talking about the health of your child!



My second request is for Duane and Joseph as they took off this morning in the 182 for Brownsville Texas. We have not talked much about the other plane that we have - the Aztec - which had a nose gear failure in our first trip out to the Zona Reina. It has been sitting for many months waiting for Aaron to have the time to do the necessary repairs and for the finances to buy new props and paint for it. In His great faithfulness, that funding has come, so they will bring those parts back with them, hopefully on Saturday.



An update on little Mari....she had surgery last week and we are awaiting the results of the biopsy. The doctors say that she definitely has osteomyelitis (infection in her bone which will require long-term IV antibiotics) and possibly also has a malignancy. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. And some really good news...remember Helen, the baby with hydrocephalus? About 2 months ago her parents decided to not pursue further medical treatment and to leave her in the hands of God. She is now alert and responds appropriately and her head is no longer growing disproportionately. Her parents are thrilled and we are rejoicing with them at the goodness and faithfulness of God!

When we are not in clinic, we are busily preparing for our trip out to Unilla - scheduled for nest Thursday. It is not an easy task to anticipate the needs of around 400 patients plus our team's needs. We cannot just run out to Walmart if we forget something. Fortunately, each one on this team is experienced in "flexibility - Guatemalan style". What we are finding as we continue to work in this area where resources are so scarce is that we are being bombarded each day with emergency calls. Unfortunately our definition of emergency and theirs do not always agree. So we have been trying to set up a system of triage through one person in each community. In this way we hope to be able to screen out those who really just want a ride in an airplane from those who are truly emergencies. Managing the resources that we have been given with both integrity and generosity is sometimes a difficult task. But we are very aware that we are only bond servants of the Lord's - owners of nothing, yet in charge of everything.

Mari, adoptions, and Unilla

February 27 - Maybe you remember from my last post about a little girl named Mari out in the Zona Reina. She has some sort of infection - whether in her muscle or in her bone or possibly both - but she has lost the function of her entire left leg. She is in extreme pain and has been in that condition for the last 4 months. We have been trying all week to get them into see someone who might be able to help her. Our friend and fellow missionary who lives in Chichicastenango agreed to see her. He is a surgeon who just happened to have a medical team there this week. So our plan was to pick her up on Tuesday and get her in to see Tom. However, it rained all day Tuesday (out in the Zona Reina - not a drop here!). Disappointed, Mari's dad walked three hours back to his village with Mari on his back and said he would not be able to leave again until Friday. So again this morning we tried to take her into see Dr. Tom who turned out to be out of town until next week. So we called our new friends in Guatemala City - Manos de Amor (Hands of Love) - and more specifically Dr. Pedro. He made a few phone calls and within a few hours Duane was on his way out to pick up Mari and her family. He just called to tell me that he left her in the hospital with IV fluids running and doctors examining her. Please remember to pray for this very sick little girl. Pray for her mother as well who is at her side and due to deliver at any minute in a strange city with people who do not speak her language. How thankful we are for this new connection to the City and the resources available there! God is always faithful!

This week has been one to "catch up" on so many things - from housekeeping to paperwork. Duane and I had an appointment yesterday with our lawyer about Grace's adoption. Although she is officially ours, when we received her paperwork, they had incorrectly written her name as "Grace Ficker Ficker". Now, having Ficker as a last name is bad enough but to have it twice was a little too much! Plus, and more importantly, it would raise all kinds of questions when we apply for her travel visa at the US Embassy. So for the last 6 months we have been working on this paperwork only to find out yesterday that it has been filed incorrectly not once but 3 times. And we wonder why it always takes so long to accomplish anything here. We are thankful though for a lawyer of integrity who perseveres through this unbelievably complicated maze of paperwork. Abi's adoption is still in progress.

March 6 -We have been asked by the mayor of Uspantan to help out in a village called Unilla. It is not far from San Pedro where we go monthly and is about a 3-4 hour walk from the nearest road. Duane flew out there Tuesday for the first time. Unlike the US, none of these airstrips are on a map nor is there any information about their condition, so he likes to "check them out" personally without passengers. This runway (a narrow grass strip) didn't look safe enough to land on so he flew to another one which was close by. The villagers were expecting him and could see that he landed on the other side of the river so they canoed over to meet him. Below are pictures of this canoe which was a very long, hollowed out log, a man using the canoe to cross the river, and a sign outside of the clinic we will be working from. The river was deep and the current swift. The man who navigated however was an expert and easily poled until his pole no longer touched bottom and then paddled until they landed exactly where he wanted them to go. Duane was met by close to a hundred men and children who led him to the "clinic" where we will work for the first time on the 19th of this month. Unilla itself is fairly large for that area with about 500 people right there and other smaller villages surrounding with an estimated population of around 5,000. We will plan to go for 2 days, show the Jesus film in Kek'chi at night, and see patients during the day. Please begin to pray with us for open hearts to receive the good news of Jesus, pray for safe traveling, and health for the villagers and for our team as well. These trips require a tremendous amount of planning and organization and financial provision. But nothing is more important than the prayer that takes place beforehand. Without the hand of God upon them, they are nothing but 'good works'.

clinic update...

Yesterday, after making the necessary repairs to the plane, we were finally able to make our monthly trip out to San Pedro in the Zona Reina. The community leaders had called to let us know that there were lots of children sick with coughs and colds. They were right and we saw several babies with pnuemonia as well. One little girl has stayed in my thoughts and prayers since yesterday. Six year old Mari was so pale and thin. She began 4 months ago to have fever and pain in her hip which grew red and swollen. Her dad treated her in the house with herbal remedies and relieved the swelling by sticking needles into it to release the pus which quickly accumulated. He finally took her into a doctor in Coban when her entire body began to swell. Yesterday, she cried in pain as I examined her emaciated body, her leg hanging limply. We tried to arrange a flight for her into the City to be seen in the national hospital there but her dad needed to "make arrangements at home" first. Please pray for her, that her dad will take her, and that she will recover the use of her leg.



The evangelical pastor, Juan, has been there to help us the past several times that we have gone to San Pedro. Yesterday he had a young man who has recently accepted Jesus as his Savior and was able to read the Bible that has been translated into their language - K'ekchi. It isn't often that we find someone who can read in their native language. Most who learn to read, learn only in Spanish. And as most of the adults in San Pedro speak only K'ekchi, this was a real treat! And once again, we used the Catholic church to show evangelistic films such as Jesus and the story of Joseph in K'ekchi while people waited for their "consultas". So we continue to plant seeds, asking the Lord to bring forth the harvest.



Our friends Bob and Jodi Gay and our new friend Hugh left this morning after a week with us. They are always an encouragement to us and it was a pleasure to listen to the wisdom that Hugh brought. Bob's passion is to encourage pastors and he was able to do that yesterday while we were in the Zona Riena. Today on their way out, they stopped into visit with Victor - our friend and pastor who has recently opened a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center in Quiche'. Alcoholism is a huge problem here in this area and Victor has a gift to be able to minister to men who are trapped in this addiction.



Our other clinics have been really busy for the last couple of weeks. During the dry season and even when the rains begin but before the crops can be harvested, we always see an increase in malnourished children. We have 4 new babies with cleft lips and palates who will have their first repairs at the end of March. And we have also had an increase of widows who have come with stories of desperation. We have begun helping them with food as well. As always, God is faithful and we are confident that He will supply for the needs of these moms and children.

Uniting the Body

For many years we have been a little confused by the stark differences that exist here in this country between those who live in the rural areas and those who live in Guatemala City. When we travel to the City, it is much like stepping back into the US. We can eat lunch at Applebee's and shop at PriceMart - just like Sam's. It has become even more disorienting when we travel from areas within the Zona Riena into the City...in less than an hour (in the airplane.) It is like traveling to a different country. We have wondered if people who live in the City understand what life is like, within their own country, in the "campo". And in recent days we have observed how God is blessing the church there - not just financially but with the outpouring of His Spirit. We have wondered if there was a way to connect the two areas. Yesterday, we saw the Lord move in response to our prayers as a group of 27 Guatemaltecans made a 12 hour bus trip from the City to help here. They came bearing gifts of boots and clothing and food for their people. They came with doctors, dentists and Physical Therapists who worked alongside of us to serve over 225 people from this area. They came with hearts full of the love of Jesus to share with their own people. And we know that it is the Lord uniting believers to function as one body - different parts, in different areas - but each equally important to the health of the body of Christ. We pray that this will be the beginning of a enduring, fruitful connection.

I was in awe (and a little overwhelmed) as I watched how each one here, my own children, the Allison's, the Bontrager's and even Cali - our new friend and local Peace Corp worker -worked together to serve the 250 guests who visited yesterday. I can see how God has put people into our lives to help shoulder the responsibility that comes and continues to come more frequently each day. And in the midst of all the activity, we were so happy to see Heidi, Matt and baby Isaac arrive for a visit. Heidi immediately pitched in to see patients. It is so good to have them here for a few days - they have become a part of our family.

I need to get ready for clinic this morning in San Andres but I want to leave you with the prayer that Paul prayed. "May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another...that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the...Father." (Romans 15:5) May He cause you to be united with other believers today, to honor and lift up the name of our Father!