Preventve Medicine

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, imagine what 5 gallons of it is worth. 

This week we (mostly Kemmel, Sheri Manuel, Tomas and Maui) started delivering 5-gallon Onil water filters to the ABC families.  Most people here in the rural areas boil their water to drink (using expensive firewood), and many (especially kids) drink directly from the tap as well.  The filters are produced by Helps International and are easy to use and maintain, filtering 99.99% of microbes with a replacement filter that last 1 year and can be replaced for $20.  It is  cost-effective ($50 for complete setup), appropriate technology giving rural families safe drinking water without having to rely on an expensive community projects that require government funding and group interest to maintain.  It even works when water projects are damaged, when families are required to draw water wherever they can find it.

Our teams visited 24 families over 2 days, delivering the filters and teaching them how to assemble, clean and maintain the filter.  It was a great opportunity to see the kids and their parents in their own homes (and share way too many refreshments!).

We want to thank those of you who have already given so generously to this project and also invite anyone who is interested, to contribute.  The cost of the filter is only $50 and eliminates the work and expense of boiling water or buying bottled water as well as the exposure to waterborne illness in the home.  We may just work ourselves out of a job!

Family of Jose Garcia Yacon and Paulina Yacon Ajanel - daughters Irma Manuela and Yesica Maria Garcia Yacon in the ABC program and younger daughter, Silvia.

Sheri, Tomas and Mauri in action on the Marroquin Family mountain - most families on this side of the mountain are Marroquin. 

We delivered 2 water filters to this home as 2 families live in the same compound (many families are like this one and share the same compound).  These were the families of the ABC children Tomas and Alexander Yacon Salvador and also the ABC children Evelyn Cecilia and Wendy Maria Yacon Calel (2 little girls pictured below).

Kemmel and Mauri in action with the family of ABC children Maria Elisa and Maynor Sebastian Yacon Pixcar both pictured with their mom Rosa.

Tomas and Juan and actually the rest of us.  This family had about 8-10 of decend upon their home as we had separated into 2 teams after finishing clinic and all came together for this house of ABC children Edwin Tomas, Maricela Tomasa and Silvia Juana Yacon Leon.

Our dental assistant Martina with her hiking shoes on! 

Some of the cute kids of the Yacon clan. The man with the hat in the picture above is the proud grandad - Sebastian Yacon.  From the bottom we have Maynor, Wilson, Evelyn, Maria Elisa and Wendy. 

Law and Order RCU (Rural Crimes Unit)--Season Primiere

Well, we haven't posted a "Law and Order" story yet this year, so here is the latest.
Yesterday we were returning from the Capital and had to stop about half way home because of a road block. We were about a mile from the scene.  Someone mentioned a protest and later we found out the "rest of the story".  Apparently in the town of Chupol, the police had arrested 3 men on Saturday for robbery.  Well, after a while they let them go.  The people captured them again and got a confession out of one of theives that they had bribed the police into letting them go.  As you can imagine, that didn't fly well with the law-abiding townsfolk.  So, they punished the thieves (lashes) and marched on over to the police station demanding answers.  They blocked the Interamerican highway in both directions for 3 hours and were bent on throwing out the police officers involved.  We aren't sure if they actually got results, but the newspaper reported that the people were threatening to burn down the police station if something wasn't done.  They finally opened the highway, and when we passed by, there were police trucks from several different regions for back up and a mob of people gathered at the police station and all along the highway.  We were glad to get on passed the ruckus and back home.  I'm sure this case will go up before the Interal Affairs Division. (Do they even have an Internal Affairs Department????)

Happy Birthday Valentine!

Today is my favorite person's birthday.  Happy birthday, Kemmel!  We have enjoyed a great weekend in the capital, relaxing and watching movies--at the theater and renting from Blockbuster.  Don't see The Green Hornet by the way.   :(
We enjoyed fare from our favorite sushi spot and a steak dinner overlooking the city--very romantic.  And Kemmel brought me a big bouquet of beautiful gerbera daisies (pink, red, orange and yellow) after I eyed some at the flower stands.  He is such a sweetie!
Happy Birthday to my Valentine!

Clinic in Xepocol was mostly pediatrics with a sprinkling of internal medicine and orthopedics. Dr. Quinton Dickerson saw a patient that he suspected of having TB and ordered sputum tests at the health department. She agreed to go, which is good news.  One lady, a 92 year old from the church, fell and broke her wrist on Sunday and came in to get some pain medicine.  She walked in with her arm hanging down and guarded and swollen to the fingertips, wanting to know if she could just get by with going to the local bonesetter.  Dr. Dickerson and I splinted her with cardboard from a box of gloves and an ace wrap and talked to her and her two sons(both volunteers at our clinic), a daughter-in-law and a grandson, trying to convince them to take her to the emergency room for x-ray and casting (all the men folk were pretty skeptical).  People are so reluctant to go to the hospital sometimes, but we talked about the fact that it was her dominant arm, and that she would not have a functional wrist if it didn't heal well.  Of course the patients usually leave these decisions up to their family, and the family usually says they don't want to take them if they don't want to, and round and round.....  But I was really proud when her son came up to me after clinic slowed down and said he was leaving to take his mom to the hospital so she could get casted.  He wanted her to heal well.  Thank you Lord.
Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Quinton and Ann Dickerson / Super Bowl / Video Recordings

Quinton and Ann Dickerson arrived yesterday to work with us in clinic for a couple of days.  We do not have a picture with them this time, but we have a great picture of Quinton from a few years back when we were scouting out the Chichi area.   Love the hat.

We went to church yesterday afternoon in Chichi and about halfway through the service we were surprised by a news / documentary group who started taking video of the service and who even came in and took some video from the front of of the church.  We do not think anyone knew what was going on but the members were gracious enough to let them continue.  Afterwards, one of the people in the group spoke with the leaders and some others to get permission to use the video in a documentary about religion in Latin America.  So be on the look out for some documentary with the Chichi church of Christ.

After service we had a good walk to the house and enjoyed some fresh fruit and fresh minestrone soup while also taking in some of the super bowl.  

Today Quinton and Ann are at clinica Caris and have special patient from Xejox that Quinton will examen.  The patient is an ABC child, Estela, who has a murmur so we wanted to see if we could some recomendations from Quinton.   

Pleae pray for Estela and please pray for clinics in the following communities this week - Xepocol, Patzite, Mactzul VI, La Palma, Clinica Caris, Choacman, Mactzul II and Chuchipaca.  Also please pray for the patients and the volunteers in Clinica Ezell during this weeks schedule of GYN and Plastic Surgery and the various days of travel everyone will have.

Here is picture of Lisa in her corte she wore to the conference in Paxot II a few weeks ago.  It reminds me of a story a missionary friend to Guatemala told us about what one of the local men said to him  " We always knew your wife was pretty, but now that she is wearing the local clothes, you better keep and eye on her." .. or something like that.  :)



Julisa Lux Alvarez - 4 years later

Please meet Julisa Lux Alvarez.  We first blogged about her in 2007 and this is a picture of her from 2006.  Julisa is the younger girl with curls.  Here she would known as La Colocha (girl with curley hair).

Julisa was diagnosed with Lukemia in Feb of 2007 and through the help of Health Talents International and through your donations we have been able to assist her to get treatments over the last 4 years.  We have been helping with the costs of travel as the cost of treatment is borne by a Guatemalan foundation for kids with cancer. 

This is a picture of Julisa during the period of her chemotherapy with her parents.  No curls but still a beautiful little girl.

This is a picture from June 2008 after she had finished her first round of chemo and had  a chance to get some of her color back and some of her hair.

Julisa is now 7 years old and is in first grade.  She has finished her treatments, but she still travels every 1 - 2 months to have blood work and checkups.  They have cleared her from going to the hospital in the city when she gets sick, so she is in remission.  God is good!

This is Julisa with her mom Juana at the church in Pacaja Xesic.  No more curly hair, just straight but she looks very healthy and happy.  Please continue to pray for Julisa and her family.

A Snapshot of February

Warm sunny days and cold starry nights.

Massive waves of red and blue and tan coming toward you every morning as swarms of kids in school uniforms race to classes.

Ladies weaving on their patios.

Dried up corn stalks stripped of their ears and and husks and leaves standing alone in the fields. (Nothing goes to waste).

Nice neat crops of adobe blocks drying in the sun.

Old people sitting on the clinic porch sharing news while young mothers listen to each other's frustrations and wait for their turn with the doctor.