MET Life

I see that we haven't posted any pictures of our second group of students.  Everyone is for the most part healthy--maybe a little hungry but otherwise happy.  We have had some clinic time, market time, World Cup time, team fellowship, education time and church fellowship.  Overall we've had long days and have just a few more to try and pack in as many medical evangelism experiences as possible.  Here's some proof of life pics for their families!

John instilling confidence in his patient Nathan

We get to suture!   Sasha and Abby ready to get started!

Elizabeth not sure she should have signed up for this.

John supervising Nathan's work.

Jordan trying to save her patient's amputated foot.

John saving lives.

Abby working on getting those stitches to stay in!

Elizabeth saving her pig's foot!

Sasha making those stitches look good.

Coffee time at the Vintage at a fellowship wishing Marcos the best as he
embarks with his private dental clinic in Santa Cruz del Quiche

World Cup action--NOT!

Witnessing a birth

Beautiful Lemoa

Tomas helping clean the plates!

Rejoicing with the Angels of God and Mactzul I



Beautiful day for baptisms.

After clinics today we got to take our students to see a baptism out at a local lake and take part in a church celebration afterward in Mactzul I. It's a great pleasure to be able to share church activities as well as clinical work with our students.  What a great day to celebrate the rebirth of 4 new brothers!  This church always impresses us in the way they love each other and spend their resources building up the youth, the women and young families. Today after the worship and presentation of the newly baptized members they took time to honor their elders with some gifts and words of appreciation to their spiritual "fathers".  We feel uplifted every time we get together with this church! 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:33-36



Jose a young man evangelized in the community who has decided to follow Christ.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.Romans 10:8-10

Otoniel coming out of the water, received by Tomas Sente.

4 new members of the Lord's body--Otoniel, Ricardo, Jose, and Jonatan

Kemmel getting the honor of presenting the baptism certificates--three of these guys are from the ABC program. 

Juan recognizing Diego and Jose as elders and spiritual fathers of the church.



Candi presenting gifts to the elders

Blood brothers and brothers in Christ now-Miguel and Otoniel.

Do you think the angels get to break out the tamales too when they rejoice?!

Pulling an All-Nighter

Two of our ABC program churches, Chuchuca' and Xejox are about 2 1/2 hours out from here so we usually plan an overnight trip to visit both.  We decided to take the MET students out for some ABC well-child check-ups while they were here.  They got a good taste of backroads driving (4-wheelin' for Jesus), brotherly hospitality from the churches, and training on dental hygiene as well as as practicing their physical examination skills.

Road block:  Fair Parade in Zacualpa

On the Big Screen:  David, Samson, The Bible and more! 

Next time we'll sell popcorn!

Toothbrushing school with Brother Kemmel

Either we have a case of vampirism or these guys just took their plaque index test.

Nighty-night!  By the way, the church ladies just killed a tarantula over there...

Beautiful morning fog rolling in over the hills.

The Chuchuca' church building where we spent the night.

Meeting of the minds with Taylor, Kemmel and Tyler at the Xejox church site.

"Country road, take me home"

So beautiful out here!

Working Hard

Just a few pictures of the students this month.  I told them I had to get some more action shots or people would think that all they do is drink coffee and hang at the missionaries' house all month!

We've been out at clinics all week and yesterday the students held a health fair in Chichicastenago offering blood pressure, weight and blood sugar checks.  They had 49 folks come by and referred 7 to Dr. Sara for followup near by.  They were excited to do the work and did a good job promoting our new central clinics!

 Taylor, aka "Tay-tay" apparently was the photographer in all of these.  I'll have to sneak a few of him today.

Kelsey and Shelby--just two girls from Kentucky healing the sick and afflicted in the Smokey Mountains of Guatemala.

Laura, Paulina and Tyler trying to convince this nice lady that "it won't hurt a bit".

Laura saving lives on the streets of Chichicastenango

Tyler zeroing in on his next victim while Laura works the glucometer.

Learning to Live

In my (Lisa's) hometown neck of the woods we had a church camp called Letoli--LEarn TO LIve.  I think that would be a good name for this Medical Evangelism Training month that our interns are experiencing!  We got to sit down over coffee yesterday and talk about their first week here with their host families and there seems to be a common thread--learning how to live in another culture.  Here are some of the comments:

"I think my family isn't sure how to engage someone who doesn't speak Spanish.  But they get pretty excited when I want to learn Kiche words."

"I got sick last night and had diarrhea and vomiting and figured out how to do both at the same time. I just stuck my head between my knees and went for it.  I got pretty good at it!"

"They (the locals) don't really do much "hanging out" around here."

"I'm never really sure where we are going each day, but I just get in the truck and get ready to enjoy the adventure."

"My family puts me at a table all by myself for dinner.  But now if I ask, they let me sit with them or some of them sit at my table with me."

"My family has a huge plasma screen TV in one of their rooms and they cover it up with a big cloth."

"Is it rude to tell them you can't eat that much food?"

"We don't eat dinner until 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. and then get to bed around 11:00."  They get up about 6:00.

"I got to take a bath in the tuj last night!"  The adobe sauna--nice!

Home Sweet Home

We got the MET kids into their homes safe and sound!  Everyone got to see where each other lives and get oriented to their surroundings. The host families were waiting to welcome them in and greet the team with refreshments (yes, 3 out of 6 houses served us bread and coffee!) as we went house to house with suitcases.  Tyler, Paulina and Kelsey are in Paxot II.  Laura, Shelby and Taylor are in Mactzul V. Get ready for the adventure!

Kitchen door at Juan and Lucia's house

Tyler in his new pad at Carlos and Marina's house--"there's enough room in here for me do exercises".

Paulina all set up at Juan and Lucia's house--get ready for some crazy times at that house!

Kelsey in the Library/Guest room at Manuel and Juana's place.  

Laura at her more-than-spacious room at Jeronimo and Juana's house--get ready for some gardening with this family!

Taylor in his new bach pad at Tomas and Juana's villa--complete with guitar and microwave!

Shelby in her staged shot (I didn't get her picture at her front door) at Sebastian and Dominga's place--the best bed and toilet on the block!