A Clear Conscience

...and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ...   I Peter 3:21 (Photo by Tomas Chan)

Over the last week there have been 19 baptisms in the area! These are from three different churches and include youth from the ABC programs and new contacts from their communities.  One man is a patient from one of our mobile clinics that searched us out because he heard that lots of people had found help through the clinic.  

He complained of vomiting blood after a drinking binge.  But he was most concerned about not being able to quit drinking because of evil spirits tormenting him whenever he tried to quit.  We treated his medical issues and told him we knew someone who could help, arranging a time for him to visit with our evangelist Gaspar Chan.  Gaspar spent several hours visting with him and teaching him about God's mercy and plan for his Holy Spirit to change our lives. He then put him in contact with a brother from a church very close to his house--a man who had also struggled with alcoholism. 

A couple of weeks later we learned that our patient had decided to be baptized into Christ and had brought another couple to hear the message as well.  This couple was struggling with many issues and the husband had been considering suicide.  They decided to follow Jesus and were also baptized.  We are anxious to see how God works in all of these lives and uses them to bring others to salvation as well.

Mactzul Quinto celebrated 6 new births! Photo credit Tomas Marroquin

Las Cuevas church preparing to baptize nine new brothers and sisters. Photo by Tomas Chan

Gathered at the water in Las Cuevas. Photo by Tomas Chan

The church in Las Trampas praying over these new members. Photo by Gaspar Chan

Visitors on the Field

Last week we enjoyed visits from some very special folks.
Klay Bartee, a marriage and family counselor, came down to give some classes to local leaders on how to help in family crises or with people battling substance abuse. We always appreciate his godly and practical approach and his desire to minister in culturally appropriate ways. Everyone enjoyed the seminars and even stayed awake in the afternoon sessions--that says a lot!

Brother Klay after a long day of teaching. Apparently my focusing skills were a little lacking that day.

Klay and Kemmel with the ABC coordinators'  at Clinica Caris (photo by Christina Matlock)

We also hosted a young couple from our home congregation in Colorado Springs who are interested in full time foreign missions. Josh and Christina Matlock came down to take a look at the work here and to pick our brains a little. During their time here in Guatemala, they got to see Clinica Ezell during a surgical week, went out to help deliver ABC supplies, prayed with patients in clinic, participated in educational seminars for the the churches, and helped install water filters in the homes of new ABC children. During their last day out, they even got to meet the child they sponsor through the program. The Matlocks are a great couple with an evangelistic outlook and are eager to be active in kingdom work. We look forward to seeing where the Lord leads them.

Josh and Christina Matlock

Josh and Cristina meeting their ABC sponsor child and his family

Christina, Tomasa and Cesar enjoying the shade after a long morning.

Josh hauling water filter components up to an ABC home (photo by Christina Matlock)

Klay, Christina and Josh showing off their tie-down skills

Love Story

I love a story with a good ending, so I had to share this with you.
One of our neighbors, a lady in her 50's, has had some pretty bad experiences in the husband department.  Her first husband, who drank too much, left her and her small daughter more than twenty years ago.  Her second husband who also drinks, has been in and mostly out of their lives on a regular basis as long as we have lived here.  But recently we have noticed that our neighbor has seemed happier and even dressing up lately, and we found out that her first husband had come back into her life.  We didn't think much about it and hoped for the best for her.  Well, this week I was chatting with her and she told me about her first husband coming back after all these years.  She said when husband #1 found out that their daughter was pregnant, and that her boyfriend decided he wasn't up for family life, he came back to town and went to talk to the young man and his family.  He told them about his past and the regret he has always felt for not being a part of his family's life.  He managed to convince the young man to marry his daughter and they are now living together with their new baby.  THEN, he went to our neighbor and asked her if they could get back together.  And they did!
The End (for now).
What a powerful God to be able to redeem something painful from the past and mold it into something beautiful.

Spring Break

Spring time has come and brought a migration of so many different birds to the area on their way south.  We have seen some blue birds, swallows, some little yellow-breasted guys, and heard whippoorwills at night.
This season has also brought two fun groups of college kids to our area.  The Harding University and the Lipscomb University teams came down to help us with our ABC well-child checkups and water filter replacements and Bible study activities for the kids.  These student groups are hard working and a joy to serve with.  Here are some photos from their time with us.

Harding P.A. and pre-health students

Hannah, Titus and Maggie working the line of kids-- eye checks and vital signs before their consult.

Tim at the tailgate party with the kids after clinic

Still has a some growing to do!  Ahmad taking this little fellow through the vital sign stations.

Mactzul II team after a long day of check ups.

Me and Karli at the women's health clinic

Kemmel and Enrique and Carly working pharmacy and lab

Mallory working like a pro!

Katie getting good at the vision screening

Hanging out at Mactzul I

Dane making new friends

Gary and his crew enjoying Antigua after a long week.

Ear lavages are like riding a bike.  Once you learn, you never forget how! Manuel is a good teacher.

Lipscomb University

I love your hair...

Lipscomb crew directing the re-enactment of the Good Samaritan

Three legged race.  

Noah (Alan) leading his animals

Sarah Tipton, our orthopedic P.A. making sure no one gets hurt

Lisa and Freda and their star team for the day.

Gringos vs. Zacapultecos

Dr. Clint Sweitzer and his crew enjoying some grub at Xejox

4 wheelin' with Jesus (and co-pilot Addison)

Everybody loves a selfie

Add caption

Dr. Brian Cress making sure all the kids in Mactzul VI are healthy

Clinic waiting room with Freda 

Yeah, that looks like a good idea...

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus

Hiking down to the river in Chimente where there is a warm spring pool.

There is a new church plant out in Mactzul 4 started by some families from Mactzul 5 and Mactzul 3. Today we attended a baptism service for 4 new believers.  It was encouraging to see the work of their evangelism efforts.  We met another man who is close to making the same decision after recovering from a life threatening illness last month.  He is coming to see me tomorrow in clinic, so pray that we will be able to encourage Tomas on his spiritual journey as well.

l-r Victor, Tomas, Maria and Sebastian about to give their confession of faith.

Members from several area churches gathering around the pool.

Tomas

Sebastian

Victor

Maria (I think she was pretty scared to get in the water, so her faith must be great!)

The sermon after was about those of us who have been baptized in Christ have clothed ourselves with Christ, and that our old life is no longer who we are, but rather our new identity is a that of Jesus. We are given power to live this new life through his Spirit living in us. He reminded us of the things from our past self that we should let go of, asking God to mold us more into the likeness of Jesus.

Ephesians 4:25-32

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Change, Change, Change

Teresa and Manual manning the pharmacy.

Staff Change
As we mentioned on Facebook earlier this month, we have lost one of our health promoters to higher education.  Cesybel passed her entrance exams and stayed in Xela to study professional nursing at the University of San Carlos (the national university).  We are so proud of her and sad for us at the same time.  But she'll be back some day!  In the mean time we have hired a new health promoter named Teresa.  We hired her as a temp a couple of times to see how she would work out and it has been a great fit.  She is an auxiliary nurse and has worked with an OB-GYN in the past and seems very comfortable in our mobile clinic setting. She has already helped Sheri out at a Women's Health class and did a great job.  This week we also have her studying up on the different drug classes that we carry in our pharmacy.

Teresa learning our pharmacy inventory system

New Intern
We have the pleasure of hosting a 4th year medical student with us this month.  There is nothing better than teaching to get you into the studying mood!  He is keeping us on our toes. Nick Darby was a Medical Evangelism Training student with us in 2008 and has come back to visit us twice now.  We hope to keep him and his wife Andrea on the path to medical missionaries someday!

Dr. Mike Kelly and almost-Dr. Nick Darby

Behavioral Health
Many of our patient encounters here have some type of mental health or spiritual health component. Normally we refer patients to the local church contact and continue with some amount of sound counsel during clinic visits.  Last week we saw a man who is going deaf but came to see us because he feels he is being tormented by an evil spirit to drink and do other sinful things.  He says when he drinks the spirit goes away and leaves him alone for a while.  He knows this is not a good situation, but feels helpless and came asking for our advice.  He is from a town quite a ways away and can't communicate by phone, so after talking to our evangelist Gaspar we decided to schedule an appointment for him to see Gaspar in our central clinic and hope to make a home visit later. Gaspar has had good experience with folks caught up in alcoholism and I think he will be able to help this man understand the change that Jesus can offer.

January's Highlights

Can you believe a whole month of 2016 has already flown by?  It kind of sneaked up on us! Well here is an update for you to enjoy.

Clinic News

Noe Chan 

Noe working with a patient at her home. Foto credit: Gaspar Chan

Our year has started out on a good note with our mobile clinics back in swing and the addition of Noe Chan as our new physical therapist.  We spent most of January getting him set up with equipment and supplies that he could use here at Clinica Caris and down on the coast at Clinica Ezell.  He will travel between the two sites giving us a week at a time.  The great part is that Noe loves home visits and is keen to get out to areas away from here that don't have access to physical therapy.  We are grateful to Jennifer Hoines at P.T. International/ASELSI Ministries and Shes Rivera for helping Noe get going and for their suggestions and offers of continued training with them.  He is already filling up his schedule quickly, so it confirms the need for these services.

Staff News

Dra. Sara and Martina

We have two coworkers who are on maternity leave.  Martina Sente, one of the dental assistants, had her sweet little boy in January, and Dra. Sara Castellanos is due any day now.  We think it's a girl... So in Dra. Sara's absence, we have the honor of Dr. Mike and Julie Kelly visiting and going out on the road with us.

They are experienced missionaries from times past who decided to work in a couple of trips a year to come help us out.  They are a real blessing to us, and the patients love talking to them in Quiche too!

ABC

We have wrapped up all of the ABC year-end celebrations and are happy to report lots of prizes this year for top grades and program points.  There are so many kids and families making good on this opportunity to study through the ABC program.  And the churches are getting more involved and creative now about giving back to their communities with work projects and service days.  It makes our  hearts happy to see kids wanting to help others and looking for ways to show God's love to others.

Patient Notes and Quotes
Maria, a diabetic lady in her 40s came in with blood sugars out of control while taking meds as prescribed.  She reported that her husband is running around on her and still coming back home and won't leave.  She is stressed and suspects that is the reason her sugars won't come down.  She asked if we could pray for her and her situation.  Please keep her in your prayers too.

50+ year old diabetic lady came in and reported feeling so much better and having relief of the burning diabetic neuropathy pain in her feet. I asked what she had been doing differently and said she decided to start walking up and down hills, walking to visit family and not taking the taxis around.  Her family was giving her a hard time saying she needs to rest more, and she told them her doctor recommended it.  They thought she was making that up, so I wrote her a signed and sealed prescription!

15 year old kid named Elvis who came in for an asthma exacerbation.  I asked (half joking) if he had been smoking.  He said, "No, Doctora.  I just got baptized last week!"  Good to hear it!  Brother Elvis is one of my favorites, and it will be fun to have him around for eternity.