News from the cambio...

Buenas noches, mi amigos.

We´re back in Trujillo. It´s nearly 8 oclock, and we´re back at the hotel, waiting for pizza delivery.

It´s been a long few days. And there is much to share.

Thank you so much for the prayers and the entries. It is still amazing to me that we are on the same planet ... it seems so far away from the way in which life works back home.

On Monday, we traveled to work in Chao for the day. We passed the government clinic on the way to the church ... I remember visiting that clinic ten years ago, when I had been asked to attend a woman in labor. It was freshly painted, and the town looked as though it had grown. Juan told me that there are many asparagus farmers in the area ... I remember reading about the trouble the Washington farmers have with the cheaper Peruvian asparagus flooding the market in the US, and the area around Chao is responsible for much of that imported food.

The work in Chao was long, as I would expect. We were helped by Victor, a sixth year medical student here in Peru. He wants to come to the US to become a surgeon. We also had a young woman join us for the day as a translator. She has two weeks left in her two years working with the Peace Corps as a community health worker in Chao ... she´ll soon be back in Florida.

The next day, we traveled nearly four hours into the mountains to Cascas, at 4000 feet elevation. This is the family home of Juan and Carlos, the missionary brothers we are serving. The road was paved for about the first hour. And then, it was mostly one lane, with some great views over the edge.

The mission at Cascas was cramped and dirty. We set up the medical clinic in the new church building, still under construction actually. The dentists worked on a balcony overlooking the small dirt courtyard of the home next to the church. We stayed in a little hotel on the other side of the town plaza, where the town was preparing for a celebration this weekend. When do these people sleep! The kids were up well into the night playing at the carnval rides surrounding the square.

We saw patients that Tuesday afternoon, and again all day Wednesday. We were awakened this morning at 0500 by cannon blasts and a live band in the plaza! And then, travel back down the mountain, with loudly squeaking brakes.

We had lunch in Trujillo, and then traveled to the neighborhood of Florencia, where we set up our clinic in the compound of the Baptist Mission. This was the location where I spent most of my time during my first trip. It was amazing to see the iron gate ... I nearly cried as we approached it in our bus.

I had the opportunity to say a few words at the devotional service, and I told the story of the young man that I described in my letter to Rainer, below. I talked about the gate, and the crowd, and the touch on my arm. Rosa, one of our interpreters, helped me tell the story to the Peruvians and Dr. Alejandro. And, I talked about how inadequate I felt to be looked upon as a healer by the people. We have seen some very touching patients ... cleft palate, Down´s syndrome, acute fever and abdominal pain, breast lump, axillary mass which was likely lymphoma. All of these cases have been a burden for us to carry, and I talked about how my Lord can carry this burden for us.

Well, we started our clinic around 3 oclock. And, about an hour later, I witnessed a miracle. Truly. I was in a room when someone came to me ... the man I wanted to see again ten years ago was here today, to be seen! How could that be true! When I told him I wanted to see him back, I meant the next day, not the next time I came to Peru! He had suffered a gunshot wound nine years ago, and is now a paraplegic. He has a significant wound, and will need the help of our missionary pastor to get help for this to be healed. But, the Lord brought the two of us together again!

... Thank you all for your prayers. Wendi has been a bit sick, with an ear infection, but she´s getting better. (She has a great doctor! Young, handsome ... ) And a couple of our team have been ill with fever and some gi symptoms. But, mostly, we´re just tired. ...