Med Mission Nica: Day 4

I think we all have been a bit surprised on how tiresome holding a full day clinic is! Even though we do have chances to sit throughout the day, we are all in some form or fashion really engaged with our work and with the people and in a very hot environment. But what a blessing to serve again in Los Cedros and minister to the patients today. For me, it was a special blessing seeing two patients who happened to be ladies whom we built homes for on previous construction missions. Sylvia came in today to be seen in the morning and Maura came in the afternoon. It was great to get a chance to catch up on their lives and get the 'annual' update.

On top of all the medical procedures and dispensing of pills, it has been great for members of our teams (mainly the fluent ones) to be able to minister spiritually by praying for many of the patients who come to clinic. One such lady who was battling depression due to being out of work and having a family to provide for was able to receive counsel and prayer. It is such a blessing to enter into the lives of these Nicaraguan people and try to get a glimpse into their life and hear their stories while seeking to offer the hope found in the Gospel.

After clinic today, I took the team on a quick walk through Los Cedros over to the Christian school where Pastora serves. We have spent a few construction missions serving at the school laying foundations, building sidewalks and even painting. Class was still in session, so we were able to connect with many of the kids that have come with Wildwood camp teams down to Campo Alegria.

After our long day, we took our dear friend and favorite Nicaragua cook, Maria out to dinner. We learned this morning that it was her birthday, so we moved our team dinner up a few nights so Maria wouldn't have to cook for us and could be our guest of honor. We learned that she had never been invited out to dinner with a team before and was so excited that she went out and got new shoes (it's a big cultural thing here). It is always a treat for our teams to be able to go out and enjoy some local food and we discovered a new place tonight called La Finca.

We're back at it for day three of clinics tomorrow in a very rural area - so rural that we can't take all our supplies and can't travel in the bus. No one has ever hosted a clinic in this community before so we really don't know what to expect. So please be praying for us - that God would grant us patience and understanding and also the ability to build trust in our new relationships.