Labor of love...Thursday, October 22

Luciérnagas. Lu-see-AIR-nuh-gus.That’s how you say “fireflies” in Spanish. It’s my favorite new word I’ve learned on this trip. There are thousands of the tiny things around here, especially in the fields outside town.

Octavio is amazing to watch. Always busy, yet never hurried. He comes to me each morning and lets me know how many people he will be bringing in from other towns and villages. This morning he brought in two more patients. One older lady, Lupita, who had come on the first day was so happy with her filling, she came again. Lupita is a typical Latina grandmother type, always grabbing our hands and blessing us whenever we passed her. “Que bonita, que amable!” she would repeat.

We heard so many good reports about Octavio and his family this week. He is from a large family, and all of his brothers and sisters are either in ministry, or are married to ministers. Octavio felt called to ministry also, but worked to pay for his siblings to attend Bible school. By the time his last sibling graduated, Octavio already had a family, his hopes of becoming a pastor quickly fading.

With all the poverty and needs in El Salvador, the little neighbor town, Octavio and his wife decided to start a mission there under the church in El Pachon. They began serving and meeting what needs they could. He was encouraged to find that Alfredo, with the same heart for meeting needs, pastors his little flock in Hualahuises without a seminary degree. With renewed excitement, Octavio is continuing to follow the vision God has put in his heart for serving El Salvador. Alfredo even says we may go to that little town on one of our future trips! =)

One repeat patient we didn’t have xrays for because she had come before we had the developer, and possibly needed a more extensive treatment that would be difficult without an xray. Jamie took a beautiful xray, which revealed that not one, but BOTH of her front teeth needed this treatment.

Tough decisions like this are common. We try to help the most possible people by limiting to one procedure per person, but sometimes, you just have to go with your gut. For instance, a teacher from the town where Octavio runs the mission, El Salvador, brought a group of 10 children with him. Jamie was up to the challenge, and managed to finish all the cleanings before lunch. We even got Zelina in on some kid cleanings! Some had bombed out baby teeth, and Paula opted to do some little fillings, to keep the teeth from getting infected. This took her away from the other list of adult cleanings, but with situations like these you just pray for wisdom and make a decision.

Praise the Lord, we finished everyone on the morning list, except for one lady with Dad who needed TWO root canals. The problem? There were just as many people NOT on the list who waited all morning to get an appointment. Not only that, but we knew that even more would be coming after lunch. Especially children, who were in school all morning. Dad stayed with Isaac, his assistant, while the rest of us left for lunch. By the time we returned, Dad was just finishing up with his patient, and a crowd was accumulating outside.

The afternoon on the last day is always the most difficult, because if you run out of time, you can’t say, “Come back tomorrow.” There’s no dentist in town, and I doubt if most of these people could afford it even if there was one. However, in these little towns, people are so gracious and understanding. Most of all, they saw us working hard, but with joy. We must also remember that Jesus himself did not heal every sick person at the pool at Siloam or beside the road. He only did what the Father told him to do. In the same way, we need to be obedient to the Father, and not worry about the rest. God will take care of El Pachon. He cares about those people even more than we do, and knows exactly what they need.

We had mixed feelings as we packed up the clinic after finishing the last patient. Our tired bodies were glad the work was done, but with the clinic gone, we realized our time with these amazing people was drawing quickly to a close. It was a short trip, only 3 days, but we had enjoyed the camaraderie of investing alongside one another toward a common goal.

What, after all, is the purpose of missions? Why do we remove ourselves from our culture, spend hundreds of dollars and travel hundreds of miles to a place where we can barely communicate? I don’t know if we will understand it all this side of heaven, but I can see the fruit that has resulted over time. Our family has been challenged and blessed, and I know we’ve been an encouragement to the DeHoyos and the believers in Mexico. Who knows but perhaps someday we’ll be able to see the “big picture” and have even more of a reason to praise God.

Now, the challenge is to bring home the lessons we learn in the “classroom” of our Mexico experience. Who around us are we praying for? What lost souls in Vancouver, Battle Ground, or Centralia need to hear of the hope Christ freely offers to all? Not that we weren’t needed in Mexico, we definitely were, but in the States also, where we know the culture and are fluent in the language, we need to be vigilant to heed the prompting of the Spirit.

The work continues...Wednesday, October 21

Having fewer translators available means that, purely out of necessity, we get to practice more Spanish. I think I’m getting over my initial nervousness about speaking. Jamie and I make a good team. Usually my ear can pick up the Spanish words, I translate them to English for Jamie, and she helps me figure out how to answer in Spanish. It’s funny though, because our strengths and weaknesses complement each other so well, together we can function pretty smoothly.

The morning we left for El Pachon, Alfredo prayed over us, that we would return with hearts filled up, even as we drained our energies. I can already sense that prayer being answered.

Praise the Lord! Alfredo brought some developer he bought from a camera store, and the x-ray machine works. Back in business! We began shuttling people through. Alfredo and Mom also were leaving to return to Hualahuises just after lunch. Alfredo to attend an important dinner with Dickmar, where the Mayor will give his report of the things accomplished during his term just before the newly elected mayor takes office, and Mom to spend some time encouraging and helping Cristina and attending the church service at Vista Hermosa.

We need to always be alert for opportunities for ministry, even in unexpected ways.  As I escorted an older lady to her seat, I offered her a tract to read while she waited to be seen by Dad. She explained to me that she couldn’t read it because she didn’t have her reading glasses with her. “My house is just up the road, do you want me to go and bring them?” We explained to her that, no, she could keep the tract and read it later. Then a thought hit me, “Why don’t you read it to her?” It felt a little weird, but I offered, and she accepted, so I started in.

I paused after each section, to give her an opportunity to stop me if she wanted, but she didn’t. She just kept nodding and looking interested, so I kept reading. When I finished, I gave her the tract, which she took and held it to her like it was some kind of treasure. “I have a Bible at home.” She said, “and I’m going to read it, and I’ll take this with me and read it at home too.”

Jamie cleaned 7 patients, mostly of the child variety. She can only handle the polishing, and not anything heavier, so we try to just give her the younger ones whose teeth are not quite as big of a job as some older ones. Because the list has only names though, it makes things a little tricky when trying to find a cleaning patient for Jamie. We call out a name…”José?” and watch as he stands. Whoops! Too big. “Ok, sir, just checking to see if you are here. Glad to see you. You can sit back down now…” We laughed over a couple of those. If only they knew…but we’re glad they don’t! =D

Joby and Paula went to another school today, this time a preschool. Paula said it was easier because all the children were sitting on those tiny chairs, and when she went around to check mouths, all the kids had to do was tip their heads back, and she could see all their teeth very well at that angle!

The hike through the sugar cane field was gorgeous. It was so good to get out and stretch our legs after the long clinic day. We were tired, but to get to walk was so refreshing! Octavio carried the machete, newly sharpened, cradled in the crook of his arm.

We made conversation with Yareni “Jennie”, about what Washington is like, and what activities we like to do there. Jennie is a Bible school graduate who is working for the churh right now. She is also an amazing artist and is teaching art to Octavios two sons, Gustavo “Gera”, and Leo.

Fresh sugar cane is tricky to eat. You have to bite it to get the juice out, then you can chew the pulp, but it is too fibrous to eat, so you spit the pulp on the ground. It was yummy and sticky. =)

A short walk up a grassy slope and we could see the whole valley. “I’d build my house right here.” Dad joked with Octavio in Spanish. “Actually, there was a house here.” He said, “It belonged to my family, but it burned to the ground.” We enjoyed the view and the sunset for a few moments, then walked back in the cool of the evening.

There was a treat waiting for us back at the house. In addition to sugar cane, they also grew oranges, limes, and corn. In Mexico, they have a special way they prepare corn on the cob, called “elote.” The fresh ears had been picked and boiled, and were toasty warm and waiting for us when we came back from the hike. To prepare elote, you either roast or boil the corn cobs, then poke a stick into one end. Octavio’s wife prepared the elote while we watched. She first spread on some mayonnaise flavored with lime, then chili sauce, then sprinkled some crumbly cheese over that. Mmm…Delicious! After dinner, Joby brought over a DVD of his family performing, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

It's hard to believe we only have one more day here. Time has just been flying!

Clinic day one...Tuesday, October 20th

My eyes popped open. Leanne was staring into my face..."Hey Dean! Get up! It's 7:30." I usually consider myself a morning person, but the sleep was so good and long I needed to coax myself up with reminders that today we would finally be able to work.

There were already people waiting for us when we arrived. Mom went directly to make the list, and we tested out all the equipment. Another obstacle! Jamie discovered that her x-rays weren't turning out. We had brought down new x-ray film fixer, but through the process of elimination found that our developing solution was bad. No x-rays the first day.

Most of our patients the first day were ones that Octavio brought from other villages. He went and picked them up in his beat-up blue car. Some of them lived over a half an hour drive away.

Isaac stepped up to the plate as Dad's assistant, loading syringes, passing instruments, and holding the suction tube during fillings and extractions. Paula and Lily ran the hygiene department, using the ultrasonic cleaner to polish teeth that haven't been cleaned in a long time, possibly not ever. Joby played handyman for all the equipment that tended to break down during the day. Jamie polished teeth and Joe cleaned chairs. Leslie kept up her position as sterilization expert.

The morning ran very smoothly, with a small exception... =) Because the people in the little villages use very little medication, if at all, she freaked out as she was feeling the tingle of the anesthetic and lost her nerve. The little girl in the chair next to her was observing all of this, and decided she wasn't having any of it, and left her chair as well. Mom and Zelina were able to convince the lady to come back to her seat, and found a towel for her to squeeze. She made it through the procedure, and became our biggest promoter as she told everyone waiting, "I didn't feel a thing! I cried, but only because I was nervous. These doctors are great!"

Zelina cooked amazing meals for us during the week, and was also our primary translator in the clinic. We were able to manage pretty well on our own, but occasionally we encountered questions or explanations that needed...well, a little more expertise than we possessed. Fortunately, the church/clinic, the house, and the kitchen/cafeteria were all within a block of each other, so that expertise was close at hand.

Paula and Joby went with Mr. Alfredo to a local school to give dental education and exams to the kids. They did a presentation in each class, translated (and embellished) by Alfredo, and each child was examined for cavities and presented with a toothbrush. We saw several patients as a result of these visits, and more of them learned how to care for their teeth so that hopefully they wouldn't be in as bad of shape as some of the adults we saw.

In talking with Mr. DeHoyos, Dad learned that one of the main reasons for coming to this town was to disciple the local Pastor who's church we were using. As we ministered to the people physically, he and his sweet wife mingled around and visited with the patients waiting outside the clinic. Several times we passed out, "Are you a good person?" tracts, and I noticed several of them in conversation with the Pastor. We are praying for these people, that those who already know Christ would be encouraged and those who don't yet know Him would be attracted by His spirit as it propels our joyful service.

Some of my favorite memories from the trip were the evenings with Octavio's family, Jennie, and the Pastor's family. The first day we arrived, Octavio's wife recognized me from a CD the DeHoyos had given them months earlier. Both musicians themselves, they were excited to hear us play. We brought the guitar and violin to dinner, and had a time of music afterward. Octavio played a bit of violin, and at first was reluctant to participate, feeling bad because everything he learned he taught himself, although he did say he'd take a lesson. With some coaxing from his family, he played some hymns and popular Mexican tunes for us. After everyone had dispersed a bit, he asked me if I'd show him some things, and I had a chance to put my Spanish to the test for my first bilingual lesson! He was a very motivated student, and practiced what I showed him.

Just outside the city, the family owned a sugarcane plantation, which they invited us on a hike to view sometime during our stay. We eagerly accepted for the following evening.

The road to El Pachon....Monday, October 19th

Driving...

It seems like the greater the anticipation of something, the greater the enjoyment of it. It has certainly been so with this trip. With the longest travel time of any of our Mexico trips to date, and certainly the furthest distance traveled, we had much to expect from God. Fellowship along the way has been sweet, but our eagerness to get to work has been steadily increasing since we left. Another mirror to the life of Elijah. The first calling recorded from God is a command to go into the wilderness to be fed by ravens. We felt much the same, with just the traveling and meeting of our own basic needs occupying our energies, we were itching for the opportunity to invest, and excited to arrive to our destination.

The road was beautiful, and we were even more delighted to explore our accommodations. A log cabin built entirely of palm tree trunks! The host family, a couple with two young sons, moved into their parents home, unoccupied because the owners were away on a trip, and gave us use of their home for the three days and 4 nights.

We had meals at the grandparents, 2 doors down and across the street. It was an outdoor cabana, comfortable because of the warm weather, and fresh because of the many trees and flowers surrounding it. An enormous bogenvilla tree with its twisted trunk shaded the patio, adding to the retreat-like atmosphere. Zelina stayed at this house, and cooked in the kitchen.

We were fortunate enough to have one of the only houses in the village with a bathroom inside the house. A newfangled invention, the locals usually build a small outbuilding for the purpose. The first morning, Zelina shared stories of her adventures with midnight trips...in the dark...carrying her own water. =) Talk about adventure! She came over to our "house" for showers.

Paula and Joby stayed at an older couple's house down the street and around the corner. They had a guest room, and were more than happy to have company. The lady of the house was happily chatting away, in spite of the fact that Paula gently told her "I don't speak much Spanish." The welcoming spirit of everyone is delightful!

That first night we set up the clinic so we could start first thing in the morning. Set up went well, and everything was going smoothly until we tried threading the compressor tube under the crack between the window and the wall. Because the walls are made entirely of hollow, unfinished concrete block, there were giant holes from the bottom of the window all the way to the ground. A mishap with the tube sent a very important connector part down the hole all the way into the wall. Ooops! Prayers were sent up and we finished setting up the rest of the clinic. We were concerned though, because all of the handpieces, drills, etc. required the compressor to run properly. How much could we accomplish if we couldn't get the piece? Does God have another plan in mind?

We freshened up and enjoyed a delicious dinner from Pollo Feliz, "Happy Chicken" that Señor DeHoyos and Zelina brought back after coming back from grocery shopping for the week. During this time, Jamie and Joby went back with Octavio (the owner of the log cabin) to the church to try to see what they could do to retrieve the compressor part. The pastor gave permission to make a little hole in the wall, and Jamie shined the flashlight from the top down, and Joby dug around in the cement dust. An answered prayer...a part retrieved! Praise the Lord! We went to bed with full tummies and happy hearts.

Monday, October 19

One last posting as we're getting packed up to leave...

Elijah's ministry was one of prayer (James 5:17-18). He prayed powerfully, and God acted powerfully on his behalf. Please remember to pray for us as the Lord brings us to your mind. For unhindered travels, for the people in El Pachon, that they would be open to seeing God as He is: master, source of life, and giver all good things.

May the God of peace be with you all.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Happy Birthday, Leslie!! =)

It's so good to be back in Hualahuises. It feels so comfortable here, and the air is filled with the buzz of conversation. Mr. Alfredo is talking and laughing as we swap the latest stories around the dining room table. Mom is making cocoa mix in the kitchen with Zelina. Dany and the boys are relaxing on the couch, engaged in an animated discussion about...muscles and superheroes I think. ;) Cristina is looking well, having just returned from a grocery shopping trip. Zelina laughs, "She never goes grocery shopping, and has been gone for two hours!!"

Whew! It's been a long day! After a leisurely morning enjoying the San Antonio sunshine as we waited for Capps rentals to open at 10, we loaded our luggage (thank goodness it fit!!) into the rental van and headed South towards the border.

Devotions for this trip center around the life of Elijah. Not much is known about his early history, and there are only a few chapters about this man of faith in proportion to the scope of his influence in Israelite history. He first appears in 1 Kings 17 where he confronts wicked King Ahab, predicts drought until further notice, and runs off to the wilderness to drink from a brook and eat food delivered by ravens.

It's interesting to look at his life from the context of a ministry and mission mindset. When sent to find a widow at Zerephath, he tested her openness by asking her to give him a drink. Often, the best approach to take when making a contact for a "touch-and-go" type of evangelism is the "Can you help me?" attitude. Most people will stop to give help, when they wouldn't stop to take something from someone. When the widow responded positively to Elijah's initial request, he probed a little further until he discovered her area of need.

We had an opportunity to observe this principle in action as we stopped a the border. While waiting in line to obtain visas from the official, we struck up a conversation with the two ladies in line behind us. From Ohio, the pair drove through the night, and were on their way to Mexico for vacation. When it was our turn, we struggled to communicate with the immigration officer, sharing the load between the 3 of us who knew Spanish the best. When we hit a roadblock in trying to explain why we were all coming down together, but two were leaving early, she poked her head in and spoke to the official with flawless pronunciation. A translator! What a relief!

Later, after the moment of opportunity had passed, (of course!) we talked about how it would have been easy to respond with sharing the Gospel with the attitude of gratefulness. For example: "Thank you so much for helping us! Can we share a story that has been instrumental in our lives and would be a benefit to you as well?" Always on the lookout for new ways to share the Gospel. =)

We take off for the tiny town of El Pachon in the morning. Not sure about the wi-fi situation, but I'll keep everyone as updated as I can!

 

Leslie with our luggage cart. See our fancy new patient chairs for the clinic?

Happy Copilot 

At the border. Green lights all the way!

Mexico Fall '09 -- Day One

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

First day of travel down, two more to go…

Both groups made it safely here to San Antonio with out undue complications. Paula and Joby had a bit rougher time of it, being delayed out of Seattle with crazy storms and electrical trouble with the plane. A tight connection in Denver, but they were able to get through just before takeoff.

The friendly assistant behind the Southwest counter helped us check in our 14 bags. We had a bunch of dental supplies, plus 3 lawn chairs to replace our broken patient chairs. She came from a family of seven too, and sympathized with the quirks of traveling with large groups. Quandaries such as where to stand when dad checks in and everyone is pulling two bags and the space behind the counter is limited, and, who stays with the carryon luggage and who needs id checked and who takes the bags to the x-ray man...things that are simple when traveling alone become slightly more of a challenge when multiplied 8 times.

We had our mission team meeting while soaking our tired feet the hot tub, listening as Dad filled us in on “the plan.” Excited for the trip, I know we’re all feeling the anticipation of watching for how and where God will use us this week. Thanks for praying everyone!