Written by Crystal Hoblit and Meghan Stearns
March has arrived, and with it dry season has shown its dusty face about a month early. The grass has turned brown and wildfires have began. I am praying that the rain will come early this year.
Our annual brigade was the biggest yet. During the course of a week we saw over 860 patients. As usual we had people come from all over this area to receive medical and dental care. This year we had some new things to offer those who came to see us.
We were blessed to have a few people from International Help Services (IHS) participate in our brigade. They brought 5 days of extra dental care to our community. Many times, when a dentist comes to town they only have time to remove rotten teeth from patients, however with the extra 5 days, the dentist was able to do a lot cleanings and fillings. She hopes to be able to come back a few times a year, to keep on top of dental hygiene. IHS also sent a gentleman down to help fit people with reading glasses. That is something that this region has not had access to in many years, and so it was a huge blessing to our community.
Another big thing this year was having a group from Heart of Christ join us. They spent the week providing education/awareness on domestic violence and abuse, in addition to conducting the very first related survey in La Mosquitia, that we know of.
Every group who came spent some time listening to teaching and filling out the surveys. Many of the doctors and nurses who came, had been here for our previous years but we also had some new faces. Without all these people, we would not ever be able to pull off something like this. We are so grateful for these doctors and nurses who come, some from the interior and some from La Mosquitia. They bring a reminder to these people. They are not forgotten. They are important.
Many of the doctors and nurses who came, had been here for our previous years but we also had some new faces. Without all these people, we would not ever be able to pull off something like this. We are so grateful for these doctors and nurses who come, some from the interior and some from La Mosquitia. They bring a reminder to these people. They are not forgotten. They are important.
Why do we do all this? They are the reason. Each person who comes into the clinic has a past, a history, a story. They also have a future. We desire to serve them as Christ served, by going to the lowliest and poor. God has a perfect plan for each one we come in contact with, we are glad to be a tiny part of their story.
The week was a big success. Yes, we were able to provide medical care to hundreds of people who would otherwise not have it, but the big win worth celebrating was all the life change and seeds of the gospel planted. God is moving, and we feel so humbled to be apart of the work!
