Kudos To Medical Missionaries

There have only been three days this summer that I've been able to help out at the clinics that Mission Lazarus operates. And by "help out", I mean observing more than I actually helping. The first day that I helped out was at the very beginning of the summer, and I got to tag along with Tristan, Drew, and Javier (the doctor), up to the clinic at Las Pitas. Surviving the drive up the mountain was quite the feat by itself! But I got to learn (or try to learn) how to take blood pressures, and listen to people's hearts and lungs through Javier's stethescope. Man, talk about a whole different world in there! Javier and all of the medical interns are amazing, how they can step into an environment like that full of crying and pain and disease, and yet do what needs to be done for the health, the lives, and the souls of the people they treat. Last week, I went up to Las Pitas again with Drew, Tristan, Paul, and Natosha, and helped them distribute food to the families in the Family Nutrition Program up there. While we were doing that, a little girl came in with her father and she had a worm in her scalp. Javier promptly proceeded to give here a shot, cut open her scalp, and dig the worm out with some tweezers. I've never seen anything like it! Tristan and Natosha watched the whole thing, while Javier performed the operation without hesitation. I watched for a little while but, to my dismay, had to take a step back for fear of hurling everywhere. When I looked again, it was all over and the worm was out and on a tray, and the girl was fine. Needless to say, it was a big deal for me to see that for the first time, but for "the pros", it was simply what needed to be done to help this poor little girl. It is amazing how intense the problems are here, particularly health problems. But it is so encouraging to see and be around people who are so hardcore and dedicated to what they are doing here, knowing that it's ultimately for the glory of Christ. It's a hard form of love, but it's showing love nonetheless. And I'm glad that there are people like Javier and all of the medical interns here who are willing to step up to the challenge, face the overwhelming need, and step into what God has called them to do for people. God's love is amazing, and it is amazing to see all of the different ways that it is manifested: in the clinic, in the school, in the churches, on the streets, on the ranch, wherever. It is everywhere and it can saturate any situation with any individual. Praise the Lord!

-- Dylan Wann