Hello, all! This week the interns are accompanying a group of doctors, nurses, physician´s assistants, pharmacists, dentist, opthalmologist, and translators, on the week-long ¨medical brigade¨in Duyure. Kendra, Heather, and I are translating for the medical personnel; Kyle, Loren, Katie, and Jaclyn get to observe, learn, and assist the doctors; and David is helping out wherever necessary. It has been a huge blessing for me to be able to translate. I definitely give glory to God for how easy it is for me to communicate with the Hondurans now. Remember the first week when I didn´t see how I could possibly be fluent by the end of the summer? Well, just within the past couple weeks something clicked for me. I don´t know all the words that people say to me, but I´m able to understand them and to speak with them so that they understand me. And the other interns are getting so much better at Spanish, too. I truly believe that God is giving us this wisdom and understanding and ability. Praise the Lord!
Yesterday I was encouraged so much by two patients in particular. One was a 14-year-old boy with mental retardation. He came in with his father, who definitely loves his son very much. And this boy overflowed with such joy and love! He wore a huge grin the entire time he was there; he shook hands exuberantly with everyone he met; he loved to laugh and smile and hug. He brought joy to my life just by his presence in the room.
The other encouraging patient was a man who had an work-related accident 7 years ago which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He is no longer able to work; he cauterized himself; and he came to the medical brigade, by himself, in a wheelchair. This man has one of the most amazing attitudes I´ve ever seen. Always positive. Kyle told me that the man was encouraging him about going to med school and how Kyle will touch people´s lives for God through medicine. As I talked with the man, he told me that he thanks God for his life, for keeping him safe during the accident. He knows that God has a purpose for his life; otherwise he would have died in the accident. I asked him what he does now that can´t work. He said that he spends all day reading the Word of God. I could see the joy, the wisdom, the intelligence, and the deep love of the Lord in his eyes. This is a man who knows God, who knows the goodness and love and friendship of his God. Who revels in the time he spends with God. Would that all of us took the time to know and experience God like this man does.
These two patients left me thinking: if they can have such exuberant joy and thankfulness towards our God, why not we who are considered to be ¨healthy¨and ¨normal¨? Where is our gratitude and love for Him who has given us days of a life worth living? Who has given us legs that walk, and minds that think, and ears that hear, and eyes that see, and hearts that beat, and family that love us, and jobs that pay us, and food that nourishes us, and homes that warm us? If these two children of God can show such appreciation and praise, I certainly have no excuse for not worshipping and honoring and glorifying my God in everything, all the days of my life.
Que Dios le bendiga. (God bless you.)
Haley
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2 comments:
Wow! I think that is the message that Paul was sending in Thessalonians when he tells us to be thankful in everything and to count it all joy no matter what happens to us. Blessings to all of the interns; it sounds like this week may be the most monumental for all of you!
Davis & Trudy
Hi Haley, It's been a while since I've written, but you're not far from our hearts. We've been to NC & back. We took Emilio to band camp at UNC Asheville, which ended with an interview at a small(1300) Christian collge called Mars Hill College about 30 miles NW of Asheville. It was a wonderful interview & the campus is gorgeous. The director of bands, also the head of the music dept. really wants him, so we're putting him on the 'happy' prayer list for adequate funding. He is really excited at the prospect & loved the Christian environment. We all are praying that this will be where God wants him to thrive. I'm therefore, recruiting the aid of young Christian students like yourself. It is so great to read of your adventures. You definiely exude an attitude of gratitude. What an opportunity you've had, especially at the clinic. (Kyle will probably ask who we are). We too have missed you, but know you're doing amazing work.
Travel safely & God bless,
Diane & Walter
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