This morning, many of us rose extremely early to watch the sunrise. Instead we got to see a beautiful view of the clouds rolling across the mountains. Sometimes the best laid plans just don't go as you want. It wasn't what we looked forward to, however it was nonetheless very beautiful.
As we arrived in the community of Buenos Aires, a host of children welcomed us. Early on, Amy was called by the director to weigh children; an unexpected change, which she humbly shared, intimidated her. Though not prepared, she Just Did It and found that by pushing her own comfort zone, she received a blessing in a way she could have never planned.
One particular victory was a story of persistence. While examining a three-year-old, one of the medical team members (whose career experience is not primary care but anesthesiology), thought he heard a heart murmur. Confident and compelled by his instinct, but slightly unsure; he persisted in referring this child to the Extended Care Program. Despite being unsure he just went with it...fighting to confirm a diagnosis outside of his comfort zone.
The team later rejoiced after learning that the medical director, Dra. Moncada, confirmed it was a heart murmur. She congratulated Larry for discovering one of the most difficult murmurs she had ever identified.
In the dental clinic, a few team members met a beautiful girl named Jasmine. She lives with a developmental disability. The dental team members learned that earlier that morning a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis was confirmed by a medical team member. When she arrived to have a tooth extracted, she was visibly scared but appeared tough as she waited for the anesthesia to take effect. During this pause, the dentist, Dr. Arita, encouraged a time of prayer and suggested that I (Amy) give my cross to her. It wasn't my initial plan, but I rolled with it and Just Did It. Later we learned another team member (Kindle) had felt the urge but then an even stronger instinct to not give her cross away and wait. God always has a plan; Kindle’s cross is meant for a later time, a later moment, and a different receiver.
We closed the night with a devotion shared by Michael from Henry Nouwen called “The Dignity to Give and Receive.” During our devotion we were all reminded that when we serve, we have to also be able to receive. If we live in a world where giving and receiving are exclusive experiences, we will remain poor in many ways. Colleen and Kindle had shared earlier that a few of the gentlemen in the community who did not have medical issues came in just to minister to the team, share their thankfulness and prayers.
All of our first time team members jumped right in and Just Did It today. Our team worked together to…Just Do It.
