Tuesday, February 12, 2019
The Hondurans living in La Masica eagerly awaited the arrival of the FOB bus and were already lined up when we arrived. The men rushed over to help our team carry in the equipment and the 20+ bins of medicines and helped set up tables and chairs for the doctor and nurse stations, pharmacy, eye clinic, dental clinic, registration, weights and measuring station, fluoride station, and deworming station. La Masica has 132 families and 49 school children. Most homes are still using latrines outside the home. Today our clinic evaluated, treated 198 patients during the day.
For us at home, it’s at best a mundane event and at worst a stressful event when we visit a doctor or clinic. It’s amazing to see the children who wait from 8 am until late afternoon playing and having fun with very few squabbles or meltdowns. The community treats coming to the FOB clinic like a festival with the whole family coming along with the sick one, sometimes all 3 generations. They bring food and even cook on site. Today a local woman baked a huge basket of sweet bread and cookies and passed them out to the team twice, a very gracious gesture considering her resources. I was reminded of Jesus and his 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The team brings something entertaining for the children who especially love the beach balls and games of tag, and the girls love to have their nails painted in all shades of pretty. When we left today, the children followed us to the bus for last minute hugs and goodbyes and macho-boy knuckle bumps. Back at home, which to the team means Barnabas House, our nightly devotions focused on the joys and sorrows of the day and where we saw God at work.
Nurse Flo had to explain to a mother that her month-old baby was failing to thrive. Dr. Beorn and Carlos (our Co-team leader and interpreter), had to explain to a woman that her frail, 85 year old mother, in acute respiratory distress, was not long for this world even with the inhalation treatment given in the clinic. Dr. Williams was saddened and worried about the 5 year old boy bouncing off the walls in his ADHD frenzy. His mother had not been able to get a doctor to treat her son and she was at her wits end. Fortunately the FOB Honduran doctor on site would facilitate a psychiatric referral. The joys of the day came from the children and their energy as well as the laughter and teasing of the team members. And about God. Well, we agreed at our round table discussion, that God is always there. In the good times and in the sad times, and we just have to trust that God has a plan for each of us and that ...we are where we are supposed to be....and we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. All Gods Best Blessings to you, who through your generous donations, have given FOB and the medical team the tools we need to do our work. ~Bunny Eilers
