Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019
Today we visited La Danta Mazaguara. This community consists of 375 people, 80 families, and 80 homes. There is no health center, so when medical attention is needed they have to walk 2 hours to get to the nearest clinic located in San Jose. With that being said, it was safe to say the community was excited about our arrival and were very gracious throughout the day.
Our wonderful medical staff saw 207 people in the clinic today; that is over half of the community. Vitamins were handed out to the majority, while others were able to express their ailments and get their medical needs tended to. While in clinic, team member Andra saw a little boy and his mother. The boy expressed he was nervous to go to the dental clinic, as he was to get teeth extracted. As Andra talked with him, he said that if she came with him, he would go. Andra happily accompanied him and sat with him to help face his fears. She rewarded him with some stickers and her cross.
After a long day and rigorous bus ride on the mountain, we all sat down for a delicious team dinner. Sheila led us in a devotion in which we were able to decompress and openly speak about things that bothered us today. Tanya said it bothered her that she could not do more for the members of the community. She saw a 5-month-old patient with cleft pallet and microcephalic condition. The mother was just shy of 18 and looked scared to death. She expressed that in the clinic there was nothing more she could do for the patient than refer them farther into our program. We all spoke at how at the end of the day, medicine is medicine. Sacrificing our time to come sit with, talk with, play with, love, and help these wonderful people is sometimes enough. Reflecting with the team this evening made me think to the Bible. One verse in particular stuck out to me:
Hebrews 6:10
God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
~Kristen Jamerson
