November 15, 2010

Monday, November 15, 2010

LuAnn, Erin, Kathy

I had a restful night and am enjoying my roommates, Erin and Luann.  We have laughed a lot and shared a lot too.  We’re glad we’re all readers so no one wants the TV on.

Breakfast at 7:00 is early for 3 women sharing 1 bathroom, but we make it work.  After eating we fixed our sandwich for lunch, packed the cooler, loaded the truck and van and headed to Puente Azul.

Driving through town is a feast for the eyes.  So many vendors crowded together selling almost anything you could want or need.  Passing by the vegetable and fruit stands – all the colors of the food.  I wish we could all get out and walk to experience this at a slower pace.  That sounds strange coming from me of all people!  I do not like crowds and try and avoid them when possible.  But this is different.  This is life; not rushing to get to the next store in the mall, or to hurry and get in line at an amusement park.  This is real life.

After passing by all the vendors a few more twists and turns of the road and there is no more paved road.  We’re on a dirt road now heading deeper into the country.  We pass rushing waters of a river and lots and lots of sugar cane.  A branch of the river has a woman washing her clothes on some rocks.  More buses and trucks are on the dirt road than I remember from 2 years ago.  Some paths lead back to the sugar cane fields for as far as I can see.  I would love to just walk on some of these paths just to see what there is to see.

Before I know it we’re turning into Puente Azul.  A boy is at the creek as we cross it and stares at us.  I look at the house on my left and see several kids looking.  Won’t be long now and everyone will know we’re here.  I see Pastor Luis and a few women already waiting for us.

Bill and Kathy triage station

We get set up as quickly as we can.  Bill will help me with triage and translating.  We’re both nervous but as he points out the people here to see us are probably nervous too.

Nothing to do (and no choice) but to dive right in!

I feel I’m moving too slow, taking too much time, but I want the people coming to see us to feel like we care and not like we’re rushing them.  Before I put the pulse oximeter on their finger I tell them it won’t hurt – they think I’m going to stick their finger – Bill tells them it is a machine to measure the amount of oxygen in their blood.  When I take their blood pressure most want to hold their arm out stiff.  I try and put their arm in a more relaxed position and rub their upper arm until I feel their muscle relax and then start the BP machine.

Most of the women wanted to take off their shoes before stepping on the scale.  When one of the younger ladies was with us I told her this and we laughed.  Another younger woman was hesitant to get on the scale.  I smiled at her and said I understood completely!

I have prayed a lot about my translating skills before this trip.  Faithful as always, God answered my prayers.  As far as I know my biggest mis-translation today was my understanding a mom to tell me that her son (maybe 8 years old) was unable to go to the bathroom.  I asked if he was vomiting or had diarrhea and she said no – so I figured he was constipated.  Well, come to find out at the end of the day – with Erin and Pastor Luis questioning them further, he had no problem going to the bathroom – his problem (or maybe his mother’s problem) was that he didn’t want to take a bath!!!  We have gotten some huge laughs out of this.

After a late lunch the Bishop came and dedicated 3 new members of the church and installed several women to help Pastor Luis run the church.  We received communion and prayed and sang.  I enjoyed the service quite a bit.

By the end of the service we were all tired.  I think I was a bit dehydrated and really wanted a shower.

Dinner was at a new (for us) restaurant – “Chicken and Steak”.  A nice devotional followed – short and sweet due to everyone being so tired.  Dale gave the devotion and prayer.  I am inspired by his prayers.  The words he uses are just right – don’t quite know how to phrase it but I like the words he uses and how those words fit together.  I feel very fortunate to be with this entire group.  We have all laughed, prayed, and loved – what more could we hope for on this trip?

Kathy Jordan