Pictures and Prayer Requests

Just prayer requests and pictures today!

Sorry no blog yesterday… We were T.I.R.E.D… and then in fairness, I tried to do the “lazy blog” thing and just post pictures, but then realized my computer charger was down in clinic and I was already in my PJs for the night so I just gave up and went to bed on reserve battery power.  Sorry!

So yesterday was the busiest day yet, and we definitely came home tired—but the attitude of the group was again completely unbeatable, and for that I am thankful.  I was so impressed with the way the team could still smile and love on the last patient in the clinic after the long OR day just as well as the first, and ask your prayers that we would continue to (hopefully) bring glory to God’s name here in Chichi. 

Specifically, we need prayers for me to feel better as I have a pretty harsh cold today that reared its ugly head.  I’m thankful to the team for sending me home this afternoon during the very last surgery to nap, which helped quite a bit.  Also for a young girl named Marta who has our only known surgical complication so far in the form of a hematoma (big blood blister or bruise) at her surgical site that we would really like to see not grow and ideally go away very quickly.  We would also like to get all of our patients doing well enough to get home by Friday when we leave since we don’t really have anyone here to follow them up after that with Tom and Jana currently in the States.

Also, we discharged Izabela, our abdominal pain and fluid collection patient today, having unfortunately told her there was nothing else we could do for her medically or surgically at this point.  We asked her to please go get checked out in The City and gave her copies of all the labs and studies that we had paid for/obtained for her, which we can only hope can help.

Esmirna, the cervical cancer patient in the green shirt below, never did show back up—so please continue to pray for her healing and peace.  She and Izabela both say they know The Lord and have accepted Christ in their hearts and seem to be ultimately at peace with their diagnoses, but it is still not ever easy to face these things and I would love to know that many people remain in prayer for them!  (I am counting on you, since I’ve already told them that “WE” will be!) 

Also pray for Cruz, the sweet lady whose fistula Sylvia was able to repair this week, pictured here with her.  I love this picture—one of my favorite from the trip.  Pray for continued healing, for healing of her relationship with her husband (he basically ignores her in the home currently, probably because she smells bad because of her urine leakage for many years), and ultimately for her heart and salvation.

You can also pray that our team continues to enjoy a positive and favorable reputation here at the hospital, such that the nursing staff (here pictured, Alicia with her sister and mother) feel comfortable bringing their families in for consults to us!

And that we would have the patience to serve as many as possible… Here is a shot of a little bit of the line of patients waiting to be seen one morning.

And that we would continue to be uplifted during the day when we most need it by precious smiles like this one!!!  What a doll.

And for Anna's career plans, wherever they may take her.  What a cool privilege to get to operate with your Dad while contemplating a career in medicine!