We are exhausted but feel like some great and powerful work was done. Friday was a work day and everyone put baggies of medicine together and got to know each other some. Saturday was a FULL day as the guys set up around 7:30AM and Lee didn't get home until 11PM! Sunday was about the same and Monday was suppose to be a short day but the people just kept coming.
In 3 days over 700 people were seen, mobile medical units went out to homes across the mountain, a jungle gym was built, a swing set was restored, two door frames were made, we took communion together and God showed up in the biggest way.
Each man, woman and child that was seen had a story. Every person was touched, treated, prayed over and hopefully could feel that God was moving through each and every volunteer. Everything from our own kids playing with all the children that were waiting, the teenagers asking tons of questions, the women talking to each other and voting which one would be brave enough to come tell me to cover my child (oh wait, they ALL were that brave cause we were told about 87 times to cover Liam up!) was just so fun.
There were obviously those moments in which I wanted to snap my fingers and change everything like when I met Richard. Back in June when we did our blanket drive a lady ran out to the bus as we were leaving and asked me for a blanket. I told her that we were out but remembered right after that we had a few under the bus. I ran back and gave her a couple for her and her son which she said was in a wheel chair. I told her that we had doctors coming out in a couple months and promised her I would bring one back to see her son.
LUCKILY, the first day of the campaign I drove past her house and remembered my promise. I went and asked one of the docs (Ben) Wes and Julie to go with me to see her real fast. What I saw next was humbling. This young man had had an aneurysm at 17 (he's 24 now) and has been in the state he was in for 7 years. He couldn't speak, eat independently or do anything on his own. All his clothes were wet from his urine and he seemed SO cold! I was cold and I was moving and not wet so I couldn't imagine sitting there wet. He got a little agitated when we came in but we just tried to talk to him and calm him a little while Ben got the history. Well there wasn't much Ben could do for him but it was absolutely AMAZING to see what the mom had rigged up for him. She made him two metal bars on the wall and taught him herself to get up and walk with the help of the bars. Each day she makes him get up, go to the bars then go back to his chair. Because she is a small woman she can only bathe him once a week but she has done an incredible job of keeping him infection free. She has done his therapy for 7 years because she has no other choice.
I could go on and on about Richard and his family and a lot of the families that we met these past few days but like I mentioned earlier I'm exhausted.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures but I promise to write more stories, post more pictures and also post an awesome video that John Mark made of the weekend.
The bottom line is that the campaign was incredible and I am so proud of Lee and our team guys for putting this together. They organized the entire thing from food, medicine, hotels, transportation etc... A lot of people were praying for this week to go smoothly and for God to use all of us and all the groups that came from the US and boy did HE deliver. We are more excited than ever about the work out in Paraiso and the contacts we were able to make through the campaign.
More to come...
PS I posted a lot of pictures on facebook if you want to see them
There was something about this mans smile that reminded me of my grandpa's (Stanley Shipp) smile. This man was absolutely precious!
The worship service on Sunday morning with everyone
"The dental suite"
Uncle Jimmy and Lee sorting medicine
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