Splendor...

Volcán Cayambe-- the only place in the world where you can find snow on the equator


Volcán Cotopaxi (w/ the black hole)


Volcán Antisana (the shy one, because she can rarely be seen)


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

We have a beautiful view of the landscape from the guest house. Our living area is wall-to-wall windows on one side. This morning, we woke to a rare sight -- three volcanoes showing their faces. Usually they are covered in clouds or fog and you can't see them clearly, if at all.

Today, they were spectacular and we felt the rarity of it. I took these photos from our rooftop terrace.

First thing after breakfast this morning we toured the Hospital Vozandes, which is run by hcjb global, a prominent evangelical mission organization here in Ecuador. I was impressed with how nice it was, if not exactly modern. It is a 76-bed private hospital with an 8-bed ICU. They told us their mission is to share the good news of Christ with everyone who walks through the doors.


Hospital Vozandes, Quito

Later in the afternoon, we traveled by bus to the south side of Quito, the poorest district, to conduct a screening at Iglesia Cristiana Remanso de Amor (Haven of Love Christian Church), a community mission and Christian school.



When we arrived, the people were already waiting. I loved the place immediately. It was not beautiful, but the children were waving to us and interacting with us before we even got off the bus. I loved the people instantly. The mothers were very young, but they managed their children in a quiet way that I rarely see. Even the toddlers were impeccably well behaved. They were loving to each other and to us – hugging and kissing us and taking our hands for a squeeze. When they saw my camera, they all wanted to have their picture taken, and there were so many…

This screening was our favorite. There was just something special about it, and we had the strong impression that the Christian school and ministry has had a huge impact on the community. We were able to see 92 patients and will be making a number of referrals for dental work (I worked the oral health/hygiene station again today). There is a dentist who comes regularly to the school, but the people can only afford to pay to have teeth pulled when the pain becomes unbearable. They just are not believers in good dental hygiene. Nevertheless, I enjoyed myself immensely and am improving in both my clinical skills and my Spanish.


One pregnant lady who came to the screening had her prenatal paperwork with her. Ecuadorians traditionally don't think prenatal care is important, so this is unusual. Anyway, she had an order for a hematocrit (to check her hemoglobin) from a doctor, but she had not yet been able to afford to get it done. We were already set up for hematocrit checks and were happy to provide this for her at no charge. To us, this was a small miracle. And we were so proud of her for taking charge of her healthcare and coming to the screening prepared.

An elderly lady, Luz (Spanish for light), who had hardly any teeth, came to my station and allowed me to check her mouth. Noting the trash can full of used gloves on the floor, Luz asked me in Spanish if she could have a glove to do some washing or something. She indicated the bag full of purple gloves at my side. (I happen to know the verb for 'wash' because it's similar to the French word.) Before this trip I didn't speak a word of Spanish, but anyone who heard her gentle request would have understood her meaning. Of course I pulled out the gloves and asked her in Spanish, "Uno or dos?" "Dos," she replied. Tears came to my eyes as I realized I wanted to give her so much more, but all I had that she needed were 2 disposable gloves. I had been wearing the gloves for about a minute, then tossing them in the trash; but I suspect she'll keep hers a little longer. I'm praying they'll last a long time.


Luz

Please pray for these people. Their pastor, Ramiro Maldonado, has made great progress in helping the community, especially through the Christian school and assistance with health care…

but the real difference in their lives is Jesus.



Tomorrow morning, we leave Quito and travel by bus to Tosagua and Manta, near the coast. We will have only intermittent access to the internet, as these areas are very rural. If we have access to an internet cafe -- I'll post an update.