07.20 - 07.24 Med team: Reflections

" And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."  (Revelation 22:1-2)This past week here has been one of great learning experiences and a testing of how much I truly rely on the Lord. Beginning with the hit-and-run victim on our way to the jungle to other various occurrences since then, the Lord has shown His mercy, goodness and faithfulness in all of our undertakings. We began with our first clinic in Maria Morelos under the supervision of Doctor Rivas, a retired pediatrician. As one of us would be welcoming the people (with the help of our lovely translators) and taking their vitals (blood pressure, temperature, respiration and pulse), one or two would be observing the doctor as he diagnosed and assessed the patient. We would continue thus with the following villages, switching up the roles. At times, when a tad overwhelmed by people turning up all at once, we would also be assisted by some of the others on the team who knew how to take vital signs as well. Common diseases that the people were suffering from were gastritis, colitis, vision impairment, heart disorders as well as worms and various neurological complications as results of accidents and lack of adequate medical attention.Whilst contemplating over what I was observing each day, a couple things stood out to me.One was that of how important a role the spiritual leader played in these people's lives. In one village, the smallest and poorest of the ones we visited, there were three different churches. We began our clinic in one of the churches but only four people appeared. We realized we required a more neutral location, as those who were not members of that church/denomination would not step inside, no matter how much they needed medical attention. It would not be deemed appropriate by the leader of their church. Once we had relocated to the school, they came freely.The second thing that stood out to me was that of how much we take for granted the medical care we have available to us. Whether it be that we can dial Ask A Nurse, Google a question, look it up in a medical reference book, call a relative, or just go to the doctor, we have it all at our fingertips. Being able to apply what knowledge I have from nursing school and learning something new about caring for people where there are no doctors and very limited resources has been a tremendously humbling and at the same time encouraging opportunity for me. I have been challenged whilst being here and am challenged for the future in developing my medical skills. How marvelous it is to have a Father who has His eye on the sparrow and is the ultimate Doctor of us all."So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere."  (Luke 9:6)~ Tessa