What an amazing experience! My time in Sucre, Bolivia was amazing and hard and wonderful and sad all at the same time. It was heartbreaking to see so much poverty and need, knowing that I was only there for a short time and whatever vitamins or medications I gave would only last so long. But I learned that Jesus truly is the best thing I have to offer because His love and compassion far outweigh mine and will last forever. Now, this is something that I knew going into this trip, but actually experiencing it was very humbling and life changing. People were so hungry for the Lord and I was so surprised at how receptive they were to the gospel! Many did not own a Bible, and when we gave them one, they would hold it to their chest and smile like they had just been given the best treasure (which it is!).
Our clinic ran from Monday-Friday, and we saw over 600 patients with 50 of those people asking Jesus into their hearts! After talking with each family about their medical problems and figuring out the best way to help them, we would talk about the Lord. Many of the families that I cared for were already Christians, so Carly (my translator) and I were able to pray with them. There was one instance when I was caring for a twenty-year old mom and her 4-year old daughter. Through conversation, we discovered that the mom was not a Christian and had never heard John 3:16. Carly and I shared John 3:16 and the gospel with her, and she said that she wanted Jesus in her heart! I was so surprised that I went through the gospel a second time with her and asked her again if that was what she wanted to do, and she said yes! She prayed for Jesus to forgive her of her sins and come into her heart, so this was a very special moment!
As Carly translated my prayer for each patient, she would always end the prayer with "en el nombre de Jesus" which means "in the name of Jesus". I thought that was so beautiful and kept repeating the phrase in my head one evening. That night, as I read my Bible, I read John 14:12-14 which says, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." When I read this passage, I felt like God was telling me that whatever prayers I prayed that week, in the name of Jesus, He would answer. And the very next day, He answered my prayer by saving the life of a one-month old baby!
This baby wasn’t even there as a patient; her mother came to see the dentist. While her mom was waiting to be seen, she asked if someone could check on her baby. I was told that she had been congested and not eating well. But when the mom unwrapped her out of her papoose, I could immediately tell that she was in respiratory distress! She was so congested, wheezing, and struggling to breathe. While we were in a very nice building, our medical supplies were very limited. That morning, I had just been given 2 bulb syringes which are used to suction mucus from the nose and mouth. This was the only tool I had to help this little baby who was struggling to breathe, and it was not working! I went to get help, but still the only tools we had were the bulb syringe and nasal saline. She started to stiffen, and her eyes rolled back in her head and I really thought we were going to lose her. It came to the point where all we could do was pray for her in the name of Jesus and finally, we were able to get a small amount of mucus out of her nose. She was sent to a nearby hospital and admitted into the ICU where she was intubated. I recently learned that she is off of the ventilator and is alive! Praise God!
After such an amazing week of clinic, it was bittersweet to say goodbye. We were to begin our journey home with a mid-morning flight from Sucre to the capital of Bolivia, where we would spend the day sightseeing before our flight home late that night. I was looking forward to this day to explore because there wasn't much time for this during our week of clinic. However, the night before leaving to come home, I got sick from food poisoning. Really sick. I didn't know how I was going to make it, especially knowing I had 36 hours of travel ahead of me. But God is so good! It was such a hard day and scary at times, but I made it! The team cared for me so well by keeping me hydrated, praying for me, and making sure I had safe places to rest. I slept in many different places that day! There was one point at the airport where I could not walk any further and our team leader took me by the arm and helped me walk the rest of the way through to a bench where I could lay down. Although this was such a hard part of the trip, I am thankful for what the Lord taught me. Second Corinthians 12:9-10 says, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." Even when I was at my most physically weakest moment, God showed me that His strength was made perfect.
