Medical Clinics (We Did It!)

Last week we attempted something we had never done before. My sister, Kathy Grant, and her husband, Bob, put together a medical missions team from their church, Project Re:3, and brought them to Guatemala. So we put together four days of medical clinics to touch physical needs. In the past we have done therapy clinics, but this was our first attempt at bringing doctors and nurses together to provide medical care.

The team from the States consisted of two nurses, two EMT’s and a respiratory therapist. We teamed them with our staff doctor, Dr. Augusto Perez, and our staff nurse, Katie Riley, and headed out to San Pablo La Laguna early Sunday morning. We arrived late morning and set up in the building that had been set aside for us. It was an excellent facility with a sheltered waiting area, a triage room and three exam rooms. We had no sooner finished unpacking and setting up when the crowd arrived.

As people came through the door, they were given a number and were called up one at a time to fill out an information card and go into triage for assessment. The role of the triage workers was to assess the need and determine if they needed the doctor, one of the nurses, or the respiratory therapist. From there they went to their respective exam rooms for treatment. During that day our clinic was only open for four hours, yet we treated over 70 patients.

That evening was spent in San Pedro La Laguna, because there are no hotels or decent restaurants in San Pablo. We had a crew of 18 people traveling with us, so the logistics of transportation, lodging and feeding was no small matter. Those logistics broke down somewhat the next morning when the restaurant took an hour and a half to feed our team, resulting in our arriving 15 minutes late to the clinic.

When we entered the building we found around 75 or 80 people already waiting, so we dove right into the work. We had gotten more efficient the day before, and were able to get people through the process faster. In the next 7 hours we saw around 120 patients. And as we were loading our vehicles people continued to approach us seeking medical help. Several people were examined and treated next to the van and truck. We pulled back into our town after 9 pm that night, exhausted and ready for sleep.

Over the next two days the team did some shopping, worked in our home and visited Hermano Pedro in Antigua. Then, on Thursday and Friday, we hosted another clinic in their hotel here in San Antonio Aguas Calientes.

In the past, we had used the municipal building in town for a therapy clinic. But a few months later we found that the mayor had used that clinic in a pamphlet promoting his political party. We work hard to not get involved in politics. We minister in Jesus’ name, not in the name of a party, so we decided to host future events in non-governmental locations. This has, apparently, angered our mayor and the local elements of his party. So, when we approached the municipality to ask them to announce the clinics through the loud speakers, they told us they would. But we later found out they did not. So we were wondering if many would show up.

We needn’t have worried, as around 170 people crowded in over the two days we were open. People with everything from infections to machete wounds showed up seeking help. The team was a group of rock stars as they endured the long hours and hard work without complaint. So many people were touched and helped in Jesus’ name.

As I look back over the clinics, I am struck by a few truths:

1) Sometime the emotional wounds can seem physical. On our second day of clinics I sat with a young girl who told me about her physical problems. She insisted that her heart would stop for brief periods. I asked her to describe the experience and quickly realized that she was having panic attacks. So I asked about her home life, and she teared-up as she told me of their poverty, her fear that she would have to drop out of school and the fighting these things had caused between her parents. What she needed was not medicine, but a listening ear and an understanding heart. We prayed with her, praying that she could take her fears and stress to God and encouraged her to follow-up with her pastor.

2) Education is crucial. One mother came in with her baby wrapped in layers of blankets and nearly unresponsive. The nurses realized he had a high fever and quickly removed the blankets and layers of clothing and replaced them with ice packs. Within 10 minutes, he was once again responding as his temperature dropped. He received antibiotics and Tylenol, and the mother received instructions on fever control. We face this issue repeatedly. A child runs a fever and shivers. The parents, seeing their discomfort, wraps them in blankets. The fever spikes and brain damage results. So much of the battle we face lies in educating parents.

3) Many people just need a friend. Several of the people who came through the doors and waited a long time to see us did not need a doctor. They were just seeking company. During the hours they waited and were seen, they were just enjoying being in the presence of others. This was especially true of some of the elderly who could not give us a good reason for coming to see us. So we chatted and prayed with them, and they went home a little happier than when they arrived. The ministry of presence is one of the most important ministries we can do.

The Project Re:3 team was amazing! They brought so many medicines and medical supplies and kept a great attitude through it all. My sister and brother-in-law served tirelessly as they greeted and kept children entertained with balloon animals. Another part of the team organized our pharmacy and dispensed medicine for hours. Our doctor was incredible as well, soliciting donations and bringing along almost his entire pharmacy. And, of course, our live-in nurse, Katie, did a fantastic job of leading and serving.

At the end of it all, we had an exhausted team:

I believe this will be the first of many medical clinics. We have learned that, with God’s help, we can do them and do them well, and we are anxious to continue this area of ministry that has been started.

Presently we are being presented with so many opportunities. There are so many open doors in front of us, and we cannot go through all of them. Could you please pray for us in the days ahead that we will know which directions are the right ones? We need wisdom, resources and people. The need is great, but the workers are few.

Blessings from Guate!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew