Hospital Escuela

Friday morning we took the group to Hospital Escuela. That wears me out everytime. Sometimes, I am more tired from that trip than building a house. Of course, a different kind of tired. We started in the cancer ward. Little children having cancer and receiving chemo is sad in any country. We had toys, colors, etc. Everyone started playing with the kids. The mommy in me automatically reaches out to the mothers sitting beside the bed of a sick child--worrying, waiting, scared and tired. I was able to find out the child's name and age and, in most cases, where they lived. Some of those people were a long way from home without any support system. I do not speak enough spanish yet to pray in spanish, but I asked each mother if I could pray with her. I folded my hands in prayer as I asked and every single mother understood what I was saying and nodded her head yes. I put my arm around each one and prayed for healing for her child, calling the sweet one by name. More than once, the moms would pray in spanish as I prayed in english. I hugged each one. We soon moved on to the malnutrition ward. This is probably sadder than the cancer ward. In the cancer ward, most of the children are happy, even when the parents aren't. The sad faces of each child. The concerned look of each mother. Again, I found out vital information and prayed with the mother. One mother was from Esperanza, a long ways from here. She had been there with her child for 11 days and did not know how much longer they would be there. She needed food and water. I left the group and walked outside and found some for her. It was so little and wouldn't last long. She was grateful and cried when I returned. We then went to where the really sick babies are, heart disorders, birth defects. I don't know the story on this, but most of these babies were dressed in nice clothes, not hospital gowns. At the conference, we heard the statistics on birth defects like cleft palates and hydrocephalis caused by a lack of folic acid in the mother's diet. I saw some of those birth defects. One little girl was 5 month old. Her name was Melanie and she had hydrocephalus. Her mother had her in a spring green little dress. The baby was beautiful. With her toothless grin she smiled as her mother talked to her. I prayed with the moms in that ward and left.

Since it was the last day for the group, we spent the rest of the day at the Valley of Angels. Then ate at El Corral. Yum.

When this little group of 5 arrived on October 20, we had 2 friends among them. When they left on Saturday, we definitely had 3 new friends. It was a very good and successful trip.

Sunday was much cooler and fall-like. The wind blew hard enough to make me think I might be back in Illinois, except we were missing the reds and browns and golds that I am sure you are enjoying in Illinois right now. After church, it was just the kind of day for a nap and to spend inside reading. Before dark, we had a great big bonfire and roasted besoitos (marshmallows). Oh my! The kids had great fun. None of them had ever done anything like that before. We went through 2 big bags of marshmallows very quickly. Little Antonio had marshmallow all over his face. The bigger kids, after they did it a couple of times to see how it was done, were putting 3 and 4 marshmallows at a time on their stick. They never ate 3 at a time. They would give 2 to someone else. There was laughter and squeals of delight until the last marshmallow was gone. Boys will be boys, especially around a fire. They continued to put a few stick and things in the fire until it was time to go in for showers.

Today we bring our stuff and start making a little house home.

Terri