Aguaytia, Peru 2009

Aguaytia, Peru 2009

Our August 2009 medical team to Aguaytia consisted of 11 members. We served with GO InterNational partner Darwin Hilario and local pastor Lucio. We were there to provide medical care in support the outreach of the local churches. When we arrived, we were surprised to learn that our clinics were to be conducted in a local technical school which had a nurses training program. We had help evaluating patients from the faculty including two local OB-GYNs and two advance practice nurses. The students were a great blessing as well in helping with various aspects of the medical ministry. With all the help, our team was able to see 726 medical and dental patients and also apply fluoride treatments for nearly 300 children. We also had an opportunity to share in the nursing classes one day. Nurse Ann Litter, Dr. Cathy Bishop, and myself were all able to do some teaching as well as talk to the students about what Christ means to our lives and to our practice of our profession. While we were in Aguaytia we were also able to help encourage and build up the local church through our participation and preaching in local church services and the pastor training event for area pastors conducted by Dr. Phil Thornton.

One afternoon my interpreter Wanda and I were summoned to talk to a couple. It turns out Zoila had been seen at the clinic the day before. She said she had been a Christian, but for many years had been away from the Lord. When she was at the clinic the day before, she received treatment but also knew that we were Christians. She began to realize that something was missing in her life and that we had it and she wanted it. That night she couldn’t sleep and knew she wanted to come back and see us to ask Jesus back into her life. She came back and brought her boyfriend Dennis too because she knew he also needed Jesus. What a joy to be able to pray with this couple to commit their lives to Christ.