People that Sweat

Thanks to everyone who prayed for this last trip to Unilla. It was a lot better for me than the first one. Our projector worked, so over 300 people got to watch the Jesus Film in their language, and I slept on a sleeping bag this time. It's amazing what a little padding will to for a night's sleep...
I still don't understand how people there can sweat all day. You sweat when you work, eat, and sleep. But I guess you get used to it.
The people were really nice, but it was honestly kind of weird at first. Duane made two flights, got everyone in, and everything was set up, but it was like people were afraid of us. I played with some of the kids to try to show them I didn't bite. By playing I mean I kind of made a fool of myself. We turned a log into a teeter-totter and did handstands. Finally people started to come...and come...and come. I really don't have a good number for how many people we saw total. Leslie, Katie, Heather, Malachi and I probably saw well over 200 people yesterday. Duane was also doing eye exams and giving out glasses. Malachi and I were the only ones to stay the night to show the movie. Leslie came back with Duane this morning and we probably saw another 200 from the surrounding villages. It's so easy to get tired (especially with all that sweat), but when people have walked an hour (some more) to get to you, it's hard not to help them...Some memorable moments are starting my first IV on a sick woman (thanks to Malachi's guidance), and competing with Malachi to see who could wake up the most in the middle of the night. (Neither of us wanted to win). The first words out of his mouth this morning were, "I think I'll bring some more roosters next time we come." They were all around our building didn't know that sunrise needed to include the sun. On a little deeper note, I would like to ask anyone who prays to offer a small (or big) prayer to God for a middle-aged man named Reuben.
Reuben came through early this afternoon after having gone to a hospital in the City about two weeks ago. He brought in his CT scan results from a tumor that is growing the frontal lobe of his head. In the last month he's started to lose his ability to talk, and his left eye has started to drift. They told him in Guatemala City (two days travel from his home), that there was nothing that they could do, and sent him home to die. He got tears in his eyes as he told Duane the story. The way his said it in Spanish was that "they told me they couldn't save me." So Duane and I spent well over 5 min praying over him right in the middle of clinic. Crowds started to gather to watch, but it didn't matter. Reuben is a Christian, and he knows God has a purpose for his life. There is a place where medicine ends, and life just doesn't have a lot of purpose if we don't have a Creator who loves us. I was reminded today how thankful I am to have Jesus in my life. I pray you too hold onto Him. He is an anchor for our souls!
(Duane doing some eye exams)