“MEDICAL TEAM PART 2”

By: Michael J Miller Jr.

This is the Venezuela School and you are looking at the long line waiting for our medical team. It is hard to believe there is so much need. When we finished with each school there were still people coming and trying to see the Doctors even though we were packed up. The team saw those who mainly had chest colds, stomach viruses, and children who were very sick with asthma. Asthma here is caused by the way they still cook. (Either by kerosene, or wood) also it is caused by the dust and smog that the city has. A funny thing happened with the women that would sit waiting for their turn. When a lady was called in to see the doctor she would bring all her children in as well. As seen in the 2^nd photo. The team saw many patients like the 4^th photo. This woman is mute and deaf. She talks with just sounds that only she knows what they mean. We tried to communicate with her and her family that she needs to take care of her foot or she will lose it. Fortunately bacteria didn’t get in. Unfortunately a week later we saw her and she wasn’t using the bandages given and she was walking around again with this open sore. There were so many cases just like this one. However many are so thankful for the blessing from the team and from the Lord. I made it my goal to personally share the Gospel with every patient that came through as I translated for Dr. Bob. Dr. Bob was so patient to give me time to share the Gospel of Christ and would listen as I talked to a child or an adult about the true healing power of Jesus Christ. Every Doctor had New Testament Bibles and Christian Coloring books for the children, and Christian pamphlets for the youth. Even some of our older boys came and walked around and visited with the patients who were waiting and shared the Gospel with them.

This day was a special day. Becky on our team kept hearing from past teams about a lady who didn’t have legs and would sit on the edge of the road towards the entrance to the Barrio and beg for money. Her name is Magdalena and she has Diabetes and HIV. She lost her legs to the Diabetes. She walks on the blocks of wood that she has in her hands as seen in the top photo. Becky was touched by the stories she had heard and brought down a wheelchair for her. Low and behold who would show up the first part of the morning on the first day, but Magdalena. Becky ran in to get me so I could translate and give her the wheelchair. Magdalena was confused at first as I tried to explain that the Lord touched the team’s heart and wanted for her to use the wheelchair. She looked at me like are you kidding me. I smiled and as Dr. Gary and I picked her up and sat her in the chair I think then she realized it was hers. When I saw those blocks my mind remembered the Jesus of Nazareth movie in when hundreds would run to Jesus for healing and there were those using similar blocks to walk with. Those blocks were Magdalena’s transportation and you can see she held on those blocks and never let go. I whispered in her ear, “You can let go of those blocks and hold on to Jesus.” She smiled. I saw her just two days ago and she still had the blocks as she yelled my name. So many stories just like hers. One woman came in crying with a cist that needed to be cut into and drained. The next day after her day surgery, she was praising the Lord for the healing. Another woman came in with her life and health in serious condition as well as her 8 day old baby who was in frail condition as well. We sent her to the Hospital for help and she escaped with the needles still stuck in her looking for better help as she cried at the entrance to the school. The team couldn’t do anything but return her to the Hospital. These types of decisions were tough and made the day even harder as we prayed for her and her baby.