SOME NOTES FROM GUATAMALA

9.1.08
BRRR. THE SHOWER IS COLD.
GOT TO THE CLINIC AT 7 AM. WE SAW MAINLY CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE MISSIONARIES. IT IS DISTRESSING TO SPEND 40 MIN OR LESS ON SOMEONE WITH GUM DISEASE REQUIRING 4+ HOURS OF SCALING AND ROOT PLANING. I FELT SORRY FOR MY PATIENTS. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET ANY OF THEM NUMB - TORTURA! -
"LO SIENTO," WAS THE PHRASE OF THE DAY. WE WORKED UNTIL 9 PM. I AM EXHAUSTED BUT HAPPY TO BE HERE. I JUST WISH THERE WAS SOME WAY TO CALL HOME - I'M WORRIED ABOUT KENT... & THE BABIES OF COURSE. THERE IS NO INTERNET OR CELL PHONE COVERAGE WHERE I'M AT.

9.2.08
BRR. THE SHOWER IS COLD
AFTER 2 HOURS OF SITTING IDLE (THE CITY POWER SUPPLY IS POOR AT BEST), WE WERE PULLED INTO THE CULTURAL HALL WHERE WE HAD SET UP THE DENTAL CLINIC, AND DAVE SHEETS, ONE OF THE DIRECTORS, SUGGESTED WE OFFER UP A PRAYER.
CREED HAYMOND, AND ORAL SURGEON FROM SANDY, UTAH, OFFERED THE PRAYER. HE PLED WITH THE LORD AND REMINDED HIM THAT WE WERE HERE ON HIS ERRAND, AND THAT THE MISSIONARY WORK NEEDED TO GO FORWARD. IN ORDER FOR US TO PREPARE MISSIONARIES, WE NEDDED THE POWER TO BE WORKING. HE BASICALLY ASKED FOR A MIRACLE. HE CONCLUDED THE PRAYER AND MANY OF US SAT DOWN TO WORK...I HAD NO DOUBTS AT ALL. IN 7 MINUTES THE POWER WAS ON TO STAY FOR THE REST OF THE DAY, AND INTO THE NEXT DAY WHEN A GENERATOR WAS INSTALLED.
THERE ARE MIRACLES EVERY TIME I GO ON ONE OF THESE TRIPS.

9.3.08
MMMM. WARM SHOWER, BUT NOT FOR VERY LONG.
SAW 105 PATIENTS TODAY - EXTREME STRESS. TRIED ASSISTED HYGIENE WITH LINDA BINGHAM (PAUL'S FRIEND MARTY'S WIFE) DOING POLISH, FLOSS, AND FLUORIDE. HAD 2 INTERPRETERS THAT ENDED UP ASSISTING WITH STERILIZATION. POSTED A SIGN "BE KIND" IN OUR OPERATORY. 3 CAVITRON TIPS BLOW (THE O-RINGS ANYWAY). USING A TITAN SCALER WITHOUT WATER CAPABILITY. MY HAND HURTS, MY UPPER BACK HURTS. PERIODIC HEADACHES - NOT GOOD FOOD TO EAT. LOTS OF SNACKS - NOT A LOT OF PROTEIN. INSTRUMENTS NEED TO BE BE SHARPENED - I DON'T HAVE A SHARPENER. NO BARRIER GLASSES CHUNKS OF TARTAR AND SPEW KEEP HITTING ME IN THE FACE. REP FORM SOME 'DENTAL SUPPLY COMPANY,' BROUGHT ME SOME MASKS WITH A CLEAR PIECE OF PLASTIC ON THEM TO SHIELD MY EYES. SOMEONE LET ME BORROW THEIR DENTAL HEADLIGHT.
IT IS HARDER TO CARE ABOUT "WHAT JESUS WOULD DO" WHEN I AM TIRED. ON WEDNESDAY, I FELT LIKE I WAS IN SOMALIA DURING THE 'BLACK HAWK DOWN' INCIDENT. THERE WERE MORE NEEDS THAN I COULD POSSIBLY MEET AND I WAS DROWNING IN SELF-PITY, PAIN, AND DOUBT AS TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MY CONTRIBUTION. I THOUGHT BACK TO HOW JESUS MUST HAVE FELT WHEN, DAY AFTER DAY, HE WAS MOBBED BY CROWDS, ALWAYS GIVING, RARELY RECEIVING. I WONDERED IF HIS BACK HURT AS BAD AS MINE DID OR IF HIS HANDS HURT LIKE MINE DID. I WANTED THE PEOPLE TO GO AWAY - HE LOVED THEM ENOUGH TO SAY, "SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME AND FORBID THEM NOT..." I WAS ANGRY WHEN A GIRL IN BRACES - NICELY DRESSED - SAT IN THE CHAIR. "WOW," I THOUGHT , I AM SO MAD THAT I LEFT MY FAMILY AND SACRIFICED TIME AND MONEY TO COME TO WORK ON YOU..... I WAS "NICE"TO HER THE WHOLE TIME, BUT I CERTAINLY WAS UNABLE TO GIVE AND RECEIVE LOVE.
I REALIZE FOR THE FIRST TIME WHAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE TO BE LAMAN AND LEMUEL, OR TO BE LIKE THE EARLY APOSTATES OF THE CHURCH. THEY HAD SEEN ANGELS AND HAD WITNESSED MIRACLES - BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER WAS - THEIR LIVES WERE EVEN HARDER AFTER THEY HAD RECEIVED THEIR SURE WITNESSES. IN THEIR SELF-PITY, PAIN, AND DOUBT, THEY BECAME PREOCCUPEIED WITH NEGATIVITY AND HURT, AND THEY COULDN'T SAVOR THE PURE LOVE THAT WAS SURROUNDING THEM - THEY DIDN'T REMEMBER THE GIFTS THAT WERE THEIRS, AND LOOK FOR THE MIRACLES IN THEIR LIVES; THEY COULDN'T FEEL OR RECEIVE LOVE. I UNDERSTAND HOW IT WAS EVEN POSSIBLE FOR THEM - ALL OF THEM TO TURN THEIR BACKS ON THEIR BRETHREN AND SISTERS, AND THEIR SAVIOR. I UNDERSTAND WHY HEAVENLY FATHER IS SO CAREFUL TO WHOM HE SHOWS HIS MIRACLES, BECAUSE MIRACLES CAN BECOME A TESTIMONY AGAINST THE RECIPIENT OR WITNESS. WHEN THERE IS A SURE WITNESS, THERE IS A SURE CONDENMATION IF ONE CHOOSES TO TURN AWAY FROM THE PATH.
I KNOW TOO MUCH.
I MUST RENEW MY DETERMINATION TO TRY TO BE LIKE JESUS, TO SOMEHOW LEARN TO LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY - EVEN WHEN I'M TIRED, IN PAIN, OR DOUBTING.
A TURNING POINT FOR ME HAPPENED ABOUT9:00 ON WEDNESDAY EVENING. DAVE SHEETS CALLED US TOGETHER FOR ANOTHER PARAYER. A PRAYER FOR ENDURANCE - THERE WERE ABOUT 50 PEOPLE THAT WERE WAITING TO BE SEEN. WE COULDN'T SEND THEM HOME BECAUSE THEY AHD TRAVELLED ON A BUR 5 HOURS TO BE SEEN - WE SIMPLY COULDN'T STOP. WE WERE FATIGUED BEYOND BELIEF. AFTER THE PRAYER, MY HAND STOPPED HURTING, BUT MY BACK WAS KILLING ME. AFTER WE PRAYED, DEAVID SHEETS CLOSED THE ACCORDIAN DOORS, OF THE CULTURAL HALL AND ASKED THE GUATAMALANS TO PRAY FOR OUR BODIES AS WELL. WHEN THEY HAD FINISHED THIER PRAYER, THEY SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO APPLAUSE. I STARTED CRYING BECAUSE I FELT THEIR LOVE AND SUPPORT AND I GAINED THE STRENGTH TO FINISH THE NIGHT. WE FINISHED AFTER MIDNIGHT.

9.4.08
BRRR FREEZING SHOWER
WE FINISHED OUR DAY AT 9:00 PM - I FELT LIKE I WAS ON VACATION - I FOUND OUT THAT THE MASKS THAT I HAD PURCHASED FOR THE 'DENTAL REP' WERE USED. I FOUND TELL-TALE SIGNS OF MASCARA AND LIPSTICK. SICK. WE PAID $2 APIECE FOR 5 MASKS. THE REP PICKED THEM UP WHEN I COMPLAINED, BUT I DOUBE THAT WE GOT OUR MONEY BACK.... EWWWW.

9.5.08
NO SHOWER IS BETTER THAN A COLD SHOWER.
WE HAD 1/2 OF A DAY, AND WE WERE PACKED UP AND READY TO LEAVE BY 3PM. WE HOPPED ON THE BUSES AND MADE OUR WAY TO THE LAKE ATITLAN HOTEL FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS. THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH PRESENTED US WITH TOWELS FROM GUATAMALA



TO BE CONTINUED