The "Off Week"

This has been a really interesting week "off” in between having groups here. There were 3 days that I was awake at 3:30 in the morning, if that’s any indication of how it went. One night I was sick, one day our adventure was beginning, and one night we were traveling home from my first wake. I won’t say much about the night that I was up sick (you’re welcome:) but the other two I will share some stories about.

Thursday morning I left with our wonderful driver Angel, my favorite translator Laura, and the trusty intern Ben. We left bright and early to go to a village called San Manuel, pick up a little patient, and take him to the doctor in Santa Rosa. Our 12 year old friend, Gerson, has some lesions on his face, so we took him to the dermatologist for a visit. The village is 2.5 hours away from Santa Rosa, so we were out and about for 12 hours for about a 7 minute visit with the doctor.. (Everyone knows how that goes). The 12 hours consisted of the drive there and back twice, the wait for the MD, the visit with the MD, a couple of food stops, and of course an early morning flat tire. Ben said I turned into “mama bear” while we were all on the side of the road, which I’m sure is true. (No worries, Mary and Donna, I got this). In the end we got a treatment for Gerson, had some bonding time with Angel, discovered that Laura and Ben have no idea how to change a tire, and got to see some really beautiful Honduran countryside.

Now, for my most recent dose of culture shock. Yesterday, Phil told me there was a man in a village that had died in his sleep and that I needed to pronounce his death. I thought he was joking at first. It was one of my first situations of “I know I’m not a doctor but I’m the closest thing out here.” We got ready and headed out on the 2.5 hour drive on one of the bumpiest make-shift roads I’ve ever seen.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little bit nervous. We arrived at this dark, warm house and I walked through about 50 grieving friends and family members to get to Eduardo. I didn’t know him personally, but I have heard many stories about what a great, hard-working man he was, and about the stability that he provided for his large family. I knew as soon as I touched his stiff, cold body that he had passed, but making that call was a bit more difficult than I had expected. His family members were watching hopefully over my shoulder as I assessed him. A couple of them were standing so close that they were touching me. No amount of “sensitivity training” could have prepared me for that moment, and I was thankful for Phil and Donna who stood there with me and were able to speak with the family in the way that my (still progressing) Spanish won’t allow. We stayed at the wake until very early hours of the morning visiting with his friends and family, praying and singing, and drinking a lot of coffee. (I was also asked if I could do the embalming process…. I told them no, I haven’t learned that at this point in my career..) Around 2:30 we started the 2.5 hour drive home, which consisted of a LOT of guys pushing a couple of the trucks up a small mountain.

This “off-week” here in Honduras has been such a blessing. God is showing me more and more that He has a purpose for me. I love how busy I have been. I love that He is providing me with new knowledge, that He is providing me with ways to build relationships with people here even though there’s still sort-of a language barrier, and I love that He never lets me forget that I’m not doing this alone. He continues to show me that “His power is made perfect in my weakness,” and that He is the one working, but I am so glad that He is letting me feel useful along the way!

Sweet Angel.. Changing the tire before 0500.

Being unbelievably helpful to Angel, obviously.

The view on the drive to San Manuel.