Rio Verde and more

Dear family in Christ,

It has been five days since I last wrote. Since then, we have visited four communities, and held five clinics. We have treated about 900 people. We traveled to Lita, where we stayed at the mission facility built by Liebenzell for the Bruce and Williams families. They now live in a more remote area called Rio Verde. They moved there to be closer to the Awa people to whom they minister. Their situation is the closest I have experienced to the kind of missionary experience we hear of from years past with regards to Jim and Elizabeth Eliot, or Taylor Hudson. They serve with great dedication and genuine love for Jesus Christ. The Awa people love them as well. I have forwarded a recent email from the Bruce family, which includes a mention of our medical team`s work there as well as some photos. The work there is sometimes hard, but is very worthwhile. Though the environment is far from pristine, the people are very needy and very grateful for any help provided. Some people I see depend on our team for their annual medical care. One fellow (Byron) comes for an annual injection of a trigger point in his upper back. Turns out he works for a Swiss organization, teaching Awa people in remote (!) locations how best to raise chickens and grow crops for food. Other conditions and procedures I encountered with the Awa included drainage of a large axillary abscess, treatment of a corneal abrasion, splinting of a fractured wrist, removal of a skin lesion, and treatment of hypertension, depression, skin infections, UTI`s , etc. We saw no scorpions this year, but were regularly serenaded by tropical birds, chickens, horses, cows and pigs. A great time!

Our other clinics were held in Salinas (an African-American community), Galilea (a suburban community in Otavalo), and an inner city community in Quito. Many people presented with chronic conditions, some of which are people that we see each year. We provide free medications, and the people are always very grateful for this. We also treat some acute conditions, and that is important as well. The people are also grateful for the information we provide regarding their health and the conditions that they have.

All of this occurs in a spiritual context. All of the church people that attend acknowledge God`s provision for their lives and health. But the non-church people that attend also are open to the idea that God is providing, especially when they learn that these loving, caring people have come for no reason other than to honor and love Jesus Christ. It does impact their lives. And it also encourages the missionaries, their families, and the people that work along with them.

More tomorrow regarding stories of specific people.

In the deep embrace of my Saviour and Redeemer,
Dr. Tim