Nicholas from Gonzales

Dear family,

Dr.Tim with children at Gonzales

On Thursday, the team went to a place we had never been before. Gonzales is a poor community located across the highway from San Pablo Lake. The lake is beautiful and is situated at the foot of Imbaburra volcano. The team arrived at the simple wooden house where the Gonzales community meets at about mid-morning. Many older individuals were already gathered to receive health care. Introductions were made, we prayed and our day got underway.

My first task was to check the ears, eyes, mouths, hearts and lungs of about twenty two- and three-year olds, seated on a rug in the middle of the waiting area. All of the children were eager to be examined....they were a delight. Other than a small sty that one boy had, all of the children were healthy. It was a good start to the day.

For all of these years, Shelia Duncan has served as my translator. A former missionary to Ecuador, she also organizes all of our trips. She is a fantastic team member, and a better person. She loves Jesus with her whole being.

Time with Nicholas at clinic in Gonzales

One of our first patients was a man by the name of Nicholas (we discovered this by examining the spelling book he carried with him). He could speak only a few words, and was significantly impaired, both intellectually and socially. We could tell, however, that he was in some pain....but Nicolas was unable to tell us where. We gradually removed some of his clothing, and discovered a wide string tied around one finger, and another tied around his wrist. We thought these were for pain relief, yet there were no wounds of his skin anywhere. I removed his shoes, and again found no abnormalities. Finally, he motioned toward his mouth. There we found five teeth, two of which were abscessed. We asked our dentist, Randy Baker, about the situation. He recommended medical treatment first, so we gave Nicholas an injection of antibiotic ( we did not believe he could follow directions for a course of treatment, and he lived alone).

While examining Nicholas, we did discover a small purse. Inside, there were two pennies, a nickel, and a quarter. We asked the community organizer about him, and found that he was homeless.

After giving him the injection and redressing him, Nicholas gave Shelia and me some big hugs. And then....he reached into his purse and offered to pay us for his care. We of course quickly assured him that there was no need for that, but then we both broke into tears.

The rest of the day went well enough. We did go to a daycare, and enjoyed checking on sixteen babies there. We also made a house call to evaluate a young woman with a persistent headache. We ended up presenting the gospel to her, and prayed with her and her family.

But for a few minutes that morning at the edge of San Pablo Lake, two veteran team members were overcome with humility in the face of God's mercy and grace.

In Christ,
Tim