#16 Deal with Medical Problems
We live in an isolated place with little access to medical care. Most minor problems require a trip to our house for pain pills, bandages, or help with first aid. If you had told me years ago that I would be helpful in this area I would have laughed. And laughed. And yet, God does not seem to be limited by my limits…
Most major sicknesses (or emergency situations) for the Nahuatl require a long, expensive trip down to town. There is often no money to send the sick person down, no way for them to call or email out, or possibly no gas even if they can find someone willing to give a ride. That means that most medical emergencies require our team to try to coordinate between government agencies, doctors in the city who can give advice, our missionary pilots in another town, and the family of the person in need.
People come to us with a huge variety of problems: broken bones, bad vision, tumors, bronchitis, and rashes. We look things up, write for expert advice, pray, and advocate for the people with the Health Caravans that show up once in a while. But these issues are clearly beyond our expertise and means.
This is one of the aspects of life out here that throws me completely into dependence on God–the posture and position I am supposed to be in daily, anyway. It is scary. It is overwhelming. It is, at times, painful. I find myself not knowing what to do, or how to help, or what to say. I am forced to seek guidance and trust, trust, trust. This is not fun. But He is good. Oh man, his heart is good. Some days that is all there is to fall back on.
