so I have learned what a medical clinic is. pretty neat. Yesterday they pulled out all the medicine they had brought and we repackaged it into ziplock baggies to give to the people after they had been seen at the medical clinic. We did this for hours. Considering they see over 150 people a day, it was alot of little baggies. We had an assembly line going, counting and measuring and putting in baggies and closing them…it was quite fun, and the jokes were running as well, although I only caught a few of them.
The doctor and nurse went with Dr.Santos to Recife to the different hospitals and areas there. Dr.Santos is a lead doctor and has had many papers published. He studied in Japan (and had to present his thesis there in Japanese) and then in the US (and had to learn English). So he, along with some of his medical students (I guess he also teaches?) came to the clinic today also.
Today they set up at Cajueiro Claro. As each person came, they had them fill out their name and such, the main problem they had, and any other specific issues on a 3×5 card. Then they went to the nurse and had their blood pressure checked and weighed. Then they were assured into the doctor, who checked their breathing and any issue they were complaining about, circling if they were to receive vitamins, Tylenol, or some other medicine (vitamins and Tylenol were the general ones given out in abundance). They then took their filled out card to one of the girls from Sao Paulo (who is training to be a dentist) who gave them soap and a toothbrush, and then to Heather, who gave the prescribed medicine, vitamins, and so on. It was quite efficient. I think it is a lovely idea. And from these clinics, they have seen a general rise in health in those areas.
In the morning, before this went on, and then in the afternoon, they also had a church meeting. We sang, they did mime and puppets, and one of the doctors gave their testimony. What was so neat for me was that my friends from Paudalho (from camp last year) were there. they are on the mime team at their church, and they have been coming down to Cajueiro Claro and teaching the younger kids (8-12) how to do their own mime team at their church. The whole “mother-daughter” church feeling is so strong here, as they share their ministries with the other churches…that is how it is supposed to be!
Just getting to Cajueiro Claro is an adventure. you take the “highway,” which is the two lane road that connects Recife to Guadalajara to Paudalho to Carpina to Tracunheam to Nazare to Timbauba (On the map you can see road as it goes from the coast inland–east–and then north). Anyways, around Paudalho, you suddenly take a right on a small dirt road. this is the only road in or out of Cajueiro Claro, and it is all dirt and VERY eroded. It has alot of steep hills and turns. on the way back we were met by *gasp* another car, and it took quite a bit to figure out how to pass without falling off the hill or in the ditch.
If you do not remember the whole story of Cajueiro Claro, here is a quick summary: The church had been run by people who had seen no success…only one person baptized in 17 years. They decided to give up and work somewhere else…but had this wonderful building. They ended up giving it to the community churches, and one of the students at the seminary here (located at the Alconce, where I am staying), Valmir, felt called and began pasturing there. I believe it was within the year that they had 55+ members–mostly being youth who are on fire for the Lord. It is continuing to grow, and there are many more neat opportunities opening up there.
I talked with some of the people from Sao Paulo. They flew in, because to drive would take days (it is like from Indy to California–which by the way, is where my lovely mother is, resting and recuperating from–get this–her cold and complications she got during winter). Their church sent them, along with lots of toothbrushes and soap to give at the medical clinic…some of them will be helping at the English camp, and some of them serving in Timbauba (they are from Pastor Josue’s sending church). So they are doing a short-term missions trip also.
I talked to Tele today, and he said that Pastor Assuerio e-mailed over a week ago. Pastor Assuerio and his family are in Africa, sent by the churches here. They have been there two months now, and are getting used to the weather (I think it is similar to our winter there right now, and for Brasilians, this takes alot of getting used to), Miriam (Assuerio’s wife) had skin problems from the weather, but they are getting better. The kids are attending a Christian school that the Lord provided…and at no cost! Pastor Assuerio is assisting in the church down there, and preparing for a conference this December with over 500 pastors from Africa. Please pray for them, as they are also learning English (in Mozambique they speak Portuguese, but in Johannesburg where they are also serving, it is mostly all English).
