These past two weeks have been full of fun and laughter. We had the great pleasure of hosting three friends from Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, LA. Dr. Trey, who has come here multiple times a year for the past eight years, was here for two weeks. Then for one short week, we got to host Jami and Allyson, who have also visited multiple times.
Dr. Trey religiously comes down to be a missionary to our missionaries. When he comes, Dr. Martin is able to forgo consult for a few days to work on other projects, like his beloved bus. When him and Mrs Wendy have to go to the states, Dr. Trey steps in to handle consult, with the help of our nurse Tabitha, while they are away. Having him here provides the relief of time to rest without having to shut down the hospital. Along with his usual jobs, this week Dr. Trey helped repair a broken baby warmer!
The Jungle Hospital gained a lot of spunk when Jami and Allyson showed up at our gate. The two labor and delivery nurses came to visit for a week and got the perfect jungle experience. They have a long history with Dr. Trey, working with him at Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge and going on many missions trips together. From the moment they arrived, they were hard at work. Whether it was jungle nurse duties, cleaning up from a clinic day, or tidying up the kitchen after dinner, they were eager to make sure nothing was left undone.
The first week with Dr. Trey was a full clinic week, Monday through Thursday. Week two was less clinic-filled, but far more eventful. We had two days of consult then Dr. Martin, Dr. Trey, Tabby, Allyson, and Jami were off to Las Minas. The three visitors got to experience a branch of our ministry that is deeper into the jungle and much more rural for the very first time. In those two days, they saw forty-four patients, visited the local high school, explored the area, tried sugar cane, and ate more than was probably anticipated.
Friday was reserved for a fun day at a hotel down the mountain, but as we know very well here, things don’t always go how they are planned. We were woken up at 7:30 by a woman in labor at our gate. Almost six short hours later, Jungle Hospital’s 20th baby, and biggest baby, was born. We were beyond lucky to have a retired labor and delivery doctor and two labor and delivery nurses with us. We learned tricks to help mom find a little comfort in the process and help baby leave his comfy home.
We were so sad when the girls and Dr. Trey left. Over the years, they have gone from team members to close friends and family. That is what we want of every person that comes to visit us and our little cuenca. We want you to join in on our love for these people and find a sense of home here.