Day 4 [Day 2 of Medical Camp]

Today we set up our clinic in another remote area in the mountains of Managua. We saw around 240 patients in the clinic today which was a bit more compared to yesterday, and it was alot more humid! Also, the clinic yesterday had luxurious bathrooms compared to the bathrooms today. Again, there were plenty of dogs wandering around, and this school also had chickens running around and a pig onsite. The people who lived in the town were all very friendly and very appreciative of the care we were able to give them. A small dose of tylenol for their joint pain or glasses for reading made their day-- makes you realize how so little can go a long way and how fortunate we are in America to have such great access to healthcare and resources.

It is definitely eye opening how they live here and how blessed we are in America. There homes are made of tin, streets were flooded, they don't have flushing toilets, access to water, shoes and extremely limited healthcare. While they may be able to go to a clinic or hospital, many times they cannot afford the medications to treat their conditions. Despite the conditions they live in and the suffering they may endure on a daily basis not one person came off as demanding, hopeless or in despair. It is truly inspiring to see how happy, grateful and thankful they are to be recieving care from us. Much different from the "I want the best and I want it now" American way. Much of the American culture is very materialistic and places far too much emphasis on objects.

It can be discouraging at times to see the healthcare here in Nicaragua, but in Luke 10:9 Christ tells us to "Heal the sick ..." I like to think that that's what we are doing here, even if it's just temporary relief. There is such a great need for healthcare here that the community leaders have to pass out tickets in order to be seen in our clinic. It's sad to think that the conditions here are all the Nicaraguan people know. We would encourage everyone to count their daily blessings and try to give back in some way. The people of Lifelink International are doing some great work down here, and I would encourage everyone to take a look at their website to see what they are all about. Everyday we are here it is a privilege to be able to help them in their mission.

We are at the beginning of the wet season here in Nicaragua [Nicaraguans call it winter], and at the end of the day we experienced some HEAVY rain. In fact, the location we were working in today was so remote, Mike [Lifelink's fearless leader] was just about having a heart attack worrying we were going to be stuck there because of flooding on the roads. Thankfully, we got out of there in the nick of time and all arrived back at the Hotel safe and sound, no worse for the wear.  However, while we were blogging, the power went out, only to turn back on in one minute. Weird, huh? Anyways, everyone in the group is getting along well, we are all safe, and we are thoroughly enjoying our time here! Keep checking back for more updates as the electricity and Internet allows! Check out the Hope Without Borders facebook page for more photos.