A new group at a familiar place

This week we are at Palencia. Despite the pouring rain, the team from Houston arrived safe and sound on Saturday. I got to meet all 9 of them on Monday upon arriving at the school in Palencia. In the mornings we have been doing the medical and dental clinics and in the afternoons the group puts on a VBS for the kids. I have been helping in the Pharmacy and lab area. Yesterday I had another great opportunity to see an ultrasound of one woman who was worried that something had gone wrong with her pregnancy. We were able to show this woman her baby′s hands and feet and reassure her that her baby was alive and moving. This beautiful glimpse of life is one of my favorite parts about helping here. Most of the pregnant women that we see are about my age or younger. As much as I love children, I do not know what I would do if I had to raise 3 or 4 of them right now. The strength that these women have is truly amazing. 

It has been great to see the changes that have been made and are still being made in Palencia. The group that is with us this week is helping to paint more of the classrooms and outside walls and is doing a beautiful job. Toilets for the school were also purchased this week. What is so great about each group that comes is that they bring with them a different personality and desire to work hard. It has been great for me to experience the other side of working with the team. There is really so much behind the scenes work that the doctors and other leaders do to keep everything in order. These men are truly godly men who want nothing more than to serve Christ through serving others. They sacrifice time with their family, sleep, food, and comfort and are not working to glorify themselves in any way. These are men who are following closely behind Jesus and I am so thankful to be learning from their example.

Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for the team here, especially daily strength for the doctors. That the people we are serving may experience Christ′s love in a new way through these people and that we do not take any opportunity for granted. 

Well, it is way past my bedtime, which is usually more like 9pm nowadays, so until the next post, ciao! 

En Christo,

Stephanie

‟Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eye not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.″ -2 Corinthians 4:16-18