Mexico
I was cleaning out an old box and ran across a journal from last summer's trip to Mexico....
Wed, July 14, 2004
The church we went to today was in a very poor area two hours away. We did a vacation bible school in the afternoon in the park and there were a ton of children there. I think this was, by far, the largest crowd we have attracted the entire time we have been here. I would have to guess there were over a hundred and fifty kids here. It was a heart wrenching day. Most of the families cook in holes in the ground covered with palm branches. After lunch, there was a woman who brought her daughter to us because she was sick. She couldn't have been more than four years old. The doctor looked her over and asked her a few questions. The baby had a cough and a fever which had lingered for over a month. She needed a chest xray and to be checked for tuberculosis. She didn't have any money to take a taxi to a clinic as it was a long ways away and it cost 200 pesos. 200 pesos. That is about 20 dollars. We gave her the money to take the child. There was no more for me at that point. I lost it. Everything inside of me wanted to scream and curse this place where children are hungry and sick. Every negative thing at this point attacked me and set me off into tears for a long long time. I saw a look on Dr. Roger's face, a frustration of sorts, of knowing what to do, and not being able to fix it. And hoping and praying that this woman's sick child will motivate her to take her baby to the doctor for help. 200 pesos is a lot of money to her. 200 pesos. I've wasted 200 pesos on snacks, souveniers, and water the past five days. 200 pesos. 20 dollars. I spent that on a lunch date with Shawn before I left. My shoes are 500 pesos. My shirt 250. The pain in my heart is immeasurable.
And yet, an almost surreal feeling comes upon me. A realization that this is the life they know. I only hurt for their loss because I have been spoiled with materialism. Trusting Christ for every day and every moment is so real for them. ... in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path. Oh that I could be more like these precious God fearing Christians.
Wed, July 14, 2004
The church we went to today was in a very poor area two hours away. We did a vacation bible school in the afternoon in the park and there were a ton of children there. I think this was, by far, the largest crowd we have attracted the entire time we have been here. I would have to guess there were over a hundred and fifty kids here. It was a heart wrenching day. Most of the families cook in holes in the ground covered with palm branches. After lunch, there was a woman who brought her daughter to us because she was sick. She couldn't have been more than four years old. The doctor looked her over and asked her a few questions. The baby had a cough and a fever which had lingered for over a month. She needed a chest xray and to be checked for tuberculosis. She didn't have any money to take a taxi to a clinic as it was a long ways away and it cost 200 pesos. 200 pesos. That is about 20 dollars. We gave her the money to take the child. There was no more for me at that point. I lost it. Everything inside of me wanted to scream and curse this place where children are hungry and sick. Every negative thing at this point attacked me and set me off into tears for a long long time. I saw a look on Dr. Roger's face, a frustration of sorts, of knowing what to do, and not being able to fix it. And hoping and praying that this woman's sick child will motivate her to take her baby to the doctor for help. 200 pesos is a lot of money to her. 200 pesos. I've wasted 200 pesos on snacks, souveniers, and water the past five days. 200 pesos. 20 dollars. I spent that on a lunch date with Shawn before I left. My shoes are 500 pesos. My shirt 250. The pain in my heart is immeasurable.
And yet, an almost surreal feeling comes upon me. A realization that this is the life they know. I only hurt for their loss because I have been spoiled with materialism. Trusting Christ for every day and every moment is so real for them. ... in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path. Oh that I could be more like these precious God fearing Christians.
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