An Extraordinary Day- Feb 9th

We were greeted by another wonderful sunrise. Some of us get up in the dark and run or bike for an hour or more, returning to shower and gather for 6:30 AM breakfast.

On the way to breakfast with Belize coffee in handBreakfast is followed by some reports from the previous day and words of inspiration. The theme this week has been sharing others burdens out of the experience of our own suffering. Those who are suffering don’t need experts as much as those who have compassion based on personal experience. We reported back on some amazing happenings. We talked about the story of the lady who makes food for us, whose son would have lost his arm 14 years ago had it  not been for one of our team that diagnosed an infection from a bicycle accident that had penetrated his bone and was not stopping. We remembered the man who rents vans to us, whose daughter was healed of a chronic breathing problem and could not remember who the surgeon was, but did remember the young teen who sat on her bed to comfort her. “It was the team with Emma,” he remembered. We are here no doubt due to the prayers of people like the Mom who prayed for a house of logs and thatch for her special needs son and ended up with God sending part of our teams two weeks ago to build an amazing answer to her prayers. We don’t know whose prayers we are sent to answer.

Ann Kiemel, a Christian writer, wrote some years ago that it is not often that you are getting plaques and getting a surprise award banquet of thanks. Most days are just ordinary days. She said that her missionary parents to the Eskimos would dress her up and send her into the cold with the adage, “go out and do the best on your ordinary days. It is from ordinary days that you will someday have some extraordinary moments.” February Ninth was one of those moments for our team. While many had to work and could not make the hospital press conference, they celebrated our Quincianos in Belize. Our Fifteenth Anniversary with special plaques and speeches and awards. The Deputy of the Region for Health, the Regional Health Manager for two of the six regions of Belize and the Minister of Health for the entire country came to give us a surprise tribute and thanks. Since 2004, we have served in Belize. We have titled our team Partners for Medical Relief as our vision is to someday not be needed in Belize. We have more access than ever before to educate the local providers and resource them with equipment and training. Over 200 volunteers will come for a week this year and over 200 surgeries will be performed, with tens of thousands of dollars in training and over one hundred thousand in medical equipment donated this year alone. But, this was an amazing day of thanks from the highest levels of the government. It was a nice encouragement for all of us, both those of us here in the country now, and those who have come and left already this year.

Outside after Ceremony, Nurse Mrs. Maria Moinima Regional Manager of Corozal and Orange Walk Region, Deputy Regional Manager Dr. Jorge Sajia, Minister of Health the Honorable Pablo Marin, John Kirby, Lynda Mackey and Dr. Devinder Mangat