Nicaragua: Day 2

Ola!

We had a frustrating day. The 12 bags of medicine that customs confiscated were not returned. Despite 2 hours at the Ministry of Health and all afternoon chasing paperwork, they were still unwilling to release our medicine. That meant that most of the patients we saw and diagnosed today were unable to get the medicine that will make them better. That made for a lot of angry doctors and frustrated patients. Tomorrow, a group is going back to central customs office to see what we can do. Hopefully, it'll work out. Many believe this is because the new president (Ortega) likes Chavez and dislikes America. Many of us fear there's going to be "fee" associated with the return of our medicine.

Our day started with breakfast at 7. Our short devo afterwards was focused on a singular thought: Is there a connection between mental, physical, and spiritual health? Can the things we think about affect our health?

We spent most of the morning outside the Minstry of Health at a roadside food stall drinking coke and eating bananas. BTW - the bananas are really good here. You wouldn't think there's much difference in bananas, but everyone noticed that these smaller and thinner ones were sweeter and more intense.

We traveled about an hour outside of Managua to a small town called San Benito. The church there is small but strong: a common theme in Latin America. After setting up, we started seeing patients around 11.

I spent most of the day either translating for our dermatologist or helping people choose glasses. Ther dermatologist saw mostly children and a few adults. The kids all had worms, bug bites, and/or scabies. All were infected. Many had large infected blisters all over there body.

I'm proud to report that I was able to obey the Hypocratic oath: my translating did no harm. Unfortunately, the words like "scabies" or "fungus" don't really come up in my conversations with the Hispanic church. So, I had to cram a few lesser used words into my vocabulary.

Here's an excerpt from some of the more interesting answers I got for some of my questions:

Q: How long has you child had these open sores?
A: 3 years.

Q: What type of soap do you use at home?
A: I don't use soap.

Q: Can you read this line from the eye chart?
A: I can't read. (I got this same answer 4 times from mostly elderly adults.)


Small problems go unchecked and untreated. People largely self-medicate. Prescriptions drugs are sold freely here as in most of Latin America. The problem is cost. No one has money, so no one sees a doctor or buys medicine. There simply is no concept of insurance or health care. All problems are tied together: corruption, unemployment, lack of insurance, poor diet, poor sanitization, etc. No one can espape the cycle.


The church meets in a small building on a dirt road. Very common. Only the main roads are paved. Many residential streets are dirt even in a large city like Managua. Beside the church was a convenience store (pulperia), a pig, and a few chicks. The church and surrounding buildings have no running water and no electricity. The bathroom was a "whole in the ground". I won't go any further. Again, all very common.


I was fortunate to talk with many interesting people today. I'll pick on one: Carlos. Carlos is the minister at the congregation in Montotumbo located in a town named after the volcano where its located. He asked about my preference for President (they honor Bill Clinton as the man who ended their war with Honduras).

One question was particularly astute: Why does the church seem to grow in Latin America so easy and not so in the United States? His belief was that their poverty was an advantage because it kept them reliant on God. Our opulance (my word) inhibited people from thinking they need a God.

In case you don't know, Christianity is spreading in all forms in Central America. Mormons, Pentecostals, and Catholics are the main bunches, but the churches of Christ are catching up. There are more than 100 congregations her in Nicaragua consisting of around 40 or 50 members. Each year the number grows. That may seem like small potatoes in the U.S., but can you say the same thin outside the Bible belt? For example, are the number of churches doubling every decade or so in New York like they are in Africa? We have a lot to learn ...


Well, I'm back here at the hotel and its 8 o'clock and we're about to eat. Our lunch didn't come until around 3, so that's o.k. We'll spend the rest of our time at the church in Rene Polanco in Managua. The clinics Saturday and Monday will be there and we'll go to church Sunday there as well.

Until tomorrow ...