Before we left for Pabeya, we visited the high school in Paquila and talked to the principal about their needs. And we played a little basketball. Paquila may be the only place in the world where Louisa can post up and have a reasonable chance of success. She's 5'8".
Joshua showed up in La Super Nina right on time. We loaded the medicines, kid’s shoes, lunch, drinks, and other items in just a few minutes, and then we were on our way. We were traveling east on roads where we hadn’t been before. The northbound road from Mazatenango was rough, but the road between Paquila and Chuisimiac was really rough. Joshua did a great job of navigating the pot holes, broken pavement, and dirt roads. The ups and downs were very noticeable with tires spinning on the steeper uphill sections and brakes grabbing on the steep downhills.
As we turned left onto the smaller path to Pabeya, I started to get excited. And when I saw the school, I was out of my seat scanning the faces that began to come out of the woods. Eliseo was the first person I locked eyes with. He was running alongside the bus with his son in his arms. I yelled his name and waved, and I think we both teared up. I was so happy to see him again, and it appeared that he felt the same. As we stopped at the butcher’s corner at the end of our path to La Voz de Jehova, I saw Miguel, Juan and Manuela, Lorenzo, and so many other familiar faces. They were all smiling and jumping up and down, waving like their arms would fall off. There was no shyness like there was last October. No hidden smiles, no peaking through doors. The kids were yelling and cheering and running after us. I couldn’t get off the bus fast enough to give and receive hugs!
The only face that I saw missing was Juana, the pastor’s wife, who I had a moment with on the last trip. I was told she was waiting to greet us at the church. Other than the reunion I was having, one of the most special parts about this visit was that Vickie, Louisa, and Dan were on the trip. They had helped build the church and hadn’t seen it since they left more than a year ago. It was quite a powerful feeling for them to see the completed product of all their efforts. And since I left in October, Max had sent a financial gift for the church to purchase 6 ceiling fans, which were swirling full-speed. And they had decorated the entire church with silk flowers and decorative lace. It was gorgeous!
We unloaded our bags and made our way up the path. Juana, Big Miguel, and Santos met us at the church with tables already set up for us to use. Apparently, there had been some misunderstanding about the purpose of our medical visit. Some of the community members thought we were there to treat health conditions (burns, lumps, infections, etc.), which we weren’t prepared for. However, they were happy to receive the dewormer and vitamins that we offered.
Each family entered the front door of the church. Big Miguel was charged with letting one family in at a time, and he did it well. I commented to Max how much more vocal he had become. Last October, he hardly said a word, but it seems that since then he has stepped forwarded to carry some of the responsibility of the church in the pastor’s absence. (The pastor is still working in LA.)
The family would be directed to one of two lines, where a nurse (Sandy on my side, Vickie on the other) would administer dewormer to each person. Jorge, Marta, Solamita, Francisco, and Pastor Gaspar accompanied us from Paquila to assist with the day, since they had worked with us in their own community the day before. Marta helped us ask how many people in the family, whether the women had a husband in the country now, whether there were other children at school or parents at home, whether anyone was pregnant, and the ages of the children. The dewormer is counter-indicated for pregnant women, although breast-feeding was ok. Good thing because the women are pregnant often. Juan’s son is one year old, and Manuela is pregnant again. They are such proud parents. We were very happy for them both, but I was sad that Manuela couldn’t take the dewormer on this trip. She won’t have given birth by the time the next team comes in May. Perhaps we can administer it in October when we return, if we go to Pabeya. Joshua even jumped in a few times and helped translated when I couldn’t keep up with the Spanish.
I cannot say enough about Sandy’s gentle way with the children and older adults. Many of the touching stories I will keep to myself, but I have to tell about Sandy and one child in particular. As soon as I saw his face, I knew his life (and his mother’s) had been such a challenge so far. He was 15 years old, and his mother carried him in sling cloth like a baby or small child. He had some type of cerebral palsy. Marta had stepped away to help with something else, so I asked her in Spanish if he was able to chew. She said he could not. For infants, we had a liquid version of the dewormer. Sandy prepared a squirtable syringe with the fluid. Sandy gave the medicine a little at a time, allowing him time to work it through his mouth and swallow it. Then she would give him a bit more. She stood with his mother for at least 10 minutes until the boy had swallowed the necessary dosage for his weight (which compared to that of a 4-year-old in the U.S.). All the while, tears streamed down her cheeks, but she just smiled and smiled with wet cheeks. Her tender heart makes her so well-suited for her profession. During the trip, we have all had moments or days where we’ve had to lean on or be carried by other team members. We have taken up slack, we have hugged, we have motivated, we have listened to, and we have loved one another. I am so proud to call Sandy and every other member of this team family.
Dan ran a pool on how many people we would see that day. In Paquila we saw about 300 people with 70 stoves. In Pabeya, more than 100 families had stoves, so I shot for the moon—671—the highest guess in the group. I hoped we weren’t playing the Price is Right rules about not going over. But I was so happy to learn that after Big Miguel closed the doors at the end of the day, we had seen 678 people. And while we ate lunch, even more people came in. More than 700 people by the end of the day. I didn’t hear the exact number, but over two days, we dewormed and provided a month’s worth of vitamins for more than 1,000 people in Paquila and Pabeya. What a staggering impact! Take that, parasites! Up yours, malnutrition!
After the medicines were distributed and lunch was eaten, the leaders of the church had a meeting with Max while a few others and I eavesdropped. I was so glad to see Juan, Miguel, Eliseo, and Lorenzo present. I had wished that I had told them the things I wanted to tell them last October, but it seems that they heard it anyway and embraced it whole-heartedly. They didn’t just listen; they participated. With interpreting and explaining, it took some time for the meeting. I saw Pastor Gaspar from Paquila nod off for a brief siesta. And Marta, Solamita, and Jorge also napped during the meeting. They hope to build 6 classrooms for Sunday school classes along the side of the church wall. Very encouraging for our on-going relationship with them. Only 32 more stoves are needed in Pabeya to fill every qualified request. Also very encouraging!
We all knew that the time to leave was approaching quickly. It was the elephant in the room. But no one talked about it until it was time. Instead, we laughed and joked and pinched babies’ cheeks and patted backs, and took photos. It was a fantastic reunion. And then we got the nod from Max. It was time.
We packed our leftover materials, hugged each other, and made our way back down the path to the bus. Everyone held the hand of at least one local child; some held two. We loaded the bus, spoke hopeful words of hasta luego (see you later), not adios (good-bye). Last time, I cried and cried and cried as we gathered to leave. At that time I didn’t know if the January/February trip would happen for me. Leaving this time was so much easier because I knew for certain that I will see my friends again soon. Just like leaving my rafting friends or friends from home-home, I know I will see them again soon. And when we do, we will pick up just where we left off with laughing and games and teasing and love. Each trip will bring them closer, and each departure will be bittersweet.
That night would be our last in Paquila, for this trip anyway. We packed up our stuff, leaving much of it behind for our helpers. A suitcase for each of them, filled with clothes, work supplies, linens, treats, you name it. And at least 12 air mattresses were donated. I slept soundly, anxious for the morning and the time we would say “so long” to our Paquila friends.
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