Would you like to know more about life in Honduras? (Dec 1, 1999)

Many folks (especially my Mom) have asked for more details about what is going on here. As I began a letter to family, I realized that many more of our friends may also be interested in the same information. So, I have an idea. We will begin sharing "Thoughts from Honduras" via email.

I know that some of you like to read everything that comes your way, and others barely have time to exist. So in an attempt to be "all things to all people", it is your choice! There will be nothing of vital importance in these "thoughts", so you may delete, ignore, save for a "rainy day", read, print, and / or share with others as you so desire. That is the beauty of email.

 

These communications may be true accounts, humorous, thought provoking, devotional, inner musings, wordy, words from the kids; at this point I don’t know. You may receive two in a week , or none for three months. I won’t promise anything. We will just wait and see "how the spirit moves".

 

For those of you who help distribute our prayer letters in the States, please do not feel obligated to do the same with these. You may share these as you desire. 

 

I have already written too much! So without further ado, here is issue #1 of "Thoughts form Honduras"

 

 

Don Trino 

Thoughts from Honduras, Dec 1, 1999

The heavy rains forced our hand into providing critical medical care far sooner than we were ready for.

 

When the rains started, Becky found herself stuck on the La Ceiba side of the rivers for a couple days, just when I was beginning to feel the discomfort of Dengue fever in Balfate. As the rains continued, I decided to try a trip to town to get some things we needed, and got stuck both coming and going, needing to be pulled out by the "deuce and a half" our 2 ½ ton military truck. After that, we stayed put in Balfate for three weeks until the rain stopped and the rivers receded.

 

During that time, it really rained! One soggy day, while working at the hospital, trying to unpack boxes of medical supplies, and put them into some kind of order, Matute came screeching up in his pickup. (Some of you may remember Matute, the husband of Marabel, who runs the restaurant in Balfate.) He asked me to come quickly, for Don Trino, one of the town elders, was gravely ill. As I headed for the car, Pad yelled after me that he has a bad heart. 

 

I grabbed a few things from the pharmacy and followed Matute. As I was going, I prayed for wisdom, knowing that there was not much I could do for a heart attack at this time or place.

 

When I arrived at Don Trino’s house, there was a crowd, and indeed he was very ill, burning with fever and comatose. His pulse was strong and regular and his lungs sounded junky, which gave me some relief. I at least had a chance with an infectious problem. His wife told me that he had been coughing up foul stuff for a couple of days, and that he was diabetic, had high blood pressure, and a bad heart.

 

I headed back to the hospital to get the glucometer the last team had left, to check his blood sugar, and to collect some of the IV supplies I was unpacking that morning. When I looked in the pharmacy for IV antibiotics, the choice was simple, since the only choice was a few days worth of IV Mefoxin, an antibiotic I was familiar with.

Back at Don Trino’s, I figured out how to check his blood sugar, which was fine. I then set up to start an IV, with much prayer, since I had not put in an IV line for a LONG time. Praise God, I got it on the first try, quickly ran in a liter of fluid, started the antibiotics and then had to dig deep in my memory to try to figure out how to regulate the IV by counting drops. God was very faithful! I then prayed in poor Spanish, that God would help us.

 

The next couple days I played "home health care nurse" stopping by frequently to change IV bags, give antibiotics and pray. By the third day, Don Trino was weak, but starting to eat, and complain. He wanted to go to the private hospital in La Ceiba. I told him he was too weak to make the river passage in canoe and walk the mile between the rivers. He said he wanted to go by helicopter. I jokingly said that he would have to make those arrangements himself, and left it at that.

 

The next morning, I heard a helicopter. Off he went to La Ceiba! I was convinced that God had helped us, and that Don Trino was on the mend, but I feared for what the city doctors might have to say in criticism of the new Gringo Doc in Balfate. I felt our reputation might be on the line, having offered such a level of care in the current setting.

A few days later, one of Don Trino's friends came up and shook my hand vigorously. He told me that when Don Trino had seen the doctor, they told him he was too well to be in the hospital. Their Xray confirmed the diagnosis of pneumonia. They told Don Trino to get some more rest, keep taking the antibiotic pills I had given him, and that God and the Gringo Doctor in Balfate had saved his life.

 

Yesterday I received a thank you card from Don Trino’s family. 

 

Before the memory faded into the bustle of other things, I wanted to write this down to remind us now, and in the future, that God is in control, and that we are here to serve Him. I look forward with great anticipation to see what more God will do to prove Himself here in Balfate, and draw people unto Himself. It is a great privilege to be an instrument in the hand of our awesome God.

 

Dave Drozek

Thoughts from Honduras