Today's Update from Chip!

Friday the MT left for San Josecito for an evening worship meeting. However, when they arrived there was no one there. The church had gone to minister to another growing church. Apparently a miscommunication. There were no lights in the town or in the church building, which is the size of our chapel. They lit candles and settled down for the night. (Guys in the front and gals in the back of the building.)

A few experienced queasy stomachs, but did not last long. He thinks the Cipro has helped.

The next morning (Sat.) they left for Los Abras to set up a clinic. It was quite the hike. They crossed a rope bridge over a river and preceded up a rather steep incline. They hiked for 3 hours with their back packs. The medicine was carried on burrows. They arrived at 10am.

The people greeted them with excitement and extended wonderful hospitality. They were fed cow and yuka soup! Chip said they were a very organized group and the clinic went very well. Fifty people showed up and probably 30 of them received shots in their knees for arthritis. One man travelled 12 hours on horseback for this shot, which he recieved for the first time 6 years ago from our medical team on that previous trip.

This clinic went until 6pm. They were served tea which Chip described as tasting like PineSol and a bread called pan. There were donkeys and burrows that they rode on for awhile just for fun.

At the church meeting that night, their light was provided by a lit rag inside a can of gasoline. Scott shared a great gospel message. The people are warm-hearted, responsive, and very grateful. They had already set up their tents so they went straight to bed. They were serenaded throughout the night by pigs outside their tents, roosters crowing off and on and dogs howling from 2am on. And still everyone perseveres with joy and without complaining.

This morning they hiked back having to wait for the burrows who went much slower. They packed into the bus for San Josecito where they ate sardine sandwiches. The next bus delivered them 3 hrs later in Entre Rios at 5:15pm. They walked straight into the church service which began at 4pm. Chip shared his message and Rachel gave her testimony. It was a happy reunion to be back w/the CT and the people at the mission!

There was a long line for the showers as they were all looking pretty bad and smelling worse. =) Many are appreciative of the clean clothes they had because Sarah had served them by washing their dirty clothes by hand for 2 hours last Thursday!

Chip highly commends this group of people on how they devotedly serve and care for all they come in contact with. And for their godly attitudes in challenging conditions.

So tomorrow they leave by bus at 10am to conduct their last clinic. Tomorrow evening at 7pm they will hold another youth meeting. Please be in prayer for that meeting!