This year was our 8th medical camp, and the clinic has been open for about 18 months. We weren’t sure what to expect, if the numbers would be down since people could now come during the year or if there would still be a large response to the camp. To say the response was large would be an understatement. Our team of 12 worked so hard every day to accommodate the very large numbers of patients. As the numbers increased, so did the seriousness of the needs. This year we treated so many serious illnesses, severe wounds, and sorrowful souls. Something we had not seen as much before were the number of people who came after receiving reports that they had cancer. Counseling has always been a part of our ministry, and we always desire for it to be a larger part, but it can be very painful. We are thankful for those who were part of our team that are skilled and compassionate in counseling patients. (Some of us just cry, which isn’t very helpful.) Each patient, no matter what they come for, has a story; we wish we could share all of their stories, but we can only ask for continued prayer for the patients and the staff.
A major challenge this year was the lack of water. We have never been without water during a medical camp before, but this year, we had no water after the first few days. The team banded together to conserve and bring water from outside, the community banded together to bring water from other locations, and we kept praying for the clouds to band together to drop some rain. The rain didn’t come, but we learned how to be resourceful and to persevere despite the lack of water. It was a good lesson for everyone, but some days Peter got very tired of hauling jugs!
A summary of camp this year: Over 1600 patient visits, over 500 teeth extracted, and over 100 breathing treatments. Measles, mumps, and chicken pox; burns, brakes, and bandages; typhoid, tetanus shots, and tumors; dentures, drainage, and drought. It’s been quite a camp. We faced some of our most difficult challenges and some of our greatest successes, and through it all, God has been faithful. He gave us strength to persevere, and He caused us all to stretch and grow in new ways. We trust that perseverance will finish its work in each of us, and that all we have learned, saw, felt, smelled, touched, and been touched by will stay impressed on our hearts and minds for a long time to come. The work in Gatamaiyu isn’t finished, which makes it hard to leave, but we look forward to returning to encourage and support the clinic staff in bringing the love of Christ to this community in a very tangible way.
