We were surrounded by smiling faces, eager to help us unload our personal belongings, sleeping bags, and medical supplies. School had closed for the week because we were to hold our clinic time in their building, and also because our arrival was such a huge event for this community...no one could concentrate on classes anyway! After setting up by using wooden school desks stacked on each other for pharmaceutical shelves, and more desks neatly arranged as exam tables, we "hung out our shingle". The line had formed hours prior to our arrival, with people walking several hours in the 100 degree heat to bring their children to see the doctors.

One small boy, about 2 years of age, rode up sitting on the bar of his father¹s bike. He had been badly burned by the family¹s cooking fire (no electricity in this village) the night before. Without a whimper from him, we removed his stained clothing and discovered horrendous 3rd degree burns on his back and buttocks areas. Our medicinal supply included simply Tylenol liquid to give him for the pain we were about to inflict on him. After cleansing and removing some of the blackened and blistered skin, we dressed it with Silvadene and gauze, began oral antibiotics, padded his butt really good and sent him home to ride 20 minutes sitting on the bar of his father¹s bicycle over dusty, bumpy roads. He gave a half-hearted smile and waved at us. He returned first thing each morning we were there for further cleansing and burn treatments. Each time he barely whimpered, smiled when he could, held his Dad¹s hand and quietly came and went on that bicycle, all cushioned up on his rear- end so WE would feel better about his pain. We hugged and waved.....then turned back to the other 225 people we were to see that day.

The need is great in Central America. Medical and reconstruction teams will be going for quite some time. Contact your conference UMVIM coordinator to join a team.