Maria Smiles. - February 13, 2016
Feliz Dia del Cariño (Valentine's Day) to all you lovebirds and singles out there!
We had the joy of spending a week in the pueblos of Guatemala with Grace Ministries' group from Alabama and Michigan, including Mama & Papa Westy! You can find the a stor from the construction team on the blog, (and more pictures coming tomorrow!) and here is one beautiful story from the medical team. (Enter Alaina's voice)
The medical team settled down for a day in a small, dirt floor church in a pueblo called Alotenango. One person or family after another registered, took a seat in line, and waited patiently to see one of the nurses or doctors, who had been split up in to six stations. Little did I know that my incredible mother-in-law, Nancy, that day would meet a small family that we would all carry in hearts and worry over.
A mother and her 4mth old baby came in to the clinic. The baby was lethargic, urinating only about one time per day, and had gained only four pounds since her birth. Maria, the mother, was not able to produce enough breastmilk for Daniela, who was continually crying after feeding, and so she defaulted to the use of corn flour mixed with some water (which may or may not have been clean water). Many poor families in Guatemala use this to feed their children when money is running low. She was worried, and had every right to be. Her baby was showing the classic signs of failure to thrive and a potential of kidney damage. Mom, being the best Neonatal Nurse Practitioner around, talked with her, educated her, and sat with her. She gave her formula to use after the baby was done breastfeeding as a supplement and told her to return in two days. Thank God that two days later we would be coming back to the same pueblo.
Two days later, Maria and Daniela returned. Daniela, though still looking like a tiny little new-born, was alert and wide-eyed! She had been taking the formula after breastfeeding, urinating more (sweet relief!), and seemed to be more content after feedings per Maria, who smiled and smiled. I smiled and watched Mom give more formula to Daniela to see how she was doing with the bottle. However, doubt yet remained as to how Daniela was going to prosper. Her weight still had dropped. Furthermore, when a newborn struggles for adequate nutrition and hydration, damage to the kidneys may be a result. And, suddenly, by creating an ample diet, the damaged kidneys might not be able to handle this new wave of hydration, which may result in more severe consequences. And so, with hope and doubt mingling in our eyes, Nancy told her that we would visit her in a couple of days to check up on Daniela to make sure that was peeing adequately.
The team as a whole flew back to the States, but, bless God, that the rents were still got stay in town a few days. So, we took a family trip, grabbed one of our interpreters, and set out to Alotenango. Maria came carrying little Daniela on her back and we huddled to the side of a little street. Daniela looked better. She was alert, tracking people with her eyes, had gained weight and ……. she had been peeing about ten times per day! That means her kidneys had kicked in. Needless to say, Nancy was pretty much beaming and, all I had wanted to do was hold Daniela, of course. We celebrated and laughed.
Little did I know her story, and so I gently asked about her life. I learned that Maria was 30 and a single parent, with two older children and Daniela. Her husband had died about a month before Daniela was born, most likely from the result of being an heavy alcoholic, leaving her with barely any support. Her sister, who had a family of her own, tried to help her as much as she could, but it was not enough. Her church did not help her. And, with a newborn and breastfeeding, Maria was unable to return to her job cleaning at a hotel in a nearby town. She had tried to find cleaning jobs in her pueblo, but those were few and far between. As a result, she and her small family were barely surviving. It was no wonder that her milk supply was low due to such a weighty amount of stress and responsibility. She was doing the best she could, as countless numbers of Guatemalans and people around the world do every day. Her story mimics and intertwined with countless other stories here in the lives of such beautiful people.
Poverty is a twisted, evil thing. For those of us who have never truly experienced it, it is hard to grasp. I will not lie but say that sometimes I have thought…. there must be some resources that they have not tried yet or maybe people just don't work or try hard enough to get out of the situation they are in or maybe they are culpable at being where they are. Admittedly, of course, these reasons are true for some people. However, living and listening and walking with people living here in Guatemala in destitute poverty within a corrupt and broken system has overwhelmed my heart. There are barely any resources here. The Guatemalan educational system, medical system, governmental system, court and police systems, and transportation and farming systems are laced with corruption, exploitation, inequality, and racism. Abuse runs rampant in all its forms. And, Satan laughs.
And yet, here in the midst of such pain and despair, Maria smiles. And, her smile is genuine. She doesn't know if her son will be able to continue his education because she doesn't have enough money to pay for his uniform and books. She doesn't know if Daniela will thrive. She doesn't know if she will have enough support when the days are hard ahead of her. She does not know. And, so, she places her full trust in God to give her her daily bread. Her dependence on God is full.
"Listen, my dear brothers and sisters, has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?" -James 2:5
Thanks for learning with us!
-AJ & Alaina
thewestys.weebly.com
p.s. Some things we're into lately:
1. Book: Satsun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer - by Rosita Arvigo
2. Book: Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White: Who's More Precious in God's Sight? - by Leroy Barber
3. Movie (w/ popcorn, always): The Imitation Game
4. Activity: Apprenticing Myself in a Guatemalan Restaurant
5. Song: Pick Yourself Up - Tony Bennett
6. Song: Gracia Tan Gloriosa - Soluciones
7. Food: Smoothies for Breakfast
We had the joy of spending a week in the pueblos of Guatemala with Grace Ministries' group from Alabama and Michigan, including Mama & Papa Westy! You can find the a stor from the construction team on the blog, (and more pictures coming tomorrow!) and here is one beautiful story from the medical team. (Enter Alaina's voice)
The medical team settled down for a day in a small, dirt floor church in a pueblo called Alotenango. One person or family after another registered, took a seat in line, and waited patiently to see one of the nurses or doctors, who had been split up in to six stations. Little did I know that my incredible mother-in-law, Nancy, that day would meet a small family that we would all carry in hearts and worry over.
A mother and her 4mth old baby came in to the clinic. The baby was lethargic, urinating only about one time per day, and had gained only four pounds since her birth. Maria, the mother, was not able to produce enough breastmilk for Daniela, who was continually crying after feeding, and so she defaulted to the use of corn flour mixed with some water (which may or may not have been clean water). Many poor families in Guatemala use this to feed their children when money is running low. She was worried, and had every right to be. Her baby was showing the classic signs of failure to thrive and a potential of kidney damage. Mom, being the best Neonatal Nurse Practitioner around, talked with her, educated her, and sat with her. She gave her formula to use after the baby was done breastfeeding as a supplement and told her to return in two days. Thank God that two days later we would be coming back to the same pueblo.
Two days later, Maria and Daniela returned. Daniela, though still looking like a tiny little new-born, was alert and wide-eyed! She had been taking the formula after breastfeeding, urinating more (sweet relief!), and seemed to be more content after feedings per Maria, who smiled and smiled. I smiled and watched Mom give more formula to Daniela to see how she was doing with the bottle. However, doubt yet remained as to how Daniela was going to prosper. Her weight still had dropped. Furthermore, when a newborn struggles for adequate nutrition and hydration, damage to the kidneys may be a result. And, suddenly, by creating an ample diet, the damaged kidneys might not be able to handle this new wave of hydration, which may result in more severe consequences. And so, with hope and doubt mingling in our eyes, Nancy told her that we would visit her in a couple of days to check up on Daniela to make sure that was peeing adequately.
The team as a whole flew back to the States, but, bless God, that the rents were still got stay in town a few days. So, we took a family trip, grabbed one of our interpreters, and set out to Alotenango. Maria came carrying little Daniela on her back and we huddled to the side of a little street. Daniela looked better. She was alert, tracking people with her eyes, had gained weight and ……. she had been peeing about ten times per day! That means her kidneys had kicked in. Needless to say, Nancy was pretty much beaming and, all I had wanted to do was hold Daniela, of course. We celebrated and laughed.
Little did I know her story, and so I gently asked about her life. I learned that Maria was 30 and a single parent, with two older children and Daniela. Her husband had died about a month before Daniela was born, most likely from the result of being an heavy alcoholic, leaving her with barely any support. Her sister, who had a family of her own, tried to help her as much as she could, but it was not enough. Her church did not help her. And, with a newborn and breastfeeding, Maria was unable to return to her job cleaning at a hotel in a nearby town. She had tried to find cleaning jobs in her pueblo, but those were few and far between. As a result, she and her small family were barely surviving. It was no wonder that her milk supply was low due to such a weighty amount of stress and responsibility. She was doing the best she could, as countless numbers of Guatemalans and people around the world do every day. Her story mimics and intertwined with countless other stories here in the lives of such beautiful people.
Poverty is a twisted, evil thing. For those of us who have never truly experienced it, it is hard to grasp. I will not lie but say that sometimes I have thought…. there must be some resources that they have not tried yet or maybe people just don't work or try hard enough to get out of the situation they are in or maybe they are culpable at being where they are. Admittedly, of course, these reasons are true for some people. However, living and listening and walking with people living here in Guatemala in destitute poverty within a corrupt and broken system has overwhelmed my heart. There are barely any resources here. The Guatemalan educational system, medical system, governmental system, court and police systems, and transportation and farming systems are laced with corruption, exploitation, inequality, and racism. Abuse runs rampant in all its forms. And, Satan laughs.
And yet, here in the midst of such pain and despair, Maria smiles. And, her smile is genuine. She doesn't know if her son will be able to continue his education because she doesn't have enough money to pay for his uniform and books. She doesn't know if Daniela will thrive. She doesn't know if she will have enough support when the days are hard ahead of her. She does not know. And, so, she places her full trust in God to give her her daily bread. Her dependence on God is full.
"Listen, my dear brothers and sisters, has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?" -James 2:5
Thanks for learning with us!
-AJ & Alaina
thewestys.weebly.com
p.s. Some things we're into lately:
1. Book: Satsun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer - by Rosita Arvigo
2. Book: Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White: Who's More Precious in God's Sight? - by Leroy Barber
3. Movie (w/ popcorn, always): The Imitation Game
4. Activity: Apprenticing Myself in a Guatemalan Restaurant
5. Song: Pick Yourself Up - Tony Bennett
6. Song: Gracia Tan Gloriosa - Soluciones
7. Food: Smoothies for Breakfast