Every journey to healing begins with Hope.
Dear friends, I hope you are doing well and enjoying the little things in life that sometimes we take for granted. The last months have been full of excitement, new opportunities, changes, and witnessing miracles.
I would like to update you on how things are going for me in my new role as Coordinator of Health Initiatives for Education Equals Hope. I promise you will enjoy reading every little story I’m about to share with you. So, get ready!
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21
HOLISTIC CARE SITES
In my last blog post I shared with you that my care plan will be focusing on whole person health (body, mind, and spirit) Using a Holistic health approach to wellness that simultaneously addresses the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual components of health.
That’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s been amazing to help facilitate the resources we have, to help people in what they really need and not just what we think they need. At the moment I work with two churches (Cristo Liberador and Dios es amor church) where we have implemented health initiatives and have created “Holistic care centers” these are spaces (consulting rooms) where we treat every patient as an individual child of God addressing all the components of a person’s wellbeing to heal the cause of the problem (disease). It is a safe space where we get to provide care to any type of need people have and walk alongside every person’s healing journey.
I get to go to these churches every week. There I see at least 30 patients a week, I have faced different issues. That can go from a common cold to strep throat, to Urinary tract infections, to malnutrition, to Bell’s palsy, to low self- esteem, depression and many more.
I also have encountered several heart-breaking stories that shock you on move your world in a way you never thought before. I get to see God at work in every patient I see but I would like to share with you some cases where I have been able to not only see God’s love, but to witness transformation, revival and growth through healthcare.
Note: The following stories have the owner’s authorization to be shared. Names will be changed due to patient’s privacy confidentiality.
Esther Quito, 72 years (Diabetes/ abandonment/ poverty)
Anita is one of the sweetest grandmas there is. I met her at Cristo Liberador church, she is part of their seniors’ program. When she came for a consult, she didn’t complain about anything. It was almost like she just wanted to talk to someone. In fact, we talked for about an hour. Little by little and asking the right questions I found out she lives by herself; she has children, but they don’t visit her or are involved in her life or basic needs. I was preoccupied when she told me she had a hyperglycemic shock a couple months ago and she almost dies, so I checked her glucose level, and it was really high. I started asking questions about how she handles her insulin. Turns out she was rationing her insulin because she didn’t have the money to buy more, she was reusing her syringes and because she didn’t have the money there were times she would skip meals. I was heartbroken when she cried saying “I miss mi children, they haven’t come to visit in months, but I don’t want to bother them with my problems so whenever I call them, I don’t tell them there are days that I only eat one meal a day. I know they also struggle economically”
Thanks to your donations and support I was and continue being able to help her buy her insulin when she can’t afford it, I also buy groceries (mainly protein and vegetables, which are harder to buy on her own). I love getting to be part of her life and be of support when she feels like there’s no one around, by getting to know her I also can tell when she needs help but she’s too afraid or scared to ask.
Fernanda, 40 years (lack of knowledge and carelessness about women’s health)
Fernanda is a hardworking person, she tries her best to take care of her family and everyone, she tries to give so much to others that she forgets to take care of herself sometimes. When she came for a consult, she was terrified of some of her symptoms but somehow, she still managed to smile and laugh during our conversation, because she is one of those people who shine and are fun to be around. After a round of questions, she finally came out clean and told me what she had been going through. She had these hard and painful symptoms for almost two years. She will go to the pharmacy and get something for the pain, which will go away but always come back. She was afraid and embarrassed the healthcare providers would say she is irresponsible for letting it get so bad or call her unsanitary so she didn’t want to seek professional help at first, but when she tried to get help, she couldn’t because she doesn’t have insurance, so she never went to the doctor. She tried going to a public free clinic, but they didn’t have appointments available for months, she tried going to hospitals, but they will turn her away saying it is not an emergency. For months and months, she was worried but tried to avoid thinking about it because she didn’t have the money to get checked up.
After lab tests and ultrasound. Our doctor was able to give her a diagnosis and treatment, which thanks to your donations I was able to buy for her and cover all the costs of her exams. Now I educate her and do prevention on different topics a woman should know and sometimes is afraid or embarrassed to ask for. I get to answer all the questions she has and encourage her to talk about these topics with her daughter as well.
Lopez Sisters 12, 9 years old (Orphans/ Depression/Shock after losing their parents and getting separated from their siblings)
This case is one of those where you get a little mad at God at first and then you thank him because even through the pain you still get to see his glory and love shining upon his children. These sisters and their 4 siblings were born and raised in the jungle of Ecuador, they lost their dad in 2021 due to a terrible accident, after a few months her mom who was depressed after losing her husband and committed suicide. Their mom had 3 sisters, who were able to take care of the children after their parents passed away, each sister adopted two siblings, but that meant they were all going to live in different houses. The oldest ones stayed in the jungle, the youngest ones (twins) in Quito with one aunt. Paula and Victoria with another aunt also in Quito. One of their aunts happens to be a Cristo Liberador Church member and that’s how we got connected to them and learn about what happened. The church community has been so generous with the 4 children who live in Quito, people have donated clothes, food, school supplies, they also belong to E=H scholarship program.
I have had the amazing opportunity to do health checkups on them, give them vitamins, make sure they have the right high and weight for their age, talking about body changes, etc. After such a traumatic experience you would think, they will go to therapy, but unfortunately mental health is not valued here, and people don’t have free access to it. Thanks to your donations I have hired a psychologist to work with us part time; and let me tell you. It’s been a huge blessing to this community!
Thanks to the therapy Victoria and Paula are receiving they are overcoming their trauma and fears. They still have a long way to go, but it’s been wonderful to witness how they are more open to talk now, they smile more and come to me when they need help.
Brianna, 10 years (severe Lice case/ severe family abandonment issues/ severe parent’s addictions)
I met this beautiful girl months ago during my first week at Dios es amor church. When I met her, she was really shy and afraid, she didn’t want to talk to anybody. I was told by church leaders that they believed she had lice on her hair, but she wouldn’t let anyone touch it. After I ensure her, I was not going to harm her in any way and she could trust me, I looked at her head and it amazed me how much lice she had, I had never seen a case as severe as hers, it was so bad that it has spread to her back and stomach, she had multiple scars after scratching for so long. I found out she had this problem for about a year. I know you must be wondering, what about the parents? Didn’t they notice? Turns out her parents were addicts, her dad passed away, her mom lives in the streets and sometimes comes home when she needs shelter. Now she lives with her grandma and two siblings in a small, rented room. The grandma tries her best to take her of them, but she only makes enough money to survive. She didn’t notice Brianna was going through this lice problem. After treating her for a month (4 cleaning sessions and a haircut) she regained confidence in herself, she started laughing and smiling more, playing with other kids. Now when you look at her, she is like a new person.
We took care of one of her biggest needs at that time, but I continue working with her, her mom, Granma and family. Not only on the importance of hygiene, eating healthy, studying, but the importance of mental and emotional health, prevention of drug use, abuse, and other personal issues this family is going through.
I could keep sharing other stories with you of all the things I am getting to do in this new role and how God is at work in our Ministry sites, but it will be too long. I will continue sharing more stories in my future blog posts, I want you to feel like you know these people because even though you don’t know them in person you play an important role in the help they are receiving.
INTERN TRAINING WEEK
During this summer I got to hang out with these lovely interns, learn from them and had the opportunity to teach them and care for them as well. I gave them a CPR and First Aid training, so they will have basic knowledge in case an emergency arises during the summer. It is important to have some basic knowledge on how to handle critical situations, because it can keep things from going from bad to worse. I also was their first contact in case of any emergency, the one in charge of providing first aid kits and making sure everyone knows how to handle any short of emergency and help facilitate and resolve health problems with some of our teams.
SUMMER TEAMS
I had the amazing opportunity of hanging out and helping with some of our teams while they were in Ecuador. The first team I got to hang out with was St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Augusta, GA. This is a very special team for me because I’ve known some of the members for many years, they are like a second family to me, and I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for their continuous support and love.
With this team we had the incredible privilege of honoring Pete Way’s life through a pop-up clinic. Pete was a Military Physician Assistant who had a beautiful heart and love serving others in many ways. He was supposed to come to Ecuador to work with me in the clinic, but the Lord called him home before that happen. His wife, Anne and the team generously donated medical supplies to us, so we can continue running our Holistic Care Centers
What a beautiful way to honor and keep his memory alive than through the selfless act of love and care for others even when our physical bodies are no longer here, but our spirits are, and are the ones who can be a light in the middle of darkness.
We did a pop-up clinic, where we got to do Health checkups and education to some of the church members of Cristo Liberador. One of the team members, Ricky is a nurse and he helped me run the clinic and serve our patients with the love and care they deserve.
The team also worked on construction and other projects they church had. It was amazing to see how the church community got along so well with this team and even though they didn’t speak the same language they all communicated in the language of love.
The second team I had the amazing opportunity to hang out with was St. Martin’s in the fields Episcopal Church – Columbia, SC. It was my first time helping with a Pilgrimage team and E=H first time welcoming one. I’m so incredibly thankful I was able to meet the people I met on this team. They showed me love, compassion, equity, consciousness about our planet and how God has created us so beautiful and perfectly made into his image.
We explore the city of Quito, went to the jungle and Galapagos. The team’s pilgrimage focus was on creation, and the importance of taking care of our planet. We all know the earth provides beauty to inspire us and food to sustain us. But its capacity to do so is under threat. We know that we must take action to help protect the earth. Having an opportunity such as admiring God’s creation though nature creates consciousness in all of us and encourages us to change our bad habits and even though the changes and actions we make to protect God’s creation might be seen as little compared to what destroys it. We know it is better to do something than to do nothing.
Having a team that explores the beauty of nature in Ecuador, reflecting every day on it, taking what they have learned back to their homes and country. Using it to change other people’s minds, and create consciousness about its importance in society, creates a multiplier effect which is the start to an unstoppable force for change.
The third and fourth team I enjoyed the company of was St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Christ Church Episcopal – Greenville, SC. We had a wonderful time with these two teams, although it wasn’t enough time. Both teams work at Cristo Liberador doing construction, participating in a women’s retreat, home visits, educational classes, and helping in different projects.
The team from Christ Church was one of the biggest blessings for my ministry of Health Initiatives, they generously donated a lot of medical supplies that I had requested. I was blown away by their generosity and love. Thanks to their donations and every other team or individuals who have donated supplies or donated towards my ministry I am able to continue helping people and spreading the gospel through holistic health.
We also held a nutrition class for the youth of Cristo Liberador Church and did health checkups to some church members. It was wonderful to have Celeste, team member who is a nurse and did a marvelous job leading the nutrition class and help with nursing assessments and education to the patients.
The last but not least was a team from Grace Church in the Mountains and First United Methodist church – Waynesville, NC. I got to host this team for a couple of days, we went to Dios es Amor church and help run a soccer tournament, clean up the church, the garden, the streets around the church and invite neighbors to play soccer with church members. We had a lot of fun learning from our similarities and differences. I am so thankful for teams like this one, who have people whose message is love and you can see Jesus through their actions and the way they make you feel seen, love and valued.
Some pics from home visit with some of our teams
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. 32 Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”.
Matthew 6:25,32,33
Sometimes I worry about provision. Will I fundraise enough money? Will I find more sponsors? Will people get bored of donating? There are so many other things I want to do and so many other supplies, resources I want to have in order to help as much as we can to those in great need of health care. Every time I start doubting God lets me know he’s in control. He puts the right people at the right time to make things happen. Like he knows what I need, and he says “Hey, here it is!”
Because of people like you who took the time to read this post, for your love, for your spiritual or financial support I get to spread the gospel through nursing. Thanks to your generosity I have hired to work with me part time a general medicine doctor and a psychologist, so slowly we can cover the needs each person from church or the community have. From spiritual needs to mental or physical needs. We know it's all connected. My desire is to make people feel seen, loved, cared for and help them in their healing journeys so they can achieve that state of wholeness we all deserve.
Remember that you play an important role in what God is doing through me to help those in need in Ecuador. Thanks for not giving up on me, the people I work with and so many other people who dreams to make the world a better place. May God bless you and let you continue shining light in the world.
SOMETHING YOU CAN PRAY FOR
Please pray for my mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Please pray for my ministry, that will be of blessing in the lives of those I am serving.
Please pray for my family, church family and family by choice.
Please pray for all the patients I see every week, pray for their wellbeing, their health, economy and family
Please pray for all my supporters and friends who make it possible for me to continue serving.
Please pray for Education Equals Hope, their staff, and projects.
Please pray for Provision, that God will continue providing all of us who want to serve those in need.
Please pray for Ecuador, for its government and leaders. For the vulnerable and voiceless, that God may bring justice to those who have suffered injustice.
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