A Healthy outside starts from the inside
Hello Dear friends,
I hope you and your loved ones are doing well. It’s hard to believe it’s been so long since I wrote my last blog update. Thank you for your patience, for always trusting, supporting and following my journey as I continue serving with my nursing skills to the kids, families and community of Education equal’s hope.
As you know my role with E=H is Coordinator of Health initiatives. I provide care for the students in the program and their families using a Holistic health approach, which has not only allowed me to ease their physical pain when they are sick, but also I get to watch them grow, walk alongside them and their families, pray for them, be a friend, mentor some of them and witness how God is working in and through them at a short age.
I have been involved in different activities and would like to share with you a little bit of what I have been doing in each one of them for the last months.
Holistic care sites
I continue working at Dios es amor church and Cristo liberador church full time, also helping at other churches sometimes, especially during the summer. I do nursing checkups for the kids in the program, their families and people from the church or neighborhood. I see, treat and referral different cases, such as malnutrition, parasites, Urinary tract infections, Indigestion, Gastritis, toothache, strep throat, depression, low self- esteem, etc.
I get to see God at work in every patient I see but I would like to share with you some stories 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.
Karina C.
Karina is a beautiful, bright, funny and loving little 10-year-old at Dios es amor church. Who tragically had to experienced trauma at a short age. Karina’s birth mom divorced her stepdad when she was about 5 years old, they moved to another part of the city, and her mom wouldn’t let her dad visit. At the new home Karina’s mom started drinking and dating different men, who sometimes will spend the night and sleep in the same room as Karina. Her mom will not feed her or send her to school; she will leave her unattended for many hours. When Karina’s stepdad and step grandmother found out about it, they took Karina in and claim custody over her. She moved in with her stepdad and stepmom, although her stepdad loved her very much and cared for her, he will go out to work all day and come back home late at night, her stepmom wasn’t very attentive and caring of her either. That’s when her step grandmother intervened and started looking after Karina.
When I first met Karina, she was very shy and wouldn’t talk that much, she complaint about chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath. We had to rule out it wasn’t a heart related problem. The Grandmother was very worried because these symptoms wouldn’t disappear and she didn’t have the recourses to cover the costs of the EKG and Lab exams that were needed for her diagnosis, so we help cover the cost.
Every exam came back clear; we couldn’t find out anything physically wrong with her. Her Grandmother told me when she was living with her birth mom, she had experience abandonment, lack of love, abuse, witness adult behaviors and activities a 6-year-old shouldn’t at a short age. We knew her symptoms were related to an emotional and mental problem rather than physical. I slowly gained her trust and her family; we provided therapy and love. She has regained love for herself and others around her, she continues learning how to gain more confidence, challenge negative thoughts and forgiving those who hurt her. We continue working with her because it’s a long process towards healing, but she knows she is not alone and has lots of people who love her and will protect her now.
Esteban P.
Esteban is a 4-year-old who lives with her grandmother, sister and brother. Was born with cardiac insufficiency and pulmonary hypertension. Her mom suffers from drug addiction and alcoholism; her dad passed away from cirrhosis 3 years ago. Esteban’s mom is barely in the house; she disappears for weeks and comes home when she is hungry or tries to get clean of drugs. Esteban’s grandmother tries her best to provide for the children’s food and shelter, she works recycling (going inside of dumpsters to find cartoon or plastic that could be sold for a few cents) They live in extreme financial need only surviving with $130 a month. Because of how severe his condition is, Esteban needs to be treated at a Children’s hospital in the city, to be checked by pediatricians, cardiologists and receive medication. We helped his mother and grandmother with the paperwork needed to get Esteban back in the public hospital, when Esteban’s mom was at home and being responsible for his care. He went to his doctor’s appointments for months and we helped the family financially to buy the prescribed medication he needed. For months he was stable, and his mom was helping him too. Unfortunately, his mom has relapse multiple times since and hasn’t been able to take him back to the hospital, He lost all of his following doctor’s appointments for not showing up, and the hospital wouldn’t admit him back until his mom shows up because she is the legal guardian.
For months we have provided of physical care as much as we can and are allowed to do. But we know he needs to go back to receive specialized care in the hospital. We are currently in the process of helping Esteban’s grandmother to fight for custody of her grandchildren, but it’s a slow process. In the meantime, we also provide of counseling for the whole family and medical checkups, I visit their home and provide of groceries I know they are in great need of. It’s definitely a complicated and heartbreaking case but through the pain and sorrow this family has gone through we have been able to see God’s hand at work, through prayer, medical care and relationship-based trust.
Health Workshops
My primary focus is health education and disses prevention, as part of this focus, I continue doing health workshops with the kids in both ministry sites. These workshops are a way to educate them. They learn and discuss different health topics (Oral hygiene, nutrition, mental health, first aid) Our Psychologist has also been helping us with mental health workshops for the parents, educating them regarding (Anxiety, crisis intervention, Abuse, depression)
Having these workshops for the kids and families are extremely important, because it encourages healthy behaviors, improves health literacy, and can reduce healthcare costs since it is a disses prevention measure.
Home visits
One of my favorite things about the job I do is building relationships and doing Ministry with the families in the scholarship program. I am not only a clinical nurse, I get to work with the families at a deeper level. Similar to Nurse Parishioner. I focus on the whole person, considering all the aspects to their well-being.
I love home visits, it is such a unique opportunity to connect with families in their own home, understand their needs, deprivations, resources, skills and their true reality. I do home visits at least once a month per church. Visiting an average of 12 families each month. Through these visits I support individuals and families facing health challenges with healthcare, strengthening intrafamilial relationships and connecting families to community resources.
Each family is different and beautiful. I have the privilege to be welcomed in their homes and feel like one of them. In each visit I bring groceries to them, intentionally buying more protein items, vegetables and fruits I know is hard for them to purchase on a daily basis. I also have the amazing privilege of providing support for both parental and child health, improving the children’s development and connecting families to community resources when they need.
Hope to others (H2Others)
One of Education equals hope initiatives is called H20thers – A program that provides water filters to cities that don’t have access to clean and filtered water. I have the wonderful opportunity to help coordinate, educate and distribute water filters in Esmeraldas, a city in the coast of Ecuador known for not having potable water. The tape water in Esmeraldas is not safe to drink due to high levels of contamination including bacterial, chemical, and heavy metals, which have been exacerbated by a recent oil spill. People need to boil water or buy bottled water to avoid health risks. Increasing the financial need in the family because they need to spend more money on gas, bottled water or medication due to parasites.
Clean water is essential for human health and well-being. With access to clean water, families can focus on their children’s education and building a better life rather than worrying about their next drink of water.
I am attaching below a story of hope from a family in Esmeraldas who received the water filter.
"My name is Antonia. My children names are Leonardo who is 4 years old and Camilo who is 8 months old, since we live in the countryside we don't get water often, but we have a well where we can collect water in the tanks, although there are a lot of mosquitoes and that makes us get sick often. Before having the filter, I used to boil the water, but we will still get sick with parasites. Now with the filter the water comes out clean, and it has saved us a lot of money on gas too. My oldest son even bathed in the filter water one time because he said he wanted to be really clean. Thank you and blessings to the people who made this donation possible. I hope one day the people who live around here can have a filter too".
Teams and Health clinics
Many of you know or have been a part of “Hope on the ground” The short-term team program of Education Equals hope. I collaborate with e=h short term teams during the year. I help either translating or hosting teams when needed. Elaborate and provide first aid kits to each team, train the summer interns on basic knowledge regarding first aid and CPR, so they know what to do in case an emergency arises while hosting a team.
This summer we had 11 teams; with 5 of those teams, we had the tremendous opportunity to host Health Clinics and health workshops at different churches for the first team. What a privilege was for me to work side by side such talented group of nurses, doctors, psychiatrist, audiologist, occupational therapist.
We helped over 200 patients during the summer, proving medical care, educational and preventive health through health workshops, covered important topics such as: sex education, women’s health, fall prevention, first aid+ CPR basic training. Having health clinics help us offer a holistic approach to e=h students, families and communities by treating physical, mental emotional and spiritual needs. Also help us build community and even filling critical gaps where the healthcare system is inefficient or sometimes nonexistent.
University Graduates e=h
Those of you who have known me for almost 10 years remember young Brenda, just a girl with a big dream. To become a nurse and use her nursing skills to serve those in need while sharing the gospel and love of God. You may also remember I had to raise my own funds to pay for college, many of you helped me through e=h. I remember being scared about fundraising and a little skeptical. Why would anyone like to help me pursue my dream? The don’t even know me! Little did I know that God had other plans and they were bigger than I had imagine. When I graduate from college in 2021, the Lord in his endless love and faithfulness provided more financial support than needed through the generosity of so many wonderful people, I get to call friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Allowing us to send other 5 students to college with the money I had fundraised once.
This year we celebrate and praise God for the life of these 5 incredibly smart and talented young people who have accomplished this goal. Their graduation represents resilience, dedication, perseverance, love and hope. May God bless them as they continue a new chapter of life, full of love and passion to use their skills to make positive change in the world. May they continue learning, growing, achieving, and believing always.
Dear friend if you are reading this, please know that you are part of the change, thanks to you I can provide medical care while sharing the gospel at the same time. Every time I hand out groceries to families, medication to a sick patient, give a hug to a kid who is suffering depression, help someone who can’t afford to pay lab exams I think about you and see you in every action you help me accomplish for the wellbeing of all these people. You are part of this. Thank you for believing and supporting this Ministry.
May God continue to shine light upon you, give you many blessings and grant you peace, health and love forevermore.
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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