"We are the clay and You our potter" Isa 64:8

And another trip is officially in the books. Similar to many I have done in the past and yet very different. My first trip practicing as a fully license pediatrician though not the first operating independently. Definitely lots of firsts in the way of adventures. Being on a river that comes off the Amazon was breath taking. Being in the jungle. Staying on a boat and sleeping in a hammock. It was a lot of fun.  So now comes the time to reflect on what God taught me there. Because if it is only a great adventure then it is a waste. Did God show up? Did He change me? Did we do any real lasting good? I often struggle with these questions after short term trips knowing the dangers of doing them poorly. Well, I can say that I watched God take a group of essentially strangers and make them family all based on our relationship with Him. As it should be. And I watched these Americans blend with Peruvians to pour out love on people who desperately needed encouragement and love (as we a...

Today we returned to Pucallpa from being on the river. We were able to see about 500 patients between 5 villages over the past few days. Life on the boat was wonderful, minus the bugs of course. Laying in a hammock on top of the boat just watching the jungle pass by - I’m not sure the last time I was that relaxed and at peace. I’m usually listening to music or sermons or reading during travel times abroad, but this time I was content to just ‘be.’ We had a lot of patients that simply wanted some Tylenol or ibuprofen for normal aches and pains, many wanted treatment for parasites and just about all of them asked for vitamins. Yet sprinkled throughout, someone would open up and share something we could really help with. In the past few days I’ve seen all the rashes (fungus, bacteria, parasites and all), Dengue fever, chronic obstructive lung disease, a few precious newborn babies, undiagnosed Down’s syndrome, retinoblastoma, and septic mastitis. Each of the villages was small enough th...