Finally back in Guatemala! - the trip in photos

Paul Murphy and Randy Stewart traveled to Jalapa, Guatemala April 10-16. Because of the pandemic, it was our first visit since October 2019. Below are pictures that tell the story better than words. Some exciting news is shared at the end of this photo gallery. 

Above: The downtown church in Jalapa, the starting point of each day. Lodging was located and meals were served in a building behind the open sanctuary.

Sunday afternoon: a children's service at El Terrero, one of the three mission churches supported by the downtown Jalapa church. At night this can be a dangerous place, but everyone was all smiles that day after placing their stickers on the crosses.

Medicines arrived in Jalapa from the U.S. just in time! Special thanks to DHL, an Atlanta-based international package delivery company, for helping Four Friends International get these needed medicines to their destination.

In addition to the medicines, boxes of medical supplies were included in the shipment. Many thanks to Dr. John Boggess of Guntersville, Alabama for donating these supplies and to Phil Garrison of DHL for handling the logistics of the shipment.

We have two new nurses. Above right is Yoselin who is the nurse at Los Pinos. She lives with her young son in the apartment at the rear of the clinic. Standing to the left is Lilian, nurse at Los Laureles since 2015.

Cleydi, also a new nurse, divides her time between the two clinics. She lives in Jalapa.

Monday at Los Pinos clinic: This boy, Alberto, has a vascular abnormality that has caused his left ear to enlarge to the point that his hearing is beginning to deteriorate. Because of the generosity of supporters of Four Friends International, medication is being supplied to him and funding for eventual surgery has been pledged.

Tuesday: delivering bags of food to people who live at the city dump. Each bag cost $15 and provided food for a family for one week. (above: Lilian presents the food to a mother and her child)

These young people from the church in Jalapa helped prepare the bags of food for the dump residents. [from left to right, front: Karina (office worker at Los Laureles clinic), Kelly (office worker at Los Laureles), Vanessa; from left to right, back: Vidal, Mynor (office worker at Los Pinos), Luis (security at Los Pinos), Wendy, Cleydi (nurse)]

The city of Jalapa, as seen from the city dump. The clinic and the church at Los Laureles are located about 400 yards from the dump.

Paul with a young girl at the dump who is receiving her education through the Matthew 9:36 Project.

a child at the dump in front of a house made out of trash

This is Kimberly and her grandmother. She has bilateral congenital hip dysplasia (both hips were born dislocated). She has had surgery on one hip but needs the other hip corrected soon to be able to walk. Thanks to the generosity of supporters of Four Friends International, money has been supplied for the surgery, which has been scheduled in Guatemala City for June 7. Please pray for a successful operation. God willing, we will be able to share a video of her walking sometime this summer.

Wednesday: a morning and afternoon clinic at El Divisadero, a mountain community about a fifteen-minute drive from Jalapa 

a precious couple treated at El Divisadero who have been married "too long to remember"

Thursday morning: a clinic higher up the mountains, at Laguna Del Pito. This is another community that could be served by a Four Wheels Clinic.

This is one of the reasons people have headache and neck pain a lot in Guatemala. Ibuprofen and muscle relaxers were received with gratitude.

Children and their parents and grandparents came to receive vitamins and anti-parasite medications. 

Thursday afternoon: Even higher in the mountains, a clinic was set up in the open air in a very poor community.

The views from this mountain community were spectacular!

This man was the political leader ("mayor") of the community. He told us that this clinic was the first medical care ever to take place within the village itself. 

It's a very poor village. No electricity. No cell phones. No automobiles. No one requesting medicine for diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease (because no one has been diagnosed yet). It was like entering another world! The video above is of the women washing their clothes. If the Four Wheels Clinic becomes a reality, these people will receive medical care on an ongoing basis.

Thursday night: the volunteers were treated to a dinner at a local restaurant. Pictured is Jesus, the driver, with a meal fit for a king (or two).

Exciting News!!

An extremely generous and timely donation was made to Four Friends International in April, designated specifically for the Four Wheels Clinic. The sum is sufficient to completely fund a mobile clinic for over a year. Preparations for the clinic have begun, and in October the mobile unit will begin to bring medical care to the mountain communities Monday through Friday of each week. Praise to God for His wonderful provision! And thanks to this donor who has answered God's call and made this possible!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The North Alabama Golf Classic returns Saturday August 7 after a year's absence. This year's classic will be held at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Arab. Proceeds from the charity event will help fund the two existing clinics and Operation Amalia (the diaper ministry to infants at the dump) and will help the mobile clinic be able to continue into year two. Details of the event will be provided in the next update.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THIS MINISTRY!

Because of your generosity, funds are available to operate the clinics at Los Laureles and Los Pinos, as well as Operation Amalia through the month of August. And funds are available to keep the Four Wheels Clinic rolling through the end of 2022.

Next Trip to Guatemala: October 9-15, 2021

Next Update: July 2021