Benedicks in Ecuador

 Download PDF of this Newsletter 1/26/2010        www.benedicks4jesus.blogspot.com

Bugs, Bandages, Babies, and Benedicks 

After a month in Shell we figured it was about time to send out an official update. Most of the stories you’ll find below are from our blog www.benedicks4jesus.blogspot.com so you can check out more of our daily life there if you’d like. Thank you for being part of the work we’re doing here in Shell. 

Creativeness counts on the mission field.  

When there’s no watercolor paper to be  

found, you can always use your own skin. 

Tales from the Hospital  

It was 2:00 o'clock in the morning, I was on-call, and our phone rang.   The voice on the other line calmly told me that I should make my way to the hospital.  I thought I heard something about "transito," which would indicate a motor vehicle accident (I barely catch a word of Spanish when it's spoken over the phone).  Whenever I get called, I just head to the hospital to find out what's going on.

Upon arriving at the ER, I found that we were dealing with a major trauma victim.  Several sites where broken and bleeding.  We're always taught to go through the ABC's--Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.  For the time being, he didn't seem to be having any trouble with the A or B, but his ability to circulate blood effectively was definitely compromised by his many injuries.   His heart rate had climbed into the 150s.  The long bone in each leg was visibly broken, and the toes on his right foot where extremely pale.  An injury to his head was bleeding fairly rapidly, and his level of consciousness was depressed.  We had lots of help that night from the residents and medical students who were working.  I quickly called in our surgeon, Dr. Graham.  It didn't take long before he was there, along with one of our anesthesiologists, Dr. Suarez, and an orthopedic surgeon from a neighboring community who has been helping us out while Dr. Wolff is in Haiti.  I didn't even know who had called everyone, but I was just thankful to have them all there!  Our medical students maintained traction (pulled) on his legs to reduce the broken legs back into their usual positions.  This maneuver thankfully made the color return to his right foot.  Apparently a major artery in his leg was being compressed by the fractured bone.

In the midst of our efforts to stabilize the patient, we brought him over to the x-ray department to get some films and we all had a few moments to reflect on what was going on.  During these moments, we decided that this gentlemen needed to be transferred to a place with a neurosurgeon and a CT scanner.  A glance at the patient's father, who had been staying by the patient's side during the entire process, also made me reflect on the fact that we were dealing with a precious soul--what if that were my son Caleb laying on the table?  More prayers were said in my head.

As he was prepared for transfer, his fractures reduced and his head laceration repaired, we placed an endotracheal tube using our GlideScope (thank you Verathon) to ensure that the "A" of the ABC's wouldn't be lost during the long drive.  The delivery from our blood bank arrived, and our patient began to receive red blood cells as fast as his IVs could deliver them.  We sent him on his way, and we were thankful to find out that he had safely arrived at his destination.  In a situation like this one, what a privilege it was to have such a great team of people working together, and an amazing God intervening in all of our lives.  My limitations will constantly be stretched during my work at our hospital here in Shell, but it's so comforting to know that I'm not on my own.  

Kristina’ s Korner

We're well settled into our home in Shell and are establishing our routines.  There are new things we're getting used to every day (like the 'pet' tarantula we have outside our bedroom window that makes an appearance every night) and some things that are already seeming part of normal life (like walking to four different stores to buy: bread, vegetables, meat, and diapers).               

Caleb loves his new missionary friends....                      And the strange bugs we find outside....  

And now that Jael is walking she loves to sneak out the screen doors if I don't lock them and pick all the beautiful jungle flowers we have growing in our yard.

I'm learning to live a more quiet life and though at times I wouldn't mind jumping in the car and heading to Target or Costco, God is teaching me to pray in the midst of my day and enjoy the many things that in the states I seemed too rushed to notice... how the birds sing right after a rainstorm...how funny it is when my children are cover in mud (and that it's not just a mess to clean up) ... what fun a swing can be.

Take time to enjoy Him and His creation today. 

                              Prayer Requests…

·         Please pray for the LaBouef family. Their two year old son Joshua passed away in a drowning accident. Pray that the family will know God's unconditional love and we as a missionary community will know how to best support them. 

·         That we will know which ministries to be involved in at Shell and that many in the local community will come to know Jesus. 

·         That the local Nazarene church in Shell will know how to proceed to minister to a new indigenous group in the jungle. 

·         For our house situation. We don't know what will happen with it, but God does. The previous offer on our house fell through, and we're not sure if we'll be able to sell it via short sale. Pray that the house won't hinder our ability to minister. 

       and Praises

·         The Lord is continuing to bring us closer as a family. 

·         Dan has been able to use his Spanish efficiently in the hospital. 

·         Caleb is getting along very well with the other missionary children on the compound. 

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