Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Poverty Kills

I wish I could put photos of all those I have met who are sick or dying because of poverty! Poverty is a generational disease passed down to many and it is killing people.
During the last few months I have seen it in our own lives and the lives of so many others who fill the waiting rooms of hospitals and laboratories!
We just received a gift in the bank when Paulino started getting sick! He wanted to roof Jose new bedroom he is building! I wanted to buy a new water pump and bigger water tank maybe some warm clothes for Gianna! However we bought lab tests, two ultrasounds, medicine and gas to get us to all these places.
In December my brother in law sent my mother in law money and that week we found out she needed an echocardiogram!
We then found out she needed a pacemaker that would cost one year salary because the insurance we have does not cover major things! However we later found out we could put her onto my sister in law's insurance that would cover the whole thing minus the gas!  Friday we signed her up for insurance and Tuesday she was in an ambulance on the way to Ensenada. Layed in emergency for 4 days waiting for a bed! Then another 4 days waiting to see the cardioligist! Thursday afternoon they put in the pacemaker and Friday afternoon we were home. In Mexico a family member stays with the patient or in the waiting room usually 24-7. So between my sister in law and I we were able to stay with her the entire time. One of us would sleep in the emergency waiting room and the other on the floor near her bed. You are required to take care of the patient except for putting in IVs and such, what the nurses would do in the western world, we did.
We met so many people there in our same situation. I actually have a new friend, Sanjuana, please pray for her and her family! They have been there for about a month with her mom. Instead of her being helped into the gurney she had no strength, so she fell to her knees and had a sore on her back, which they did not realize until they took her home a week after she entered! They brought her back that same day.
Omar a 37 year old had been 2 months in a diabetic coma and was at home doing fine when he had a heart attack! On a Sunday there was no one in the insurance hospital to help him, so his mom drove around until she found a hospital to help! Every credit card was used with every neighbor helping and money came to pay the value of at least 3 years salary, if not paid up front they would not operate. He never got better so his mom brought him back to the insurance hospital where she was told half of his heart is dead and there is no hope! Please pray for the entire family, his mom was an amazing woman so concerned with helping Jose! Omar is home on meds and I know God did not take him out of a coma for nothing!
So all of this to say!!!
What about the others! What about those who do not have amazing supporters to bless them with the cash they need! What about those who do not have someone to put them under their medical care and are stuck with the government insurance. What if Paulino would have had stones and we could not do the ultrasound! What if....
Please pray for those families that we have met but please pray for so many others who are dying because of lack of money. Eternal life is a free gift and will cost them nothing!

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Gas Strikes!

My heart is just breaking I am not sure if I can handle any more so forgive me if I am dumping but I need to get it out NOW!
Please forgive me if I offend someone it is not meant to, just to inform you!
Many have commented about the gas price it is not about that it is about the fact that it takes 6 hours of work for one gallon! For the fact that the field workers strike resulted in very little! And that many feel they should be paid a fair wage for back breaking work. I was recently in the states for 6 weeks and during that time of grocery shopping I did not see that many things were priced differently than groceries  here in Mexico. However the hourly minimum rate in the states and other countries is our daily rate for 10 hour days and actually the peso is less now. I am finding it hard to understand why people who do not even own cars are out protesting and losing money for work when those of us with cars are inside the house saving the gas for when this is all over!
Why are so few people out on the streets protesting and the roads are blocked with things not protestors!
Paulino needed to go to emergency this morning and I needed to take my mom in law to the doctor in Ensenada but since our truck looks similar to a federal police truck I did not want to tempt those who are mad at the government!
It is getting easeir for me to understand why people do things like take to the streets to get better wages, Cesar Chavez was made famous for it! However there is not much publication or press internationally around here! There is not many people saying we stand with Mexico!
We are here to change hearts and pray that as they follow Jesus and He provides their every need! They will leave poverty and have plenty to share with others while sharing Jesus with them.
Yesterday we had no rice for ourselves and I received a phone call from a friend saying are you going to be home later I am passing by your part of town! She brought tons of stuff! She seems to show up unexpected and unknowing of our needs! Paulino spent the rest of the day making up bags of food for the seniors who really need food in this cold time!
So no life is not about gas and the fact that it costs some 15 minutes of work a gallon and some 6 hours of work a gallon! IT IS ABOUT BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTY!
IT IS ABOUT LOVING THEM WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS AND DOING WHAT WE CAN TO CHANGE ONE LIFE AT A TIME!