SRU in Peru: Midnight Symphony

The last two weeks seem to have flown by, and today we found ourselves at our last full day in the clinic… what a bittersweet day! As always, we saw a plethora of different kinds of people from a few months old to 80 years young, and worked as a team to determine the best way to treat each patient.

One of my favorite patients of the day was an older gentleman that had been in an accident about a year ago. After the accident he had to get an amputation of an entire leg (a hip disarticulation). Since the accident he had been almost completely dependent on his caregivers; he hadn’t been able to stand up (his daughter had to carry him everywhere), bathe himself, or do many of the things we take for granted each day. Initially he just told us that he wanted a wheelchair so he could have some more freedom, but once we started talking to him and seeing what he could do, we knew that he was capable of functioning at a higher level. Working together with Sara and the OT, we were able to teach him how to transfer with a standard walker from his wheelchair to another chair or bench, give him a reacher to help him put on his clothes, and give him a tub bench so he could take showers instead of just a sponge bath every couple of days. He was very agreeable during our appointment, but I didn’t realize how thankful he was until the very end when he started crying and praising the Lord that he would have the ability to help care for himself now… Even though we didn’t speak the same language, I knew what he was saying before the translator relayed the message. I just felt so blessed in that moment to be here working with people that don’t expect a lot, but are so incredibly grateful for everything they do get. This man really touched me and I was just overwhelmed with the knowledge of how good God is and how amazing it is that he can use such a broken person like me to help other people. I feel so fortunate and so blessed to be in an occupation where I can impact others (and they really impact me as well!). This mans attitude of thankfulness was so refreshing and encouraging to me.

We started packing up this afternoon when we got back from the clinic, since tomorrow is our last day in Arequipa. We didn’t get much time to be sad though, because we went out for an AMAZING dinner with the team at Señor Carbone (a buffet-type steakhouse). It was a great time to just hang out with all of the folks we got to know so well over the last two weeks and celebrate our time together.

We have so much to be thankful for! This experience has been unlike anything I could have imagined, and I have learned so much! God is good all the time, and I feel so fortunate for the gift of his grace and glad for the opportunities he gives to let us serve as his hands and feet. As Psalms 100 says: “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Thanks for your continued support and prayers! :-) We look forward to blogging again with you soon!

Hasta luego!

Allie