Mountain Bible Church
Volume 22 Issue 3 -- March 2010
Tehachapi has some of the best sports fans of any community I have
witnessed. But the Canadian Women’s Hockey fans may have reached an all time
high. In the medal ceremony of the Olympics they began chanting “USA – USA --
USA” as their chief rival from the United Stated stepped onto the silver medal
platform. These same fans were certainly cheering for their own country to beat
the USA and win the gold in women’s hockey but they also wanted to show their
respect for the ladies on the team they had just beaten and honor them in an
audible, tangible way. When two ladies from our hockey team spoke about it in an
interview, they were noticeably moved by what the Canadian fans did.
The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver B.C. has been going the past couple weeks
and we have been privileged to witness some amazing sportsmanship. We
watched one of USA’s downhill and slalom skiers, Lindsey Vonn, gasp in panic
when a Canadian rival fell on her ski run. She was happy to win the gold in that
race but we loved that her first response to the fall of her rival was sincere
concern for her well being.
I can’t help connecting that quick unprotected response of Lindsey Vonn in
showing heartfelt concern for her chief rival from Canada when she fell, to the
response of these Canadian fans to our women’s hockey team. I read that even
during the match against the USA for the gold, the Canadian fans cheered good
plays our ladies made. That’s as it should be but all too often isn’t. Good
sportsmanship is contagious. Thank you Lindsey Vonn and thank you Canadian
women’s hockey fans.
We love to see sports fans practice good sportsmanship. Winning is
everything! Not the team who wins a sporting contest but the community or even
nation who understands that good sportsmanship wins every time. It
demonstrates that we believe people are more important than contests. The
‘Good Will’ gained by good sportsmanship is far more consequential than the
outcome of a contest.
When the Bible speaks on the subject of athletic contests, Paul reminds us that
these athletes compete for rewards that last for a brief time while we are earth
bound. At the same time he reminds us that we are in a contest of sorts whose
orientation is that even though we are on a team, (The Church), we are
individually accountable to God to be involved. But how we can know what we
should be involved with? There are some important considerations in answering
this question but most importantly, it must be answered by each Christian.
Christ’s Church represents vast and widely varied opportunities and needs that
all seem to be calling for our involvement. So listening to God’s call upon our life
and following His leading is the essential result, but how can we be sure we are
not making a mistake?
Letting go of such fears is the first step and starting in some ministry is the
second step. Remember that God is never surprised by your desire to get
involved in ministry and has been preparing you even before you were born. Your
natural abilities are God-given and most likely you are intended to use them in
ministry. Your deeply felt interests and concerns are also given to you by God
and should be directed to ministry. Spiritual Gifts will be more easily identified as
you see where you are being effective in giving spiritual encouragement, example,
and instruction to fellow Christians.
Fellow Christians aren’t on an opposing team by any means but sometimes we
treat them like they are. And, sometimes we can be more courteous and
respectful to our known enemies than we are to our fellow team members.
An important principle is that we never put down the sincere efforts of fellow
Christians in ministry, we commit to either helping them do it better or redirect
them to another ministry; e.g. we never jeer, gossip, or make fun of someone who
volunteered to help with the nursery when he seems to always make the babies
cry. We simply ask them to move to an older group whom he relates to better.
People are always more important than the task they are attempting to accomplish!
Another principle is that we learn to applaud the ministries they do well, and
give respect and honor to them for their involvement. Remember the Norwegian
speed skater who lost a gold medal for finishing on the wrong lane? We might
easily criticize both he and his coach but they both feel bad enough already.
While our hearts go out to them both, we still honor this skater as the best and
fastest skater in the world at that distance. When you finish a particular race
(ministry) in the wrong lane, you too will be honored for getting into the race!!!
In response to a German Bobsledder who withdrew from making his final run in
the contest saying he was too frightened to sled down that track again, his coach
responded that he always thought the Olympics were where one overcame their
fears and participated anyway. Everyone has fears of failure, the point is to
confront those fears and participate anyway giving all you are capable of giving.
Paul said that in each contest there is only one prize so strive that you might
win. 1st Don’t let yourself become disqualified. 2nd Remember, your life is the
contest and only you can determine if you will either win or lose. 3rd You can’t
finish unless you start. 4th You won’t start unless you overcome your fear of
losing.
Have a wonderful March, Your Pastor
Seder Dinner
March 28, 5:00-7:00
$6 per person
What is a Seder Service? When is it celebrated and for what purpose? Why,
as a Christian, would I want to know these things? The Seder Service is observed
at Passover. The service has been designed to show God’s redemptive grace, in
the Passover, through the death, burial and resurrection of His Messiah, the Lord
Jesus. It is a wonderful meal that begins with much symbolism and ends with much
hope. Please join your church family as we share the Seder experience. This
event is for your whole family to enjoy, anyone ages 0 through 100, however,
childcare will be available for infants through 4 year-olds. Watch your weekly
bulletin for more details.
Easter Breakfast
It’s always the right time to ask a friend or neighbor to join you in worship on
Sunday but, April 4th will be a great time to introduce new people to the warm
atmosphere here at Mountain Bible Church.
Why April 4th you say? That is Easter Sunday and there will be lots of ways to
connect with people.
Starting at 7:30a.m. (that’s right, A.M.), breakfast will be available for the very
reasonable price of $3 for children and $4 for adults. Then, at 8:30, in room 3,
The Truth Project will be presented.
Also, at 8:30 and 10:30, you can be a part of an amazing worship service.
During the 8:30 and 10:30 services the children’s department will be hosting an
Easter Egg Hunt. With all that is going on you can see what an outstanding
opportunity this is to invite your friends. Don’t miss this chance to share the
Easter message!
Poppy Trails To You!
Senior Field Trip to the Poppy Reserve - April 1st (Thursday) we are hosting a
field trip to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve outside Lancaster for
our Seniors and their friends. Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy
Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland
habitat. Meeting at the church, we will carpool down and enjoy lunch together
along the way. Please call Yvonne Dunlap for more information, 750-3035.
Candy U Save?
On Easter Sunday the children’s department will be hosting an Easter Egg
Hunt. How can you help? We are in need of plastic eggs (not the real ones). We
could also use candy to fill the eggs. If you can donate a bag of individually
wrapped candy it would be greatly appreciated. You can bring the candy on any
Sunday before Easter and leave it with Lori Henry (she promises not to eat all of
it) or drop it by the church office during the week before 5:00pm. (Donna
promises only to sample the milk duds). Thank you bunches!!!
Lori Henry
Nicaragua
Dr. Sam and Betsy Conklin as well as Sue Hansen and her daughter Meg Kelly
traveled to Nicaragua on a medical missions trip. Dr. Sam shares the following…
It was 10:30 am and we were on a bus leaving the airport in Managua,
Nicaragua. Some members had been able to nap for a few minutes on one of the
two flights that we had just taken, but for the others it had been over 26 hours
since we slept. Our plane departed Los Angeles at 12:40 am and with the two
hour time difference it was now 10:30. The seat spacing on the bus made the
economy seating on the plane a real luxury. My knees dug deeply into the seat in
front as my back wedged into the back of my seat. We had five hours of winding,
two lane, mountain road ahead of us and the present accommodations would not
be conducive to sleep. Two hours later we stopped to eat at Nicaragua’s version
of fast food, a place called Tip Top Chicken.
We hurriedly ate as we were on a tight schedule and planned to reach
Bluefield on the Caribbean Coast before nightfall. That meant that we had to
reach the Escondido River at Rama before five o’clock as the Capitan de Puerto
Policia closed the port for the night. Troy Doudy, a missionary, was guiding us,
and he was anxiously watching the time as it was almost five o’clock when we
entered the river port town of Rama. The port police had already decided to close
the dock when we arrived. A crowd of poorly clothed men surrounded our group
as the missionary worked to convince the police to let us go down the river to
Bluefield, a onetime English colony that could only be reached by boat or by plane.
The sky was overcast and daylight was fading as we carried our luggage down
to the dock. To my surprise we were traveling down the river in what appeared to
be two oversized rowboats, each with five rows of bench seats. We were forced to
squeeze four bodies into each row of seats. With our luggage stacked in front,
the boat is already sinking deep into the water even before we are fully loaded.
The faint of heart are persuaded to get in the boat when presented with the
alternative of staying behind. We were almost completely loaded when a 220
pound construction worker stepped into the boat and the boat tipped dangerously
with his weight setting off a chorus of subdued yells from the seated passengers.
We hastily donned our life vest wondering if we would be using them before we
had time to leave the dock.
The Escondido River at Rama is about a quarter of a mile wide and increases
to over a mile in width before it reaches the mouth of the river. Amazingly our two
boats each powered by a 200 horse power, Yamaha, outboard engine are soon
racing down river at close to 50 miles per hour, each with a cargo that exceeded
4,000 pounds. We pass a larger boat chugging down the river and someone
exclaimed there goes the African Queen.
Two hours later a tired and hungry group of 35 people stumbled out of the
boat to the dimly lit dock at Bluefield, and again we are surrounded by a crowd of
men grabbing for our luggage in the hope they can earn a few Córdoba’s, the
monetary unit of Nicaragua, by carrying our luggage or getting us a taxi.
The Caribbean Dream Hotel is clean and welcome even though it is far from a
four star accommodation. After a fast shower we were fed at a nearby church and
returned to the hotel where we dropped, thoroughly exhausted, into bed.
February 14, 2010, Valentine’s Day, and Betsy and I exchange cards that we
have hidden from each other. I think that I was successful at concealing Betsy’s
card, but I happened to notice a suspicious envelope when Betsy was looking into
her carry-on bag during the flight from San Salvador to Managua, and the
surprise would have been on me if I wasn’t the recipient.
Each day over the next week we will go back up the Escondido River into a side
tributary until we reach the village of Kukra Hill. Each trip had its moments of
excitement, but none would compare to the initial ride down the Escondido River in
the dark, in a dangerously overloaded boat.
Kukra Hill is the small village where we are to hold a clinic in a small church.
Today is Sunday and we attend their Sunday service before setting up for the
clinic that will be starting in the morning. The construction crew is already working
on the walls of the new building next to the church.
The group includes a dentist, two optometrist, and assorted primary care
providers. Our dentist was soon busy pulling decayed teeth. The patients are
anxious to see a dentist who uses local anesthetics before pulling teeth.
Apparently the dentist in town does not have anesthesia and the patients we see
are unable to pay for his care even if they wanted to see him. Our dentist is able
to see twelve or more patients a day and has done multiple extractions from some
patients, up to seven extractions in one poor man.
The optometrists have brought suitcases of eyeglasses with them and they are
able to examine and dispense glasses, fitted exactly to the need of the patient, in
close to 75 patients each day.
Our team of primary care providers would love to see the benefit that our
medications might provide to each patient but unlike in dental and optometric
care, whose patients get immediate results, the week is much too short for primary
care providers to see significant changes in the patients that we have prescribed
medicine. The type of health problems that we see are similar to what is seen in
other third world countries; skin lesions, colds, diabetes and hypertension
(untreated for lack of money), stomach complaints and anemia that the patient
attributes to parasite infestation. One mother told of her young son vomiting up
worms that were round and about four inches long, other mothers told of seen
worms that were passed. Most of the children had never taken medication to
eradicate parasites and they eagerly accepted our offer of anti-parasite medicine
and vitamins.
Life is hard in rural Nicaragua and much of their daily activity involves work
without the use of machinery and household utensils that one takes for granted,
i.e. they clear the overgrowth of vegetation and grass by bending over and
hacking it with a machete, they wash all their clothes by rubbing soap into the
clothes with their hands against a washboard. So it is no wonder that a common
complaint is shoulder and back pain. Every day analgesics like Tylenol and
ibuprofen are unaffordable to them and were some of the most frequently
furnished medications that we gave, exceeded only by our use of anti-parasite pills
and vitamins.
A common response we received when asking someone why they haven’t
continued or followed some previously recommended treatment was, “I don’t have
any money.” Nicaragua closely follows Haiti as the second poorest country in the
western hemisphere.
The patients we saw were grateful for anything we tried to do for them. I was
humbled when one elderly man made a special effort to thank me for trying to
clean wax from his ear even though I was less than successful.
This MAPS group was composed of members from a variety of churches in the
San Joaquin Valley plus Sue Hanson, her daughter Meg Kelly and Betsy and me
from the Tehachapi/Mojave area.
Written by Dr. Sam Conklin
Scam Over. Good Bye!
“Scam over. Good-bye.” Who would know the power that those simple words
possess when escaping a pitfall of grief? In hind-site, they are words that I have
suppressed in life. I am still figuring out the “why” of that statement but
acknowledgment is the first step. I have preferred to trust people. Blindly, I must
confess, in many circumstances. Not prudent as I gain a fuller understanding that
blind-trust is dangerous in this life.
Recently I was making my morning-coffee-visit on Facebook (my avenue for
staying connected to family in Kansas and up north) when a friend popped up in
the instant message bubble saying, “Hi. How are you?” I promptly responded
with, “Hi. I am well. How are you?”
A reply quickly returned, “Not too good. We are in London and were robbed at
knife point last night. They took everything but our lives and passports. They
took our credit cards, cash, cell phones…..”
“Oh! My! Gosh!”, was my initial thought. The chatter soon led to a request for
financial help. I stepped up in full gullible attire, feeling like it was my opportunity
to play a super hero, be a good friend, AND Christian all in one swoop, returning
the comment, “I thank God for the privilege to assist.”
(Can you imagine the belly laugh the con was experiencing on the other end of
this conversation?)
In a nutshell, I had agreed to find a Western Union and wire a mega amount of
money to a scam artist! I am privileged to report that the Lord guided me quickly
to the truth. After making a phone call (inquiring about the nearest Western
Union) and receiving the tip that it smelled like a scam, a light bulb immediately
went off! I returned to the instant message bubble. I typed, “Knock. Knock.” Less
than two minutes passed and I received, “hi” as a response. I proceeded to
request the answers to two questions. I received confirmation that indeed I was in
the middle of a scam when the answers were slow and incomplete. It was at that
moment that I felt a suppression release, replaced by a sense of empowerment .
Without hesitation I replied, “Scam over. Good-bye.”
Within a few short seconds, the scammers popped off-line I am not sure that I
can convey in words the feelings that flooded my heart beyond the simpleness of,
“Thank you, Lord!” I boldly quipped to myself, “Girl! You have GOT to get
smarter faster!”
I marvel at the avenues God selects to incorporate His truths. I am praying to
recognize future scams, which are inevitable, through the filter of God’s truth and
protection.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler…Psalm 91:1-3
Written by Linda Lichtenwaldt
DID YOU KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW THE MISSIONS TEAM MEETS THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH
MONTH?
DID YOU KNOW THAT XTREME KIDS AND M & M’S ARE BEING TREATED TO
HEALTHY SNACKS EACH WEEK?
DID YOU KNOW YOU TOO CAN EXPERIENCE THE PASSOVER MARCH 28?
DID YOU KNOW THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IS MAY 6TH?
DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE BOOKS, VIDEOS, CDS, AND DVDS AVAILABLE
FOR YOU BORROW FROM OUR CHURCH LIBRARY?
DID YOU KNOW WE ARE HOSTING A FIELD TRIP FOR OUR SENIORS AND
THEIR FRIENDS TO THE ANTELOPE VALLEY POPPY RESERVE APRIL 1?
DID YOU KNOW WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SOUND BOOTH?
DID YOU KNOW OUR USHERS AND GREETERS CAN ALWAYS USE SOME HELP?
DID YOU KNOW WE ARE HOSTING AN EASTER BREAKFAST?
CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
witnessed. But the Canadian Women’s Hockey fans may have reached an all time
high. In the medal ceremony of the Olympics they began chanting “USA – USA --
USA” as their chief rival from the United Stated stepped onto the silver medal
platform. These same fans were certainly cheering for their own country to beat
the USA and win the gold in women’s hockey but they also wanted to show their
respect for the ladies on the team they had just beaten and honor them in an
audible, tangible way. When two ladies from our hockey team spoke about it in an
interview, they were noticeably moved by what the Canadian fans did.
The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver B.C. has been going the past couple weeks
and we have been privileged to witness some amazing sportsmanship. We
watched one of USA’s downhill and slalom skiers, Lindsey Vonn, gasp in panic
when a Canadian rival fell on her ski run. She was happy to win the gold in that
race but we loved that her first response to the fall of her rival was sincere
concern for her well being.
I can’t help connecting that quick unprotected response of Lindsey Vonn in
showing heartfelt concern for her chief rival from Canada when she fell, to the
response of these Canadian fans to our women’s hockey team. I read that even
during the match against the USA for the gold, the Canadian fans cheered good
plays our ladies made. That’s as it should be but all too often isn’t. Good
sportsmanship is contagious. Thank you Lindsey Vonn and thank you Canadian
women’s hockey fans.
We love to see sports fans practice good sportsmanship. Winning is
everything! Not the team who wins a sporting contest but the community or even
nation who understands that good sportsmanship wins every time. It
demonstrates that we believe people are more important than contests. The
‘Good Will’ gained by good sportsmanship is far more consequential than the
outcome of a contest.
When the Bible speaks on the subject of athletic contests, Paul reminds us that
these athletes compete for rewards that last for a brief time while we are earth
bound. At the same time he reminds us that we are in a contest of sorts whose
orientation is that even though we are on a team, (The Church), we are
individually accountable to God to be involved. But how we can know what we
should be involved with? There are some important considerations in answering
this question but most importantly, it must be answered by each Christian.
Christ’s Church represents vast and widely varied opportunities and needs that
all seem to be calling for our involvement. So listening to God’s call upon our life
and following His leading is the essential result, but how can we be sure we are
not making a mistake?
Letting go of such fears is the first step and starting in some ministry is the
second step. Remember that God is never surprised by your desire to get
involved in ministry and has been preparing you even before you were born. Your
natural abilities are God-given and most likely you are intended to use them in
ministry. Your deeply felt interests and concerns are also given to you by God
and should be directed to ministry. Spiritual Gifts will be more easily identified as
you see where you are being effective in giving spiritual encouragement, example,
and instruction to fellow Christians.
Fellow Christians aren’t on an opposing team by any means but sometimes we
treat them like they are. And, sometimes we can be more courteous and
respectful to our known enemies than we are to our fellow team members.
An important principle is that we never put down the sincere efforts of fellow
Christians in ministry, we commit to either helping them do it better or redirect
them to another ministry; e.g. we never jeer, gossip, or make fun of someone who
volunteered to help with the nursery when he seems to always make the babies
cry. We simply ask them to move to an older group whom he relates to better.
People are always more important than the task they are attempting to accomplish!
Another principle is that we learn to applaud the ministries they do well, and
give respect and honor to them for their involvement. Remember the Norwegian
speed skater who lost a gold medal for finishing on the wrong lane? We might
easily criticize both he and his coach but they both feel bad enough already.
While our hearts go out to them both, we still honor this skater as the best and
fastest skater in the world at that distance. When you finish a particular race
(ministry) in the wrong lane, you too will be honored for getting into the race!!!
In response to a German Bobsledder who withdrew from making his final run in
the contest saying he was too frightened to sled down that track again, his coach
responded that he always thought the Olympics were where one overcame their
fears and participated anyway. Everyone has fears of failure, the point is to
confront those fears and participate anyway giving all you are capable of giving.
Paul said that in each contest there is only one prize so strive that you might
win. 1st Don’t let yourself become disqualified. 2nd Remember, your life is the
contest and only you can determine if you will either win or lose. 3rd You can’t
finish unless you start. 4th You won’t start unless you overcome your fear of
losing.
Have a wonderful March, Your Pastor
Seder Dinner
March 28, 5:00-7:00
$6 per person
What is a Seder Service? When is it celebrated and for what purpose? Why,
as a Christian, would I want to know these things? The Seder Service is observed
at Passover. The service has been designed to show God’s redemptive grace, in
the Passover, through the death, burial and resurrection of His Messiah, the Lord
Jesus. It is a wonderful meal that begins with much symbolism and ends with much
hope. Please join your church family as we share the Seder experience. This
event is for your whole family to enjoy, anyone ages 0 through 100, however,
childcare will be available for infants through 4 year-olds. Watch your weekly
bulletin for more details.
Easter Breakfast
It’s always the right time to ask a friend or neighbor to join you in worship on
Sunday but, April 4th will be a great time to introduce new people to the warm
atmosphere here at Mountain Bible Church.
Why April 4th you say? That is Easter Sunday and there will be lots of ways to
connect with people.
Starting at 7:30a.m. (that’s right, A.M.), breakfast will be available for the very
reasonable price of $3 for children and $4 for adults. Then, at 8:30, in room 3,
The Truth Project will be presented.
Also, at 8:30 and 10:30, you can be a part of an amazing worship service.
During the 8:30 and 10:30 services the children’s department will be hosting an
Easter Egg Hunt. With all that is going on you can see what an outstanding
opportunity this is to invite your friends. Don’t miss this chance to share the
Easter message!
Poppy Trails To You!
Senior Field Trip to the Poppy Reserve - April 1st (Thursday) we are hosting a
field trip to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve outside Lancaster for
our Seniors and their friends. Each spring, the Antelope Valley California Poppy
Reserve comes alive with the seasonal surprises of the Mojave Desert Grassland
habitat. Meeting at the church, we will carpool down and enjoy lunch together
along the way. Please call Yvonne Dunlap for more information, 750-3035.
Candy U Save?
On Easter Sunday the children’s department will be hosting an Easter Egg
Hunt. How can you help? We are in need of plastic eggs (not the real ones). We
could also use candy to fill the eggs. If you can donate a bag of individually
wrapped candy it would be greatly appreciated. You can bring the candy on any
Sunday before Easter and leave it with Lori Henry (she promises not to eat all of
it) or drop it by the church office during the week before 5:00pm. (Donna
promises only to sample the milk duds). Thank you bunches!!!
Lori Henry
Nicaragua
Dr. Sam and Betsy Conklin as well as Sue Hansen and her daughter Meg Kelly
traveled to Nicaragua on a medical missions trip. Dr. Sam shares the following…
It was 10:30 am and we were on a bus leaving the airport in Managua,
Nicaragua. Some members had been able to nap for a few minutes on one of the
two flights that we had just taken, but for the others it had been over 26 hours
since we slept. Our plane departed Los Angeles at 12:40 am and with the two
hour time difference it was now 10:30. The seat spacing on the bus made the
economy seating on the plane a real luxury. My knees dug deeply into the seat in
front as my back wedged into the back of my seat. We had five hours of winding,
two lane, mountain road ahead of us and the present accommodations would not
be conducive to sleep. Two hours later we stopped to eat at Nicaragua’s version
of fast food, a place called Tip Top Chicken.
We hurriedly ate as we were on a tight schedule and planned to reach
Bluefield on the Caribbean Coast before nightfall. That meant that we had to
reach the Escondido River at Rama before five o’clock as the Capitan de Puerto
Policia closed the port for the night. Troy Doudy, a missionary, was guiding us,
and he was anxiously watching the time as it was almost five o’clock when we
entered the river port town of Rama. The port police had already decided to close
the dock when we arrived. A crowd of poorly clothed men surrounded our group
as the missionary worked to convince the police to let us go down the river to
Bluefield, a onetime English colony that could only be reached by boat or by plane.
The sky was overcast and daylight was fading as we carried our luggage down
to the dock. To my surprise we were traveling down the river in what appeared to
be two oversized rowboats, each with five rows of bench seats. We were forced to
squeeze four bodies into each row of seats. With our luggage stacked in front,
the boat is already sinking deep into the water even before we are fully loaded.
The faint of heart are persuaded to get in the boat when presented with the
alternative of staying behind. We were almost completely loaded when a 220
pound construction worker stepped into the boat and the boat tipped dangerously
with his weight setting off a chorus of subdued yells from the seated passengers.
We hastily donned our life vest wondering if we would be using them before we
had time to leave the dock.
The Escondido River at Rama is about a quarter of a mile wide and increases
to over a mile in width before it reaches the mouth of the river. Amazingly our two
boats each powered by a 200 horse power, Yamaha, outboard engine are soon
racing down river at close to 50 miles per hour, each with a cargo that exceeded
4,000 pounds. We pass a larger boat chugging down the river and someone
exclaimed there goes the African Queen.
Two hours later a tired and hungry group of 35 people stumbled out of the
boat to the dimly lit dock at Bluefield, and again we are surrounded by a crowd of
men grabbing for our luggage in the hope they can earn a few Córdoba’s, the
monetary unit of Nicaragua, by carrying our luggage or getting us a taxi.
The Caribbean Dream Hotel is clean and welcome even though it is far from a
four star accommodation. After a fast shower we were fed at a nearby church and
returned to the hotel where we dropped, thoroughly exhausted, into bed.
February 14, 2010, Valentine’s Day, and Betsy and I exchange cards that we
have hidden from each other. I think that I was successful at concealing Betsy’s
card, but I happened to notice a suspicious envelope when Betsy was looking into
her carry-on bag during the flight from San Salvador to Managua, and the
surprise would have been on me if I wasn’t the recipient.
Each day over the next week we will go back up the Escondido River into a side
tributary until we reach the village of Kukra Hill. Each trip had its moments of
excitement, but none would compare to the initial ride down the Escondido River in
the dark, in a dangerously overloaded boat.
Kukra Hill is the small village where we are to hold a clinic in a small church.
Today is Sunday and we attend their Sunday service before setting up for the
clinic that will be starting in the morning. The construction crew is already working
on the walls of the new building next to the church.
The group includes a dentist, two optometrist, and assorted primary care
providers. Our dentist was soon busy pulling decayed teeth. The patients are
anxious to see a dentist who uses local anesthetics before pulling teeth.
Apparently the dentist in town does not have anesthesia and the patients we see
are unable to pay for his care even if they wanted to see him. Our dentist is able
to see twelve or more patients a day and has done multiple extractions from some
patients, up to seven extractions in one poor man.
The optometrists have brought suitcases of eyeglasses with them and they are
able to examine and dispense glasses, fitted exactly to the need of the patient, in
close to 75 patients each day.
Our team of primary care providers would love to see the benefit that our
medications might provide to each patient but unlike in dental and optometric
care, whose patients get immediate results, the week is much too short for primary
care providers to see significant changes in the patients that we have prescribed
medicine. The type of health problems that we see are similar to what is seen in
other third world countries; skin lesions, colds, diabetes and hypertension
(untreated for lack of money), stomach complaints and anemia that the patient
attributes to parasite infestation. One mother told of her young son vomiting up
worms that were round and about four inches long, other mothers told of seen
worms that were passed. Most of the children had never taken medication to
eradicate parasites and they eagerly accepted our offer of anti-parasite medicine
and vitamins.
Life is hard in rural Nicaragua and much of their daily activity involves work
without the use of machinery and household utensils that one takes for granted,
i.e. they clear the overgrowth of vegetation and grass by bending over and
hacking it with a machete, they wash all their clothes by rubbing soap into the
clothes with their hands against a washboard. So it is no wonder that a common
complaint is shoulder and back pain. Every day analgesics like Tylenol and
ibuprofen are unaffordable to them and were some of the most frequently
furnished medications that we gave, exceeded only by our use of anti-parasite pills
and vitamins.
A common response we received when asking someone why they haven’t
continued or followed some previously recommended treatment was, “I don’t have
any money.” Nicaragua closely follows Haiti as the second poorest country in the
western hemisphere.
The patients we saw were grateful for anything we tried to do for them. I was
humbled when one elderly man made a special effort to thank me for trying to
clean wax from his ear even though I was less than successful.
This MAPS group was composed of members from a variety of churches in the
San Joaquin Valley plus Sue Hanson, her daughter Meg Kelly and Betsy and me
from the Tehachapi/Mojave area.
Written by Dr. Sam Conklin
Scam Over. Good Bye!
“Scam over. Good-bye.” Who would know the power that those simple words
possess when escaping a pitfall of grief? In hind-site, they are words that I have
suppressed in life. I am still figuring out the “why” of that statement but
acknowledgment is the first step. I have preferred to trust people. Blindly, I must
confess, in many circumstances. Not prudent as I gain a fuller understanding that
blind-trust is dangerous in this life.
Recently I was making my morning-coffee-visit on Facebook (my avenue for
staying connected to family in Kansas and up north) when a friend popped up in
the instant message bubble saying, “Hi. How are you?” I promptly responded
with, “Hi. I am well. How are you?”
A reply quickly returned, “Not too good. We are in London and were robbed at
knife point last night. They took everything but our lives and passports. They
took our credit cards, cash, cell phones…..”
“Oh! My! Gosh!”, was my initial thought. The chatter soon led to a request for
financial help. I stepped up in full gullible attire, feeling like it was my opportunity
to play a super hero, be a good friend, AND Christian all in one swoop, returning
the comment, “I thank God for the privilege to assist.”
(Can you imagine the belly laugh the con was experiencing on the other end of
this conversation?)
In a nutshell, I had agreed to find a Western Union and wire a mega amount of
money to a scam artist! I am privileged to report that the Lord guided me quickly
to the truth. After making a phone call (inquiring about the nearest Western
Union) and receiving the tip that it smelled like a scam, a light bulb immediately
went off! I returned to the instant message bubble. I typed, “Knock. Knock.” Less
than two minutes passed and I received, “hi” as a response. I proceeded to
request the answers to two questions. I received confirmation that indeed I was in
the middle of a scam when the answers were slow and incomplete. It was at that
moment that I felt a suppression release, replaced by a sense of empowerment .
Without hesitation I replied, “Scam over. Good-bye.”
Within a few short seconds, the scammers popped off-line I am not sure that I
can convey in words the feelings that flooded my heart beyond the simpleness of,
“Thank you, Lord!” I boldly quipped to myself, “Girl! You have GOT to get
smarter faster!”
I marvel at the avenues God selects to incorporate His truths. I am praying to
recognize future scams, which are inevitable, through the filter of God’s truth and
protection.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress:
my God; in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the
fowler…Psalm 91:1-3
Written by Linda Lichtenwaldt
DID YOU KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW THE MISSIONS TEAM MEETS THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EACH
MONTH?
DID YOU KNOW THAT XTREME KIDS AND M & M’S ARE BEING TREATED TO
HEALTHY SNACKS EACH WEEK?
DID YOU KNOW YOU TOO CAN EXPERIENCE THE PASSOVER MARCH 28?
DID YOU KNOW THE NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER IS MAY 6TH?
DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE BOOKS, VIDEOS, CDS, AND DVDS AVAILABLE
FOR YOU BORROW FROM OUR CHURCH LIBRARY?
DID YOU KNOW WE ARE HOSTING A FIELD TRIP FOR OUR SENIORS AND
THEIR FRIENDS TO THE ANTELOPE VALLEY POPPY RESERVE APRIL 1?
DID YOU KNOW WE NEED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE SOUND BOOTH?
DID YOU KNOW OUR USHERS AND GREETERS CAN ALWAYS USE SOME HELP?
DID YOU KNOW WE ARE HOSTING AN EASTER BREAKFAST?
CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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Chanting - U.S.A - U.S.A. - U.S.A.
| "Holding Forth The Word Of Life" Philippians 2:16 |
The Messenger
| Waiting in line at the clinic |
| Church Service |
| Boat ride each day to the church construction site and clinic |
