A glimpse of our days here...

   If you were to happen to find yourself in a small town called Pallpancay, Peru, just a few minutes outside of Cusco, you might pass by the Josephine House. This is one of my favorite places in all of Peru! On Monday afternoons every week there is a weekly meeting with all of the workers. This meeting is to discuss how each of the children are doing and talk about the activities for the week. Occasionally there is a guest speaker, like my friend who works here as a psychologist or a local pastor to share from the Bible. This past Monday I had the chance to be the guest speaker. I learned not too long ago that the "mamas" or ladies who work as care-takers to the children did not know CPR nor what to do if a child was choking. So, last week, with my large CPR mannequin in tow, I taught the mamas CPR. It was a bit funny in Spanish as I never in my life had used many of the words to describe and teach CPR, but by God's grace we made it through and I think they were really excited to have learned this skill. Our prayer is that this skill will never have to be used.

Here are a few pictures from the CPR class.

     If you were to happen to find yourself on the eastern outskirts of Cusco in San Jeronimo, you might pass by the clinic 'La Fuente' or more specifically the eye clinic 'Luz de Vida'. If you were to happen to be there on a Tuesday you would find Nathan busy at work operating. It is still an amazing sight for me to see him sitting behind the microscope, helping to restore sight to those who are blind, and enjoying doing what God has gifted him to do.

Meet the Staff at Luz de Vida

Gladis, one of Nathan's two nurses

Jaki, Nathan's other nurse

Visitacion, who keeps the clinic cleaner than any other place in Cusco

   Thank you for all of your prayers for Nathan while he was away in the village Santo Tomas a few weeks ago. They had a very successful eye campaign, attending about 120 patients in one day. He did feel better from the altitude once he arrived back in Cusco (at only 11,000 feet!).

   Nathan saw many patients who had never seen a doctor before. One couple in particular he will never forget. This married couple was around 65 years old and they were brought to the clinic by their daughter because they were both completely blind. They had to be lead in by both hands. Nathan examined both of them and informed the daughter that they both had bilateral dense cataracts, and for this reason that were unable to see. He explained to her that he would be happy to remove their cataracts so that they would have restored sight. The daughter was shocked that there was a cure and communicated this to her parents in Quechua. She then began to cry and told Nathan that her parents had felt so hopeless and depressed that they had planned the week before to jump off of a very high bridge outside of town to end their life and take away the burden on their family. Nathan was able to share with them that there is hope, not only in physical sight but in Jesus and the spiritual sight that he gives as well. He is hoping to do their surgery in a few weeks and to have the opportunity to share more with them. Nathan was so grateful to have the chance to encourage this family.

   And lastly, if you were roaming the streets of Cusco, you might just see this cute sight! I am so thankful for the gift of this stroller from all of our dear missionary friends here.