The Hospitals

With New Testaments stuffed in any pocket available Consuelo, Katie, Cynthia and I walked into one of Peru’s poorer hospitals. From my limited Spanish knowledge I understood that we were heading inside to be with the women. What I didn’t know was that I was about to live one of my dreams.

The rooms sometimes held four women, usually three. Young men and older women decorated the hallways--either squatting or walking around. I later learned they were family of the women we were visiting. Inside the rooms the women had their names handwritten on torn paper or an occasional whiteboard right above their head board, if their bed was that nice. Soon after my first moments walking in I noticed an 18in lump under the covers of a big bed, I wondered if it quite possibly was a baby. I didn’t need to wonder much longer than that thought– the exact woman I had greeted walking the hallways with an i.v. of fluids walked in and crawled into bed; right next to her baby <3>

Each woman we talked to was so precious<3>

The next day was a visit to another hospital-greeted with great anticipation on my part yet completely unprepared for what I saw. What melted and broke my heart in an instant were a couple babies hooked to machines-supporting their very lives. That was very hard. My heart cried for them yet I just couldn’t let the tears fall, then I would surely, in no way, understand a word the women said. One of the hardest times in that hospital was seeing a young girl of no more than three in a neck braise from surgery. Her crying sounded of pain and her tiny body just sat on a bed in a nicely decorated children’s room of Disney characters. Her mom refused any prayer… that was hard. I wanted to cry along with the young girl and see a miracle…I realize I cannot make anyone believe there is a God. I can only do so much….which is one of the hardest things to accept.

This was living one of my dreams---for a while all I wanted to do was become a nurse. To be a nurse in the labor and delivery ward. The intent: to share God’s love with each women and her new baby. To pray over the new life born and the new mama~ I’ve quickly learned I do not want the responsibilities a nurse carries but simply a person who cares for the woman herself and for her new precious baby. A chaplain perhaps? Perhaps~