!Si Senor, mi amiga mama!

Feliz dia mama!
Today it is mother's day in Bolivia! It has been super fun. Some kids from the local school came to the hospital and sang some songs to honor all the mothers who work in the hospital. The pastor also came and spoke about how you must be grounded in the word of God to be a good parent. The whole thing was entirely in Spanish but the Lord has really broken down walls and I am understanding about half of what is said (depending on the person speaking).

Let me tell you a bit about my day. Last night I prayed and asked the Lord to allow me to be more than just another body in the hospital, but to be someone who helps change lives. Well I got my first small start today. I worked in the ER with Wes. Today was a bit of a slow day in the hospital with mothers day, and because its Friday. However we did get to see 1 patient. She was about 45 maybe 50 and had had surgery on her belly..not sure why. Well when we walked in she was getting stitches removed. In America we are so blessed to have special stitches that disolve after a certain amount of time. This however is not the case in Bolivia. The doctor was literally pulling the stitches out from inside of her belly. She was in a great deal of pain, moaning at every pull. I wanted so badly to comfort her, but the 2nd doctor was in the way. I moved to a place where she could see me, to try to be some sort of support. It seemed to work. She maintained eye contact with me throughout the majority of the procedure. I wanted to let her hold my hand but there just was not enough room. Although it was something so small, the eye contact and smiles seemed to mean so much to her.

I feel like this is just the beginning. I am hoping to become better at Spanish in order to spend some time with the ladies who are staying here. Their room is very small and there is no T.V or source of entertainment. I am hoping in about a week or 2, to be able to carry on a conversation and spend time with them. I know how much even just eye contact can mean to someone in pain. I want to be there to provide comfort, not just to shadow. I cannot wait to see what I get to do in these next few weeks here!

Tomorrow morning at 8:30 (we get to sleep in!!) we are going to hike the Inca ruins!! Then we get to go into town and help bathe the street kids! I am so excited about this opportunity. Hopefully I will be able to distribute some of my dresses, bows, pants, shirts and bracelets to these kids!!

Please keep Sarah in your prayers. She is really struggling with altitude sickness. She has had a terrible headache the past few days. Also pray for our Spanish to progress so we can be a comfort to those in need. Finally pray that we will continue to get enough sleep and rest throughout the days! Thank you for all of your support!

Anna