Mexico Medical Mission - Mark Egolf
~The Smell of Death Surrounds Us~
I’m not sure why it’s been so
prevalent lately, but the report of another death has become common enough
that I started taking note of the constant stream of bad news. Many of the deaths are tied to those
working in our hospital, the local community or the surrounding communities
we serve. It has been difficult for
our hospital staff and others involved in the ministry as we live and work
together closely.
Death is always too common
here, but this recent increase seemed to start when one of our Docs and his
family lost their 12 year old daughter to a brain aneurism. Shortly thereafter, Delia’s (Dave’s wife)
cousin was killed in a knife fight.
The next week, another young Tara man
in the village was killed the same way.
About the same time, I found that a Tara
couple (friends of mine in Tom’s village) had lost their father in a strange
accident. It happened on the same day
she gave birth to their second child.
After several day’s reprieve, we were having patients transported to
the hospital from a distant village for eye surgeries, when an enormous rock
fell from the cliff and crushed the van.
Of the fourteen patients onboard, amazingly only two died and only two
more were seriously injured. Glory to
God that more weren’t killed or injured!
The same weekend, there was a massacre of 13 people in the nearby town
of Creel right when our staff was passing
through with a medical team going to Chihuahua. The next day, I was standing by to pick up
a woman in childbirth but she died before they could get her to the airplane.
A week later, during the next
surgery outreach, our doctor’s worked all night trying to save another local
man cut up in a knife fight. They
ended up transporting him in the early morning to a town four hours away but
he died half an hour before they arrived.
Upon return from the useless Medivac, I helped move and prepare the
corpse for burial. This was new and a
bit difficult for me, but something I’ll get accustomed to unfortunately.
Several days later, another Tara was brought in with cranial fractures from a
machete blow to the head. The docs did
the best they could, but he died as well.
Most recently and even more
difficult to bear are the numbers of children dying from malnutrition in the
remote communities. Our community
health workers are fighting against this trend but it sometimes seems to be of
no avail. With plans to expand this work,
we hope many of these losses can be prevented in the future.
This overall trend probably
won’t change anytime soon (especially with the escalating drug war), but I
certainly hope it slows. One thing it
does, however, is serve to remind how crucial is the gift of Christ and
eternal life. Each one of us should be
zealous for God’s glory as we strive to share about Christ’s finished work on
the cross. Please pray for us in this and that we won’t become numbed to the
tragedy of death and the reality of souls lost for eternity.
Airstrip in Pamachi - Recently, we began work on
repairing/building an airstrip for our missionaries and the Taras they serve
in Pamachi and the surrounding communities.
This area seems to have one of the highest mortality rates from
malnourished children. Our nurse there
is working hard to change this, but she can’t always find the children in the
most remote areas in time to help.
Often a family won’t come for aid at all or until it’s already too
late.
With an airstrip available we
can assist in the work by supplying medical help at crucial times and by
transporting patients. This will allow
our nurse to remain in the community more consistently and locate others in
need.
The airstrip is now usable
but not finished, and we’ve already transported several patients including a
critically malnourished child. I was
working on the main strip and planning to put in a short cross runway for
winds, however, then I had to stop work.
The community wanted to reconsider using it in light of the recent
drug-related killings. They’re worried
that those in the trade will begin to use it.
Please pray that this won’t
occur, but that the people will be receptive and much of the needless loss
will be eliminated; also for our nurse, pastor and his family living
there. Medivac capability and
quick access by airplane will augment the work as they try to reduce the
death rate and reach the people with the Gospel.
~A Small Ray of Light~
This particular morning, I
had the plane loaded up with supplies to work on the mesa above Santa Rita
(where Tom and his family live). The
weather in that direction didn’t seem to be visibly improving and I had no
means of getting any type of report as Tom wasn’t there at the time. While waiting, I began to think maybe I
wasn’t supposed to go for some reason…actually I had been thinking that all
morning. When I finally decided to go
anyway, I checked the fuel level again before startup and found something
unusual. It had changed from when I
inspected the aircraft two hours earlier!
Of course I realize I could have been mistaken, but this plane has
visual sight gages, and there was no longer any fuel visible. I talked
to Dave, but together we could find no explanation. It hadn’t leaked out, so the only possibility
was that someone could have stolen it, except that I was there the whole
time. Regardless, it was enough for me
to change plans and go to Pamachi instead, as it had already been on my mind.
I unloaded, refueled and
reloaded the plane with different supplies and equipment, and flew directly
to Pamachi. After unloading supplies
for the nurse, I was able to work on the road to the airstrip most of the day
before some late afternoon thunderstorms moved in with their torrential
downpours. It was late in the day by
now when I was waiting for the storm to pass so I could fly out. In the middle of the downpour, our
missionary Pastor showed up, soaked to the bone, and asked if I could
transport a pregnant lady who had been in labor for the past 22 hours. I said it looked like the storm would pass
within half an hour, so I started making preparations and communicating with
the hospital while he went to get the lady.
About an hour later, the husband and his friend arrived, carrying the
13 year old pregnant girl in a
blanket hung from a pole. We carefully
loaded her in the plane and departed for Samachique. The ground ambulance arrived at the runway
about the same time I did, and consequently had the girl to our hospital
within 15 minutes. I thought she had a
few hours before delivery, but to my surprise, 17 minutes after arrival at
the hospital she gave birth - only 32 minutes after we landed! The doctors later told me that there were
numerous complications and the baby most likely would not have survived had
it been born in the couple’s house without any help. Glory to God, both the mother and baby
survived! I was grateful for some news
of new
life in the midst of so much recent death. As well, this strengthened the resolve of
many in the community to allow our use of the runway in spite of their
fears. Please pray for this couple, that their hearts would be open to the
gospel.
In August we installed another radio system and solar panel
- this one at the clinic in Pamachi for our nurse and the Pastor’s
family. It allows for reliable
communication with the hospital, hangar, vehicles and the aircraft as it’s
enroute to Pamachi and/or other communities.
Thus far, the little SuperCub
has turned out to be even more useful than we expected. Numerous patients have been transported,
Doctors and community health workers have been moved to and from the remote
communities they serve. Patients
they’ve identified have been brought in for additional care or other health needs. An airdrop was made to provide crucial meds
for one of our missionaries who lives near the bottom of a 6000ft. deep
canyon.
It’s been beneficial as well
to use airstrips that almost no other airplane can use - which means the drug
cartel isn’t able to benefit. Overall,
the work has been more effective in a number of ways with the use of this
plane. Finally, it’s encouraging to be
busy serving in the capacity we’re called to and not just working on the
thousand other details. Glory to God
in all things!
PRAISE
TO THE LORD!
·
For our sufficiency in Christ
·
Treatment provided in time by the hospital for
a malnourished child flown in from Pamachi
·
Many communities will have a good harvest this
season
·
Provision for an installation of Solar Panel
& Radio in Pamachi
·
That patients lives that were spared in the
crushed van - many were giving glory to God!
·
Safe delivery for both mother and child
brought in from Pamachi
PRAYER
REQUESTS:
·
Committed daily and long-term focus seeking
the Lord and His leading - for hospital leadership and those serving in each
community and other ministry.
·
The couple and their newborn in Pamachi
·
That we won’t become accustomed and numb to
the constant death and loss around us.
·
The people of Pamachi - problems there with
malnourished children; for our nurse and pastor; airstrip/concerns of drug
cartel use.
·
For those patients who came for eye surgery
even after the van was destroyed - that the gospel message they heard will
take root.
·
That I would have greater diligence in the
studying of the Word, prayer, meditation and work of the ministry.
Thank
you & Praise to our Lord!
Sincerely,
Mark
A. Egolf
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