Day1 Continued: Afternoon in Independencia

After a delicious lunch of homemade soup and cheese biscuits a la Red Lobster, we piled into the vans to head for one of the poorer sections of the nearby city of Guaymas (a very old seaport town). We laughed when I took this photo of part of the team in our van, saying that this was definitely the "before" picture. No telling what we would look like "after" the day was done!

We left the more scenic San Carlos behind...

...and began to drive through the less picturesque city.

Apparently Mexico's traffic laws are a little more relaxed than ours!!

Our set-up location was at a little park on a quiet street in Independencia. The "park" consisted of a dirt triangle with one climbing feature for children.

As we began unloading the vans and setting up tables and tents...

...the local police came by to check out the action. Juan Carlos explained what we were doing, and we got the "thumbs up" to go ahead. 

Long before we were set up, the local people were lining up to see doctors or to receive medications, vitamins, toothbrushes, or glasses.

The nurses are ready for action!

Pharmacy is stocked and ready to dispense whatever is needed to help people feel better.

Hannah is ready with her toothbrushes and dental hygiene education table...and lots of helpers!

And the glasses table is always one of the most popular stops.

Each person who needs medical attention (not just glasses or vitamins) first visits the triage table where  vital signs are taken and recorded. The triage team determines if they would be best served by seeing a nurse, a doctor, or perhaps just having a prescription refilled.

Nurses listen to symptoms, administer tests, offer assurance, and refer patients to doctors as needed.

In addition to distributing free Bibles, the evangelism team offers to pray with anyone who would like prayer for any reason. We see many needs, from significant to monumental, and we take them all to the Throne of Grace...in English and Spanish.

Children learn proper dental care and get to enjoy some fun activities.

And even the local dogs wander through...though we don't generally encourage them! This guy is working on those pesky fleas. I wish we had something to relieve his discomfort!

I just have to end with a few miscellaneous photos of some of the precious people (mostly children) that we saw today.

Our first day is always a learning experience, and it usually involves a few glitches. We learn from these and work very hard to change whatever is needed to make our days run more smoothly for the rest of the week. We know, though, that we offered compassion, helped relieve suffering, and most importantly, shared God's love with others today. And for these opportunities, we are truly grateful.