Sorry for not adding this sooner, my internet connection was very poor in Iquitos and I could not access my blog while I was there. This is my update from June 2nd.
Dear friends,
All is well here in Peru! I've been in Iquitos now for just over a week. We had a team from Tennessee here that Jose had been helping with when I came and they were doing some youth outreach at a friend's church. It's been fun getting to know the people here. My host lady is hilarious and we've had some good times with Language mess-ups. For instance I said we needed a certain type of fish instead of peppers to put in the omelets I was making. So when we were ready to make the omelets unfortunately all we had were onions to go in them. Not the best but still not horrible. It was super bummed though because I really wanted to cook them something special (this is about the only thing I can cook without a recipe) and it was really not that great. Kind of a bummer. But it was a good time.
Things have been great the weather is pretty hot here. Everyday it's about 32 degrees I think and I don't really remember what that is but maybe 90's with humidity (so much for having a straightener haha). Jose has been working with a group from Oklahoma that has been gracious enough to let me help out. I often am not sure how helpful I am but I've enjoyed getting to know them and have some great one on one talks. I've also made a lot of little friends here at the church we're working with so that has been a great joy for me. I can't always communicate all that I would like to but I definitely have enjoyed the fact that I can adequately communicate with the kiddos (usually a bit better than the adults). It's been really fun to learn more of the language little by little. I am often a bit impatient with my skills (or lack there of) but I'm continually reminded that it will come and to be patient.
On my way here (on the 24th) there was a man on the flight who went into cardiac arrest and they started yelling I was sure he was throwing up because he was leaning forward and the flight attendant was there but then they started yelling for a doctor I thought "Surely there's a doctor here." But no one came and they started yelling for a nurse (yes I should have run up there the minute I saw something wrong but it was a moment where you watch in amazement thinking I'm sleeping and this is not really happening.) But it was happening. The man sitting next to me said (aren't you a nurse?) and it hit me that I should try to help I ran up there and we tried to do CPR on this guy in a plane seat and the isle was so crowded. Finally a girl came running up she was from Holland but spoke pretty good English she said she was a critical care nurse and I thought "oh thank God" because I've never been here before in this situation. She shouted for a mask (no the flight attendant did not speak very good English so we were all trying to communicate and I became the interpreter for the nurse). I started doing the breathing for the guy we could feel no pulse but he was getting warmer. He was swollen all over and we knew that this guy had left and right sided congestive heart failure just from looking at him.
We continued doing CPR as best we could) There was no room to set him on the floor and so I had to lift his body up and tilt his head back as best i could with the seat reclined as far as it could go. We were in the front of the plane everyone was watching. Some tried telling us to do some things they had seen on the movies. But it all came down to the fluid in his lungs and we just couldn't get the air past the fluid. He had been alive when we started the CPR and was gasping for hair but there was really nothing we could do without a doctor or suctioning equipment. We carried on for about 15 minutes and the plane landed at the layover sight (Tarapoto). I thought oh praise the Lord, there will be a doctor and an ambulance ready (The flight attendant assured us that he had called ahead). We got there and who we thought was the doctor came on we stepped aside waiting for him to examen him and give us orders. It wasn't until too late that we realized he was no doctor but a poorly trained EMT and by the time we realized it the man was dead and cold. His wife started crying asking why he was leaving here beating his chest asking what about the kids why leave us? It was a pretty tough day.
There was nothing we could really have done and it was so helpful that the other lady was there. Jose and I ran into her at the hotel we went to, to swim and her friends. It was good to see her again in different circumstances. They were really nice and stayed around me for the time we waited to get back on the plane as they had to take the body off and have a real doctor examine the body (this took seemingly forever). I remember feeling guilty as I got off the plane for admiring the scenery. As if nothing had just happened.
Through all of this God really reminded me (yet again) that we really have no idea what will happen, how many days we have. "But to make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil." Needless to say I was really really happy to see Jose at the airport and I was super relieved that I could talk to him about it all immediately not over skype or gmail or facebook but face to face. He was a huge encouragement to me. I'm very blessed to have him as my boyfriend.
Any way There have been more things that have happened but this is the biggest and I thought I would share it with you all and encourage you all to really not wait to share the gospel or be afraid or ashamed of it. It is life and hope for all and the world needs it.
Grace and Peace,
k
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