Good afternoon! - Day 4

Today, the Village Medical and Screen Teams are in a village called Copper Bank. The Construction team is continuing their work in San Victor. And the Surgical Team is back at the hospital in Orange Walk.

We had a minor setback at the hospital this morning. Our Surgical Team uses three operating rooms each day to perform free surgeries for the poor. Unfortunately, some local medical staff kept us from using one of the operating rooms. A great deal of work goes into reviewing surgery candidates in advance, meeting with them once we arrive and planning an O.R. schedule that maximizes our time while here. The medical need is so great so everyone works very hard to try to perform as many surgeries as possible.

This has created many challenges mostly on the waiting patients--many of which have been sitting and waiting for days. If we can't perform the needed surgery while here, it may mean they don't receive the procedure and treatment they need.

Also, the father of one of our surgeons had a stroke a few days ago. She is returning home this afternoon to be with her family in Nebraska. Please pray for her father and for the hospital situation to get worked out. While it may not get worked out while we're here, it needs to be resolved so future visits can provide needed medical help for the poor.