Scheduled departure time 6:30 AM this morning......actual time of departure, 7:30 AM. It happens here.  Too many boxes and too little room in our two vehicles. So we unloaded, consolidated and reloaded. Then two more people were added to our already overcrowded vehicle.

We arrived safely and were greeted by the school children standing in a very large circle as there were over 200 of them. Their maroon uniforms and bare feet showed the poverty of the area. It is a rural community so the people are well feed. We only had one child suffering from malnutrition.  One cleft palate and several very ill babies were among the hundreds that we saw. It was our first day so we are still learning to work with each other. The team is very good. Abigale has come with us to pray. Yes it is that important that we have someone who came just to pray. Our doctors and nurses pray as well but they are also considering the detail of earthly treatment.

One of our doctors, Katie Rusk from San Diego, took time off from seeing patients to minister to the hundreds of children who were there. She spoke to the children about Noah and the promises of God. She also had several crafts using brightly colored yarn that almost caused a riot until we involved some of the older boys to control the line.

Please continue to pray for the health of our team. Today was a very long day, up at 6 and to bed after 9 PM. We will be up again early tomorrow for our second day of seeing patients and will be in a different location. We will need physical strength as well as spiritual peace.