Sorry I’m behind on my blogs, but a couple of days ago, Dr. Thompson and I visited the El Alto Clinic. The Head of Nursing for the Methodist Medical Clinics, the nurse at the clinic, and the District Coordinator (DS) of that area met for several hours.  We learned about the three ways to healing that the Methodist Church is implementing in all of their clinics.

“The IEMB (Evangelical Methodist Church in Bolivia) does not see illness as a chemical imbalance only; it is often a spiritual imbalance.” Everyone understands the truth in that. Everyone in the US gives lip service to it. Dr. Thompson said studies have suggested that 52% of the US patients who go to see a doctor are there because of psychosomatic illnesses or spiritual issues.

What is interesting about the IEMB is that they have turned that reality into a “Method(ist)ology for bringing health care to the poor.

The nurses of the IEMB do house calls. In most clinics, the nurse visits in the homes of the members of the Methodist Church and of the community in general. (But because there is only one nurse per clinic, she has to close the clinic when she makes a house call.) On these house calls, in some clinics, they are able to give vaccines to children. In all of the clinics they are not only providing care in the clinic but are carrying that care into their homes.

The nurses have been trained in both Western and traditional medicines at the Methodist Hospital in Anchoraimes.  There they receive training for a one year program to a full 5 year program of nursing training in both approaches.

As they encounter someone who is ill, they spend a significant amount of time examining the patient. With wounds and other injuries, they, of course, utilize Western medicine and use stitches and ointments and other chemical medicines from the Western culture. But particularly where the patient lives and believes in traditional medicines and indigenous values, the nurse will either combine both Western and indigenous medicines to bring healing; or in some cases use only the indigenous ones. But they don’t even stop there.

In some clinics, the nurse works closely with the local pastor. Often the nurse discerns that the illness is spiritual; and the pastor is called in. He will pray, counsel, and bless the person and his/her entire family to help deal with whatever issues they face. With high infant mortality, an average income of less than $700/year, no roads and isolation, there are a lot of issues.

This three-way approach even shows up in the equipment and furniture. At Cholquimaya, when a man or a woman comes to be examined and needs to lie down; they have three choices, first, a Western style examining table; second a bed; and third is a small pad on the floor with sheepskins or llamaskins lying on top. The llamaskin is chosen almost every time.

As we first learned of this approach in El Alto; Dr. Thompson, Surgical Specialist, Children’s Plastic Surgery specialist and retired teacher at George Washington Medical school and at Oral Roberts University Medical School, became overwhelmed with emotion. “This is the way to treat patients. I wholeheartedly agree with this approach!”

So we’ve seen the three Altiplano clinics: El Alto, Konani, and Cholquimaya. Today we begin our descent down the Andes. We will move from the Aymara region of Bolivia to the Quechua region and visit Marquirivi today, Cotani tomorrow and then visit San Julian in the Amazon jungle on Monday.

Thanks to all of you who are watching the blog. I found this approach to medicine fascinating, and hope you do to.

Forgive the pastor in me, but allow me to add one more note. St. Francis of Assisi had a very different approach in his prayers whenever he fell sick or ill. He wouldn’t pray “God please heal me”, automatically assuming it was God’s will for him to get well. Instead he prayed, “God what are you teaching me through this illness.” And he would carefully examine his life.

The next time you are ill, go to a doctor! But also, spend some time in prayer, not only praying for healing, but also praying for discernment about your life and examine what spiritual weaknesses and problems may be contributing to your illness.

From one who brings much illness upon himself, to another,

David

Today, my blog is over on the Engineers In Action website as we had a very exciting development and a connection to Spanish Doubloons, Pirates of the Caribbean, “The Mountain that Eats Men” and you. Go to http://engineersinaction.org/news

From One learning to live as a servant, to another

David

Normally, in the countryside, the adult children of the elderly take care of their parents. They build them a small (well they’re all small, but smaller) little home nearby and share the meager potatoes and sheep which they scratch from the ground.

But these are different times. Young people know of cell phones and music and education and jobs. And so they move to the cities looking for work. IF they find it, and that’s a big IF, then they are able to return home on a regular basis, stay in touch with their Ayllu, their home community; and they take care of their parents.

But others hear of greener pastures. They hear of JOBS: in Argentina, Brazil, even Spain. And with virtually no money, no clear means of making it happen; they take off, looking for a better life for themselves, their families, their children.

And the parents? They stay home and farm. But as the years quickly catch up to them, years of lifting rocks and hoeing acres of potatoes annually; years of walking miles to markets carrying huge loads on their backs; before long they farm less and less land. The arthritis, the back pain, the struggle is too much. Before long, they find themselves living alone, and starving; dying way too young.

The local churches try to help. But they too are poor. The average income of a Methodist layperson in the countryside (where most Methodist Churches are) is less than $2/day – less than $700 a year! Malnutrition is rampant everywhere, not just in the elderly.

The IEMB has an idea. They want to build a Home for the Elders. A home for the poorest, lonliest, elderly members of the Methodist church of Bolivia. They took me yesterday to a magnificent piece of property in Achocallo, just the next valley over from the Valley of the Moon, near La Paz; 4,000 sq mtrs (12,000sq ft?) on a hill with good water, warmer climate and a magnificent view of the valley and Mount Illimani.

They hope to build dorm rooms for 30 Elders, with meeting rooms, a kitchen, and maybe, just maybe the first indoor toilets that these folks have ever had. The cost? $55,000. And the good news is that they have already received a matching grant from the Moody United Methodist church of Galveston, Texas for half of that: $27,500. We need to help the IEMB find that matching $27,500. From somewhere. Not sure where. But we need to find it. They also asked me to find Methodist Nursing Home Professionals who can serve as consultants on how to run such a home. And I need an Advocate, a Point Man or Woman who will take this project on as their own.

Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity begin each morning with a prayer: “Make us, Lord, worthy to serve our brothers and sisters who are scattered all over the world, who live and die alone and poor. Give them today, using our hands, their daily bread. And using our love, give them peace and happiness. Amen.”

“Who live and die alone and poor” “Who live and die alone and poor”

“Give them today, using MY hands, their daily bread.” “Give them today, using MY hands, their daily bread.”

May God bless you all day today.

From One Learning to serve our brothers and sisters, to another

David

Join the IEMB Pastors in a Fast

3:44am Aug 24 – I had a two hour meeting with Pastor Modesto Mamani. Modesto is the “Secretary of Life and Mission”. Life and Mission in the IEMB would be similar to combining the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and the Board of Discipleship. He is basically responsible for the spiritual growth of the entire Bolivian Methodist Church.

The IEMB is in the process of writing a new constitution for the Church. There is a definite need to make some changes from a Constitution that is quite antiquiated. However, the commission that was put together to write this constitution had 60 some members on it, with only 2 pastors! Now I’m all for Lay Empowerment, but not Lay Domination.

The draft constitution that has been sent out apparently has some big problems. Primarily it relegates the role of pastors to almost an insignificant level. A few examples are that the leader of the Church will no longer be called Bishop, but President. And the pastors don’t even have a National organization to meet (no gatherings of just pastors).

Now the local congregations and the pastors are unhappy about this, and I’m confident that there will be major changes to strengthen the role of both the National, Seminary-trained pastors and of the local pastors who serve in most congregations. But it is going to be a struggle.

Pastor Modesto and I were talking about a joint Fast that we are going to do in April, and he suggested that perhaps he and I should send out a call for a joint 20-24 hour Fast of Bolivian and Oklahoman Pastors to be in prayer for the pastors of the IEMB. That we should pray for the New Constitution  and the IEMB to follow God’s Will and recognize the special work and role that God has set aside for the ordained ministry. I readily agreed.

Today, I and Dr. Lewis Thompson (Tulsa) are meeting with the Executive Committee of the IEMB. We will be suggesting this fast and setting a date for it in October. I  hope and pray that the  laity and in particular the clergy of Oklahoma will join me in this fast. I will send you the dates and details tomorrow.

Pray for the IEMB. Pray for the New Constitution. Pray for the Pastors. (And while you’re at it, pray for strength, energy, insight, wisdom, and discernment for me. These trips are always a challenge and this one is setting up to be filled with many many challenges.

From One Learning to Follow Christ, to Another

David

Mission Interpreter of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Partnership

Have you ever been driving down the road alone and passed one of those billboards showing that the Lottery is now $X zillion dollars, and day-dreamed, “What would I do with that kind of money?” I certainly have. I even have developed ellaborate plans on how much I’d set aside for the kids, or us and how much I’d give away.

I know a lot of folks would focus on what they’d buy for themselves: homes, yachts, planes. But those things don’t interest me at all. What I used to day-dream about is what I could buy for Bolivia: Endowment for Pastor Salaries, Seminary education for Bolivian Pastors, churches, parsonages, vehicles, SS curriculum, Water wells, sanitation, bridges, irrigation. There’s a lot of really cool things I could buy with a Zillion dollars.

I also thought about what I’d do, as a job. I’d quit working as pastor, even though I loved the preaching so much. And I spend the rest of my life raising MORE money for Bolivia, because no matter how many zillions I had to give, the need would still be greater.

On May 30,2010 Bishop Robert Hayes of Oklahoma announced that I would be appointed as the coordinator of projects of the Bolivia/Oklahoma Partnership. That this would be a full-time appointment, with 1/2 of my time going to raise money and support for the IEMB (Evangelical Methodist Church of Bolivia) and 1/2 of my time going to serve as Executive Director of Engineers In Action (www.engineersinaction.org ) which builds partnerships to bring sustainable infrastructure projects like water wells, sanitation, irrigation and bridges to remote Bolivian villages. In other words, I was appointed to be a type of ‘reverse missionary’, working full-time on behalf of Bolivia, but working in Oklahoma.

During my (amazing) Consecration Service my last Sunday at Skiatook UMC, it suddenly dawned on me: I HAVE WON THE LOTTERY! I was getting to do exactly what I’d always dreamed of.

What about you? What’s your dream? Aside from what you’d buy, what would you DO if you won the Lottery? How would you spend your time? What is your ideal job?

More importantly, what are you doing to make it possible for you to DO that in the future?

From One who just one the Lottery!