"Talamanca
is more complicated than you can imagine. It is more
complicated than I can imagine, and I have been here
for five years." Dr. Mauricio Urena was sitting
in his spartan office in the government "Clinica
Indigena por Medicine Traditional, Talamanca."
The clinic is located just inside "the Zone"
(the Talamanca Indian reservation). He was speaking
to me through our translator, John Armenta. Mauricio
is roughly 35 years old and dressed casually in short
sleeves and blue jeans, but his shoulders are slumped
and his face shows more burdens than his youth should
bear. I am told that he was selected as the equivalent
of the Costa Rican "Doctor of the Year"
two years ago and was offered a post anywhere in the
country, or to return to his home in the capitol city
of San Jose to go into private practice. Instead,
he has remained true to his call from God to continue
to serve in Costa Rica. He is now burning his bridges
behind him and pouring all his resources into the
first private practice clinic in Bribri. From an economic
point of view it makes no sense. There are few affluent
people.
He
went on to outline the difficulties with providing
improved medical care to the indigenous peoples of
Talamanca. Topics included limited government resources
and personnel, financial and time access problems
to the resources that are technically available, cultural
barriers, and travel limitations. He also cited the
complexities of different tribes and languages amongst
the tribes, subgroups within the indigenous population,
and the perplexing way in which an individual is defined
as "Indian" by his own tribe or outsiders.
He also raised the problems of adaptation and loss
of culture, and the creation of dependency and how
these are all interrelated. Specifically in regards
to our mission efforts, he discussed the difficulty
in coordinating effectively mission groups to provide
genuinely needed services at the right time and place.
We discussed to possibilities of providing education
and access to clean water supplies and emergency local
treatment for infant dehydration.
The
CrossRoad Medical Mission team (myself, Adam Lohse,
Leslie Sackett, and Andy Hicks), along with John Whited,
director of AguaViva Ministries, John Armenta of Moultrie
Baptist Church of St Augustine, and Porfilio of the
village of Bajo Coen, our guide, host and translator,
had just returned from six days in the back country
of Talamanca. We spent two days hiking in from the
town of Bribri, three days doing a primary care clinic
at the remote village of San Jose Cabecar, and one
day hiking back out. Hiking in this sense is a general
term and includes riding in trucks, banana trailers
hitched to tractors, canoes, as well as wading across
wide and fast flowing rivers, climbing up muddy ridge
trails and scrambling over rocks from recent landslides.
We treated 130 people in that village, over half of
whom were children under the age of 15. We also saw
about 30 people the night we stayed in Bajo Coen.
The
most frequent conditions we dealt with were intestinal
ailments due to contaminated water, upper respiratory
infections, lice, and skin conditions ranging from
simple rashes to bacterial superinfections to cutaneous
leishmaniasis (papilamoya). And everybody needed acetaminophen,
or something like it, and everybody needed vitamins.
Nothing we treated was immediately life threatening;
it was only misery. We could alleviate some misery
for a short period of time, share their lives and
food, and show the love of Jesus from the worldwide
Church.
As
on my previous four trips to Talamanca, I leave with
hopes better things for the Bribri and Cabecar tribes.
I hope for clean water, and that no child will ever
again die of dehydration. I hope for preservation
of their culture and language. I hope for economic
prosperity without creation of a disabling state of
dependency. I hope for joy and love and eternal life
that comes with salvation through Jesus Christ. Only
now I understand better that it is all very complicated
and the burdens may be heavy for lots of people for
a long period of time. But I understand that I have
a friend in a high place who said, "Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will
find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and
my burden is light." (Matt. 11: 28-30)
I
am grateful for a great team on this trip. Andy was
cheerful and resourceful and great fun in sometimes
trying circumstances, and a good cook with a limited
kitchen. Leslie was a great encourager and a great
help with medicines. Adam was a great spiritual guide
and water bearer. John Armenta (aka "the Chief)
was a great translator and storyteller. John Whited
remains a beloved spiritual brother.I am also grateful
to all of you who gave prayers, pain relievers, glasses,
and financial resources to this mission. I have been
daily reminded of your generosity and kindness. Every
time we passed out a bag of pills, fitted somebody
for glasses, or simply shared food, I thought of you.
In addition, the people of AguaViva Ministries and
the Kennedy family in San Jose were effusive in their
praise of CrossRoad and the support from the people
of Jacksonville. Whenever I think of you (and that
is quite often) I am reminded of Mark 9:40:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a
cup of cold water in my name because you belong to
Christ will certainly not lose his reward."
You
have given much more than a cup of cold water. I know
you will certainly not lose your reward, and I pray
it will be a great one!
Thanks
to you all!
