LIVING AND DYING WITH AIDS

Friends,
Today we admitted to our in patient ward in the clinic, a 40 year old woman, suffering with AIDS and Tuberculosis. The family had gone to the National Hospital, that cares for AIDS patients; she had been a patient there for the last two months and they signed a release to bring her home. They had reason to do so. I had called the hospital and was informed by the nurse that she was doing fine and there was no reason for the family to discharge her. That was not true. She had not been eating, she was unable to bathe herself, her skin was black with the dirt, she had diarrhea and she had a severe wound in her hand caused by an infiltration of an intravenous fluid.

On admittance to our clinic, we found her severely dehydrated and febrile; we bathed her, cleaned her hand wound and dressed it, started intravenous fluid and gave her a little fruit and she brightened up. Surely if the family had not taken the initiative to take her from the hospital she would be dead in a few days. Her husband died of AIDS! This is often the situation. Unfortunately there is a stigma to have this disease; patients are often shunned by their family and neighbors. Most do not seek care so the statistics do not tell the real truth. Our Clinic lab is able to diagnose HIV, AIDS. The nearest health center for antivirals is two hours by bus; this medication is provided by the Health Ministry. We have a mayan psychologist, who lives in a nearby community; he dedicates his time and energy to
to accompany these patients. The Clinica Maxeña would like to hire him part time but our budget does not allow this. Most of these patients who we take in to our infirmary are very poor and have little family support. You can help us by making a donation to the NURSES FUND of which I include the address. Thank You for your support and prayers for those we serve. Pray for Manuela and others who suffer and for us that we may help them find comfort and peace.

Send your donation to:
Guatemala Mission (Note for NURSES FUND OR CLINIC)
PO BOX 1729
Helena, MT
59624

Sheila

Holy Week at Home in Santo Tomas La union

Holy Week is on the streets, in our church and on the people´s minds and hearts; many others do take these days to travel or go to the beech. The people who we share our lives with are the poor. They stay at home, go to the processions and religious celebrations and have some special foods. I am going to share pictures of these days with my friends and family, through my BLOG! Blessings of HOLY WEEK!!

1. The photos included are one of our parish Church of St Thomas the Apostle. You can see two lge banners for Holy Week and a large arc decorated with branches and fruits.

2. The large statue of Jesus carrying the cross in procession, stops at a home for veneration at one of the stations of the cross, in front of a home.

3. The Youth of the parish pose for a picture in front of the altar, after carrying the statue of Jesus with the cross, in several processions of Holy week.

4. Leaders of the parish are shown raising Jesus into position on the cross. Note they all wear white gloves for this process.

5. Fr Hazelton, our pastor, is shown in Communion service during good Friday service.

Thank You for accompanying us in our Mission of the Diocese of Helena, MT:

Sheila

Humanity and Health, 5th friday of Lent

March 26, is for the Ministry of Pastoral Health, a Day for a more humane world for Health care in Guatemala. On this day the Clinic closes shop and all our workers join others from our Diocese, who work in Health care, to listen to the message of our Bishop, Pablo. The workshop was in Matzatenango, about 40 minutes from the mission, by bus. It was blistering warm as the sun beat down on the tin roof and small ventilators brought a cool breeze.

The theme was suffering, as part of human life, not as a punishment from God for sins. No one escapes suffering and suffering can only be overcome through LOVE. Put ourselves in the shoes of one suffering, this is the advice of our BISHOP. He asked us to encourage others to offer one´s suffering for others; it can transform lives.
We participate in Pastoral Health as a road to salvation. Death does not have the last word; God is present with us. We are instruments of HIS LOVE. Monday we return to our busy day in the Clinic, inspired by the message we hopefully took home with us.

In the evening, Sr Mary and I went uptown to the fifth Friday of Lent procession. The streets were lined with spectators and others carried the heavy statues in large platforms in purple satin robes as they processed slowly, stopping at different homes that had displays of the different stations of the CROSS. The youth are very present in the procession. All over the country, in large towns and small communities, the processions lead up to the dramatization of HOLY WEEK! and the Resurection of Jesus. This is a country with violence and suffering but yet a country with deep faith and Hope.

The Wearing of the GREEN! March 17

Friends,
Greeting of the Irish to yas. This has always been a very special day, one to share who ever may be. Today was our monthly general meeting for the clinic personell. Surely none of them have heard of St Patrick, except from me. I rose early to put on my green Irish Princess t shirt, and green earrings. I had already ordered tamales for the meeting and green juice, no beer! I bought a wee green t shirt for my cocker puppy. I put up my calendar from Ireland and ready for the meeting.

Our speaker for the meeting was a Psychologist and medical doctor who also works with another parish clinic. His topic was stress. Clinic workers have stresses, as all of us, but often it is more accented here because of poverty and dealing daily with patients who are acutely ill, sometimes from the effects of hunger. Problems are sometimes beyond our abiity to solve so we are called to accompany our patients in their daily lives. We still have in recuperation in the clinic, Maria, 85 years with a fractured leg, and Sandra, 16yr old Asuncion student, recovering from peritonitis and other complications from ruptured appendix. Both do seem on the road to recovery.

Lent is also slipping by. Religious activities make real this season of Liturgy in our Catholic tradition. Friday evenings, the large statues, in majestic clothing, come out in the streets of town in procession, with a faithful following in silence and candles. Easter approaches.

happy day of the LEPRECHAUN to each and every one.

Love sheila