Yucay

If you recall, several months ago huge rains came to the Cusco area bring along with them much destruction. To put it in perspective, the train to Machu Picchu, Peru's biggest tourist destination, just got up and running again a couple of weeks ago. I heard somewhere that the area lost about $1 million dollars per day of tourist revenue while the train was down. But more importantly (to us) the rains destroyed many people's (who already lived in severe poverty) homes. Currently, in many smaller communities, many people are living in government supplied tents.

Two Baptist missionaries from England that we know well, Scott and Anjanette Williamson, have formed a relationship with one of these "tent communities" located in the Sacred Valley town of Yucay. They go once a week to bring food, clothing, and the Gospel to these families. Anjanette is one of the doctors who works with me at La Fuente once a week and she also saw great medical need there. Therefore, this past Tuesday, we were able to take La Fuente to Yucay!

In about 4 1/2 hours of work (as the travel was about 2 hours each way), we were able to treat over 70 patients, which I must say wasn't easy with just 2 doctors! Meanwhile, Scott (Anjanette's husband and a pastor) and a few others were also able to meet spiritual needs of some of the patients. It was a great trip, and we may try to go once more before we depart for the States.

Here are a few pictures...

"Dr. Greg" hard at work in the make-shift clinic.

"Doctora Anjanette" treating a Quechua woman

Nurse triage area

The pharmacy. We were lucky to have 2 young women visiting from England, one of whom works as a dispensing pharmacist, with us to run "the pharmacy." It was really nice not to have to be a doctor and a pharmacist at the same time!

The team