By Kris Waskosky (David's mother)
The room buzzed with questions and answers in three languages. At the intake station, three English speakers collected medical histories of Salasaca children from their Quichua-speaking mothers via Spanish. When those who were recording histories needed clarification, they would ask me something in English which I could then ask the mother in Quichua, a language I have studied as a linguist and Bible translator. That day my husband and our partner, who both understand spoken Quichua well and speak it quite fluently, were helping the one English-speaking and two Spanish-speaking doctors at the examination tables, the last station after a long waiting line. In Quichua they were able to ask mothers for detailed explanations of their children’s symptoms and likewise give detailed explanations for any medications being given.
Between the intake station at the entrance to the Salasaca church and the examination tables near the altar area in front, the wooden church pews had been arranged in a maze-like fashion to direct the children toward the three other stations: one for measuring their weight and height, one for taking their temperatures, and one for checking their vision. Each station was manned with volunteers from among the Shell hospital staff and other missionaries, including our partner’s wife at the temperature station.
One little girl, who looked sick and was coughing, had a high temp of 103°. She was rushed ahead of other waiting children to the front of the line where she could receive attention quickly. Her diagnosis? Pneumonia. Other ailments seen among the 110 children examined by the doctors that day included severe tooth decay, scabies, malnutrition, asthma, and minor infections. Of the 148 children screened for vision, several were nearsighted and in need of glasses. Almost every child complained of stomachaches; everybody received treatment for parasites. They also got a 30-day supply of vitamins, given by a church group in the U.S.
Several missions cooperated together to give medical exams for the Salasaca children enrolled in Compassion International: HCJB, OMS, WMPL, and MVI. Most of us had left Shell just after 6 AM to travel the winding road which follows the Pastaza River to Baños and then proceeds higher up the mountain to the community of Salasaca at 9,000 feet of altitude. The temperatures in Salasaca are often chilly, and March 25th was no exception, especially when it started raining outside. I, for one, was happy when the church bulged with children and their mothers (not to mention the stray dog) because all of those bodies in close proximity took the chill out of the room. To stay warm most of the kids were dressed in multiple layers; it took a while just to get them to strip down enough so the doctors could examine them.
Earlier in the day when there wasn’t a full house yet, one little boy wasn’t too happy when his mother proceeded to unzip his pants and show the intake worker exactly where her son had had problems. She had told me the Quichua word lulun, meaning egg, and pointed to his upper leg, which I had interpreted to be an egg-sized tumor in his leg. As it turns out he had had problems with his testicle. I’m sure that child was sorry that I didn’t have a better grasp of Quichua words for body parts! He wasn’t upset about getting cold as much as getting embarrassed!!
Our HVO caravan team worked until 6 PM that day with a short break at 1 PM for eating the soup and the rice plate offered by the Quichua believers. By the end of the day, we were tired but fulfilled. The impression that stuck with me most was that whenever a mother and her child were leaving and I said “Dios bendiciachun,” meaning “God bless you,” they would respond with, “Diosolopai,” “Thank you.” Even the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking volunteers understood the intent of that word because it was always accompanied by a great big smile ... understood in any language. We know, too, that our loving efforts done in the name of Christ communicated more than our fumbling tongues could speak. Please pray that these young children, most of whom are unchurched, would yearn to know the Great Physician.
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