On April 7, we brought the NC Baptist Nursing Fellowship team to San Marcos to work at a government-run daycare, on invitation from the governmental entity responsible for caring for poor and vulnerable children. We met the director, a highly trained and very motivated woman. We were impressed with the depth of this institution's work with children and parents. She spoke of the improved nutrition and special diets they follow to help the children's nutritional status. She told us that this administration's desire to help children is evident in the child care program she directs. The director recognizes the role of education in alleviating generational poverty. The ministry of education
Every child in the home is encouraged to study and are in school. In the afternoons and on Saturday, they have a tutor who is a licensed teacher. Each child memorizes Scripture and works in Bible Quizzing. Every grade report season (four times a year) I take the children with the best grades out for an afternoon of fun. Usually, it is buying something special for them, going to a movie, and to dinner. Grade reports just came out....I was happy and thrilled to find out who won this time. All three were children who had been deprived educationally before. One repeated first grade three times, only passing this past year while in our home. Two others had attended school only sporadicall
Today a 40 year old patient, who became blind at 12 years of age, was brought to me. Her elderly mother accompanied her as she carefully navigated her way to sit beside me. Her wasted and thin arms and legs made her large abdomen appear even more prominent. My first impression was that she was pregnant, maybe close to delivery. She and her mother both denied a pregnancy, telling me that her abdomen had started to grow over three years ago. My concern grew as I heard an obvious heart murmur, perhaps due to anemia. Quiche missionary Jose Caniz, who is also a social worker, and I spoke urgently to her about the need to obtain adequate care. The best place she could get that care would be
