las Adventuras en Chiapas y Catemaco

Ah Montezuma, save your revenge for the Spaniards next time!

“¿Es necesario?” I asked not even looking over my shoulder where Doctora Rocia stood, preparing my IV. Even I wasn’t impressed with my feeble attempt to dissuade her from hooking me up to that dreadful suero. She left the room for fifteen minutes and all I could conjure up was “Is it necessary?” Perhaps that’s why I didn’t even bother to look up because I already knew the answer and sure enough the answer came in true Rocio fashion.

“Is it necessary? I came because it was necessary. Is it necessary? Look at you. You haven’t eaten in three days and to have the symptoms that you have… Argh… Esta paciente… Yes, it is necessary….. Oh, these patients….Is it necessary? huff….”

Instead of groaning and turning the other way which I was ready to do, I just smiled. There is just something about that feisty tone she uses when speaking that always makes me laugh. Then Doctora Rocio proceeded to tell the nurse, “You know this Bruc was the first patient I saw with the flu.” It was humorous to me how quick her tone turned from sarcastic and half scolding to one filled with pride as if telling her latest bragging right. She went on, “But no she didn’t get the flu from no Mexican niño. She got the flu from one of her own countrymen.” Once again I smiled but this time on the inside, remembering the whole flu episode. The week before I contracted the flu I was translating for eye surgeons. Doctora Rocio was in charge of making sure that none of the children had flu like symptoms because they were all candidates for operation. Dr. Rocio took her work very seriously to the extent of rushing out a little niño if he as much as sneezed to have him thoroughly examined. Anyways she continued, “You know Bruc is the one patient that gives me the most service. I think she should get a prize. I will have to get her a gift…” The nurse just nodded as she looked back and forth from me the #1 patient to Dr. Rocio, my personal Mexican doctor. When Rocio finished her discourse the nurse looked at me with sympathetic eyes and the foreseen words flowed, “Ok so you will feel a little sting.” Ah, the numerous times I have said that exact phrase when translating but it’s a lot different when you are the patient. I relaxed the muscles in my forearm but the fire that bombarded my veins caused me to cry out in pain. A little sting? That is the worst word choice ever. If she would just have told me that it was going to hurt I could have braced myself but I think the surprise of how bad it hurt made it much worse. At least now I know I will not use that word again when I am translating for the nurse hooking up the IV.

And so there I was…. unwillingly hooked up to an IV in Mexico…. and I stayed liked that for the next 18 hours….. this was after two and half days of upset stomach, headache, a little fever, and immense stomach cramping. I went from Saturday night to Wednesday afternoon with only a sliver of pound cake (right at the beginning of the pain), a banana, piece of toast, and five crackers. However, I was not the only one affected by this weird stomach virus. Bill, Wendy, and John all courageously fought Montezuma’s revenge with me. And I am pleased to say that there were no causalities. No we might have scars and bad memories but we have all survived the battle (which felt like an epic war by the time it was over) and we are better for it.

So what was God teaching me this past week? a lot of things …. just how much I would have to suffer for Him… that He loves me…. that He is still good even when I am hurting… and I hate to admit but it also took me being hooked up to IV to realize that I was not only physically dehydrated but also spiritually dehydrated. I hadn’t been fighting for my time in the Word and in prayer the past week and as a result my defenses were down spiritually just as they were physically. I needed the Word of Life flowing through my veins, fighting enemy bodies and replenishing my soul. And tonight I feel better. I feel rejuvenated spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Brother Bill preached the last revival of the week tonight (the only one I was able to attend) and the Coro Unido sang. God’s presence was as thick as fog in that auditorium downtown. You might say that all the singing and preaching was for the rather large group of people who came down front and made a profession of faith. And you would be right, well partly right because man, that was for me too. God is faithful and good as ever. Keep trusting Him…. Until next time Montezuma….