Breakfast was at 7:00 a.m., followed by devotions. Fernanda led the devotional this morning, and Caleb joined us with his guitar, filling the room with worship before the day even began. It was a peaceful start — a good thing, because when we arrived at the clinic there was already a huge queue waiting.
I worked again with Caleb translating. One of my first patients was another diabetic with a blood sugar of 23 mmol/L but thankfully without ketones. A little later, the diabetic lady from yesterday returned — not for care, but to give us a small gift, a little hat keyring she’d made. It was such a sweet gesture. I checked her blood sugar again, though, and it had climbed to 27 mmol/L, so we talked about follow-up and care.
The day was filled with the usual mix of gastritis, back pain, and a handful of children with common illnesses. Lunch was a comforting curry dish, but shortly after, the weather suddenly turned. The temperature dropped, the sky darkened, and then it began to hail — loudly. The hail hitting the tents made it difficult to hear patients, and at times we had to lean in close just to understand each other.
I saw a few babies and younger patients as the storm continued. Eventually we cleared up and packed the van in the cold before heading back home.
For supper, we tried a place that looked a bit like KFC, but they had actually run out of chicken — which made us laugh after such a long day. We ended up at an Italian restaurant instead, where Ric and I shared a pizza. Back at the hotel, it was the usual: Skip-Bo and then bed, ready to rest before another full day tomorrow.
Reflection
Despite the weather, the crowds, and the challenges of working in a noisy tent, today was marked by small, tender moments that felt like unexpected gifts — Caleb’s music, the quiet gratitude of a patient coming back just to give us something she made, and the resilience of people who waited patiently for hours. It reminded me that ministry often happens in the middle of noise, discomfort, and interruption, yet God’s presence threads through it all. I ended the day humbled by the trust people place in us and grateful for the privilege of being here.