El Salvador escapades semana dos
June 23, 2013
The old dusty road of life. Going to Papayán to see patients with the midwives
Well, so as I’m sitting here in the living room of our apartment get away, eating our room service breakfast, at Roca Sunzal Hotel for our weekend getaway, I ponder and reflect. And right now I’m feeling so blessed to be with such unique individuals from all walks of life, all tied together by the bond of El Salvador and the field of medicine.
I’ve decided the title of my post, Moving Forward, can mean a couple of things: 1) moving forward in a literal sense, because time is passing quickly and soon my experience here will come to an end 😢😢 2) moving forward also speaks volumes of the community of Aquacayo and how the people moved forward after tragic experiences in the civil war and afterwards, as well 3) my house mother, Vilma, is the mascot of the phrase moving forward, literally! 4) and lasting moving forward is an action I have reflected on these past couple days.
So about the community of Aquacayo and it’s neighbor town, Suchitoto, well basically these towns were annihilated by bombs and other tragic acts during the war. Roads, schools, churches, and all other things were gone; it was just rubble scattered on the ground.
The people of the town could have decided to sit, literally, in all the piles of debris and cater holes created by the bombs, and just wallow in their self misery. But no, that’s not what the community did, they got up off the bottoms and moved forward. And now one would not be able to tell the severity of what took place in the towns of Suchitoto a mere 11 years ago.
And my Vilma is just one amazing and inspirational woman! She told me and another med school mate about a tragic automobile accident that happened about 15 years ago, which rendered her paralyzed with brain tumor and a 16 day coma. During her 16 day coma her spouse dropped a bomb that left a crater hole in each of the family members’ hearts. Her spouse simply picked up his bags and moved forward– leaving his children and wife behind.
Vilma didn’t sit still and wine all day, although she had more than enough reasons to. But what did Vilma do, move forward! She did small kicking exercises with her legs every day and within 8 months she was walking! She paid for her children’s schooling and gave all of them their basic necessities. Vilma got up and walked! She didn’t look back, but just kept trudging down that old dusty road called life.
And as I also continue my trek along that meandering, windy paths of life, I choose to move in the forward direction. I believe that Christ has paid the debt for my failures, my mishaps, and mistakes so it’s time to continue moving in the onward direction and realize that His grace is bigger than any failure in life. No more looking back, no more wining, just forward.
And thus far, I believe I’ve been pretty positive and uplifting for others as well. But as I walk around the cities of Suchitoto and smile at the faces of the lovely, humbled El Salvadorians I feel inspired to remember to always move forward and not be afraid. Don’t feel disappointed, Jesus paid it all. Rest in His gift of grace and know everything will be okay.
XOXO,
Jenn
At Roca Sunzal Hotel for the weekend
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