Just Wanted to Write to You

Hello from Guatemala,

Well, Well, Well, I'd like to tell you about my well! When we decided to build a dorm we knew we did not have municipal water like in the States so we decided to put in a cistern. So we put in a big one, 28,000 gallons of water when full. I figured that much water would last us through the dry season. Well, guess what. After our second team and no rain, (and of course Riechelle using water to wash her and the girls hair everyday like there was no tomorrow), people flushing the toilet every time they went to the bathroom, (can you imagine), well it just was too much and we went dry. So I realized we need to drill a well. I asked the locals (when ever I say locals referring to the people in the village, Gaby and Beto thought I was saying Loco's). They said, "Papa Bryan you should not call our people Loco!" I said, "No, No, I am saying 'local' not 'loco'").

Anyway, the Locos, I mean Locals, said "we only dig wells by hand, because there are no well drilling rigs here." So here is what we do. We start digging a hole by hand and then start stacking cement tubes one on top of the other. Each tube weighs 1000 lbs. So we have to roll it to the hole and lower it onto the one below very carefully. I only use OSHA approved methods for my workers and teams. (I'm pretty sure this is OSHA approved.) Notice one of the guys has on OSHA approved work gloves, can’t get much safer than that!) Then someone has to go down the hole on a rope and when they get to the bottom they start digging with a small shovel because there is only 3 ft of room to work and it is hot and dark. Now when it is dry, it is not that bad of a job. But when the rains come and man, they do come, look out because it gets real messy and dangerous. So we are now 10 meters (30 ft) down and pumping out rain water to keep digging. What we do is dig out the dirt and stone under the bottom tube, then it falls down and the others slide down on top of it, then dig more and eventually lift another 3 ft cement tube on top of the last one and do it all again. We need to go down 20 meters (60 ft). But before you laugh at me, remember our forefathers had to this the same way only they used stones instead of nicely pre-formed concrete tubes. So well, well, well, what do you know about that?

On a different note, we have started doing something different with our teams that come down. We used to take each team to Antigua the last day and let them shop. (Me personally, I would rather be drug by a team of horses over shards of broken glass than shop.) However, since a lot of teams are returning for the 2nd or 3rd year we have decided to take them to the granddaddy of all Mayan ruins, TIKAL. This is were they filmed a lot of a CBS TV show called "Survivor: Guatemala" and a movie called "Star Wars". I have not seen either, but then again I live in the jungle. I am not a tourist type guy and for the most part don't care to go see Mayan or any ruins except I do love old junk yards, but no matter how many times I go here to Tikal it is Spectacular.

The animals there are incredible! Monkeys, tarantulas, pisote’s, wild florescent turkeys and flocks of wild parrots. It is truly amazing to think that 2000 years ago the Mayan people had running water and mathematics and they built these unbelievable temples that still stand today, and all without modern machinery. We love taking the teams here and they seem to really like it.


A Tarantula, a Pisote and Riechelle with a Scorpion on her arm, brave gal huh?


From on top of this temple you can see over the entire jungle canopy and the view is fantastic!	Kids say the darndest things huh? Deborah said, "Papa Bryan, will these steps hold us both?" Isn’t that cute that she must have thought she weighed too much, bless her heart!

On a personal note, I have to brag a bit about our son Beto. Those of you that have been here know that he is very shy and very quite. Well a few weeks ago we had our Independence Day here in Guatemala and they had a parade in our village. It is a few little girls dressed up with one of them wearing a crown and she rides in a pick up truck with palm leaves and it is cute. Then the school kids walk in a formation and they call it a parade. But when we ran out to the road to take pictures we noticed Beto was the one in front carrying the Guatemalan Flag.

We were kind of shocked and asked a teacher why Beto was carrying the flag. She said, "You don't know?". We said, "No". She said, "He is the schools top honor student and was chosen as student of the year!" We about fell over. He has never said a word about it! Folks if I would have made honor student in school my parents would have had a heart attack. My girlfriend in algebra class was out in the hall crying after a test. I said, "What's wrong?" She said, "I got a 'B' on my test." I said, "You're crying over a 'B'?" She said, "I have never made a 'B' before." I said, "Yeah, me neither!"

Anyway, he got a certificate and so did Gaby for reciting a long poem by memory. Now folks, I know you are thinking, "Bryan what is the big deal here?" You need to know that in their family, not even one person ever, has gone past 3rd grade! Beto & Gaby do not have a mother or father and the only relative they have is their grandfather who is in prison. So, we took them to the prison to show their grandfather their certificates. When their grandfather saw their certificates and heard about Beto being the top student, he could not hold his tears. He turned his head and wept and wept. He said he never could have imagined that his grandchildren would ever finish grade school. We told him that we intend to put them in private school, because public school only goes to 6th grade here in Guatemala. As much as Gaby helps me with medical emergencies and loves it, we want to send her to Medical School here in Guatemala. Even Debora gets right in there and helps me, so who knows maybe two doctors and preacher huh?

Riechelle sewing up a guy who fell on the cement and split his head open. I said, "Did he know you were not a Doctor or Paramedic?" She said, "No, he was drunk, when I told him I could sew him up just like a doctor, he didn't argue!" (That’s my girl!)

Wouldn’t that be just like the Lord to give us these kids to take over our ministry when we head on up to heaven? Who knows Beto may end up preaching and bringing many of his own Quitche people to the Lord and Gaby may become a doctor and take my place in helping her own people with their medical care. Who would have ever thought that God would do this huh?

Our two sons in the States, Luke and Lance, have also made us very proud of them. Luke is finishing his 4th year in the U.S. Coast Guard and Lance has extended for at least another year and has just gotten orders for Iran, so keep him in your prayers. It looks like Luke may go into Law Enforcement which he loves.


Beto learning to drive the boat.	Gaby is getting pretty!

Debora breaking into the house. We locked our keys in the house and had to get Debora to go through the window. If I can get Beto to be a preacher and Gaby to be a doctor, I am hoping to train Debora in Breaking and Entering. Good money in that line of work for a woman. As you can see she is a natural at it.

Ok enough foolishness. I just wanted to touch base with you and let you know we are still here and God is still blessing our work. It looks pretty likely that Dr. Bill Schnurr is going to come down to Rio Dulce and help us with our medical work. He is a retired surgeon and will be helping me with covering the emergency room and clinics. If we can get a facility, he will also do free surgery on people who could never get it done anywhere else. Bill and his wife, Julie, are both physicians who love helping people. They have done free medical mission work in Belize for years on short term missions trips.

Julie is a full blooded Indian from the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan where she practices medicine now. She is really brilliant and is such an inspiration for me and Gaby. She too broke the mold and showed the world that she did not have to accept things as they were, but could work hard and become a doctor. Now she helps her own people in the UP of Michigan. If she can do it, so can Gaby, Debora and Beto.

Okay you guys, lets all hit the sack and get some shut-eye. That is, if you're reading this at night. If you reading this in the morning at work then just get back to work.

Seriously, thanks for all your prayers and words of encouragement. I received so many responses to my last newsletter, I was overwhelmed and I want to thank both of you! Wink!

God Bless,
In His Service,

Bryan & Riechelle & the kids

Junglemedic Missions
Rio Dulce, Izabal
Guatemala Central America

E-Mail: Bryan@JungleMedicMissions.org
Web Site: http://www.junglemedicmissions.org/

This page was last updated 10/14/06