Pastor Carlos had surgery on Dec. 5 to remove a mass, his prostate, and his gall bladder. Plans were for him to be in the hospital only 3 days. He has had a really rough time with many complications, including blood clots, paralyzed intestines, and a kidney stone. Pastor Carlos did get released late on Tuesday, Dec. 9, but was rushed back to the hospital by ambulance early the next afternoon. He is finally home now but still has a tube coming out of his stomach and a catheter. The doctor says that it will be two to three weeks before these can be removed.

I was in Guatemala and visited Pastor Carlos in the hospital on Monday. It was a rude awakening for me because when we left to go visit, I was expecting to arrive at a hospital that looked somewhat like we have here in the United States. As we pulled to the curb in an area of low-rise commercial and residential row buildings, you had to look hard to see the sign that indicated a hospital was present. For those of you who have been to Guatemala, it looked like most any of the area we pass through on the way to the airport from the compound. There was a guard to let us in and you could see a car in the attached garage. There was one hallway and on one side you saw the office, the operating room, and three rooms for patients with three beds per room, and the other side you could see the car inside the garage. Some of the glass panes that separated the hallway from the garage were broken.

When we left, I asked Pastor Luis if it was really a hospital. He told me is is what is considered a private hospital and there are many of them all over Guatemala City for people who cannot afford the better grade hospitals. He said that Pastor Carlos and Delmi looked at their options and that was the best they felt they could afford. My first thought was that "most people in the States wouldn't take their dog to a place like this and I sure don't want Pastor Carlos here." While it was not a place I would like to be, it did provide care for Pastor Carlos and he is doing better this week. However, I personally believe that he is doing better because of all the prayers that were lifted on his behalf. Thank you so much for praying for him and for Delmi. She is doing okay but is physically and emotionally exhausted. 

The original projected cost for surgery and hospitalization for Pastor Carlos was around $4,000 US dollars.  With the extended hospitalization and the ambulance trip, the cost is now projected to be between $10,000-$12,000 US dollars.  If you can spare a little bit of money during this Christmas season and time of bad economy, please send it to Impacto for Pastor Carlos and Delmi.  They are now burdened with finding a way to finance this huge medical bill.  It would be a wonderful gift to them to help remove this burden.  Pastor Carlos and Delmi put all their time and energy into their ministry which includes opening their home to Impacto teams. I believe that we, all of us who have served on a team that has had the privilege of meeting them, can raise enough money to help ease their worries. Please pray about this and if you can, send a contribution to Impacto with "Pastor Carlos--Medical" written in the memo. 

Thank you again for all your prayers.  Please continue to lift Pastor Carlos and Delmi each day, that God will touch Pastor Carols with His healing hand and that His peace and strength will be with them. 

Merry Christmas and may God richly bless each of you throughout the coming year.

Sarah Poythress
Administrative Assistant
Impacto, Luis Martinez Spanish Ministries
9690 Shepherds Creek Place
La Plata, MD  20646