I have been blessed with the opportunity to provide chiropractic care to about 300 orphans in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. How did it all start? Inspired by my grandfather, Dr. Wes Trout, who went on a short-term mission trip with the Christian Chiropractors Association to Haiti, I signed up to go on a "Palmer Clinic Abroad" trip my senior year. This program was set up by Palmer College to allow students to earn credits adjusting patients overseas. While we were there, we worked alongside full-time missionaries, Dr. Bruce and Katie Kniegge, among others. While on that trip to Bolivia, I fell in love with the people and really felt compelled to share God's love with them. Commenting to Dr. Kniegge that I'd love to have his job was all it took to get me back in Santa Cruz a year later on a one-year commitment to work in the orphanages. Well, one year came and went, and I was building relationships with the kids and just didn't want to leave. God allowed me to stay six more months. I returned home last winter. What does my work in South America look like? My office is an 18-pound gray Lloyd portable table permanently soiled from foot dirt. An old blue backpack doubles as my prize file cabinet. My staff consists of Karina, a smiling 21 year-old Bolivian woman who grew up in an orphanage and who likes to carry my table on her head. We have a two- week schedule visiting one orphanage a day. In all, I go to 10 orphanages. My workdays are fairly typical. The kids come running when we arrive and line up to get their little spines checked for subluxations. I adjust when needed, usually about 40%-50% of the kids on any given day, and keep a brief file on each child. Then comes the "premio," which is the prize for being a good patient. The children receive underwear, a toothbrush, fruit, yogurt, stickers, or even chocolate, which happens to be the favorite of girls at Cristo Viene home. Family and friends in the U.S often provide these special treats, or I buy them myself. After work, I usually have lunch with my patients. Soup, which is served no matter how hot it is outside, and rice are the dietary staples. Then, I like to focus on building relationships with the kids. This often involves me leading the hokey-pokey, attempting to play soccer, or translating everyone's name from Spanish to English so we can laugh at how silly that sounds. The treasures of my work are when I get one-on-one time to share with the kids or the staff. What a blessing to hug an orphan and tell them about their Heavenly Father who cares perfectly for their needs. The other week, someone asked me what I saw as the biggest benefit chiropractic care was to the orphans with whom I work? Now that would be an interesting research project. My first thought was touch. The human touch of love communicates across cultural and language barriers. Touch that is purposeful which allows the body to function at it's best by removing subluxations. What a blessing to be able to serve God with my chiropractic skills. Not only do the kids I work with understand their need for a Savior, but they also get the big idea of chiropractic. Yet, being overseas is not the only mission field. I know that each of you has a gift of love to give each of your patients, human touch. Keep up the great chiropractic work, and if you are interested in being on my e-mail update/prayer list or if you have any questions, please e-mail me at drgringa@hotmail.com

Santa Cruz, Bolivia