Visiting Nurse

I do trust in the steadfast love of God
to time indefinite, even forever.
~Psalm 52:8

Gladis Gibson, missionary nurse.

Cumai, Ecuador SA, 1954, photo by Bill Gibson

The soft focus of this image really brings home the soft quality of Gladis Gibson’s heart and her healing work.

In order to make a home visit, everything that might possibly be needed was packed into a big basket that had originally been intended as a bassinet. The trick was to pack the basket as light as possible, because it had to be carried, and at the same time put as much into it as you possibly could because you never knew what exactly would be needed.

All the visits were made on foot, as there were no roads and no cars. I’m not entirely sure why horses weren’t used more often. It could be that they weren’t practical, because of the density of the rainforest and the depth of the mud.