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the northern strain—I bathed them in a tub filled <strong>with</strong> boiled Red<br />
Gumbolimbo bark. It soothed their painful rashes, lowered the high fevers,<br />
and helped them fall into a deep, restful sleep.<br />
In the beginning of my apprenticeship, I would return from San Antonio<br />
and search my backyard farmacia, pharmacy, for a specific plant, never<br />
certain I could identify it <strong>with</strong>out Don Elijio’s help. After about a year and a<br />
half of tramping about in the rainforest, plants began to stand out as<br />
individuals <strong>with</strong> uses and exciting histories. The dark, mysterious forest of<br />
trees and lianas was becoming a familiar place of knowledge and healing.<br />
Once I felt sure that the plant in my hand was what I believed it to be, it<br />
took much more time before I felt completely confident that I could use the<br />
plants I collected on my patients. Only gradually did I became proficient at<br />
using the cures Don Elijio had taught.<br />
Our lives were still difficult and challenging, but our perseverance was<br />
showing results. Our natural healing practice in San Ignacio Town was<br />
flourishing. As Greg and I began to realize that we had purchased thirtyfive<br />
acres of medicine—enough to last several lifetimes—we no longer<br />
needed to import herbs from the United States.<br />
An increasing number of our patients were coming from the Mennonite<br />
community of Spanish Lookout, about ten miles northeast of San Ignacio.<br />
The German Mennonites, a Christian sect, had settled in Belize in 1958 to<br />
form a farming community of several hundred settlers. They came to us<br />
mostly for naprapathic treatments. Hands-on healing had always been a part<br />
of their culture, and they arrived at our office by the truckload. We treated<br />
all ages, from newborns to the elderly. Sometimes as many as twelve<br />
members of one family filled our waiting room.<br />
Gradually, our ugly, burned-out clearing in the jungle was transforming<br />
itself into a showplace of tropical flowers, including hibiscus in four shades,<br />
orchids, and heliconia.<br />
The fruit trees were beginning to bear their mangoes, oranges, lemons,<br />
and avocados. The pineapples and bananas were fat and sweet. We<br />
discovered wild fruit trees in our jungle, including annona, hog plum, and<br />
zapote, a favorite fruit of the ancient <strong>Maya</strong>. Its delicious flavor reminded<br />
me of a peach embellished <strong>with</strong> a dash of cinnamon.<br />
Our organic gardens were sprouting some hearty, deep green varieties of<br />
lettuce, <strong>with</strong> succulent, tender leaves. Collard greens had become one of our