By CHRISTA KOLENCIK
Special to the Chronicle

For Katy residents Frank and Robin Aranza, retirement years may be spent in a large, mostly impoverished city in South America – Lima, Peru. Not perhaps a typical retirement when one usually envisions time playing golf, travel and time to kill. For the Aranzas, retirement means working and serving those less fortunate, especially when it comes to good medical care.

For Robin Aranza, this idea arose from her recent work at old Katy’s Christ Clinic, where anyone can get medical care, despite financial circumstances and/or health insurance.

Aranza had always been interested in health care. She had wanted to learn more, perhaps take some classes and see if this might be the profession for her. She also knew that there may really be a need for that type of service in a country like Peru.

“I did a lot of praying at that point,” she said. “God led me to people and situations that were health-field related.”

The reason for the choice of Lima, Peru, was not mere coincidence. The Aranzas are also members of Living Word Lutheran Church and Lima, Peru, is home to Living Word’s sister church or sponsor church, La Luz Divina, or The Divine Light.

Frank Aranza traveled on a mission trip in November 2005 and came home on fire. He felt a strong desire to do more. He had spent almost 30 years working for Dow Chemical and was contemplating retiring and moving to Peru. He was thinking of working with their congregation in their music program. He sings regularly in Living Word’s choir and often solos at worship services.

When he returned to Katy, he shared his experiences with Robin who supported his plan of retiring to Peru, but wasn’t quite sure yet how she would fit in. She had spent the last 15 years or so as a stay-at-home mother to their only son, Trey. Her interest in a health-related profession started her thinking at that point with Trey’s graduation from high school just around the corner.

The next thing Aranza knew, she was registering for classes online through Houston Community College, and began course work in nursing in January 2006 on a part-time basis.

“One of my first classes was a math class, and that was somewhat of a challenge,” Aranza said. She worked hard and took on the challenges of going back to school.

Robin completed her first full year of school this spring and was looking for something to do for the summer. “I wanted to expand my experiences, and I was in a hurry to get out and help people. I wanted to know what I could do to give quality health care to those in need.”

She read about the Christ Clinic located in old Katy in the spring edition of Living Word’s newsletter. She read how the clinic provides quality health care to anyone, including and most often, the uninsured. She also saw how Living Word Lutheran Church’s We Feed People ministry had most recently partnered with the clinic to deliver sack lunches twice a month to the day laborers. She thought Christ Clinic could use her help. She was right. She called the clinic and volunteered every Wednesday during the summer.

Her duties included patient data entry, calling patients from the waiting room and getting them comfortable in an examination room. She filed charts, took vital signs, urinalysis and checked glucose levels. Robin did pretty much everything that was needed during the time she was there.

“I now see my direction is going to be to those with under-served medical needs,” Robin said. “I’d like to see something like Christ Clinic in Peru.”

Christ Clinic relies heavily on volunteers and donations from churches and other organizations. The word is spreading and more people are volunteering as they discover the clinic and the work they are doing in Katy to help those who need it most.

Sue Schneider, Living Word member, first became involved at Christ Clinic after hearing about it after one Wednesday morning Bible study. Schneider, a licensed registered nurse with 15 years of nursing experience, wondered how she could help out. She now spends several hours a month cataloging and logging medications by expiration date and lot numbers. Christ Clinic offers medicines, even prescription medicines at reduced rates.

“I find it’s a rewarding experience. It’s a good way to serve others,” she said. “Being a nurse, health care has been important to me. Helping people get access to medical care is rewarding to me.”

Aranza said for her, being happy and fulfilled is all about finding one’s passion. “Frank and I are having the time of our lives. He’s working as a recruiter for the Boy Scouts in which his job is to encourage young boys to join who may not otherwise join due to lack of a parent or parents. I now have this, and we couldn’t be happier.”