6.7.12
5.7.12
Minute Meditations
Minute Meditations
| You are Unique |  | ||
| There is no one else like you. There is no one else in the world who is where you are in relation to those in your life and to those you meet even casually during the day. You are essential to God’s work among his people. | |||
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Minute Meditations
Minute Meditations
| Radiate Truth | | ||
| The renewal of the
Church is also achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers:
by their very existence in the world, Christians are called to radiate the word
of truth that the Lord Jesus left us. —Pope Benedict XVI | |||
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July 4, 2012
Team A did not end up in the Mercedes region. Instead we went to the Belen region where Team B had been for the past two days. They have sicker patients there and team sites were swapped so others could experience something different. I forgot my camera. Of all days to forget, this was the site to see. We will be there again Thursday and I will be sure to bring my camera so I can share the pictures with you all. You will not believe what you see. The clinic day went even smoother for our third day. We're professionals now. One thing, the clinic can throw all they want to the pharmacy but we're on top of our game and working so well with the entire team. I won't post anything else about the site as we will be back there tomorrow. The pictures will say a thousand words !
After we arrived back at the hotel I had a chance to speak with Dr Harmon, leader of the trip, for just a bit as we walked a few blocks to pick up his laundry and drop mine off. This is one place that is a little iffy about taking american dollars though the exchange rate for the value is pretty good. Apparently a lot of counterfeit money has passed through Peru. I spoke with as we walked back to the hotel and spoke some more outside his room. We talked about the history behind his missions as well as mine. I brought up the topic of religion as I needed answers and he was the man to go to and could explain it best for me. I professed my intentions for coming along for the medical clinic yet just as he said would happen, we will be doing things you had not planned or intended and you will be changed to find that what you are doing instead is going to impact you in ways you haven't imagined. He was truly correct about that. He was also correct that we will or may focus on things about ourselves and about what we want on the trip, but we will be transformed to what we want to what does everyone else need. It's not about us. We talked about more but I will not share for this was personal for me and all I can say is Amen !
Now it's time for our 6:30pm meeting and Robert has asked me to tell my story/history on how I got to be on this mission. I made a disclaimer about how awful I am as a speaker and how I ramble and stutter at times. I began with announcing my Catholic faith. No stirs in the room yet. I told the story on my beginnings in missions and youth ministry. I spoke about my nursing profession and wanting to learn how to incorporate my faith into my professsion. Most of all I confessed my anxiety about being Catholic and being on this trip. Through my prior conversation with Dr Harmon, he resolved my fear and anxiety, though already at a low due to the awesome past 3 clinics. I spoke about my roommates, Steven Kent who is Jewish, and Cameron Nichols who is nondenominational though clearly knowing and answering to his calling. I talked about who we each are as a person despite whatever our religion and that it transcends all religions to come to a common calling of serving and healing of the body, mind, and spirit. My spirit needs to continually be renewed and I have always been rejuventated through mission trips. Dr Cindy also have her story as well as local pastor who has been working with e3 for the past few years. So I did better than I though I would, though my mouth was becoming so dry to the point of sticking together. The group listened and acknowledged my story. I come to find at the end of the meeting that there are 2 other Catholics on this trip that I was unaware of. It seems for one of the students that by offering my story to the entire team was exactly what was needed for her to come to resolution from a very emotional circumstance and threat, not by body, that had occured at her worksite today. God gives us strength and comfort at the right times.
I was happy and liberated to be able to tell my story though I was very nervous. I continue to feed off the love from this group that emanates everywhere. I am at peace through my relationship and deep respect for the kind person, spiritual counselor and brother in Christ, Chris Harmon.
After we arrived back at the hotel I had a chance to speak with Dr Harmon, leader of the trip, for just a bit as we walked a few blocks to pick up his laundry and drop mine off. This is one place that is a little iffy about taking american dollars though the exchange rate for the value is pretty good. Apparently a lot of counterfeit money has passed through Peru. I spoke with as we walked back to the hotel and spoke some more outside his room. We talked about the history behind his missions as well as mine. I brought up the topic of religion as I needed answers and he was the man to go to and could explain it best for me. I professed my intentions for coming along for the medical clinic yet just as he said would happen, we will be doing things you had not planned or intended and you will be changed to find that what you are doing instead is going to impact you in ways you haven't imagined. He was truly correct about that. He was also correct that we will or may focus on things about ourselves and about what we want on the trip, but we will be transformed to what we want to what does everyone else need. It's not about us. We talked about more but I will not share for this was personal for me and all I can say is Amen !
Now it's time for our 6:30pm meeting and Robert has asked me to tell my story/history on how I got to be on this mission. I made a disclaimer about how awful I am as a speaker and how I ramble and stutter at times. I began with announcing my Catholic faith. No stirs in the room yet. I told the story on my beginnings in missions and youth ministry. I spoke about my nursing profession and wanting to learn how to incorporate my faith into my professsion. Most of all I confessed my anxiety about being Catholic and being on this trip. Through my prior conversation with Dr Harmon, he resolved my fear and anxiety, though already at a low due to the awesome past 3 clinics. I spoke about my roommates, Steven Kent who is Jewish, and Cameron Nichols who is nondenominational though clearly knowing and answering to his calling. I talked about who we each are as a person despite whatever our religion and that it transcends all religions to come to a common calling of serving and healing of the body, mind, and spirit. My spirit needs to continually be renewed and I have always been rejuventated through mission trips. Dr Cindy also have her story as well as local pastor who has been working with e3 for the past few years. So I did better than I though I would, though my mouth was becoming so dry to the point of sticking together. The group listened and acknowledged my story. I come to find at the end of the meeting that there are 2 other Catholics on this trip that I was unaware of. It seems for one of the students that by offering my story to the entire team was exactly what was needed for her to come to resolution from a very emotional circumstance and threat, not by body, that had occured at her worksite today. God gives us strength and comfort at the right times.
I was happy and liberated to be able to tell my story though I was very nervous. I continue to feed off the love from this group that emanates everywhere. I am at peace through my relationship and deep respect for the kind person, spiritual counselor and brother in Christ, Chris Harmon.
July 3, 2012
I'll combine Tuesday and Wednesday in this post as to update you all to the present. Our second day was set in a church. Again the long line had already formed prior to our arrival. The process moved much better than the first day, but that's not to say the first day was bad. As a matter of fact I believe it was quite successful in what we wanted to accomplish. The second day was better in that the flow from triage to provider to pharmacy to spiritual counseling was much smoother and more contacts were made through spiritual counseling. Each day is getting better and better with regards to the total experience. What I mean about experience is not about what I see or do medically as in treating the body. What I am experiencing is so much more personal; a relationship with the people that work by my side and the relationship with the people I am serving, even for a brief moment through the pharmacy. I feel the suffering and the healing of not just the body but of the mind and spirit. I am doing something here that I had not planned or intended to do but all the better for it. In the pharmacy I dispense the medications the providers have prescribed. It's not as simple as passing out medications. You have to adjust prescriptions based on inventory and the flow through pharmacy is literally nonstop from about 9a-3p. I may have already mentioned my new friend Steven working with me in the pharmacy. We have our system set now and even with awesome translators we have learned to interact and give instructions in Spanish by ourselves. The most overwhelming thing about the pharmacy is the reaction we get from the people when we hand them the medications. It amazing how they are so grateful for vitamins, cough medicine, and tylenol and ibuprofen. Yes, those are the medications we dispense the most along with worm medication, topicals, and occasionally a single antibiotic tablet. The simplest of medications which are so readily available and taken for granted back in the states means the world to these people; even Tums....YES TUMS ! And it's not just the people waiting in line who have no access to any healthcare, but also by pastors, translators, the assistants, and even the hotel staff where we are staying. Again its medication like tylenol, ibuprofen and vitamins. Though the amount we give them will only last for a short time, the spiritual counseling they recieve if they so choose will last much longer. Each day more people are receiving spiritual counseling. It's pure awesomeness ! I think "awesomeness" has become my favorite word for this blog, yet it still lacks in describing my excitement. You have to experience something like this for yourself.
At the end of clinic I was invited by Dr Harmon to come along with him, Mandy, and Curtis to scope out the site for Wednesday's clinic. Those pictures are below. This is what they call the Mercedes. As you proceed out of town towards this area with some gentle hills you can get a view of the blanket of tin and some grass roofs. The site for Wednesday's clinic can be seen in the pictures below. The grass roof hut is owned by a lady who will be getting some property on the outskirts of town in ultimately giving her house to the church. She will be in a much better place. This place in the past few months had been almost entirely under water. In her house the water level had come up to about shoulder level; remember these houses are already on stilts. I met several children as you can see and though my Spanish is limited they wouldn't leave my side. They did not want me stop taking their pictures. Adorable innocent children, carefree and enjoying each other
We pretty have a schedule for our days now, though somewhat flexible. Breakfast beginning at 6am if you want. Meeting at 7:30am. Head out to the sites by 8am. Work as soon as possible until 4pm. Free time until 6:30pm for debriefing, adjustments, and prayer. Dinner afterwards then free time again.
At the end of clinic I was invited by Dr Harmon to come along with him, Mandy, and Curtis to scope out the site for Wednesday's clinic. Those pictures are below. This is what they call the Mercedes. As you proceed out of town towards this area with some gentle hills you can get a view of the blanket of tin and some grass roofs. The site for Wednesday's clinic can be seen in the pictures below. The grass roof hut is owned by a lady who will be getting some property on the outskirts of town in ultimately giving her house to the church. She will be in a much better place. This place in the past few months had been almost entirely under water. In her house the water level had come up to about shoulder level; remember these houses are already on stilts. I met several children as you can see and though my Spanish is limited they wouldn't leave my side. They did not want me stop taking their pictures. Adorable innocent children, carefree and enjoying each other
We pretty have a schedule for our days now, though somewhat flexible. Breakfast beginning at 6am if you want. Meeting at 7:30am. Head out to the sites by 8am. Work as soon as possible until 4pm. Free time until 6:30pm for debriefing, adjustments, and prayer. Dinner afterwards then free time again.
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