JANUARY 20-22, 2014
Managua
The 17-person volunteer medical team from Louisville, Kentucky, arrived late in the evening on the 19th. By the time they got to their accommodation - La Casa Grande (The Big House) - here in the 38-house compound where Barbara and Ed Dunsworth live, and got to bed, it was 1AM. Some of them didn't sleep at all. But they were up and out on their way to the hospital at 6:30 AM that morning.
Among the non-medical members are Marla Cautilli, CEO of Hand in Hand Ministries (myhandinhand.org), and Pamela Carter, the Director of Development.The Pathway to Change education program that Barbara and Ed founded is part of Hand in Hand Ministries.
Along with Barbara, the four of us have specific duties for the week in support of the medical team's work: To organize, teach, and entertain the hundreds of children who will show up during the week with their families (and sometimes neighbor children) to receive medical services.
After their morning time at various hospitals, the team gathers for lunch, which is where we meet up with them. Then it's off to a "private" clinic for the poor, where they meet with the Pathway to Change families.
The medical and dental exams and treatments are made available to all the children in the Pathway program, their siblings, parents, grandparents, extended family like aunts and cousins, and neighbor children. The entire group that a family brings along receives the services for $1.50 per total group, not per person. That small fee goes to pay for the small bus provided by Pathway to bring them to the clinic. Without this yearly volunteer visit arranged by Barbara and Ed and the Hand in Hand organization, the families might never see a doctor. If on-going care is required, Barbara and Ed facilitate that too.
Ed and Barbara are adamant that any service that a family receives - education, house building, medical etc. - be something they contribute to, if only in the smallest way, such as the $1.50. It is their experience that this is important for several reasons: So that they don't develop an attitude of entitlement because they are poor; that they don't take services and help for granted; that they maintain personal dignity that they are able to contribute to their family's well-being; and that they appreciate the service because they have had to be part of it.
The families arrive at the clinic in a small bus carrying 20 passengers, but with more like 30 people because there are babies and small toddlers in arms. The parents register and go through the basic blood pressure, weigh-in routine, then wait for their name to be called for the doctor. The wait can be as long as three hours. They are patient.
In the meantime, the bus goes out to pick up the next group of families. Eventually we have a backlog of adults and children running in and out of the clinic, so there is a definite need for the children to have some structure to the day. The children we deal with are from toddler age to 16, so we have to be flexible and creatively engaging so as not to lose their interest.
The clinic is a small one-storey building open to a small front courtyard. There are four rusty swings for the kids. We come equipped with fat pieces of colored chalk to draw on the stone courtyard, watercolor paints that we will use in a teaching lesson about germs, glitter that we pour into their hands to resemble hand germs that they pass to each other, two plastic tubs, one with only water, and the other using soap to demonstrate which cleans the germs off better, a jump-rope, drawing paper, colored pens, crayons, a ball-tossing game, playing cards, and other activities for learning about personal hygiene.
Jump rope with both boys and girls participating and card playing are big hits. I played cards non-stop for about three hours yesterday. I learned a new game called Stolen Casino (English name) that is fast and cut-throat. Can't wait to do it at home!
Being responsible for this many kids is a challenge for me. I am an only child, so I didn't have other children in my home environment. The last time I was responsible for entertaining a toddler or elementary age child was with my son, and he's now 36 years old. He is also an only child, so no other children were in the house. My entire working life has been with and for adults. I keep reminding myself that I love change and challenge, so the Lord has given me what I say I want. I am meant to learn from them as much as they might learn something from me.
The clinic closes at 5:30PM. We pile into the bus, exhausted. But there are two home visits to make to the homes of two Pathway students on Monday evening. Since I did five home visits last week, I know what to expect. For med team members on their first time in Managua, the homes are a shock.
After the close of the clinic on Tuesday, the med team wants to stop at a supermarket, so we go to LaColonia (The Colony), a store that carries a large number of US items. Wine seems to be a favorite purchase.
Back to Casa Grande, where we have dinner together at 6:30 each evening. The food is done by a woman who cooks for a living and it is delicious.
After dinner there is a gathering for open discussion about observations and experiences of the day, and questions and suggestions about moving forward. We finish the evening between 8:30 and 9PM. Barbara, Ed, Dr. Dennis the neurosurgeon also staying at the Dunsworth home, and I walk the half-block home. That's it for the evening.
I spend my time before bed answering and sending emails, and starting blog entries and Perspective pieces that I finish the next morning for you to find on the Website. The next two days will follow the same schedule. Saturday a "reward day" at the beach for theend of the intense medical mission week is planned. The med team leaves on Sunday.
Sunday I will be moving to Quaker House, the guesthouse for mission people and others coming to Managua for volunteer work. I was supposed to be there on the 21st but Quaker House changed the date. That was fine with me because the Dunsworth home has hot water in the shower. Quaker House is strictly cold water. So I'm enjoying my showers while I can.
The days are long, active and draining. I am going to bed much earlier here and am awake sometimes at 4AM. Have not seen any TV other than ten minutes of the Seattle football game since I left the States on January 7. Change is good. Except for the cold showers!
No complaints, however, when I see online the snow and frigid temperatures in Philadelphia.
Stay warm!
Managua
The 17-person volunteer medical team from Louisville, Kentucky, arrived late in the evening on the 19th. By the time they got to their accommodation - La Casa Grande (The Big House) - here in the 38-house compound where Barbara and Ed Dunsworth live, and got to bed, it was 1AM. Some of them didn't sleep at all. But they were up and out on their way to the hospital at 6:30 AM that morning.
Among the non-medical members are Marla Cautilli, CEO of Hand in Hand Ministries (myhandinhand.org), and Pamela Carter, the Director of Development.The Pathway to Change education program that Barbara and Ed founded is part of Hand in Hand Ministries.
Along with Barbara, the four of us have specific duties for the week in support of the medical team's work: To organize, teach, and entertain the hundreds of children who will show up during the week with their families (and sometimes neighbor children) to receive medical services.
After their morning time at various hospitals, the team gathers for lunch, which is where we meet up with them. Then it's off to a "private" clinic for the poor, where they meet with the Pathway to Change families.
The medical and dental exams and treatments are made available to all the children in the Pathway program, their siblings, parents, grandparents, extended family like aunts and cousins, and neighbor children. The entire group that a family brings along receives the services for $1.50 per total group, not per person. That small fee goes to pay for the small bus provided by Pathway to bring them to the clinic. Without this yearly volunteer visit arranged by Barbara and Ed and the Hand in Hand organization, the families might never see a doctor. If on-going care is required, Barbara and Ed facilitate that too.
Ed and Barbara are adamant that any service that a family receives - education, house building, medical etc. - be something they contribute to, if only in the smallest way, such as the $1.50. It is their experience that this is important for several reasons: So that they don't develop an attitude of entitlement because they are poor; that they don't take services and help for granted; that they maintain personal dignity that they are able to contribute to their family's well-being; and that they appreciate the service because they have had to be part of it.
The families arrive at the clinic in a small bus carrying 20 passengers, but with more like 30 people because there are babies and small toddlers in arms. The parents register and go through the basic blood pressure, weigh-in routine, then wait for their name to be called for the doctor. The wait can be as long as three hours. They are patient.
In the meantime, the bus goes out to pick up the next group of families. Eventually we have a backlog of adults and children running in and out of the clinic, so there is a definite need for the children to have some structure to the day. The children we deal with are from toddler age to 16, so we have to be flexible and creatively engaging so as not to lose their interest.
The clinic is a small one-storey building open to a small front courtyard. There are four rusty swings for the kids. We come equipped with fat pieces of colored chalk to draw on the stone courtyard, watercolor paints that we will use in a teaching lesson about germs, glitter that we pour into their hands to resemble hand germs that they pass to each other, two plastic tubs, one with only water, and the other using soap to demonstrate which cleans the germs off better, a jump-rope, drawing paper, colored pens, crayons, a ball-tossing game, playing cards, and other activities for learning about personal hygiene.
Jump rope with both boys and girls participating and card playing are big hits. I played cards non-stop for about three hours yesterday. I learned a new game called Stolen Casino (English name) that is fast and cut-throat. Can't wait to do it at home!
Being responsible for this many kids is a challenge for me. I am an only child, so I didn't have other children in my home environment. The last time I was responsible for entertaining a toddler or elementary age child was with my son, and he's now 36 years old. He is also an only child, so no other children were in the house. My entire working life has been with and for adults. I keep reminding myself that I love change and challenge, so the Lord has given me what I say I want. I am meant to learn from them as much as they might learn something from me.
The clinic closes at 5:30PM. We pile into the bus, exhausted. But there are two home visits to make to the homes of two Pathway students on Monday evening. Since I did five home visits last week, I know what to expect. For med team members on their first time in Managua, the homes are a shock.
After the close of the clinic on Tuesday, the med team wants to stop at a supermarket, so we go to LaColonia (The Colony), a store that carries a large number of US items. Wine seems to be a favorite purchase.
Back to Casa Grande, where we have dinner together at 6:30 each evening. The food is done by a woman who cooks for a living and it is delicious.
After dinner there is a gathering for open discussion about observations and experiences of the day, and questions and suggestions about moving forward. We finish the evening between 8:30 and 9PM. Barbara, Ed, Dr. Dennis the neurosurgeon also staying at the Dunsworth home, and I walk the half-block home. That's it for the evening.
I spend my time before bed answering and sending emails, and starting blog entries and Perspective pieces that I finish the next morning for you to find on the Website. The next two days will follow the same schedule. Saturday a "reward day" at the beach for theend of the intense medical mission week is planned. The med team leaves on Sunday.
Sunday I will be moving to Quaker House, the guesthouse for mission people and others coming to Managua for volunteer work. I was supposed to be there on the 21st but Quaker House changed the date. That was fine with me because the Dunsworth home has hot water in the shower. Quaker House is strictly cold water. So I'm enjoying my showers while I can.
The days are long, active and draining. I am going to bed much earlier here and am awake sometimes at 4AM. Have not seen any TV other than ten minutes of the Seattle football game since I left the States on January 7. Change is good. Except for the cold showers!
No complaints, however, when I see online the snow and frigid temperatures in Philadelphia.
Stay warm!
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