Monday, May 31, 2010
Waiting
We made it back to Guatemala City! Last night news reports told us that crews had labored through the night to clear the Pan American Highway well enough for slow passage. So we spent our last day in Chichi (Sunday) together as a group, with the cyclone passing and the recovery efforts in progress. We did offer our services at the private hospital in town, but it was sufficiently staffed. Everyone seemed grateful for the reprieve in terrible weather - the rain stopped and gave rescue teams the opportunity needed to save more homes from being destroyed by the dangerous, unpredictable mudslides.
After some bitter sweet goodbyes with the staff and loved ones at Casa Del Rey, our van left at about 9:00 am this morning. It took us nearly 6 hours to reach Hotel Barcelo here in the city..a trip which lasted barely 4 hours originally. Our Marimba music helped to pass the time. Because of the obvious affects from the weather and volcano, it was slow moving. Dangerous pieces of roadway had collapsed along the way, revealing how devastated some areas must be. Rushing water continues to drain from the mountains. At times, incoming and outgoing traffic took turns (with the guidance of traffic police) to maneuver around huge amounts of land which covered entire sides of the highway. It was crazy to see chunks of the mountain lining the road, especially when it meant driving even closer to the already encroaching road ledges.
Our drivers let us stop at the airport (which is still closed) to update our flight information before coming to the hotel. Thanks to Amy and Rachel, we did reserve enough seats to get home. Unfortunately, our flights are postponed until Saturday and Sunday (worst-case scenario we think) this week because ash is continuing to be cleared from the runways, etc. We were originally supposed to leave today. Hopefully we can snatch earlier flights out if at all possible; we are doing everything we can to made that happen! Once arriving to the hotel, we said goodbye to our amazing Guatemalan drivers who took great care of us throughout the entire trip.
SOooooo, here we are again at Barcelo making due with seriously limited supplies! We are being resourceful with just about everything, including supplying our own water bottles form local stores haha. We all brought suitcases full of supplies for our clinics and barely anything to wear for more than the 10 planned days. It's pretty interesting what outfits we're coming up with.
Thank you for your continued concern! Good continues to provide and has kept us mostly cheerful...with some stress here and there. Our team is for sure growing through the hardships - we keep remembering those who continue to suffer and are grateful for every single safe part of the journey. Even a staff member here lost family members in the disaster, so the hurt is everywhere.
We just keep hoping to hear some good news from Continental and are checking every hour on flights and whatnot. Dealing with the travel insurance is always fun, too ... especially when it might run out before we can leave!
When in doubt, we remember that we have the Rotary Letter in our possession. Haahaha.
After some bitter sweet goodbyes with the staff and loved ones at Casa Del Rey, our van left at about 9:00 am this morning. It took us nearly 6 hours to reach Hotel Barcelo here in the city..a trip which lasted barely 4 hours originally. Our Marimba music helped to pass the time. Because of the obvious affects from the weather and volcano, it was slow moving. Dangerous pieces of roadway had collapsed along the way, revealing how devastated some areas must be. Rushing water continues to drain from the mountains. At times, incoming and outgoing traffic took turns (with the guidance of traffic police) to maneuver around huge amounts of land which covered entire sides of the highway. It was crazy to see chunks of the mountain lining the road, especially when it meant driving even closer to the already encroaching road ledges.
Our drivers let us stop at the airport (which is still closed) to update our flight information before coming to the hotel. Thanks to Amy and Rachel, we did reserve enough seats to get home. Unfortunately, our flights are postponed until Saturday and Sunday (worst-case scenario we think) this week because ash is continuing to be cleared from the runways, etc. We were originally supposed to leave today. Hopefully we can snatch earlier flights out if at all possible; we are doing everything we can to made that happen! Once arriving to the hotel, we said goodbye to our amazing Guatemalan drivers who took great care of us throughout the entire trip.
SOooooo, here we are again at Barcelo making due with seriously limited supplies! We are being resourceful with just about everything, including supplying our own water bottles form local stores haha. We all brought suitcases full of supplies for our clinics and barely anything to wear for more than the 10 planned days. It's pretty interesting what outfits we're coming up with.
Thank you for your continued concern! Good continues to provide and has kept us mostly cheerful...with some stress here and there. Our team is for sure growing through the hardships - we keep remembering those who continue to suffer and are grateful for every single safe part of the journey. Even a staff member here lost family members in the disaster, so the hurt is everywhere.
We just keep hoping to hear some good news from Continental and are checking every hour on flights and whatnot. Dealing with the travel insurance is always fun, too ... especially when it might run out before we can leave!
When in doubt, we remember that we have the Rotary Letter in our possession. Haahaha.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
And the Challenges Arise...
Thursday we journeyed into Joyoabj, Amy's old home town with our expert driver Armando guiding us safely through the windy dirt mountain roads. We were greeted with warm hospitality from the people of the village welcoming Amy and her family, especially her childhood friend, Daisy. We also got to tour her father's school which is attended by the village children who are sponsored by generous donors by way of scholarships. That night is when the rains began and triggered the first of many mudslides to follow. It was an eventful evening on our way home because Bill took us on the "shortcut" home. By this he meant a ridiculously scary, dark, muddy, cliffy, nailbiting trip. We did enjoy some good laughs along the way out of fear.
Friday was another great community outreach day for the team: Becky G. filled in as a substitute art teacher for the missionary kids here at Casa Del Rey, Kimmy visited her World Vision child and family, Becky B. and Lynn had a sick day due to Montezuma's (repetitive) revenge, and the rest of us traveled out into the country for a special OB/Gyne clinic with Dr. Lisa. She and her husband, Kemmel, work rotations in this wonderful clinic through International Medical Talents who provide treatment with a regular dentist, physician, and nurses. That evening Senora Rosa treated us to a special dinner of tamales in her cozy, typical Guatemala home in Chichi - she is an amazing cook and hostess, making the most of their extremely limited living space. We found out later they had spent week's grocery money welcoming us into their home.
Everything began Saturday. The rains continued...what we thought was just a normal amount for the rainy season was rapidly turning into a record-breaking amount. Our team ventured out on our only vacation day to Lake Atitlan. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see the lake or much of anything for that matter. We spent a few hours in the lake-side town, but it didn't take us long to realize the weather was deteriorating and it was time to leave. This was one of the most dangerous rides home yet, because the roads were quickly being covered by mud, rushing water, and rocks from the falling hillsides. Armando, again, got us safely home. It was by no coincidence that we left when we did because the only road going in and out of that area quickly became impassable. We almost got stuck at the bottom of this dangerous valley where thousands of people were killed instantly by mudslides in a previous year.
We got home just in time to hear the volcano had erupted again, further covering Guatemala city in ash, and serious mudslides were wiping out nearby villages to which we had just provided clinics. The power was out all over Chichi, including where we are staying. Sadly, we learned a family's home from our Wednesday clinic was overtaken by the devastation...a young boy was rescued from his home and brought to the tiny Chichi hospital here. The leftover supplies we brought with us were donated to this hospital. We visited him that night to hear he lost his mom and sister; Don Guiermo and the pastor prayed with him at his bedside.
We spent the dark night gathered around the fire also praying for the people affected by the multiple natural disasters...the predictions for the tropical storm were only getting worse. While it was a long shot, we prayed for sunshine in the morning. None of us knew how fast the winds would descend upon us or how much longer the rain would fall. However, we decided to leave the next morning in a chicken bus better equipped for the long journey to Guatemala City where we would wait for the airport to reopen. There was great concern that the only bridge leading out of Chichi would collapse under the pressure from the excessive water, potentially leaving us stranded for months, no exaggeration. It was a sleepless night.
The sunshine prevailed this morning and it was reported 11.6 inches of rain had fallen in a matter of only 30 hours. We were packed up and ready to leave promptly at 8:00 am but road conditions prevented us from leaving, again. A kilometer of mud covers the Pan American highway - closing access to travel. Sirens and ambulances have been constant throughout the day as people continue to dig out what remains of their homes and families. We have been absolutely blessed with protection here but are grieving for those less fortunate.
To make the best of our circumstances, we attended the missionary church service. It was a powerful message from Genesis appropriate to every person in a different way. Late this afternoon the power was restored and we finally got to charge our cells. The news reports here are showing sink holes the size of city blocks in Guatemala City and Armando is keeping us updated on road conditions which don't look promising. We hope to leave tomorrow, God willing. We've been told the earliest flights out are Tuesday or Wednesday if we can even get seats.
Friday was another great community outreach day for the team: Becky G. filled in as a substitute art teacher for the missionary kids here at Casa Del Rey, Kimmy visited her World Vision child and family, Becky B. and Lynn had a sick day due to Montezuma's (repetitive) revenge, and the rest of us traveled out into the country for a special OB/Gyne clinic with Dr. Lisa. She and her husband, Kemmel, work rotations in this wonderful clinic through International Medical Talents who provide treatment with a regular dentist, physician, and nurses. That evening Senora Rosa treated us to a special dinner of tamales in her cozy, typical Guatemala home in Chichi - she is an amazing cook and hostess, making the most of their extremely limited living space. We found out later they had spent week's grocery money welcoming us into their home.
Everything began Saturday. The rains continued...what we thought was just a normal amount for the rainy season was rapidly turning into a record-breaking amount. Our team ventured out on our only vacation day to Lake Atitlan. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see the lake or much of anything for that matter. We spent a few hours in the lake-side town, but it didn't take us long to realize the weather was deteriorating and it was time to leave. This was one of the most dangerous rides home yet, because the roads were quickly being covered by mud, rushing water, and rocks from the falling hillsides. Armando, again, got us safely home. It was by no coincidence that we left when we did because the only road going in and out of that area quickly became impassable. We almost got stuck at the bottom of this dangerous valley where thousands of people were killed instantly by mudslides in a previous year.
We got home just in time to hear the volcano had erupted again, further covering Guatemala city in ash, and serious mudslides were wiping out nearby villages to which we had just provided clinics. The power was out all over Chichi, including where we are staying. Sadly, we learned a family's home from our Wednesday clinic was overtaken by the devastation...a young boy was rescued from his home and brought to the tiny Chichi hospital here. The leftover supplies we brought with us were donated to this hospital. We visited him that night to hear he lost his mom and sister; Don Guiermo and the pastor prayed with him at his bedside.
We spent the dark night gathered around the fire also praying for the people affected by the multiple natural disasters...the predictions for the tropical storm were only getting worse. While it was a long shot, we prayed for sunshine in the morning. None of us knew how fast the winds would descend upon us or how much longer the rain would fall. However, we decided to leave the next morning in a chicken bus better equipped for the long journey to Guatemala City where we would wait for the airport to reopen. There was great concern that the only bridge leading out of Chichi would collapse under the pressure from the excessive water, potentially leaving us stranded for months, no exaggeration. It was a sleepless night.
The sunshine prevailed this morning and it was reported 11.6 inches of rain had fallen in a matter of only 30 hours. We were packed up and ready to leave promptly at 8:00 am but road conditions prevented us from leaving, again. A kilometer of mud covers the Pan American highway - closing access to travel. Sirens and ambulances have been constant throughout the day as people continue to dig out what remains of their homes and families. We have been absolutely blessed with protection here but are grieving for those less fortunate.
To make the best of our circumstances, we attended the missionary church service. It was a powerful message from Genesis appropriate to every person in a different way. Late this afternoon the power was restored and we finally got to charge our cells. The news reports here are showing sink holes the size of city blocks in Guatemala City and Armando is keeping us updated on road conditions which don't look promising. We hope to leave tomorrow, God willing. We've been told the earliest flights out are Tuesday or Wednesday if we can even get seats.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
More Clinics
These past three days have been unbelievable. Our team is working so well together, we’ve been busy and haven’t had time to blog much…sorry! As a summary of our clinics, we have set up in three different areas of Chichi. First, we went to the heart of Chichi and set up in the primitive Methodist church. They opened up their doors to us and spread the word to the local residents. Our second clinic was also set in a local church near the hotel. We brought 85 women and families through the first clinic, the second day we saw 90, and today we helped 126!
Today was especially unique because we were the first all-female American team to ever bring a clinic to the women of this rural village 30 minutes outside the city. Nestled in the greenery of the countryside, Canton Patzibal is an Assembly of God denomination. We saw and treated everything from dysentery to fungal infections and burns to wound debriedment. The women are such resilient, strong examples to their families as the home makers, child bearers, and even income contributors. However, they also have a tender side which sometimes is overlooked. Our team is doing everything possible to reach out to this less-cared for part of their lives through medical attention as well as fellowship and intentional teaching. We spent 12 hours at the clinic today alone.
Honestly, every evening we come back to the hotel exhausted…but the energy put forth by everyone is amazing. Just looking in the eyes of every person we treat is encouragement enough to continue working. We have encountered some interesting obstacles, including the first clinic day organization, communication barriers (naturally), and even the altitude affect on our bodies. To those on the team who speak Spanish, interpreting is difficult sometimes because of the Quiche dialect. Especially today, many of the elderly women spoke only Quiche so fluent interpreters are limited. Yet, the team is very resourceful and is doing wonderfully in communicating in Spanish.
Amy K. and Becky G. are adored by every child – basically they are swarmed by smiles and laughter with each new clinic. These two are so creative and use their Spanish fluently to help touch the families with love and some pretty cool games/sweets/toys/crafts. Rachel and Kimmy are the ultimate duo as official pharmacy reps and are doing an exceptional job on facilitating the means to promote health and wellness to the women and families. Becky V. and Becky B. are the resourceful treatment team – they have done some awesome work with endless cases, including wounds/infections/orthopedics/and unbelievable fungal foot treatments. My mom and I are the triage team, working with Bill to assess and document every individual presenting to the clinic…this includes taking almost 300 blood pressures.
We can’t stop talking about “the next time we come back.” We’ve been told by the resident missionaries here that our team has surpassed every past team in our amount of laughing and talking...what can we say, we’re just a good time!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Chichi
We are here and busy! Saturday our flight plans were all on schedule. Rachel did try to bring her giant 50oz hairspray bottle on the first flight - it set us back a few minutes ;). We arrived in Houston to connect with Becky V. on our three hour layover…we found her in the massive airport without too much confusion. To confess, we did lose her once on the tram but she got off at the right stop and all was well! Our flight arrived safely in Guatemala City by 9:00 pm. There is a two hour time difference here.
Unlike some, our group had each member’s luggage arrive with us in Guatemala – we are very thankful! Also, thanks to Amy K’s impressive conversing abilities in Espanol, passing through customs went smoothly.
We connected with our Guatemalan friends outside the airport and were taken to “Barcelo,” our hotel for the night in the city. Let’s just say our van was completely full and very stuffed with luggage…that might be an understatement.
The next morning we departed after a wonderful breakfast and got on the road for the four hour ride up into the mountains towards Chichicastenango. The winding hills provided for amazing scenery – it is breathtakingly beautiful. We passed several Guatemalan vendors hiking up the same hill we were driving, with their merchandise in tote, destined for the famous market day.
Our expert drivers maneuvered the windy, cliff side roads along the way. Upon arriving at the welcoming hotel Casa Del Rey, we spent the rest of the day preparing for the four clinic days ahead: market shopping, dinner/team meeting, medical supply organizing, and prayer time.
We are excited for today and leave at 7:45 for the first clinic. We will be helping the women and children who the local church has connected us with. God has blessed us every moment so far…it will be great to continue His work this week.
We are each using our individual gifts – that’s our motto for the week : )
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Guatemala..on our way!
After all of the hard work and time put into planning, the date for our departure is fast approaching: Saturday May 22nd ! Our plane will take off at 2:00 pm from the Pittsburgh Airport and after a layover in Texas, we will arrive in Guatemala City that evening. Planning for this trip started over a year ago. We just want to thank everyone who has contributed to make it possible, including the generous donations and prayer support from both here and in Guatemala.
Most recently, we had one last group meeting to get on the same page about itinerary details as well as to discuss the plan and task assignments for our clinic days. Our team is made up of eight talented women, each with different skills. We have experienced trip leaders, interpreters, nurses, social workers, and school employees…even an excellent doctor has been participating to share his advice from experience with regular clinics in Guatemala. It is an amazing group needless to say.
Sunday was our packing day where we brought together several hundred items, including kids games, medical equipment, and hygiene supplies (to name a few). We spent a couple hours sorting, recording inventory, packing, and weighing suitcases to make sure we could actually bring everything with us! We are maxed out on space for supplies – which is what we hoped for and are absolutely excited to have gathered/received so much to bring down with us. We’ll just say that our bags are exactly 50 lbs each; it was quite interesting to get it to that magic number without going over…considering a tablet of stickers apparently weighs 2 lbs according to the scale?
For those of you who are hearing about our outreach for the first time, we are taking a short term cross-cultural medical mission trip to Chichicastenango, Guatemala. Chichi is a beautiful city in the highlands of central Guatemala. Amy and Rachel have this great Central America connection thanks to their missionary experience. Also, the team leaders have been a part of many past medical trips to Chichi, which makes it even more applicable. We will be working through local churches in Chichi to reach the surrounding rural populations to provide women/children’s health clinics.
We are continuing to finalize our supply list and packing arrangements and welcome your prayers as we prepare to leave and throughout our outreach. Everything/anything you contributed to the trip will go towards these wonderful Guatemalan residents. Any extra supplies will be left in the hands of the local medical clinic in Chichi to prolong our 10 day contribution.
Continue to check back on our blog. We will be updating it periodically and will post images to include you in the experience as much as possible!
The Guatemala team members are: Becky Balog, Becky Gates, Kimmy Gaudreau, Amy Kendrick, Lynn Rodden, Jessica Rodden, Rachel Vasey and Becky Vasey.
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