Today was a GREAT day...I'm not even sure that I am quite able to comprehend it all yet. Two nights of really poor sleep have made my brain a little foggy tonight as I try to sort it all out in my mind...But I want to try and capture the day...
The goal was to leave by 7:15. The girls are learning that times in El Salvador are "loose" at best!! Our cooks left last night after dinner, and our coordinator Ronald (pronounced Roan-ahld) was left to cook for our team...pack our stuff in the van...and drive us to the boat dock. Not a small order of things!! And 7:15...nor 7:30...nor 7:45 were happening!
We met up with the team from El Salvador at the docks, so we all left together in 2 boats. The waterways were busy today and we passed many boats going and coming, as well as fishermen.
Here is the side shot...they are pretty interesting to see!!
We saw today that Dad's across the world take their little guys fishing!!
Dr Miller is such an interesting guy. He worked with National Geographic decades ago, and so he knew all about the mangrove forests from his time with them. He had the boat drivers pull over so he could teach us a little about them. I have heard parts in the past, but not a great explanation like I did today. If anything, I have been surprised at all the information that I am learning already in the past couple of days that I either didn't hear or forgot from previous trips.
So, God put on my heart in February, that I needed to find these two books (The blood sugar solution by Dr Mark Hyman and Good Energy by Dr Casey Means) in Spanish. I was convinced that I needed to bring them along, but I wasn't entirely sure who was to get them. As time went, I knew that Dr Morataya would get a set of them...I had initially thought that two copies of each was the goal...but I had a nagging to get a third set...Even as I packed them, I kept questioning whether I should take all three sets, they are big books...and room was a commodity. BUT I did. As Monica and I chatted yesterday, I knew that Yvonne, the nutritionist that helps on the Island would need one(many of the kids are still malnourished, and she helps to identify which ones, and makes sure to get them into the feeding program they started) Dr got his set yesterday, and he was so appreciative to get them, especially after I told him about my own journey and how they impacted both how I live my own life, and how I manage the lives of my patients...I didn't expect Yvonne to be so thrilled...She was ecstatic and can't wait to read them and then make some handouts based on the information to give to the people. She wanted pictures, and that made my heart joyful, because I knew that she really felt blessed by them!
I knew that I would know who would get the last set...but I didn't know how many days it would take...In God's providence, our coordinator Ronald was my translator today...and because of the A1C kits that were provided for us to take, I heard a little more about HIS journey...Toward the end of the day, I told him that he should have Cami check his A1C so he knew how he was doing...She misunderstood me and did his fingerstick blood sugar reading. Which was actually not bad considering it was after lunch. BUT I knew that we were to press it, so I asked her later to catch him and do one. As it turned out, his A1C put him in a diabetic level, but still at "goal" for lifestyle management. As I have learned, this won't improve unless measures are taken. In the conversation, he mentioned that he had done a lot of research on getting his BS down the first time...and took a lot of the measures to correct it...and I knew (before we had the A1C results back) that HE was the one who was to receive the books. And as I sit here in the foyer, soaking in my own sweat and listening to the ocean roar, Ron sits across the foyer, reading his new book. To GOD be the glory for the provision...not just to US in our journey here...but to SO MANY people in El Salvador...The book will change Ron's life...and the book in Yvonne and Dr M's hands, might change the trajectory of chronic disease in El Salvador...The part I can't process...is how BIG God is...to orchestrate ALL. THESE. DETAILS...and frankly...why He even cares about 3 sets of books enough to put it in my head...and put them in my hands. I'm telling you...someday, when we meet Jesus face to face, I think we will be astonished to see what He does as He weaves all the tapestry together!!
I was also SOO excited to see old friends...Oscar is a dental worker, trained by his sister a dentist...The first year I met he and his sister...I remember learning that we didn't have to speak the same language to connect and interact...I would talk in English, they in Spanish...and we would use facial expressions, hand gestures, and tone of voice to get our thoughts across..I remember thinking how fun it was to banter back and forth, not having a real clue about what was being said...and still be able to belly laugh, one up them, and belly laugh some more...TODAY...Oscar spoke to me in English AFTER I spoke to him in Spanish...Communication today was much different than in the past and what an incredible blessing!! He has been trying to learn English...and while we were both busy today, we had plenty of catch up joking and harrassing one another...I can't wait for the rest of the week. Today I also learned that he is a very patient person. He really took his time teaching and training Molly into the world of dentistry. We aren't sure that he understood what a hygienist was in the States, but it won't hurt Molly to understand how to be a thorough and caring practitioner in her future!! He taught her to use the tools, and then sat back and let her work. It sounds like she had a great day. He and Oscar 2 (we have TWO Oscars this week) were joking that she wouldn't want to come back with them tomorrow...but my gut says they were wrong!!
Cami was also pretty nervous this morning as we got ready to start. Her interpreter was originally from ES, but had taken shelter in Canada many years ago. Cami's job was to check blood pressures, blood sugars and A1C (the average blood sugar over the last 3 months) We realized early on, that the A1C kits would not work where she was stationed, because they were TOO HOT. Once we got them to one of the clinic rooms with AC, it worked perfectly.
She has been studying Spanish on Duolingo as I have been for 4 years now. I asked her if she was able to use any of her Spanish...She said yes...Hola, como estas (hi, how are you). Si, No and Lo Siento (I'm sorry) I have to stick you again. We got a laugh out of that.
The A1C kits are also going to be INVALUABLE for these people. We didn't use very many today...mostly because no one remembered that we had them except Monica and I. BUT...we diagnosed TWO people that didn't know they were diabetic, and we used the objective data to show a third lady that she needed to increase her medications (as a previous doctor had suggested to her) before she lost part of her leg like a neighbor on the Island recently had. We had grounds to freely talk about the elephant in the room (diet and diabetes) and talk about measures that they will have to take to heal. I think this objective data is going to make it easier to convince people that they have problems.
I had the opportunity to talk to the group before we started today...I have opted to share the gospel first and leading into the fact that when He puts His Spirit within us, we become His temple...Today I shared a little more about what that looks like for them...and I was able to remind them that even more than being interested in their physical health, we are most concerned about their Spiritual well being. I am starting to question God about the real reason I am here this time...and what job He really sent me to do. If you are reading and praying, lift that up in the next few days. I'm not sure that handing out ibuprofen is it.
Could. NOT. resist this adorable shot. Brotherly love is universal...and so are cell phones! Ha!
And, so after my little talk this morning, I couldn't help taking a photo of a main culprit of the talk in the first place. In the VERY back of the photo, those girls had showed up to sell sugared juices to the people. It's how they make their money...and I can appreciate that. It's a hard row to hoe. There isn't a real grocery store on the Island...but a little quick shop with plenty of unhealthy stuff. They all came with candy and chips today. It really breaks my heart, as much as it does when I work a concession stand for my kids and sell obscene amounts of sugared snacks to the kids running through. I wish there was a great solution to all of it.
We started out with FIVE providers in one small air conditioned room this morning, but can you imagine an empty cinder block room with 5 people, 5 plus patients and a handful of interpreters?? It took me one patient to know I couldn't stay there! About the same time Dr Steve, whom I served with on my first trip, decided the same thing...so we both took our gear and retreated to the "upper room." Air conditioning came from the Lord as a breeze through the coconut and mango trees. Doubly glad for the breeze and open air after the first two kids I saw had the stomach flu.
Because we had sooooo much baggage, I only had a few dresses today...the rest of our supplies didn't get to the Island until midafternoon. This little sweetheart was glad to have gotten one in just her size!!
I also had the opportunity to explain and hand out a few menstrual kits this afternoon. Monica would like to take the rest of them to the prison on Friday as they have the fewest resources of them all. She is checking on the details...but they will be well appreciated by whomever gets them.
Dr Larry is nearly always the last to finish, and I had located a couple frisbees while rooting through the bags.
Cause if it wasn't hot enough already, what's a little more sweat!! Only one of these guys had ever seen a frisbee (at his school) and none of them had actually ever thrown one...It was hilarious to see them launch it straight up in the air...and at one point we had to move to the back of the lot because I kept tapping it over the fence...so then I had 2 kids scaling a barbed wire fence to get my frisbee...I had flashbacks from the movie "The Sandlot" watching that action...and there are enough rogue dogs around that it totally could have been a thing.
They had a hard time getting the wrist action down, but finally caught it!! It's a good thing are few windows to bust out with it cause I sent it home with them! I was also amazed that Oscar 2, the interpreter...probably in his late 20 to early 30s...had also NEVER thrown a frisbee. The things we take for granted!!
After THAT...Molly, Cami, and I took a little walk in the fine dust roads...and then caught a ride with Monica and some of the others to drive around the "block" to check stuff out.
Many houses are made of sticks or sticks and mud chinking, or cinderblocks...a few with rusted old tin pieces.
There was a little traffic in the narrow street as well...someone was moving their cattle home.
The doc from NYC told us there wasn't a good place for us to sit when we climbed in the back of the truck...Dude, we are FARM people...this is what we do...No one got bucked out, though Marvin did about lose his hair in a low hanging mango branch. Many more laughs!
We had some fried potato and cheese things for dinner tonight and caught a dusk ride home in the boat. It was so awesome to jam out to Spanish music with his party light on the canopy above us while skimming across the water, watching the white egrets find their resting spot for the night.
Hopefully, all will get acclimated to the heat and humidity so we can continue with the energy and enthusiasm that we need to survive. We return to the Island for a busier day than today...Pray for the hearts that got hard news today about their health that they thought was fine...only to discover that it isn't. The course of their lives can change for the good of themselves and their families if they take hold of what they learn. As I told one 38 year old mom with 2 children under 5..."today was a BLESSING for you...because you get a chance to change your health for the sake of you AND your kids." Pray for them...it's as hard if not harder to shake the habits than it is in the US...
I know that some of you are bound to have questions...I would love to answer any that come up!! It's so much information, that I'm sure that I forget things!!
Hopeful to type again tomorrow night!
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