Sunday, February 5, 2012

Breakfast starts at 6:30 am today, this is the most leisurely day we will have this week. We must be on the bus at 9:15, and we will travel to the area where the clinic is to be held. Mass is at 10:00 for those who wish, on the same grounds as the clinic. The sun slowly comes up, it is cool and overcast this morning, but bright sun by 8:30. We board the bus at 0915 and head for the San José Villanueva school and church. San José Villanueva had a population of about 13,500 in the 2007 census and is likely larger now. Several volunteers decided to walk among the main street in the village and about two-thirds of the volunteers went to mass. The mass was held in Spanish, so I decided that I would walk instead. By 11:00, we were back at the school/church and ready to set up for the day. We gathered in the church and the priest welcomed us in Spanish, with Moises interpreting. From there we had to unload the large van with all our tubs and supplies. Although the van was quite full, we unloaded quickly. We set up clinics in the various schoolrooms, of which there were five, about 300 sq feet each. We have two pediatric clinics, family practice, women’s health, pharmacy and a breakroom for the Paz Salud volunteers.
Lunch was served at about 12:30. Kathy Garcia remarked to the volunteers that the local Salvadorans had been taught in the methods of proper and safe food handling and that eating the food during the day was not going to be problematic for us. Last trip I was sick for one day, so I am not anxious to relive that experience. Lunch was chicken cooked outside on a big open-flame grill, a beet-potato-carrot salad that was positively ravishing dark pink in color (the beets), rice with corn, and fresh melons. For dessert, I saw bowls of ice cream being served. The afternoon was long and hot, but a glimpse into what the next five days would hold for us. One of the aspects of this mission trip that will remain in my memory for a long time may be the music. Throughout the entire afternoon, several groups were conducting mass in the church. Sister Amalia remarked on the music and called it the evangelical Catholic. At one point, I was so drawn to the church, that I stepped inside for a few minutes and was transformed. The deep and riveting music caught my soul and as I watched many, many (maybe two hundred person in the church) Salvadorans sing, sway, and gesture to the music. From the smallest child to the oldest person, they all were engaged in the music, smiling and clapping. After standing in the doorway for a few minutes, I moved inside the heavy doors and stood. In a few minutes, a very old and tiny woman dressed all in white (one of the sisters I believe) came up to me and gestured that I come in to a bench. I shook my head no, but she insisted, so I entered and stood for a few minutes. The power and the beauty of the music so moved me that soon my eyes filled with tears, and then they streamed down my face. What is it about churches? I am often moved to tears with the music.
Most of the afternoon for several of the volunteers was spent decanting the vitamins. We had tub after tub of vitamins, all of which had to be opened, measured and poured into small plastic bags which we hand-tied. There must have been a million vitamins: children, adults and pre-natal. Each person whom is seen in the clinic in the next five days will be sent home with vitamins. We worked at this project, about ten of us until 5:30 when the last bottle was emptied and packaged.
And, the providers set up their clinic space, blue tarps marking exam rooms. The pharmacia was quite the project too. Melissa, Moises and Kathy spend the balance of the day getting the pharmacy into ship shape.
We are back at the compound by 6:30 for dinner and a debrief for the providers. Melissa and Kathy are leading the team. A very detailed inventory of the pharmacy exists and Kathy says this is the first time ever. Melissa is an MD not a Pharmacist, but she is willing and certainly capable to do the job of pharmacist.
I will also remember the children from today. Most like to be photographed and like even better when I can show them the small postage-sized stamp that has captured their image. They laugh and giggle. Some of them want to touch me, one little boy pats me and puts his arm around my waist. I want to gather them up in one big embrace.
I ended my day by watching flash after flash in the sky – a brilliant electrical storm without thunder, but in rapid fire for quite a long time (hour or more).