Health Care Fair

Mission accomplished....first health care fair in a rural community has been completed.  

"And how did it go?" you ask.

Well, that is a marvelous question.

I have been working on this project with my three nursing students; Lauren, Renee and Lauren for the past four weeks.  We brain stormed about ideas, we read about how effectively to teach the uneducated, we cut and pasted posters, we copied advertising fliers, we bagged vitamins and medicines and they spent time with Vanesa (our dentist), Silvio (our physical therapist) and Fernando (our ob-gyn) to learn about key problems in the communities related to these specialties.

And, this week we welcomed two of my student's professors from Bethel to join us.  They wanted to observe the ladies in action and see my sites and the program I've put together for them.  It was exciting to share the hard work we've done, but this did add a certain element of pressure.

Naturally, the week before the fair was spent making final preparations.  We walked throughout the community of Sabaneta and advertised and spoke with many of the people who live there.  We went to colmados and asked if they could hang our flier on their walls.  And what normally would take half an hour to do took 5 hours!  Because people were pumped!  And so were we!  I just knew in my hearts of heart that this was going to be a phenomenal week of ministry with an awesome turn out!  And so did my partners in crime.

my clinic in Sabaneta

it's a community center of sorts also used for mass

my consultation area

a typical patient's house

Imagine our dismay when on day one we had one patient.  All day.  Three nursing students.  Two nursing professors (one of which is an NP).  A doctor.  A PA.  And hardly any patients.  Or anyone desiring to be patients.

My students were utterly defeated.  All their hard work.  Their desire to improve the living conditions of our patients.  To help them take care of themselves.  

And, even after spending a year and a half doing community development, I felt myself right there with them.

Welcome to community health in a developing country I found myself saying.  Where we care so much and our patients don't even know enough to care because they have so many other things to think about....like putting food on the table.  Or they don't think prevention matters bc they aren't educated enough to realize it does.  Welcome to working so hard for something that just doesn't seem to work.  Welcome to trial and error.  Welcome to an occupation (medical missions) that none of us have perfected as of yet.

And then, I thought of that one patient who was at our fair.  Who maybe will make changes that will enable her to live a longer healthier life.  Or help others.  Wasn't our presence there worth it for her?

Our first day was a heavy lesson in community development, but an incredibly valuable one.  Who's to say our efforts weren't worth it for one person?  After all, we can only change one heart at a time.

Don't worry.  The rest of our week was busy, and, what we in the Western world would consider successful.  But, when I look at this past week I am so thankful for Monday.  For my young nurses who aspire to be in missions one day to taste the challenges.  For their professors to also understand how difficult what we're trying to do can truly be.

The week ended well with my students teaching about blood pressure, dental hygiene, back care and nutrition.  They worked hard and I believe their professors are leaving more than a bit satisfied with their progress and my program.  I am more than a little proud!

So check out below for some more snapshots!

Day 2- Our Back Care Clinic!

Lauren checking BP

Lauren sitting with me while we see a Haitian patient

look how my patients are bending!? Awful for their backs!

Dr. Fernando translating for the students as they teach
about back care

Practicing strengthening exercises

Day 3- Our dental hygiene clinic!

Lauren teaching

Demonstrating proper brushing technique on Caroly!

Breaking off into smaller groups to further re-enforce
our teaching

He's got it!

Day 4- Nutrition!
Teaching in a rural clinic in Buena Vista!

We had a great turn out!

Renee teaching and Dr. Fernando translating about
carbohydrates!  A staple to the Dominican diet.

Lauren teaching in a smaller group.

Growing Pains

Sometimes as a Christian I feel as though I'm constantly going through a bit of growing pains.  Things that I should know, en grained in my heart and soul, just aren't always connected to my thinking.  And then when I have that moment of realization, I just feel so young in my faith.  And, recognize what's been there all along but that I just momentarily didn't lean into.

I'm tired, a lot.  I am very much living in the mission world and yet, ashamedly, still trying to live for me.  When I'm not in my communities serving, sometimes the last thing I want to do is answer that late night or early morning medical phone call or when putting laundry in the washer, speak with the lonely young Dominican who lives on the base.

This week, God has placed on my heart to read the gospel of Mark.  And so I have, for five days and I am only a few chapters in.  Because, I am just so in awe.  Jesus was surrounded by so many todo el tiempo.  His ministry did not end.  He gave.  And gave.  And gave.  He gave of himself and of his time.  He healed people, spiritually and physically.  He had so many people following him around that he had to stand in a boat to preach to them.  I cannot even fathom that!  The bible constantly talks about the compassion Christ had for the multitude.  God calls us to give until it hurts just as Christ did in all His humanity, and I just realized...am I truly doing that?

As Christians we need to be careful of the extreme, we need to be quasi-protective of our time or we could get burnt out.  We of course need to take time for ourselves, to rest and to spend time with our Father.  But, I realized all those people in my life who I could have the opportunity to minister to (like my awesome neighbor who takes such good care of his three single girls living next door and is not a Christian) that I just don't, because I'm too tired or some other insignificant excuse.

And I stand ashamed.  And stretched.  And with eyes wide open to all the opportunities to share the love of Christ that I haven't taken advantage of.

Last night, I set aside two hours and spent time with Isabel that young Dominican who lives on the base as her husband is the care taker.  And I listened.  And my head was tired of speaking in Spanish all day and all it wanted to do was hear English, but I continued to listen.  And I knew without a doubt I was where I needed to be.  As she shared with me something incredibly heavy on her heart that she had not shared with anyone but her husband I knew why God was showing me the compassion Christ had for the multitude.  Because, sometimes we have to be where we don't want to as Christians.  We have to place our selves on the back burner and listen and love and give.  Like He did, and continues to do.

And, so I ask that we all take time to reflect whether we are truly "giving of ourselves in all aspects until it hurts?"

Auyamas and Nursing Students

I sit here tonight by candle light typing in a house without electricity or water....going on day number two.  Ojala, this is only temporary.  We spoke with our neighbors who said the city usually only turns off the water for a couple days.  Electrical outages are a common part of life here (everyday we lose power for about 10-12 hours).  Deficits of both in mi casa are simply because we are on a grid with those who cannot pay.

And so, tonight, as I feel a little bit sticky and just want to wash my face and be connected to the world I can empathize with so many of my patients who only have running water from a hose within their neighborhood that isn't entirely clean and is only turned on twice a week.

But, my lack of household "necessities" are not what this post is about.

I wanted to share with you how we celebrated American traditions low key in the DR.  Those of us who have no change in season have been dying to share in the cooler North American temperatures, the falling leaves and the snow.  And so, we have done the best we can to bring fall to the DR.

This includes....Auyamas!  A cross between a pumpkin and a squash, auyamas are not found in the states but are a main staple in Dominican cuisine.  You can find this flavorful, orange veggie in our famous habichuelas (beans) or in soup.

Auyamas!

Carving!

Me!  We had a chilly night! Yay!

Baked auyama seeds!

As the Halloween season has ended and we prepare for Thanksgiving, do not worry we have plans to make a full turkey dinner and enjoy a "Friendsgiving" together.  Almost as good as being home with family.

I can't believe it is already mid-November and I find my mind wandering towards my upcoming time in the states.  But, I continue to be brought to the here and now as both myself and my nursing students are busily preparing for our health care fair next week in Sabaneta.

Two Bethel professors will be joining us as we spend four days in clinics and teaching about topics related to each of our SI medical sites...including Women's Health, Community Health, Physical Therapy and Dentistry.  I am so excited for my student's hard work to be put to use.  I will update my blog after the profs leave!  Please keep us in your prayers as we initiate our first preventative teaching sessions!

My nursing students in action

Bagging medicines for our women's health clinic

Dios te Bendiga!