From Larry

A few years ago there was an action packed TV show called the A-Team. Each member of the A-Team had a different gift or talent that when blended together made the A-Team great. This week it has been a honor to serve with an optical A-Team of Jonilee, Heather, Lindsey, Ryan, and JoHeidy (national). Clearly the called has been equipped, qualified, and gifted. I had the responsibility of getting out of the way and letting the A-Team shine. I have been honored and humbled to be part of Woodlands Medical team.

Larry

Thank you from Becky

Dear Friends,
It's been such a privilege and honor to work together with all the wonderful people of this group! So we really want to thank Woodlands and all of you that made it possible for Quique and me to be here with this team. We shared many new experiences with the group, since we have been living in Costa Rica for only a year. One of the most exciting things for us this week was that Pastor Guido (of Manantial de Vida Church) is a student at our main ministry (LATN) and has been one of Quique's students. Thank you again for making us part of your extended ministry around the world. And my God be blessing your life, your families, your ministries and your church in your country. We hope to be able to visit you in 2009 to personally thank you for all your care and love for us. In God's name, Becky

Last day..Zip Lining in the Jungle!

Lindsey wrote: Today was our last day in Costa Rica. This trip has been amazing and it has gone so quickly. We enjoyed a day off from the clinic just to be tourists. We saw the Pacific Ocean, some went shopping and swimming while others, like Ryan, Douglas, Sheryl, Jim, Douglas, Carol, Al, Larry, Jonilee, MaryBeth went zip lining in the rain forest. It was so fun! (And very safe! :) ) The leaves are so green and big, even in the dry season! Then we all met up as a group and drove farther up the coast to watch the sunset and have our last debriefing meeting. Now we're back at the hotel and are about to enjoy a special dinner that the hotel has prepared for us before packing up and heading home.

wrass's final post

It is the last full day, tomorrow we leave, it went by fast. We were busy every day in the pharmacy. Quite a bit of consulting with the docs and extenders trying to match our formulary to their diagnosis, checking the correct dose and schedule, then dispensing, almost not stop while the clinic was open. Surprisingly my pharmacy skills came back very quickly. The only thing frustrating was that my pharmacy supply chain (purchasing) skills could not obtain any additional supplies that we needed. We have a great team, all were needed for logistics, moving people, etc. as well as the clinics themselves. We have eaten a lot of typical Costa Rican food, very good. The people are very friendly. Time for breakfast. Jim W

Dr. Estaban

So, the clinic is over.  Yesterday afternoon, we all gathered both our team and the volunteers from the church, shared a treat of ice cream and said our farewells.  What a wonderful group of people to work with.

One thing I have learned again about these trips.  It is beyond difficult, almost impossible, for the people with whom we work in country to conceive of the response to the provision of free medical care.  Manantiel De Vida is no different.  When we walked into the clinic yesterday, there were 100 people already waiting.  

Becky Fernandez addressed the crowd in Spanish and discussed the plan for the day to see as many patients as possible in an orderly fashion.  She was fantastic.  I wish I could have understood all she said to the people.  She was charming, funny, sincere, and earnest in her expression that everyone understands that the care provided by the doctors is done as an expression of God's love - - and that we would do the best we can.  She had them laughing with a reference to the victorious Costa Rican soccer team, and told them not to get mad at the women doing the registration lines since they were just doing what they had been instructed. She pointed at me and said, "He is the guy you can get mad at since he's in charge."  Everybody laughed.  Her comments and work in triage kept everyone in smiles all day long. 

My point is that until you see the response of the people to these clinics, you can never fully prepare for the demand on these services. That is why the first time clinics are always great learning experiences and full of surprises.  Some might see it as adaptive chaos.  They simply could not be done without a strong confidence that ultimately God is moving through these clinics to show His love for these people.  And they could not be done without a great team of outstanding individuals who are willing to work hard to provide great care.  In our case this week, about 1,000 people were served.  

We learned this week, that there is a three year wait to see a government Ophthalmologist. This explains the high demand for optical services in our clinic.  Dr. Larry and his team did an incredible job providing high quality eye care.  Dr. Larry, Heather, Ryan, Lindsey, and Jonilee did not have a quiet moment the entire week.  The lines of patients was CONSTANT!  Dr. Larry did a great job training and leading his team.  They all provided astonishing service!  

The medical providers also worked very hard.  Thoughout the days, you would hear of different patients who were provided care, some of which was truly transformative, all of which was deeply appreciated.  Dr. Nick, Dr. Waldo, Dr. Kraeger, Dr. Neuhoff, Jack, Sophie, Matt, Nadine, Amber, Julie, Sue, Jeff, Dr. Sheryl all together saw tons of patients.  It was really amazing how quickly the lines moved as whole families were seen through the clinic.  There are hundreds of stories and memories that have certainly changed our lives.

Dr. Dan spoke at the Main College of Medicine in San Jose yesterday.  He did a fantastic job and was very well received.  He was made a Diplomat of the Medical College of Costa Rica in appreciation of his serving as a visiting lecturer from UWSP.  Ask him to show you his certificate/diploma.  It is impressive - - and represents many new friends/colleagues and invitations for future educational opportunities.

MaryBeth, Beth, Deb, Ann Marie, Phil and Angelina were fantastic with crowd control.  There were hundreds of meaningful interactions and connections with Costa Ricans.  They helped the clinic flow smoothly.

Today is culture day.  The beach, the market, the jungle, and a final team meeting/reflection session at sunset on the ocean will cap a great week.

Steve S.  

 

Heather's Highlights #3

Dios Bendice-God Bless
Last day of clinic today. This has been an experience I will never forget. I have learned so much, even about myself, in such a short period of time. We all worked so hard and may have even got a little frustrated, but when the day is over, it's all worth it. Mary Beth wrote for me, 'I know it's not an accident you were added on at the last minute', and I think she's right. God does everything for a reason. I came here knowing two people and now I feel like I may be leaving with friends. Thanks to everyone for making me feel like I fit in. I hope we have touched at least one person with love. Even though I want to stay here feeling the way I do, I can't wait to be home. Oh, and for everyone back at Ministry, Dr. Slezak DOES whistle outside of work! ~Heather

Recap of Wednesday and the Gecko hunter From Ann Marie

On Wednesday the clinic was in full swing and it was great to see so many of the same faces-a lot of people had returned to see the eye Doctor. Sadly enough we found out from Lindsey (she had a conversation with a local woman) that if people have no insurance and are lower income, they typically have to wait about 2 years to get in to see the eye doctor....needless to say the optical team worked up and til the very end...almost until the bus arrived to take us back to our hotel. THANK YOU Larry, Lindsey, Jonilee, Heidi, Heather and Ryan for all of your perseverance and hard work.

After dinner we shared some God sightings and Quique (missionary that we are working with) shared a very personal story about his childhood and how the only difference between him and his peers was the gospel. I hope and pray that God will use us to touch the hearts of the people of Alajuela. I feel that He already has from the stories the team has shared. Dr. Steve mentioned that sometimes we will never know the impact our actions will have on someone. I guess this is true but I know that in the case of Alajuela we have been blessed to have had the opportunity to be the initiating catalyst to the some of the people we have encountered.

Well, in closing, Nadine and I have found out that Heather, our roommate, is a GECKO magnet. Luckily Matt aka "Mateo" aka "the Gecko Hunter" came to our rescue and ejected a third gecko from our room...THANKS Mateo. Well it's time to have breakfast and head out to our last day of clinic.

Take care and God bless all of our family and friends,

Ann Marie

Thursday morning

How do you describe a trip like this?  Yeah God.  Take a team from three different cities, who have never met all together in one place.  Move them to another part of the world where they have never been.  Mix in a language barrier and facilities that are very different from the medical facilities back home, and you would expect chaos.  Instead we got a smooth running machine that adapted to the bumps in the road without loosing stride.

It is really awesome to watch the team pouring out themselves into the people who come to the Fountain of Life church here in Costa Rica.  Mary Beth, Beth and Deb who are moving the guests from the waiting areas to the doctors rooms are smiling, playing with the children, and just pouring love into the people of Alajuela.  The Doctors have much more limited facilities than they do stateside but their standard of care has not dropped at all.  The care is only limited by the resources we have available here, and the only frustrations I hear are about not having more resources in terms of equipment and supplies. 

 Tom Robinson, Jim Wrass, and Tom Galvin in the pharmacy are filling 230 plus prescriptions a day working off two 9' tables in 90 degree heat.  Our pharmacy is at the end of a hall with a waiting room across the way, and it is not unusual for them to have 25+ people waiting in a noisy milling crowd just outside the doorway.  Trying to control the chaos of this crowd is only one of the challenges of our interpreters.  The other one is to find the person who's prescription they are trying to deliver.  Thank God for loud voices Saloul can make the walls shake if he uses half the volume his voice is capable of.  In spite of the heat, the noise, the pressure of high volume the pharmacists are providing the same standard of care they would at home.  They are by their dedication and work demonstrating the compassion and love of Christ to our clients.

 

The Church we are working with is really a small church in size of congregation 100-125 they have made a huge effort to provide us with a facility, interpreters, and crowd control to make this medical clinic work.  There is a group of teenage church members that have completely taken over ownership of the photo ministry.  We showed two of them how to do it on the  first day and they have trailed each other on how to do this compassion ministry .  So for the people visiting the medical clinic the photo ministry part is coming completely form the church there, not from the Americans.  This was our hope and prayer that what we were doing would build up the church with what we do, because it is the church here that will be left responsible for follow-up .  

We are part of something much bigger than this trip.  All of you who have been praying for us, or sent financial support, or helped by picking up supplies have helped build the church.  We can feel your prayer support and are enjoying being carried in the hands of God.

Phil

Earthquake area

Sunday Costa Rica

I wanted to show you a photo of one ”house” in the earthquake relief tent city that we visited Sunday. What you don’t see is that it is only tall enough for a child to stand in. Being made out of black or blue plastic, it had to get extremely hot inside. There must have been ventilation, but I didn’t see any. It was misting as we visited with the residents, but the sun was still shining. A nearby mud puddle was evidence that rain was abundant and the conditions could get sloppy very quickly. There was power inside the shelter, and the TV was on. In spite of being uprooted, literally, from their homes, the people we met living here were in good spirits. The children were bright and beautiful.

Carol

Tuesday in Costa Rica-Carol

We have strong musical talent along with us! In this photo, Matt, Lindsey, Angelina, Tom, Ryan and Jeff sooth us at the hotel. Together their voices and guitars make the world a better place instantaneously! ¡Muchos gracias!

From Dr. Al-Wednesday

Carol said I had to add to the blog, so here it goes. We only have one more day and the emotions and feelings I’m having right now are mixed. I’ve always been a person that could never leave work until the work the work was done. I can’t do that here. After seeing the crowd of people that had gathered this morning even before we arrived, and seeing the numbers of people we had to turn away when the clinic closed today, I’ve had to accept that despite our best efforts, the work will be never be done here. It’s hard to treat a beautiful and loving Costa Rican child for asthma knowing that he’ll breathe easier for a month and then go back to coughing all night because the medicine ran out and he can’t get in to see a doc for 9 more months. I have yet to meet anyone here that has not amazed me with their personality, love, friendliness and strength despite the social difficulties that they endure. Everyone seems happy. Everyone is smiling. It truly is amazing. I’ve asked many patients over the last three days if they felt stressed or had anything going on in their lives that was difficult for them. None of them have acknowledged that. I rarely have a patient in the US tell me they aren’t stressed out in one way or another when asked We have so much and they have so little, yet they in many ways seem better off. It’s given me a lot to think about and I’m sure I’ll be pondering that for a long time. But right now, Costa Rica is playing Honduras in Futball for a spot in the world cup. I’ll ponder things later.

Heather's Highlights #2

Mejor o Peor (better or worse)
This is crucial when it comes to checking for glasses! The days just keep getting better. We get more organized each day, communication seems easier and everyone seems happier. I can't believe that I can be on the same page with most people without being able to speak spanish. We see a considerable amount of children in the optical and boy they are angels!
Can't wait to see everyone!! ~Heather

Dr. Estaban

Another wonderful day with the team in the clinic.  

Dr. Dan had a patient today with a broken foot, unable to wear her regular shoes due to the swelling and thus wearing sandals.  Jeff Clark cannibalized a discarded plastic chair and he and Dan fabricated a stiffened splinted sandal for her so that she would heal.  I've enclosed a picture of Dr. Dan working on the sandal.  The patient really appreciated their thoughtfulness and ingenuity.  Jeff has been a great addition to the team, learning medicine and leading worship.  

Al Neuhoff and Nadine Klesmith saw a little boy with a diagnosis of Post-traumatic stress syndrome from the Earthquake.  He has been unable to sleep and his sister now freezes up when she takes her school exams.  Please be in prayer for this family.

A little boy brought his pet bird to the clinic this morning.  Since we have a vet on our team, we brought the bird to Dr. Sheryl.  See the picture.  Dr. Sheryl said, "Ohhhh . . . a Lorie!"  So she knows her stuff.  Obviously, it was a nice break for her from the human patients she was seeing with Dr. Jack.  It seems that there are always unique experiences tailored for each individual on these trips.

Enclosed also is a photo of Heather for my staff back at the Optho department. This little girl became Heather's friend for life since Heather helped her get her stylish pair of glasses. Heather is doing a fantastic job.  Dr. Larry may try to recruit her away after working with her this week, so be on notice, that when Heather returns, we will have to treat her nicely so that she doesn't want to leave our department.    

 

Enrique Fernandez, during the team time tonight, shared the transformational power of God's love in his life.  Such an interesting account of how his mother's decision to become a Christian, resulted in a life outlook, focus, and discipline that launched him into the exciting and meaningful life he now leads with Becky.  It was very moving and significant for our team.

The day was capped with the Costa Rican vs. Honduras World Cup qualification soccer game. Lots of yelling and waving miniature Costa Rican flags and being crazy Latins.  We were all Costa Ricans tonight! and we won!  What a team!

Steve S.

Food in Costa Rica

In the past, I’ve had people ask what we eat when we go to other countries. We try to eat the local cuisine. Most of the food in other countries really doesn’t seem different from ours. This week we have had many typical Costa Rican meals. For breakfast the hotel has made scrambled eggs, gallo pinto (rice and beans), bread, fresh fruit, and fresh squeezed juice of all kinds. Today we had pancakes instead of beans. Lunch has been provided by the church and has been sandwiches, chips, and fruit. Dinner at the hotel has consisted of rice, beans, meat (pork, beef, chicken), bread, salad, and dessert. The meat is served either plain or in gravy with beans or potatoes or both. Dessert consists of flan (custard), ice cream, cake, and a type of pumpkin marinated in honey. (Yes, it was delicious!) Included are photos of the foods that we have eaten this week. The meal on banana leaves is what we ate at a local restaurant on Tuesday night. It sounds like we will go out for dinner again tomorrow night. ~Deb (or Mrs. Neff)

I'm Blogging from MaryBeth

I wish I had brought my pedometer...as a part of the logistics team, we are walking the patients back and forth outting many miles on our legs and feet. Deb Neff, Beth Kraeger, Ann Marie Belcore, and I are already 'plotting' to see how we can all be together next year on the 2010 Medical Missions trip... if we are allowed to come back:) I had a little girl 'rattled' something to me in Spanish today and then motioned me to come down on her level as she 'planted' a 3 year old kiss on my sun parched lips after I had given her a heart shape sucker...priceless. My Spanish stinks, but I tried to tell a lady that next year I will be speaking Spanish. I had no idea what next year was so I decided to say..."manana, manana, manana, manana...Espaniol. I said the 'manana' really fast not taking into account of how many times I had said it...she replied to me in Spanish, oh by Saturday? Uh...not quite that soon. We are watching the Costa Rica soccer game against Honduras playoffs for the World Cup, it reminds me of a good USA football game between the Bears, and Packers. Lively, and in another corner a lively round of Catch Phrase is happening with Jack, Sophia, AnnMarie, Matt from Chicago, Julie from Milwaukee, and Amber from Stevens Point...lively. Precious relationships are forming, not only only the people we serve at the clinic, but around the dinner table and evening activities as well. God is good. Hello to all...family, you are loved, TOD team, I do miss you too. Steve told Jonilee yesterday that she would make a great surgical tech as she assisted him with a couple of eye surgeries. I say it is that 'astonishing customer service.' We have made a great connection here in Costa Rica for an incredible English speaking doctor, Med Team, and an incredible private tour service for the MTS department. How cool is that...making those connections and always thinking about how TG can provide even greater services. See you soon. MB

Ryan in optical-Wednesday

When we arrived this morning at the clinic there were 75 patients already there. This was less than Guatemala last year, but we immediately got the feeling that it was business time. Since they had a service last night, we had to completely rearrange to optometry clinic since that is in the sanctuary with the triage. We were all prepared to do that though. Phil has done a wonderful job arranging things and making sure that we get set up quickly.

There are many cases in the optical clinic that are not your bread and butter examinations where you give out readers or have the perfect prescription, etc. I had the idea to pop the lens out of 1 of the frames where they had 1 eye at -3.00 and the other at practically nothing. We only did this when the patient knew they could purchase a lens with a prescription of 0.00. This really helped out a few people who would otherwise have received nothing. Hopefully they can find the missing frames they need.

We had told 1 lady that we had nothing to give her, but we miraculously found a pair of distance glasses that were perfect for her and then also a pair of readers and she was so happy. That was really great. 1 kid we found out after some time that we had no glasses that could help him. We tried for some time, but we were definitely able to help his really irritated, red eyes that he had had for some time. Also, I was able to talk with him about “Our Church” (Manantial de Vida where we work). I encouraged him to come to the church and get involved with the Youth Group. I felt I made a connection with him. He was 14.

God was good today as always and gave us all the strength to continue working and not faint (literally) for these 8 hours or whatever it was.

Dr. Estaban

Greetings!  Another wonderful day in paradise.  

Yesterday was a very busy day.  The clinic and the SWAT team saw approximately 300 patients. The Optical Clinic is especially in great demand.  Larry and his team are doing phenomenally, Heather, Lindsey, Ryan, and Jonilee, plus a couple of Costa Rican recruits.  Lots of smiles and gratitude in optical.  In addition, Jonilee has assisted in several eye surgeries.  She is as competent assisting surgery as she is the best Travel Agent on the planet.  Larry said to me yesterday, "She's like a cat.   You just throw her up in the air, and she always lands on her feet." 

An interesting Non-PETA approved analogy.  

The pharmacy is running incredibly smoothly.  Tom Robinson and Jim Wrass with the assistance of Tom Galvin have done a great job.  Tom R. expressed to me how nice it is to have a second pharmacist on the team.  In all his trips, this is the first time he has had this luxury.  He expressed to me that in the past, he has awakened at night thinking about the responsibility of distributing the meds safely with the huge volumes and non-professional staff. This year Jim is there reviewing crucial dispensing information with the interpreters making sure that the meds are taken safely.  Tom and Jim are great examples of how team members are taking very seriously their responsibilities to provide great care for our patients.  

Phil Neff has been instrumental in incorporating some efficiencies into pharm such that they appear to almost effortlessly stay up with the flood of prescriptions sent their way by the docs.

Yesterday morning, Quique and I went to the Main Hospital in Cartago and presented a Medical Lecture, "Ocular Emergencies for Primary Care," to the Family Practice Residents.  The Residency Director, Dr. Gomez, is the president of  The Costa Rican Christian Medical and Dental Society and a great guy.  They were very appreciative of the lecture and of our team coming to provide care for needy Costa Ricans.  We learned that there is a three year wait to see a government ophthalmologist.  

We went to the lecture with Dr. John Longworth, a  former missionary kid who went into medicine partially due to his exposure to Medical Missions teams.  He remembers as a kid counting out pills in pharmacy.  He now provides free medical care each week to all the missionary families.   He is highly regarded in the Costa Rican medical and missionary communities.  He arranged for Dr. Dan to present a medical lecture on Thursday to the residents and doctors at the main hospital in San Jose on "Evaluating and Managing Back Injuries." Quique is very appreciative of the flexibility of the team to serve in these capacities in that it develops key relationships in country for future ministry.

When I returned with Quique from the lecture, the clinic was running full steam.  Dan, as the Medical Director, was in charge in my absense - - and frankly, I don't think I was missed at all.

So much for feeling needed.  What a great team we have!  

Best of all, great care is provided to needy people and the people in the community are incredibly appreciative of Manantiel De Vida hosting the clinic. 

Gotta go.  Another day in the Clinic.

Steve S.

Pictures:  Sophie, Jack, Family Photo, Triage Lines

From Mateo

It's a wonder that when groups come to this place that anyone ever leaves! It's beautiful and the people are as well. We are far more blessed than the blessing we feel we can be to this people. Matt

Today I met Maria-From Ann Marie

Wow, talk about hitting the ground running...on Monday we were going to set up the clinic and possibly see some patients in the afternoon. When we arrived at the church there were many people that has been waiting to see us since early in the morning so we came together as a team, prayed and started clinic immediately. Later in the afternoon I met Maria who was deaf and mute, she was around my age and her positive attitude and patience touched my heart. Since she could not speak she motioned to her right leg and signed out that she had a lot of pain, especially in her knee and that she would also like to see the eye doctor. Luckily Phil Neff was close by and instantly offered to help. I was working in triage alone and I did not want Maria to get lost in the shuffle, especially since she could not hear or speak. Phil escorted Maria to see one of the physicians and then brought her back to see the eye doctor... then Phil said that he would make sure to get all of Maria's prescriptions filled at the pharmacy. I am truly touched at Phil's willingness to stop what he was doing and help Maria. I know that Maria is greatful and even though she could not verbalize this a smile can say a thousand words. I took a picture with Maria and I am truly blessed to have met her. Thanks God-AM

To Bannach Kindergarten: From Mrs. Neff

Hola ninos y ninas! (Hello boys and girls!)
Como estan? (How are you?) Bien? (Good?) I hope you are doing a good job listening to Mrs. Volz. Are you excited about the 100th day of school? Have a great day on Wednesday!

Today it was warm, sunny, and breezy here in Costa Rica. It was warm enough to wear shorts. What is the temperature in Stevens Point? Has it been warm? Is the snow melting?

When we got to the church this morning at 9:00, there were already 20-25 people waiting to see a doctor. Some of them had been waiting since 7:30 in the morning. Wow! They were very excited that we were there to take care of them. My job was to walk the patients to see the doctor, so I’ve learned to say “Come with me” in Spanish, it is “Ven con migo.” The children are cute. I haven’t been able to work with them much, but one of the women did today. They played soccer (futbol), Monkey in the Middle, and many other games with balls. The little boy in the picture was playing his guitar at church while we were singing. Isn't he cute?! Mrs. MaryBeth (in the other picture) is teaching the children how to brush their teeth.

Keep being good students! I miss you all very much. Love, Mrs. Neff

Moon against sundown-From Carol

This was the scene as the sun went down the first evening in Costa Rica. This is truly a beautiful country! Glorious warm people and fantastic geography are only part of the charm. We had had a full day of traveling starting with the 10:30 pm bus trip from Stevens Point to Chicago, the flight to Charlotte, and then the final leg into Alajuela, Costa Rica. I was so tired; I slept nearly the entire way on both flights here. At the Airport, Al’s medical luggage (consisting of used, donated eyeglasses) got hung up in the system…and had to be left at the airport over the weekend. We will have to get them back by paying a tax, however much they want. It will also require that several key people will have to take the time to go back to the airport to retrieve them, time that would be better off spent helping people at the clinic. But our team is focused on our mission and refuses to be upset by “challenges”. I am amazed at the strength of faith from this Woodlands group, and proud to be a part of such a positive team.

From Amber

Hola!
Today we set up the clinic…what an amazing experience this has been! I had no idea what to expect, but everything is coming together so wonderfully, and I’m learning so much. The people here are so happy to have us and I’m very excited to be here to help them in any way I can. One thing that has really touched me today was our ability to pray with the patients we just treated. I’m surprised to see that I’m starting to understand Spanish much more than I thought possible. What a great experience this has been, and it’s only just begun. Thank you for all your continued support and prayers!

Amber

To Jim: From Sue

Hi Jim, kids, Bill, I’m not good at this, but want you to know this is an awesome happening! I arrived safe and sound, some adventure involved! All is well, busy with clinics, wonderful group.

Wish you could all experience this, someday! Much love, Susie/Mamma, Mom.

Heather's Highlights

No entiendo... My first spanish phrase I am memorizing. (It means 'I don't understand')

Last night I slept so well, I woke up and had forgotten where I was! So far this has been very enlightening. If you want something to help you crawl out of your box, this is it! When we were descending in the plane near the Costa Rica airport, we flew over, yes over, a rainbow. Incredible! The food is amazing and I have never tasted juice so good. Church this evening was moving, even though I couldn't understand a word. The music was beautiful as the people were welcoming. Hello to all at home, miss you! Heather P.

Ann Marie/First morning before clinic

Last night Dr Steve said something that keeps lingering in my mind...."God gives so much to people but if we allow him to work through us and give to others they will receive so much more". This morning I pray that the Lord will work through all of us so that we can share his love and gifts with the people of Alajuela.

Dr. Estaban

This morning our team will be busy preparing to send a portion of our group out on a separate medical mission.  This group will be our medical missions SWAT team!  Dr. Waldo, Dr. Nick, Nadine Klesmith, Matt Marchetti, Angelina Andriacchi, and Julie Wrass.  

Manantiel De Vida has been helping a small church in a mountain village.  Most of the people in this area work in the area dairy (It looks a little funny to see Guernsies, dairy cows, chomping on mountain grass making like mountain goats with not a level spot in site.) This is the area affected by the earthquake.  A little girl from this church was killed in the earthquake.  

The SWAT team will be working with Pastor Carlos as an extension of Manantiel's missions heart to help these people.  They do not know exactly what they will encounter, but as a medical SWAT team, we are sure they are up to the task (Nadine was a Navy Corpsman and has done field hospital work.)  Enclosed is a picture of Heather and Amber standing next to a dairy pasture near this area.  

The rest of the team will start the clinic at Manantiel De Vita.  The church facilities will work wonderfully.  This should be a busy first day in the clinic.  What a great team!  

Steve S.

Doctor Estaban

Tonight we shared a worship service with Manantiel De Vita Church. Pastor Guido is a wonderful pastor and he has a very lively, earnest congregation. It will be wonderful to work with the people in the church throughout the week once the clinic starts.

The team is ready to go. We are acclimated, rested, beginning to get comfortable around each other, and definitely ready to start seeing patients. It is interesting to me how the medical concept of "back to baseline," often describes issues non-medical. In medicine we might assure a patient that they are back to baseline after a typically brief period when they vary from their norm. Typically, a baseline condition is restored simply because that is what our physiology wants to do, rather than any of our wonderful therapies. This concept applies to the "personality type of medical teams." If this team were to have even one more half day of "getting ready," this would not be helpful. The baseline of this team is to roll up our sleeves and see patients. There is an increasing focus, an excitement, even a need, to start seeing patients.
Another way of expressing this is my Golden Retriever, Payton. He will never be a guard dog! No matter how hard I try, he will never do anything to a burgler but welcome him into my home with his tail wagging wildly. That is his baseline.

This team will never be tourists. They will never be dreamers, talkers, observers, or spectators. They need to be put to work. that is our baseline. That is what we will most enjoy -- especially doing this for these wonderful people. Tomorrow we start!
What a great group of people with whom to work!

Steve S.

I'm Blogging.., I'm Blogging (From MaryBeth)

Greetings family, friends, and co-workers at TravelGuard. Not to repeat what others have said, I'll keep my message short and sweet. I discovered that coffee trees really do grow on mountains, just like Mrs. Olsen said. I discovered that even with language differences we are somehow able to communicate in our very limited Spanish and their limited English. And most importantly love is universal. The people of Costa Rica are precious. We are so blessed to be here. It looks like we will be able to serve the people affected by the earthquake. It is very surreal to see cracks in the pavement, huge trees toppled over, mud slides of a whole mountain side, houses crumbled into rubbish and yet the people of the church were singing praises to our awesome God. We are blessed. Thanks for your prayers going through customs...very interesting and a little scary. Thanks TG...Jonilee is doing great. Hold down the fort TOD team, and Joel, Alyssa, Jon, Flor, Joy and Ronald, you are loved. Dad is awesome, you would be so proud of him, it is so fun to see him in his element. TGIF team you know what to do...7 habit facilitators, you are special.

El Volcan Poas

Today we went to a relocation camp that was set up by a pastor to take care of people who have lost their homes in the recent earthquake. We met a 12 year-old boy who told us a very sad story about 14 year-old girl from the church that had died when the rubble fell on top of her. The amazing thing was that while he was telling us this story, we could hear her parents praising God in church. Praise God that people are turning to God in a time of great need and are praising God with all of their voices. Ryan and Lindsey