Team Nicaragua 2012 Returns and Reports

Arrival and Day One: Rivers of Water 

Safely on the ground in Managua on Friday evening we collected our bags and headed for customs only to find out that we were one government approval stamp short of being compliant for bringing in our medicines. After several hours of digging through bags and separating supplies in the airport we were able to minimize the amount of bags to be left overnight to the lucky number of 13. 

Once at the hotel Friday night with all bags unloaded we found out that there were only 16 beds available for 25 of us… But as always, God provides and at 11pm we were offered to go to a beautiful compound on top of the mountain. We got 3-4 hours of rest, some slept while others were too excited about our adventure. We regrouped at 5 am for a hot Nicaraguan breakfast of coffee, rice, beans, eggs and pancakes.

And then the team was on the road to El Rama while Ali headed to the airport. The bags were retrieved late Saturday morning through pleading for hours and many tears shed by Ali in front of the customs officers while the rest of us were on the bus traveling toward the east coast. Ali and Alvaro followed us in a separate truck while we prayed for their safe passage as they were several hours behind us and outside of cell coverage.

After six hours on a school bus with windows open, the team was ready for a stop in El Rama , Reed took the opportunity to get his signature cowboy hat while Brita, Eric and the Nicaraguan dentist traveling with us went off to purchase dental needles and Lidocaine. The remaining missionaries were happily fighting to get to the closest baño.

While we were enjoying the beauty of the thunderstorm that hit the town making all lights go out and streets turn into rivers we did not take into account what it was doing to the dirt road we were about to embark on for our last 4 hours of travel.

We were barely out of El Rama when the road was heading into a mass of water. Two of our Nica heroes waded into the muddy water up to their thighs and guided the bus and our supply truck through after our own MacGyver taped up air filters and gas tank covers.

       

Another 5 hours on the bus on bumpy and shaky dirt roads and we finally arrived in Pearl Lagoon. All settled in and shortly after a nice meal and devotion lead by Pastor Brian and Hannah from Texas with her Ukulele, Ali arrived with all the bags of supplies intact.

Power is still out this morning, internet connection is only available through cell coverage and the water pressure is gone but we are all safe, rested, well fed and all are eager and ready to start the first day of clinic.

God is good and in charge here.

Day 2: We are humbled, He is All Knowing 

Roosters at 3 am? Really? The sun does not rise until 5 am but this land is full of noise at night. We slept with windows open and yes, these dogs and roosters are obviously confused and following the wrong circadian rhythm. Still without power the second night in Pearl Lagoon and therefore also no running water, no fans, no A/C. Sunday’s clinic was the calmest and most organized that this team has ever seen. We had no issues with crowd control or security which allowed for much more fun and play with the kids.

We treated 250 patients from 12 noon until 4:30 pm, pretty impressive. Go Team!!

A patient arrived in a broken wheelchair that had to be carried by two men, The creative minds of the MacGyver team lead by Mark were able to cut a wheel out of a piece of wood. Counterweight during the sawing was provided by Carol, Barb and Shirley, who all sat on it keeping the plank from bouncing and shifting. Once the wheel was cut and the center hole drilled with pocket knives and nails, the wheel was put on. Noticing a slight wobble, layers of duct tape were added to each side of the axle to act as bushings to stabilize the wheel. As he left, the man was smiling from ear to ear.

It was close to the end of the clinic when we were asked to do a home visit. The patient was an elderly gentleman, 80 years old or so, a single leg amputee with the sweetest disposition. He was pretty much restricted to the bed which would make most of us somewhat bitter.

This guy was just the opposite. Brita, the team member who headed up the home visit was the first to enter his humble home.

He saw her from his position in the bed and began to sing to her. The song was upbeat and almost an Irish Limerick in the way it flowed. After a couple of verses we clapped sincerely and Brita was anxious to get on with the examination. But he was determined to finish his song, which he did. It had been a hot day, a busy day, but all that was forgotten in the words and notes that came from this man. We often wonder who is helping whom here. God is good…All the time!

We frequently say that God provides and that he is all knowing but do we really believe it? Or do we count on our own abilities? The team was provided 5 large cases of Comfort Bath packets, moist washcloths, sort of like thick baby wipes, they were delivered unexpectedly to our Texas members, Karen, Bethany and Hannah. Leaving the states, we had no idea why God gave us such a strange gift but we decided to bring them along. It was definitely a Godsend with no water after a hot, dirty day in the clinic. It replaced the non-existing showers better than expected. God knew of our needs before we even left….

Day 3 of our mission 

Sunday night was another hot, sticky night without electricity to run our fans… until a thunderstorm swept in at 3 AM jolting us from our sleep, but sending some welcome cool air. The morning started early again, with breakfast at 5 AM, and then we walked to the docks to board our pangas (simple speedboats). After a 90 minute bumpy boat ride we arrived at Tasbapauni, a small village with a Rastafarian vibe. Our hardworking porters, again, unloaded our many heavy suitcases of medical supplies on the pushcart (no power vehicles to be found on Tasbapauni) and we walked the 500 feet from one side of the peninsula to the other.

The usual chaotic process of setting up our medical clinic began, but Barb went into action, and soon we were seeing patients. Hannah and Stephanie tirelessly took blood pressures while Leslie checked everyone’s weight. Vania, our Nicaraguan dentist travelling with us, pulled more teeth today than we thought humanly possible.

We had many special patients today, but two people stood out. An elderly man who suffered a neck spinal cord injury came. He told us how he was unable to move his hands or legs after the injury but could not afford surgery, so he was sent home to his family’s care. He told us how his family wheeled him in his makeshift wheelchair to the beach, carried him to the ocean, and he did his own physical therapy. We were all watching the drama play out as Carol had Aaron put together a walker and gave it to our new friend. We watched expectantly as he stood, then walked with the walker around the clinic, his face beaming. Now that he was walking again, he needed shoes. We thought we had only girls’ flip flops, but Bethany dug deep into her suitcase of shoes and found two pairs of men’s shoes- one fit him perfectly! Hallelujah!

Another 4 year old, sweet girl arrived with her mother. She had suffered extensive burns over most of her body in a house fire when she was 5 months old. As she healed, severe contractures (restrictions) developed making it impossible to extend her legs fully, bend her ankles, or raise her arms. The doctors here became frustrated and told her mom not to come back until she could afford all the surgeries they recommended. We hope to use our resources and connections to provide further surgery to bring her childhood some normalcy. Her mom continues to pray for that.

Another long hot day concluded, our bags of medicine were lighter, and we boated home. Our luck had turned… electricity and running water returned. Hallelujah!

We are hot, dirty, and tired; but our spirits are riding high on God’s presence among us. Many obstacles, pitfalls, and problems have arisen, but God is clearing our path for His hands and feet to care for his people. Tomorrow will be another day of blessings.

Day 4
This third clinic day began bright and early at 4:30am and down to the dock by 6am. The punctuality of Americans however doesn’t transfer very well down here. Nicaraguan time runs about 30 minutes to an hour late so we boarded the boats around 730. We were promised a smooth ride but like all things on this trip, it was bumpier than planned. By the time we arrived in Orinoco, we were the ones who needed some care for all our new bumps and bruises courtesy of the choppy Nicaraguan lake.

We started heading to our usual clinic location when we were told by some of the locals that they generously closed the school early for us to use- this was much to our surprise. However, our enthusiasm paled in comparison to the school children who got out early for the day.

Although everyone was excited to have so many missionaries in town, our dentist, Vania was a hot commodity. Within just a few hours, she was booked for the full day. She had a full dental team including Danielle, Stephanie, Indira and Alvaro who all worked tirelessly through the long line of patients.

Every clinic day has its unique challenges- today it was crowd control. Jeffrey, one of our translators, fearlessly stepped up and with a great sense of humor, he cracked the whip. Despite his authority and control, he had to promise everyone they would be seen not knowing whether we would be able to support him in his promise. As the last patient was finally seen, Jeffrey knew he could safely make it back to the boat.

Today we saw the individuals of our group come together as a team, stepping into new roles as they were required. Hannah and Adam started out the day taking vital signs and ended it by joining Bethany and Logan in what we dubbed as the ‘Flea Market’. This was the area where we distributed glasses, dresses, shoes, toys, shampoo, soap, tooth paste, tooth brushes, lotion and plenty of smiles.

Orinoco had its share of surprises today. Our very first patient showed up before the clinic even opened. A small boy showed up with blood dripping down his head and soaking his shirt after a fall. Dr. Tellez was called upon to stitch and wrap his wound.

Next we had a visit from our new friend ‘King Solomon’. Despite being wheelchair bound due to the loss of his leg in an accident, he was the most joyful and selfless patient we’ve seen. In the prayer tent with Pastor Brian, he requested prayer not for himself but for his church.

Several relationships between team members and locals were strengthened as we recognized each other from 2 1/2 years ago. We had brought printed pictures from our last visit and they were handed out before the clinic. One man recognized his granddaughter and great grandson in the pictures and this was baby Jason who we helped deliver in 2009. Even though they were several miles away at the farm they were sent for and arrived just before we closed up the clinic. It was a beautiful reunion as Ali was able to hold the baby she had helped deliver.

By 4:00 we were back to our boat where thankfully the seas were calm. We ended this day in celebration for Barb and Bruce and Ali and Eric’s wedding anniversaries. Dell, our hostess at Hotel Casa Blanca had prepared 3 cakes. Within 15 minutes the cakes were mostly devoured, and now we head to bed with full stomachs as well as full hearts.

On to Managua.

Day 5 Back to Managua
Seeing that we were all showing signs of fatigue following three full and fulfilling clinic days, Ali was gracious and declared breakfast at 5:30 a.m. vs. 5 a.m. prior to what would become a 12 hour return bus trip to Managua. Our day began with amiable weather, a slight breeze and good spirits. As we loaded the bus we realized we were returning with a handful more people (by design!) than our trip to Pearl Lagoon. The men quickly organized our bags in the luggage truck while our group boarded the passenger school bus. It was eye opening to witness the change in the dynamics of who sat next to who, who talked about what and the general atmosphere that quickly consumed the air. Our ages ranged from 13 to 79 with an ideal distribution in the mix; while these same people came from Idaho, Colorado, Florida, Texas, Washington DC, South Carolina, Minnesota and Georgia! What a spectacular mix.

The conversations for the next 12 hours were a personal reflection of the previous three days and individual experiences. As I sat and admired the exchange of words, you saw smiles, uncertainty, confidence and sadness. The young talked to the old and the Southerners talked to the Westerners with a sense of accomplishment on their faces.

     

Our return trip as we have experienced in every previous day involved some unique encounters to include yet another road flooded by an overflowing river. This new challenge took a bit longer than the last as we had approximately 5 vehicles ahead of us delayed. We took the opportunity to exit the bus and admire the swollen river along with many locals. It was clear this is not the first time they had been delayed by such natural events of their terrain. Interestingly enough this idle time provided yet another opportunity for our group to mix, mingle and fellowship with more people in the group. It became clear rapidly that God had placed each of us in this group for a particular reason as the challenges we have faced to date have been handled with grace, patience and perseverance.

We remain in awe of how the people live here as we travel to/from by bus during morning/daylight and evening hours. The houses are close, doors open and people on porches and walking the roads. We are received by welcome waves and smiles. On several occasions we have stopped unexpectedly roadside at a home or remote business requesting use of their facilities. They too receive us without hesitation. It is most common for this experience to be outdoors, sometimes thru a muddy field randomly passing chickens, pigs, horses and cows! Patience IS required as is an open mindJ. It seems as though they live in the past in so many ways, and while we see it as living in poverty, stress and unfortunate conditions, they appear humble and content. We see the family values as their highest priority as well as their sense of community commitment.

Following what seemed to be 12 grueling hours on the bus, we collectively arrived at our destination in Managua understanding that the most important part of who we are is what is inside of us and never to allow ourselves to get discouraged and believe that our life is insignificant and cannot be changed. Having said this, our group has had time to reflect on how our lives can change and how we can change others. Day 6 will come quickly as we have an opportunity to visit our school, Christian Academy of Las Torres, in Managua, look it up at www.caltnica.org

Stay tuned for our last day of service in this beautiful country!

Day 6

After a refreshing night of sleep in air conditioned rooms, we awoke for breakfast at 6:30am. We were pleasantly surprised by donuts and then took off for CALT. Upon our arrival our board members had a meeting with the parents while the new team members took a tour of some local homes. It was eye opening to be sure to see the conditions in which the students live, homes no larger than a two car garage built of cinder blocks, scrap metal and chicken wire where the only running water is from a single spigot in the yard. We were then greeted with good reports from the parents and teachers before we started the clinic day. The few requests that were presented to the board from the parents were protection from rain in one room with large open windows, repair of the roof over the 6th graders classroom and for us to consider hiring an English teacher. The first request was fixed on the spot by Reed and Mark, the roof was then inspected and an estimate for labor and supply costs is being prepared. The English teacher will have to be discussed by the board as it would add significantly to our monthly costs.

The school is small and in need of many upgrades but the arrangement led to a very smooth running clinic. Our new friend and guardian angel on this trip, Patrick, even provided a gate guard armed with a Taser (that he didn’t have to use). We were excited to see Engel, the boy Ali helped to Honduras for open heart surgery last year, happy and healthy. He posed for several photos with the group and had a good report to share.

Today Doug took over the “Flea Market” and was game to fit little girls with dresses as part of his task. They beamed coming out of the clinic with a dress and toy in hand. We were able to see all of the students and many parents in ½ a clinic day without being overwhelmed. Tarps were strung up and shade provided to make the wait easier. You could tell we had been working together a few days now as there was less miscommunication and runners found their task easier.

A couple of patients stood out today, one was a 4 year old girl who is in desperate need of a special medicine that is not available in Nicaragua and who will eventually need major surgery to correct a congenital condition that will become very painful as she goes into puberty.

The second patient who is difficult to forget is the mother of a 10 year old girl enrolled at our school. This mother snuck out of work in order to come to our clinic for a consultation. Upon examination by the providers it was obvious that she has advanced breast cancer that is beyond surgery. We referred her to a diagnostic clinic for ultrasound and biopsy and hopefully some radiation treatments to lessen her pain. The girl’s father and remaining family are all involved with drugs and with the mother sick we are extremely concerned about the girl’s future. Pastor Brian led a prayer as we held hands with the crying mother.

Our translators were definitely employed the most on this clinic day as nearly 100% of the students and parents spoke only Spanish. They worked hard and all had a smile on their faces, though Samuel’s was, as usual, the biggest. We ended our day around 2 and were able to leave our extra supplies with the school to be put to future use.

Heading to the market to purchase our souvenirs and Nicaraguan necessities, we put our Nicaraguan friends to use again, and they graciously obliged. We ended the day with a frozen coffee and a little bit of Wi-Fi to connect with back home, many of us for the first time. Dinner and one last rainstorm provided the perfect background to end our time in Nicaragua. And we closed with, “I love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you, oh my soul Rejoice. Take joy my King in what you hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.