[Note: This was originally posted Wednesday, June 25, and accidentally deleted.]
It is Wednesday, and the clinic closes at noon so that we can begin to pack up for the journey home. There is no time to write a full blog entry, but I want to take a few minutes to post photos of some of the colleagues we've worked with, friends we've made, and people we've served in here in Honduras.
I am limited in the number of photos I have time to upload, and it was difficult choosing. I missed many people whose faces should be here, and I apologize. But whether your photograph is here or not, be assured that we will all remember you and continue to think of you for years to come.
http://picasaweb.google.com/abrubacca/HonduranFaces2
Enjoy.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Home
This (Tuesday) is my third day home, and gradually I am reacclimating to the pre-Honduras routines of my life. I arrived home Saturday at about 11:30 pm (after being awake since 4:30 am) and although my wife, Sheri, and I stayed up and talked until long past sunrise, we were both too excited to sleep for more than a couple hours on Sunday before resuming the conversation. In telling stories about my experiences in Honduras, I was surprised myself by the many things that had happened and how deeply they affected me. So it has been an exhausting few days, and only now am I finding the energy to write a new blog entry.
For the twenty-some of us returning to the USA Saturday morning, the airport-of-entry was Houston. We spilled out of the plane, excited to be on familiar soil, looking forward to the connecting flights that would take us the rest of the way home. We scattered in all directions into the huge airport, looking for shopping, food and any other distractions to help our almost six-hour layover pass quickly.
I ended up in a small diner, with an overstuffed sandwich and huge mound of french fries in front of me. I was glad to be once again in a familiar world, where, for the first time in two weeks, I could understand every word, sight, sound and smell, read every sign, decode every gesture. Yet the longer I sat there, the more things began to seem unfamiliar. Everything seemed too big, bright, clean and shiny. The spaces were almost oppressively crowded and noisy. The people too neat and hurried.
Behind the diner's counter, three young servers in pink candy-striped uniforms chatted loudly about lip gloss and the party they were going to that evening. Almost unnoticed, a small Latino woman in dishwasher's whites moved among them, bringing trays of clean glasses and tableware from the kitchen, stacking fresh napkins, mopping spills on the floor. She kept her eyes down, concentrating on her job, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The servers ignored her.
I was not in Honduras any more.
Final Statistics
The story of the CURE 2008 mission to Honduras cannot be told in numbers, but numbers can at least give everyone an idea of the mission's scope and achievements. And so here, thanks to Dr. Steve Proctor, are the final statistics for the mission's clinic perations:
Oral Surgery
Adults 526
Children 293
Tooth Extractions 2239
Restorative Dental
Adults 199
Children 284
Teeth restored 873
Surfaces restored:
Amalgam 821
Composite 1212
Dental Hygiene
Cleanings &
Fluoride Treaments 172
Medical
Adults 1381
Children 1200
Physical Therapy 261
Eye Care 362
Piprazine Treatments
Adults 1383
Children 1152
Vitamins (30-day supplies)
Adults 1303
Children 1216
Prescriptions
General 7578
Dental 888
Laboratory Tests 286
Health & Christian Education Classes
Adults & Children 3100
Decisons for the Lord 200
And as some gauge of what I spent my time doing:
Photographs taken 2887
Not the Last Word
This is my last blog entry, but it is not the end of the blog. I hope other members of the mission team will contribute their own stories to it by adding comments to this post. To get the ball rolling, here is a story I received from Steve Proctor when he sent me the statistics. I hope it moves everyone as much as it did me:
Even though this was our third trip, I am always affected emotionally by our time in Honduras. The old ones are the ones that really seem to tug at my heartstrings. They have been beaten down by poverty and hard work for their whole lives, but still manage to retain a quiet dignity. The men are very formal -- proud in spite of a life of backbreaking work in the fields -- and seem to be energized when you look them in the eye and extend a handshake. The old women are grateful to have someone touch them reassuringly on the shoulder or extend any simple act of kindness. It seems to surprise them that we would personally reach out to them with a concern that reaffirms their worth. It should be no surprise -- everyone wants to feel valued. I am humbled by these simple, decent people. It is easy to look at them and see the face of Christ.
Of course there are also the children -- innocent and beautiful, facing nearly insurmountable odds in life. They are so precious, playful, but with a sadness that is just below the surface. They are often very timid, and must be encouraged to do something as simple as pick out a toothbrush. I often wonder if they will live long enough to be one of the old ones who will bear the marks of the wear and tear of a hard Honduran life of poverty.
I often think about the woman we saw in the dental clinic on Friday. She only weighed about 80 lbs. She looked to be about 50, but was obviously much younger. She had three children under the age of 10 and was very frail. When Herman told her that after six extractions she should rest as much as possible, she watered up and said "How can I do that? I have three children and my husband is disabled in a wheelchair. There is no one else to work and take care of the children."
She and the kids were all hungry and had had nothing to eat all day. So we gave them some food we had behind the desk and some Limperas to buy food. It was one of those situations that brings me to tears every time I think about it. She was living her life hanging by a thread.
Thanks, Steve. And thank you, everyone, who made the CURE Honduras 2008 mission such a tremendous success.
For the twenty-some of us returning to the USA Saturday morning, the airport-of-entry was Houston. We spilled out of the plane, excited to be on familiar soil, looking forward to the connecting flights that would take us the rest of the way home. We scattered in all directions into the huge airport, looking for shopping, food and any other distractions to help our almost six-hour layover pass quickly.
I ended up in a small diner, with an overstuffed sandwich and huge mound of french fries in front of me. I was glad to be once again in a familiar world, where, for the first time in two weeks, I could understand every word, sight, sound and smell, read every sign, decode every gesture. Yet the longer I sat there, the more things began to seem unfamiliar. Everything seemed too big, bright, clean and shiny. The spaces were almost oppressively crowded and noisy. The people too neat and hurried.
Behind the diner's counter, three young servers in pink candy-striped uniforms chatted loudly about lip gloss and the party they were going to that evening. Almost unnoticed, a small Latino woman in dishwasher's whites moved among them, bringing trays of clean glasses and tableware from the kitchen, stacking fresh napkins, mopping spills on the floor. She kept her eyes down, concentrating on her job, avoiding eye contact with anyone. The servers ignored her.
I was not in Honduras any more.
Final Statistics
The story of the CURE 2008 mission to Honduras cannot be told in numbers, but numbers can at least give everyone an idea of the mission's scope and achievements. And so here, thanks to Dr. Steve Proctor, are the final statistics for the mission's clinic perations:
Oral Surgery
Adults 526
Children 293
Tooth Extractions 2239
Restorative Dental
Adults 199
Children 284
Teeth restored 873
Surfaces restored:
Amalgam 821
Composite 1212
Dental Hygiene
Cleanings &
Fluoride Treaments 172
Medical
Adults 1381
Children 1200
Physical Therapy 261
Eye Care 362
Piprazine Treatments
Adults 1383
Children 1152
Vitamins (30-day supplies)
Adults 1303
Children 1216
Prescriptions
General 7578
Dental 888
Laboratory Tests 286
Health & Christian Education Classes
Adults & Children 3100
Decisons for the Lord 200
And as some gauge of what I spent my time doing:
Photographs taken 2887
Not the Last Word
This is my last blog entry, but it is not the end of the blog. I hope other members of the mission team will contribute their own stories to it by adding comments to this post. To get the ball rolling, here is a story I received from Steve Proctor when he sent me the statistics. I hope it moves everyone as much as it did me:
Even though this was our third trip, I am always affected emotionally by our time in Honduras. The old ones are the ones that really seem to tug at my heartstrings. They have been beaten down by poverty and hard work for their whole lives, but still manage to retain a quiet dignity. The men are very formal -- proud in spite of a life of backbreaking work in the fields -- and seem to be energized when you look them in the eye and extend a handshake. The old women are grateful to have someone touch them reassuringly on the shoulder or extend any simple act of kindness. It seems to surprise them that we would personally reach out to them with a concern that reaffirms their worth. It should be no surprise -- everyone wants to feel valued. I am humbled by these simple, decent people. It is easy to look at them and see the face of Christ.
Of course there are also the children -- innocent and beautiful, facing nearly insurmountable odds in life. They are so precious, playful, but with a sadness that is just below the surface. They are often very timid, and must be encouraged to do something as simple as pick out a toothbrush. I often wonder if they will live long enough to be one of the old ones who will bear the marks of the wear and tear of a hard Honduran life of poverty.
I often think about the woman we saw in the dental clinic on Friday. She only weighed about 80 lbs. She looked to be about 50, but was obviously much younger. She had three children under the age of 10 and was very frail. When Herman told her that after six extractions she should rest as much as possible, she watered up and said "How can I do that? I have three children and my husband is disabled in a wheelchair. There is no one else to work and take care of the children."
She and the kids were all hungry and had had nothing to eat all day. So we gave them some food we had behind the desk and some Limperas to buy food. It was one of those situations that brings me to tears every time I think about it. She was living her life hanging by a thread.
Thanks, Steve. And thank you, everyone, who made the CURE Honduras 2008 mission such a tremendous success.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Goodbye, San Marcos. Hello, El Progreso.
This morning was a time of "lasts"-- last accordion reveille, last breakfast together, last exchanges with the Honduran friends we have made. By 8:30 we were on the bus and rumbling out of town, waving to people as we passed. The school grounds that had been our clinic for eleven days were filled with children already starting their first day back to school.
We were leaving half an hour earlier than originally planned, because we were expecting delays along the way. Public transportation workers are striking today throughout the country. There are protests at points along all the major highways. The protesters-- mostly bus drivers whose secondhand yellow school buses are the backbone of the country's public transport system-- have parked their buses along the shoulders and targeted any bus that is on the road. And because we were traveling aboard just such a secondhand (circa 1975) yellow school bus, we expected to be stopped.
And we were.
Daniel Castro rode ahead of us in a pickup truck and Tomas Rodriquez and our bus driver phoned ahead to friends along the highway to check on the situation and alert them that we were on the way. The idea was to let the protesters know that our bus was not "public transportation" but a chartered busload of North American mission workers.
Still, at three checkpoints protesters thronged around us. We quickly shut all the bus windows as one protester leaped onto the back of the bus while others surrounded us, pounding on the sides of the vehicle. No threats were made, and there was no real violence, but there were several tense minutes before Daniel and police with batons managed to explain the situation and get the protesters to agree to allow us to pass.
At the second checkpoint, the protesters clearly were expecting us. While they crowded around the bus, they allowed us to pass, slowly, and waved and gestured to us as we did. It was apparent, though, that there had been a threat of trouble there earlier, because police there were standing by in full riot gear.
The third stop, late in the day, was the least threatening, but it was clear that the all-day protest was still in full swing.
Amid all this excitement, we went about our scheduled activities. First, there was a two-hour stop for shopping at the Guamilita Market in San Pedro Sula, then a visit to the CURE International Hospital now under construction on the outskirts of the city. Then, finally, we made it to our final stop-- the town of El Progreso and the Hotel Casa Blanca. Warm showers. Flushing toilets. AIR CONDITIONING!!!
The bus has just pulled up out front of the hotel to take us to our closing banquet. So I have to run. A great meal with everyone will be a wonderful way to end an exciting day.
We were leaving half an hour earlier than originally planned, because we were expecting delays along the way. Public transportation workers are striking today throughout the country. There are protests at points along all the major highways. The protesters-- mostly bus drivers whose secondhand yellow school buses are the backbone of the country's public transport system-- have parked their buses along the shoulders and targeted any bus that is on the road. And because we were traveling aboard just such a secondhand (circa 1975) yellow school bus, we expected to be stopped.
And we were.
Daniel Castro rode ahead of us in a pickup truck and Tomas Rodriquez and our bus driver phoned ahead to friends along the highway to check on the situation and alert them that we were on the way. The idea was to let the protesters know that our bus was not "public transportation" but a chartered busload of North American mission workers.
Still, at three checkpoints protesters thronged around us. We quickly shut all the bus windows as one protester leaped onto the back of the bus while others surrounded us, pounding on the sides of the vehicle. No threats were made, and there was no real violence, but there were several tense minutes before Daniel and police with batons managed to explain the situation and get the protesters to agree to allow us to pass.
At the second checkpoint, the protesters clearly were expecting us. While they crowded around the bus, they allowed us to pass, slowly, and waved and gestured to us as we did. It was apparent, though, that there had been a threat of trouble there earlier, because police there were standing by in full riot gear.
The third stop, late in the day, was the least threatening, but it was clear that the all-day protest was still in full swing.
Amid all this excitement, we went about our scheduled activities. First, there was a two-hour stop for shopping at the Guamilita Market in San Pedro Sula, then a visit to the CURE International Hospital now under construction on the outskirts of the city. Then, finally, we made it to our final stop-- the town of El Progreso and the Hotel Casa Blanca. Warm showers. Flushing toilets. AIR CONDITIONING!!!
The bus has just pulled up out front of the hotel to take us to our closing banquet. So I have to run. A great meal with everyone will be a wonderful way to end an exciting day.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Dental Health in Honduras
It is Tuesday, the last full day of clinic operations, and there are more than 180 people waiting for dental triage. The line runs the full length of the school building housing the dental clinic, then doubles back on itself. A few minutes ago, Dr. Lee Flinner, co-leader of the dental team, surveyed the line and reluctantly gave the word that we're already past capacity and no one else can be admitted for dental care today. It is only 9:20 am.
The dental and oral surgery clinic is the biggest and busiest on this mission, and for good reason. It is rare to meet anyone over thirty whose warm smile doesn't have at least one or two gaps, and I've watched more than a dozen men and women over fifty have the last of their teeth pulled -- as many as fifteen at a sitting -- because of tooth decay and gum disease. The surgeons are even extracting rotted baby teeth from five and six year olds.
Causes of the Crisis
There are specific reasons behind this region's oral health crisis. There is no fluoride in the water in and around San Marcos (tap water is completely untreated). The closest professional dental care is two hours away, in San Pedro Sula, and is simply beyond the means of the people who live here. Standards of oral hygiene are practically nonexistent, due to lack of both basic hygiene tools, such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, and proper instruction about how to care for teeth and gums, even when toothbrushes and toothpaste is limited.
Then there's the diet factor. Here, as in the United States and elsewhere, children and teens have developed the junk food and sugary drink habit. Even those waiting to have teeth extracted sit sipping sodas and frozen fruit drinks or sucking on lollipops. And without fluoridation or toothpaste, the results are devastating.
The Mission's Oral Care Work
Although the team performs hundreds of extractions a day (407 last Friday alone), any tooth that can be saved and restored is, and the hygienists work steadily to clean teeth that have not seen a toothbrush for years, or perhaps ever, and apply fluoride treatments to provide at least a measure of protection.
You can see before and after photos of a pretty typical composite restoration and a hygiene treatment, as well as non-graphic illustrations of an extensive oral surgery, at http://picasaweb.google.com/abrubacca/OralHealthCarePhotos.
Building a Long-term Solution
The old adage about teaching someone to fish instead of simply handing them a fish sandwich holds here. CURE International understands that the oral health crisis in Honduras can be stemmed only through aggressive education programs. For years, local CURE worker Rodrigo "Coto" Castillo has conducted oral health education classes in schools and communities throughout the area. This year, 24-year-old Cynthia Rápalo, a local high school social studies teacher, has joined this important effort. With instructional materials provided by CURE and mentoring from Koto, Cynthia will start by providing basic oral health education to her 317 students and then expand her efforts to a wider audience.
Thank you, Coto and Cynthia.
The dental and oral surgery clinic is the biggest and busiest on this mission, and for good reason. It is rare to meet anyone over thirty whose warm smile doesn't have at least one or two gaps, and I've watched more than a dozen men and women over fifty have the last of their teeth pulled -- as many as fifteen at a sitting -- because of tooth decay and gum disease. The surgeons are even extracting rotted baby teeth from five and six year olds.
Causes of the Crisis
There are specific reasons behind this region's oral health crisis. There is no fluoride in the water in and around San Marcos (tap water is completely untreated). The closest professional dental care is two hours away, in San Pedro Sula, and is simply beyond the means of the people who live here. Standards of oral hygiene are practically nonexistent, due to lack of both basic hygiene tools, such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, and proper instruction about how to care for teeth and gums, even when toothbrushes and toothpaste is limited.
Then there's the diet factor. Here, as in the United States and elsewhere, children and teens have developed the junk food and sugary drink habit. Even those waiting to have teeth extracted sit sipping sodas and frozen fruit drinks or sucking on lollipops. And without fluoridation or toothpaste, the results are devastating.
The Mission's Oral Care Work
Although the team performs hundreds of extractions a day (407 last Friday alone), any tooth that can be saved and restored is, and the hygienists work steadily to clean teeth that have not seen a toothbrush for years, or perhaps ever, and apply fluoride treatments to provide at least a measure of protection.
You can see before and after photos of a pretty typical composite restoration and a hygiene treatment, as well as non-graphic illustrations of an extensive oral surgery, at http://picasaweb.google.com/abrubacca/OralHealthCarePhotos.
Building a Long-term Solution
The old adage about teaching someone to fish instead of simply handing them a fish sandwich holds here. CURE International understands that the oral health crisis in Honduras can be stemmed only through aggressive education programs. For years, local CURE worker Rodrigo "Coto" Castillo has conducted oral health education classes in schools and communities throughout the area. This year, 24-year-old Cynthia Rápalo, a local high school social studies teacher, has joined this important effort. With instructional materials provided by CURE and mentoring from Koto, Cynthia will start by providing basic oral health education to her 317 students and then expand her efforts to a wider audience.
Thank you, Coto and Cynthia.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A New Week & Three Stories
Yesterday was the mission team's day off. Twenty-one of us traveled in two small vans to the Mayan ruins at Copán, two hours away. It was an amazing experience that gave us all an appreciation of the remarkable achievements and ancient roots of the people we're serving. The rest of the team were treated to a relaxing afternoon on a coffee plantation in the hills, where, while they napped, played cards and checkers, and enjoyed the spectacular view from the thickly flowered hillside, their hosts grilled a freshly killed deer and tilapia (a delicious fish) netted from the hatchery pond right there on the premises.
Today, it is back to work. As I write this, Klaus is strolling by playing his accordion. Jack is about to make his daily round with a bag of small chocolate bars (he brought 22 pounds of them to share). People have been appearing for the past half hour or so, groggily headed to the toilets and washing area. The power is off, so there is no coffee. No one is sure what the power outage means as far as breakfast.
There is some trepidation this morning. Over the weekend, nineteen mission members returned home. That means a lot of adjusted work assignments and everyone shifting into a higher gear. There are no complaints, only concern that we will not be able to treat as many people as we'd like. And everyone is determined to do whatever's needed. This attitude of acceptance and adjustment is routine here. "It is what it is" is a phrase you hear a lot.
I promised stories about the work we're doing. Here are three. Photos illustrating the stories can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/abrubacca/ThreeStories.
Mending a Broken Heart
Last Tuesday, a mother brought her children to the clinic for care. Among them was a pale, thin nine-year-old girl. Brad Hoch, the team's Medical Director, examined her and detected a heart murmur. There was little doubt in his mind that she requires surgery to repair the damaged heart tissue. For the mother, this was grim news. She cannot afford even basic health care for herself and her children, let alone the astronomical cost of cardiac surgery. But for such desperate cases, CURE has ways of finding solutions.
Brad immediately spoke with Ruth Castro, the tireless Executive Director of CURE International Honduras. Over the years, Ruth has established a wide network of medical resources for just such a situation. She referred the mother and daughter to a cardiac surgeon in San Pedro Sula, who will conduct a though examination, arrange for all necessary tests, and perform the surgery, free of charge. She is also confident that among CURE International's donors she will find one or a group that will pay for the hospital costs associated with the surgery.
You can imagine the mother's and daughter's reactions to this news. Disbelief. Hope. Joy. For the mother, many prayers answered. For the daughter, the prospect of a future. For me, standing by, watching and taking photos, the unexpected opportunity to see a life being saved.
* * *
New Wheels from an Old Friend
But Jack's ingenuity met the challenge, and he managed to make temporary repairs. More important, he developed a deep affection for Denis and promised the boy and his mother that if they returned to the clinic in 2008, he would have a new wheelchair for them.
True to his word, over the following months Jack and his wife, Judy, searched for a suitable chair at an affordable price -- not an easy task. But with persistence, they found one. Wogan's Drug Store in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, which also contributed medical supplies to this year's mission, sold the Eckrotes a chair at a remarkable price. It was shipped to Honduras in January in the container of equipment and materials for this year's mission, and Jack assembled it last weekend, anticipating Denis's visit. He was not disappointed.
Senora Dubón came to the clinic on Tuesday, carrying Denis in her arms. When Jack presented them with the new chair, the mother acted stoically, as so many here do, but Denis could not contain himself. The joy on his face was infectious, and he reached out, grabbing and shaking the hands of everyone around him.
[NOTE: As I was writing this, Tasha told me that the old red wheelchair is sitting outside the Dubón home. It seems that the family is afraid to take their new prized possession outdoors, and so Denis uses the new wheelchair indoors and the old one outside -- a situation that we are all quite sure will not last long, if Denis has anything to say about it.]
* * *
Today, it is back to work. As I write this, Klaus is strolling by playing his accordion. Jack is about to make his daily round with a bag of small chocolate bars (he brought 22 pounds of them to share). People have been appearing for the past half hour or so, groggily headed to the toilets and washing area. The power is off, so there is no coffee. No one is sure what the power outage means as far as breakfast.
There is some trepidation this morning. Over the weekend, nineteen mission members returned home. That means a lot of adjusted work assignments and everyone shifting into a higher gear. There are no complaints, only concern that we will not be able to treat as many people as we'd like. And everyone is determined to do whatever's needed. This attitude of acceptance and adjustment is routine here. "It is what it is" is a phrase you hear a lot.
I promised stories about the work we're doing. Here are three. Photos illustrating the stories can be found at http://picasaweb.google.com/abrubacca/ThreeStories.
Mending a Broken Heart
Last Tuesday, a mother brought her children to the clinic for care. Among them was a pale, thin nine-year-old girl. Brad Hoch, the team's Medical Director, examined her and detected a heart murmur. There was little doubt in his mind that she requires surgery to repair the damaged heart tissue. For the mother, this was grim news. She cannot afford even basic health care for herself and her children, let alone the astronomical cost of cardiac surgery. But for such desperate cases, CURE has ways of finding solutions.
Brad immediately spoke with Ruth Castro, the tireless Executive Director of CURE International Honduras. Over the years, Ruth has established a wide network of medical resources for just such a situation. She referred the mother and daughter to a cardiac surgeon in San Pedro Sula, who will conduct a though examination, arrange for all necessary tests, and perform the surgery, free of charge. She is also confident that among CURE International's donors she will find one or a group that will pay for the hospital costs associated with the surgery.
You can imagine the mother's and daughter's reactions to this news. Disbelief. Hope. Joy. For the mother, many prayers answered. For the daughter, the prospect of a future. For me, standing by, watching and taking photos, the unexpected opportunity to see a life being saved.
* * *
New Wheels from an Old Friend
This is CURE International's second year in San Marcos. Last year, a Senora Dubón appeared at the clinic with her son, Denis, in a rickety red wheelchair. Denis was about eight years old and suffering from multiple sclerosis. While examining the boy, the medical team noted the pitiable condition of the wheelchair and sent for Jack Eckrote, one of the team's maintenance specialists.
Jack describes the chair as "a wreck." "The back was reclined, and they wanted us to raise it so the boy could sit up," he says, "but we were afraid to touch it, it was in such bad shape. The frame was rusted and had cracks in it, and in places it was held together with wire and tape. We thought that if we tried to fix it we'd break it, and then the boy would have nothing."
But Jack's ingenuity met the challenge, and he managed to make temporary repairs. More important, he developed a deep affection for Denis and promised the boy and his mother that if they returned to the clinic in 2008, he would have a new wheelchair for them.
True to his word, over the following months Jack and his wife, Judy, searched for a suitable chair at an affordable price -- not an easy task. But with persistence, they found one. Wogan's Drug Store in Littlestown, Pennsylvania, which also contributed medical supplies to this year's mission, sold the Eckrotes a chair at a remarkable price. It was shipped to Honduras in January in the container of equipment and materials for this year's mission, and Jack assembled it last weekend, anticipating Denis's visit. He was not disappointed.
Senora Dubón came to the clinic on Tuesday, carrying Denis in her arms. When Jack presented them with the new chair, the mother acted stoically, as so many here do, but Denis could not contain himself. The joy on his face was infectious, and he reached out, grabbing and shaking the hands of everyone around him.
Physical therapist Tasha McElravy adjusted the adult-sized chair (which Denis can grow into) and gave his mother instructions on using and caring for it. Then mother and child left, leaving behind the memories a wonderful moment.
[NOTE: As I was writing this, Tasha told me that the old red wheelchair is sitting outside the Dubón home. It seems that the family is afraid to take their new prized possession outdoors, and so Denis uses the new wheelchair indoors and the old one outside -- a situation that we are all quite sure will not last long, if Denis has anything to say about it.]
* * *
Translating Success
Last June, CURE translator Nila Martinez-Sutter assisted the medical team with a special case. A young woman, Dunia Julisa Dubón, had been trying for months to have another child, but a gynecological infection was preventing it. She had seen a local physician and received antibiotics, but the infection kept returning.
Last June, CURE translator Nila Martinez-Sutter assisted the medical team with a special case. A young woman, Dunia Julisa Dubón, had been trying for months to have another child, but a gynecological infection was preventing it. She had seen a local physician and received antibiotics, but the infection kept returning.
A CURE physician prescribed the appropriate antibiotic regimen, Nila made sure that the patient clearly understood the physician's instructions, and the infection disappeared. Last Tuesday, Senora Dubón returned to thank everyone and show off her new daughter, Yorleni Abigail Salis, born May 30, 2008.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Photo Album of the Mission Team
A photo album of some of the images of the mission team is now online. You can view it at http://picasaweb.google.com/abrubacca/ThePeopleOfThe2008HonduranMission. Enjoy!
Friday, June 20, 2008
About Blog Entries and Photos
Many people have asked questions about this blog and the photos in the slide shows I am posting. Here is some information:
- The blog will be online for a long time, and everyone is free to copy and print anything I post.
- If you want to enlarge the images in the slide show so you can see them better, double-click on any one of the slides. A new window should open with a much larger view
- You are free to download and print any of the photos I post. However, they are low resolution versions of the originals I've taken. (The Internet connection here can be almost painfully slow.) I have informed CURE International that I will be providing the organization with a master DVD of the best of the photos from this trip. CURE has full permission to duplicate the DVD, so I recommend that (after a few weeks) you contact CURE to find out how to get a copy.
- If you have other questions, feel free to contact me at robert@robertwriting.com. after the mission ends, since I can receive but not send emails here in Honduras.
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