The Packing Party

I arrived at Gettysburg Presbyterian Church forty-five minutes early and found I was not the first to arrive. Sitting in the church's gymnasium, among tables covered with medical supplies, was a wiry, bearded man in an orange polo shirt. He introduced himself as Jack Eckrote. Jack is one of three mechanical wizards who install and maintain the on site medical equipment, power generators, and other machinery that the mission relies on. He's been accompanying teams to Honduras for fourteen years.

He's also an expert at packing medical supplies. He sized up the suitcase I had brought along, calculating what items it could hold and still weigh in under the 50-pound limit. Then he moved from table to table, bringing me tubes, bottles, and boxes by the dozens. Within twenty minutes, the suitcase was full. I lifted it. It felt too heavy to me. "Weigh it," he said smiling and pointing to a bathroom scale on the floor. I did. Forty-seven pounds. He handed me a small stack of the brightly colored cloth bags that will be used to assemble take-home medical and dental kits for the women and children in San Marco. "That should do it," he said.

While I'd been packing, the other team members had been trickling in. What struck me was their camaraderie. Many of these people are on their fourth, tenth, twelfth, even seventeenth mission. They've known and traveled with each other for years and are genuinely excited to be doing it again. They laughed and chatted as they worked. Oral Surgeon Dr. Thomas Soliday, who is unable to go on his twelfth Honduras mission because of a skiing accident, came on crutches to wish his friends well, give sage advice to a group of University of Maryland dental students who are coming to Honduras (see photo), and help his wife, Bonita (a dental assistant), pack her suitcases. In fact, CURE International is a family affair for many on the mission. Spouses come together. Teenagers accompany their parents. One family--the Warings--have four family members aboard.

Despite the many old friendships and family ties, everyone took the time to welcome newbies like me. My family's longtime dental hygienist, Ada McManus, who for years has been inviting me to join the mission, took me under her wing and introduced me around. Everyone seemed genuinely glad I was coming along.

It wasn't long past 8 pm when the last suitcase was zipped, sealed, labeled and added to the pile. Many lingered to continue their conversations, but I had a 75-minute drive ahead of me. Ada and her husband, Peter, accompanied me out into the parking lot. Peter is going to drive us both to Baltimore-Washington International airport Saturday morning.

"What time should I be at your house?" I asked.

"Three a.m.," Ada said. "That okay?"

"Sure," I said. I plan to sleep on the plane.