DAY 3-San Pancho
Good evening from Bluefields!
Today we woke ready and excited for the 1st day of clinic in San Pancho. Luckily the rains held out and we were all able to load up the cattle truck with our supplies. Despite a minor delay, we got off and out on our 1hr journey to this vibrant community where humble one bedroom homes were brightly colored and set amongst a beautiful backdrop of sugar cane and pineapple fields. We passed many who traveled in by horseback as well as on foot. As we pulled into the church we were kindly greeted by the people of the community who had been patiently waiting in long lines for us.
After a group blessing by the local pastor and as soon as we opened the clinic, the heavens opened up and the rains started to pound down on our well secured tarps. We lost power for a bit, we were knee deep in mud, had very tight work spaces, language barriers, chickens and dogs roaming throughout the clinic, and despite it all, we had absolutely nothing to complain about! We served 282 beautiful persons today! One local woman had expressed her struggle when reading her Bible, and when given something as simple as reading glasses her eyes lit up, literally! 🙂 Another patient complained of her hearing, her one ear had been pounding badly for sometime, and felt the pain with every step she took. Dr. Tellez, the local ENT, cleaned it out and instantly she was smiling ear to ear! There were colds, infections, parasites, abscessed teeth, aches/pains, flu, and even a new life was announced via a given pregnancy test! So lets restate the number served as 283! We also instructed on Diabetic and Breast Cancer awareness via education. It was an amazing day serving the people of San Pancho. Their gratitude was warmly expressed whether it was through a hug, handshake, or simply a smile. We just hope they know what a privilege it was to serve them, and it is us who are truly grateful.
Our amazing educator and nurse, Susan, spent a good portion of the day at the hospital teaching 35 doctors, interns, and nurses the latest in CPR and heart saver methods with the help of mannikins donated by Roper St. Francis Healthcare.
As we were in the bus heading back to our hotel, the mud was still persistent in trying to challenge our patience. Mark, our team MacGyver, recruited our pastor, doctor, and bus driver, among others to retrieve rocks from the side of the road. We needed to fill in a newly formed ditch to allow the bus to get through. We got back on the road in muddy scrubs and soaked shoes, relieved that we won that battle with perseverance, determination, teamwork, and most of all faith.
Patience was clearly the theme of the day. Though we did pretty good practicing it ourselves today, we have nothing on the humble people of this village.
Buenas Noches and good night!