Walking on Water...

Due to technical difficulties, I wasn’t able to post last night so here’s a wrap up of our final day in Colombia. Yesterday (Thursday), the morning started with breakfast and a devotional like usual only afterward, we had the morning to ourselves. What to do? Some chose to go back to bed… while others went shopping. Dr Nick and Dr Mike, with the help of Dr Andy, went to a medical school and gave a presentation on limb salvage.

Nancy writing a message
in the sand.

Several of our interpreters from the clinic met up at the hotel in the morning and a big group went to the beach to play soccer. Those of us who weren’t so ambitious but wanted to catch a little beach action hung out on the sidelines.



Kara feeding the birds.



After lunch, we all headed over to the Old Town and take in some of the local culture. Some chose to go on a guided tour where we learned a bit about the history of the city and the native Indian peoples from this area.  Others chose to get right to shopping to try and find some nice souvenirs to bring back to family and friends.  Afterwards, we all found our way to a local restaurant for a final meal with some of our new Colombian friends.  It was a wonderful dinner on a beautiful evening; a perfect way to conclude our trip.



Sundial in Old Town.



Today we begin our journey back home.  As I reflect on this past week and what it all means to me, I can’t help but think of some of my thoughts before the trip.  When my husband (Dr. Bret) discussed the possibility of Colombia as a medical mission we could go on together, I didn’t exactly burst with excitement.  Colombia?  You mean the birthplace of cocaine?  That country where people get kidnapped, children are sold for sex, and explosions happen regularly in their cities?  Is he crazy?  And what the heck is the Woodlands leadership thinking allowing such a trip?  After my concerns were addressed and I was on the team, I posted a question on Facebook asking if any of my friends could recommend appropriate clothing for Colombia.  A bullet proof vest and Kevlar were among the responses.  Apparently I’m not the only one who thought a visit to Colombia might not be such a good idea. 

Now that I have the opportunity to look back instead of looking forward, the word that comes to mind is “change”.  A lot of things have changed on this trip.  Personally, my views of this country have significantly changed.  Instead of a country full of violence and cocaine production, I now see a country with incredibly warm people with a rich history going much further back than our own country’s history.  I felt as safe here as I would in any part of New York City, Washington DC, or Chicago.  And the violence that was once a part of Cartagena has been replaced by excitement for the future and eagerness to rid itself of the reputation it had more than a decade ago.  Yes, Cartagena has changed too.

This team has changed.  We went from a group of people who barely knew each other into a close knit “family”.  It was amazing how willing people were to help out in areas they weren’t comfortable with if it made things better for the clinic.  As our personal relationships strengthened we became better at communication, getting consultations, bouncing ideas off each other, and caring for the health of all of our teammates.

Our awareness of how God works has changed.  For some people on this trip, it was the first time outside the United States.  When you become the foreigner in a strange land with a different language, culture, and value system, you are forced to view things differently.  Suddenly, you can’t limit your awareness to the small part of the world you live in.  Dorothy might say, “We aren’t in Kansas anymore.” To see God at work in a medical clinic like this is one of the most amazing things about these trips.  Opportunities present themselves here that you just don’t pay attention to on the average day.  We pray for and with patients, we evangelize, and we openly discuss “God sightings” with each other.  You can’t help but be aware of God’s presence both in the clinic and amongst ourselves as we spend time together.  You get an up close view that God is at work in places thousands of miles away from the Stevens Point community.

This trip has been such a great experience for all of us.  For any of you who haven’t been on a mission trip before, but are interested in the possibility, I wholeheartedly encourage you to consider taking that leap of faith.  I am someone with no medical background, can’t stand the sight of blood, and don’t even talk to me about needles.  There is a place for people like me on these trips too and yes, your contribution will make a difference.  If you think God may be calling you to serve in this capacity, please pray about it, trust Him, and take that step outside the boat.  With His guidance, I know you’ll discover that you can walk on water.

Another perspective...

While on this trip, I've been tasked to maintain the blog. You can imagine that after a long day of clinic hours, it's a little challenging for me to think of creative things to type at 11:00pm. That is why I am so thankful when I have guest contributions for the blog posts. Monday's post was from Dr. Dan and the bulk of today's post is from Dr. Steve. But before I let you dig into that, I just want to say what an INCREDIBLE trip this has been. This really was a life changing experience for me. Many of the people we were treating have so much less than we do and yet, they are so happy. It really humbles a person and makes you feel like some things aren't as important as they once were. Thank you God for opening my eyes. - Katie


The following text is from Dr. Steve. Enjoy!

The Unacknowledged Super Super Bowl (Feb 7, 2011) 

Good Monday morning.  Packers victorious!  What a great way to start the week.

Only problem is that it appeared that the only individuals in Cartagena who were the least interested in the Super Bowl was our contingent from Wisconsin. In the first half, there was lots of noise in the hotel for every great Packer play.   Not so much in the second half - - until of course the final batted down pass.  I have never seen Dan Kraeger run so fast down the hall screaming.   

Yesterday in church we introduced a portion of the team to one of the congregations.  I asked how many would be watching the Super Bowl.  They gave me a blank stare. There was a local soccer game they would be watching instead.  Puts things in perspective doesn’t it.  How many things in life are truly of universal interest, much less of universal importance?

We will still relish the Packer victory. 

 Dr. Steve

What a Great Team! (Feb 8, 2011)

  

Andrew Weiss and Lauren have been the OB/Gyn team extraordinaire. They have provided wonderfully, sensitive care for our patients.  Andy mentioned that Twinky and Ronald Silva have triaged patients for chief complaint as well as staffed trained for years. 

Kristen Thomsen with Kristen Lange’s help has been seeing tons of children.  I peek my head in throughout the day and there is always a circle of Mom with kids in a circle with the two Kristens very intently listening to the needs.  We simply could not have done this clinic without Kristen T’s excellence with kids.  These kids are Precious.

The Optical Team gets the prize for seeing the most patients in the most heat and humidity.  Nancy Hess, Karen Landsverk, and Karen Rudiger have been stalwart.  It has been a challenge because everyone wants glasses and everything is “blurry.”  There have been lots of smiles. 

Yesterday, Bob Tomlinson spotted a young man with a large swelling at his jaw.  He arranged to have him brought into the clinic and up to Dental.  Bret diagnosed him with a broken tooth and abcess - - and then successfully removed the tooth.  Today we see him in follow-up.  This was a significant event for this young man.  Had he not been spotted by Bob and helped by Bret, this abcess would have progressed and possibly obstructed his airway or migrated in facial planes down to his heart - - in either case, fatal.  He went away with a big smile.

While I am in Dental, what a blessing Tammy Weber has been.  She has been enthusiastically removing plague during her cleaning - - plaque on almost every patient of a kind she might see only a couple times a year - - all day long.  She does this with a smile and cramping forearms.

Gotta go to clinic.  More later. 

Letters from Home

At the beginning of the day, we were told that Day 3 in the clinic tends to be the most difficult...

• Day 1 is super crazy
• By Day 2, the team has found a groove 
• On the final day, the end is in sight and everyone is winding down.

Day 3 can be challenging because there tends to be a loss of momentum. While today seemed to be running pretty well, we all got a huge pick-me-up when we received an envelope with our name on it (some of us received several envelopes/letters). Enclosed were words of love, support, and encouragement from family, friends, co-workers, and church group members. I was so moved while I was reading my letter that I had to stop because I was getting really emotional. Here are people who cared enough about our trip to take time out of their day to send a little note letting us know they are thinking about us and praying for us. Even though they are not physically here, their notes made it feel like they were helping to carry me and our group through the day. It was just what I needed.

Something surprising… one of the Colombian doctors who was involved with the initial trip preparations came to the clinic today to help! It was great to see him working side by side with our doctors. I pray that our presence inspires other doctors in this country to provide assistance to their less fortunate neighbors.

The highlight for today was a case that didn't show up until the very end of the day. Bob spotted a boy (14 years old) in the crowd who looked like he had a golf ball buried in his cheek. From there, Bob arranged for the teenager to be admitted to the clinic and after hitting the triage table, our newest patient ended up in the dental area. Without getting overly technical, this boy had a large abcess caused by an infected tooth and was in a lot of pain. Dr. Bret wanted to remove the tooth but didn't know if he could do it without causing additional pain and suffering. "When someone has an infection that large around the tooth, it's difficult to provide them with adequate anesthesia to get them comfortable," said Dr. Bret.

Typically, we like to close the clinic doors by 4:00pm so that once all the patients are treated, we are able to leave around 5:00pm. With the first two days of clinic, we didn’t leave until well after 6:00pm because of the line of admitted patients still waiting for treatment. Now that we had our routine down, we all thought today was going to be different and we were going to get out on time (even early). Alas, that wasn’t the situation. This golf-ball-in-cheek case (my diagnosis is super technical) wasn’t initiated until close to 4:00pm so time was of the essence. This is where the whole team kicked into high gear. Several of the physician extenders provided assistance by either gathering supplies or holding flashlights (to provide additional light)... many also observed, including our Colombian dentist. Our best team of experts was called in for a consultation; Dr. Nick, Dr. Michael, and Dr. Steve. I think there were a total of 10 people surrounding this boy! It took about 45 minutes for the consultation team to walk through the possible procedures and determine the best course of action. Do we incise and drain the abcess from inside the mouth? This was tried without success. Perhaps we should try to drain it by cutting from the outside? No, we don't want him to have a large scar.  Should we just provide antibiotics and see him tomorrow? He's in a lot of pain now and are we sure he'll return tomorrow? In the end, they opted that instead of surgery, they would pull the tooth today, place the boy on a heavy dose of antibiotics and pain medication, and ask him to return tomorrow for a follow up. Before the extraction, the team paused to pray for God's guidance and that our decision would provide the best outcome for the boy.  Moments later the tooth was out! Minutes later, Dr. Kristen popped in and asked if she could go get meds ready for the patient while Dr. Bret was explaining things to his mother. In the end, the whole case was a reflection of a true team concept. The absolute best part was this boy actually had a smile on his face as he left our clinic.

The whole time the procedure was underway, I kept thinking, “What if we weren’t here to provide our services? What would happen with this boy?” Over the course of our four clinic days, we will treat over 800 people but I know I will be drawn back to this boy. With God’s guidance, he was brought to our doors and with His hand, we treated him. Quite a way to end another hard day of work and service.

Prayer Requests

-          For the Colombian people to know that our love and compassion for them doesn’t stop when the clinic closes

What a difference a day makes...

Our first day of clinic... CRAZY!
Our second day of clinic... ROCKIN' AWESOME!



Waiting area outside of pharmacy... no mob!



Triage/Check-In... there's no line wrapping around the table.



After a little fine tuning, the clinic definitely flowed today. Everyone seemed to have a spring in their step. Sure, it was still hot... and sure, we were all sweating buckets, but you got the impression that everyone had a really great day.

I'm also noticing the bond that is beginning to form between our team and the Colombian people, especially with our translators. Mornings begin with handshakes and hugs... evenings conclude with more handshakes, hugs, and "Ciao". There's a warmth I feel when interacting with them... a connection that goes straight to my heart. It's beautiful. Thank you God for calling me to this place.

Today, another 200 people received treatment from the clinic. WOO HOO!

John and Rich observing Dr. Van Dyken perform extraction.
After watching a couple of them, John even tried his hand at one!



Karen assisting Dr. Slezak with eye surgery.  



This trip has provided many people on the team with an opportunity to do something that might be outside of their normal routine. For example, the physician extenders (non-doctors) got to actually assist in providing treatment; giving shots, assisting in surgery, pulling teeth, etc. From what I hear, those involved found it to be a great learning experience. Several of the physician extenders are pre-med students so this trip is providing them with an opportunity to get an inside look on how a dentist pulls a tooth or how an ophthalmologist performs eye surgery… before they even get to dental school, med school, etc. What an amazing experience!

As the clinic was wrapping up, you could see that everyone was pretty wiped out. Several of us were sitting in the hallway when Ronald busted out a guitar and started playing Flamenco music. The next thing I saw was Twinky flipping open her fan and starting to dance. It made us all come alive! I’m always in awe how something so simple can have such a profound impact. The same can be said about trusting in the Lord… while it may not be easy, letting go and letting God take control brings an incredible sense of freedom and peace.

Prayer Requests…

-          That the team maintains the same level of enthusiasm for serving the Lord

-          For continual growth and bonding between the team and the Colombian people 

-          For those who made appointments on Saturday (first clinic day) and haven’t been seen yet, allow them to find the comfort in knowing we care for them

Super Bowl Sunday (by Dan Kraeger)

   

Half of the team gathered in one hotel room to watch the game together.

Hola from Cartagena,

It’s Super Bowl Sunday, 5pm, and I am watching the pre-game in Spanish.  Only problem is I don’t speak Spanish.  As much as I don’t care for Troy Aikman, I would love to be able to here his voice today.  As you’ve probably read, our trip here was pretty uneventful except for my pat down in Chicago.  With my Tim McGraw straw cowboy hat and my white mustache, I guess I looked a lot like a mafia guy, ya right!  Nick Andriacchi and I went through security together and I understood when they pulled Nick aside because he’s not only short, but also he’s Italian.  (sorry Nick!)  They gave us the choice of a private room or out in the open.  Nick took the private room and I chose the latter.  I figured if they were going to get personal, I wanted witnesses.  All I can say is I don’t think he didn’t miss any parts of me; yikes!

My seatmates from Ft. Lauderdale to Cartagena were a couple from Bulgaria.  I thought we were adventurous until I met Debbie and her pastor husband.  They shipped their motorcycle to Cartagena to begin a two-month trip with two other men around South America; staying with Christian families and speaking and witnessing as they went.  I didn’t sleep on that three hour leg of our journey as we had so much to talk about.  It seems that Beth and I now have a place to stay and visit in Bulgaria. 

Last year I had Kinden (second daughter) with me in Guatemala.  The year before, Beth joined me in Costa Rica.  This year not only is Eric MacKay (future son-in-law) with us as an interpreter, he was my interpreter for our first day.   I was very proud of how he did his job yesterday.  There is a big learning curve for doctors to deal with patients who want to tell you every symptom they have had for the past 20 years.  You learn quickly how to politely get to the questions and answers you need to make your diagnosis.  Poor Eric, he was trying to be so patient and kind while I was standing behind him jokingly saying to myself, “Come on Eric, buddy, land the plane already”.  Needless to say we had a great day of serving the people and enjoying some fun times together, well fun for me anyway. J   We saw a pretty good variety of people with arthritis and aches and pains that we treated with exercises and injections to hopefully provide a greater quality of life, even if for a short time.

This morning we split into three groups to attend each of the different churches we are representing here.  A small group of us attended a very traditional Latin American church with a two and half hour service.  It was held at the church and school where our clinic is being held.  We opened the service with an hour of great singing and praising.  With 60 to 70 people in a small concrete walled room, I think we all had a hard time hearing for a little while after.  It was pretty amazing.  Our pastor had an awesome message about serving others.   I was asked to share my testimony at the end with Erin doing the translating.  What a great beginning to our day.  We had lunch with a group of the local physicians and their families, then relaxed and prepared to cheer on the Packers.  Go Pack!   Dan Kraeger

Drinking Water From a Fire Hydrant

For some, Saturday can be a day full of relaxation. For us, it was our first official clinic day. Being someone who has never been on a medical mission trip, I've been trying to imagine how our team would function in this environment. In the US, when we need to see a doctor and don't have an appointment, we go to the clinic/hospital, check in at the admission desk, and wait for our name to be called. Part of me was expecting this same level of structure... but that definitely wasn't the case. In one of our preparation meetings, Dr. Steve mentioned that the first day of clinic is going to feel like "drinking water from a fire hydrant." He wasn't kidding.

By the time we got to the clinic at around 9:00am, there were people waiting outside the gate. Many were smiling and you could tell they were looking forward to our arrival. By 10:00am, our clinic doors officially opened and it was CRAZY! The beauty of it was everyone was still smiling... from the soon-to-be patients to the overwhelmed team members. The Lord definitely saw us and helped guide us through the day.

Observations from day one...

… We saw over 200 people today! Praise God!

… The first stop for everyone was triage (check-in) and as soon as our gate opened, the desk was swarmed with people. Those who manned this area throughout the day did an EXCELLENT job greeting everyone and setting the tone for the service they would receive from us.

The triage/check-in desk. You can't really see it from the photo
on top because of how many people are wrapped around the table.

  

... Even though the people were split up over the various clinic areas, they were directed to go pick up vitamins/medication after their treatment so our pharmacy saw everyone. Albeit overwhelming and demanding, the Pharmacy ROCKED!

The pharmacy door is actually to the left of the red circular sign.
There were so many people crowded around the pharmacy,
many of us had a difficult time entering and exiting this area.

... Dental and Optical were two very popular areas with lines of people waiting for treatment.

... Dr. Andy wins the prize for having his area open the longest. We shut the gates at 3:30pm and his area finally wrapped up at 5:30pm.

… At some point in the process, we provided the opportunity to get a family photo taken. Who would think something as simple as a photo would mean so much to the people visiting the clinic. Many would walk around and show friends their picture, their face beaming with joy!

Toward the end of the day, I had a particularly interesting conversation with one of the local translators. He was asking why we, as Americans, would ever consider coming to a country like Colombia and use our vacation time to run a clinic. “Why not be like most people and take a vacation so you can relax and have fun?” he said. I had to explain to him that while we are Americans, we are also Christians who are called to SERVE. The Lord guides us throughout our lives and it is through Him we find our strength and commitment to help those who cannot help themselves.

Prayer Requests

• That our time tomorrow in the three local churches is uplifting
• For the team to get some much-needed rest
• For those who we may not be able to serve; that they know we still care for them and the Lord loves them
• For the Colombian people to continue to have open hearts

Stretch

What a long, exhausting day it's been. Our trip officially started last night, February 3, at 9:00pm. The group along with friends and family met up at the church to make the final preparations, load the bus, pray and say farewell. Then our journey began.

  

A few highlights from the trip so far…

Annie judging if she could be
considered a carry on. I think she'll fit!

… As we approached the airport, the vision of the road crews removing the 20+ inches of snow that engulfed Chicago just a couple days ago was incredible.

… Mc Donald’s being open at 4:30am!

… Mechanical issues with our plane caused us to only have 20 minutes to make our connection in Ft Lauderdale. Thank God the gates were right next to each other.

Customs

… Beautiful weather down in Cartagena! When we landed, the temps were mid 80’s. It’s a little humid but it pales in comparison to the mid 8’s we have back home!

Our rockin' awesome bus for the day!

…Smooth customs process. All action packers and luggage arrived and cleared customs without much hassle!

… Lunch at 4:30pm at… you guessed it. McDonalds! We needed something quick because we had to zip over to get the clinic set up before it got too dark and the golden arches were just around the corner.

Scientifically sorting
vitamines for easier
distribution

… Initial clinic set-up at the school went very well. Each area had curtains already hung and the workers at the school were trying to hang fans in each operatory to help with air circulation. The school had an armed guard wandering around while we were setting up. I asked if this was common and was told that many places of business will have an armed guard on the premises.  

… Dinner at 8:00pm followed by a little pharmacy duty; a group got together to pre-measure vitamins. The pharmacy is an area that can get easily backed-up so any advanced planning and preparation to help that unit run more efficiently is worth the time and effort.

As I think of our time down here in Colombia, the word STRETCH comes to mind. If you look up the dictionary definition to stretch, you’ll find the following:

1: to extend

2: to reach out

That’s exactly what we are doing down here. First we are extending our selves. For some of us, the long days of interaction and treatment for the situations that cross our path cause us to extend physically. For others, we are extending ourselves mentally… maybe the task you are being asked to perform is something you’ve never done before. Will you be effective?

Second we are stretching ourselves spiritually by reaching out and showing God’s love to a people who may or may not know He exists. They may or may not know He cares for each and every one of us and He paid the ultimate sacrifice by sending His only Son to die in order for us to receive eternal salvation! How great is our God!

But this stretching comes with a great benefit… when we STRETCH, we also GROW… grow in our love for another culture, grow in our friendship with our fellow teammates, and grow in our love for the Lord.

Prayer requests:

Pray that we have humility and work as a team

Pray that God brings people to our door

Pray that the eyes, ears, and hearts of the Colombian people be open to love of Christ.