LCMS World Relief and Human Care Mercy Medical Mission Summary
Antigua, Guatemala October 19 – 28, 2007 By Georgia Sylke RN
Team Members:
Rev. Charles Webb, MD – Team Leader Trinity Lutheran Church Traverse City, MI
Laura Amidon, RN, MSN, FNP Zion Lutheran Church Mt. Pulaski, IL
Bill & Muriel Dischinger Pinnacle Lutheran Church Rochester, NY
Tim Hodges MD, PhD Carmel Lutheran Church Carmel, IN
Frank Lahde Trinity Lutheran Church Traverse City, MI
Sandi Morgan, RN Ypsilanti, Mi
Janie Rhody, RN, BSN Park Falls, WI
Georgia Sylke RN, MSN Luther Memorial Chapel Milwaukee, WI
Rev Del Tiemann and Brigitta Pinnacle Lutheran Church Rochester, NY
October 19
We arrived in Guatemala City after a long day of travel. Nury Milian, Oscar Bonilla, Chuck Webb and Frank Lahde greeted us at the airport. The team had carts of luggage along with 3 large boxes containing 2,000 pairs of new reading glasses brought by Bill & Muriel Dischinger. Lunch was at Pollo Campero, a “very safe Kentucky Fried chicken” restaurant and we also celebrated Laura’s 39th birthday. Then we went to Evangelista Luterano Castillo Fuerte (A Mighty Fortress Lutheran Church). There medications and supplies were unpacked and we oriented ourselves for the coming days. The construction team consisting of Frank, Bill and Del prepared the walls of 2 classrooms and the sanctuary for painting the next day. We became acquainted with one another as we worked. Then we traveled to El Centro Luterano in Antigua, which became our home base. Here we had our breakfasts and many meals, daily devotions, fellowship and shopping. Nury gave us 3 rules to follow during our mission. Always say “gracias” to the cook when you have finished eating; when you meet someone, say “mucho gusto” which means pleased to meet you; and rule 3 was to never to flush toilet paper but to use the wastebasket because the plumbing was old. For dinner we were introduced to Guatemalan food and had creamed whiskel squash, black beans, rice, plantain with meat sauce, sweet breads and hibiscus tea. Then, our rooms were assigned, luggage unpacked and we turned in for the night.
October 20
This morning we returned to Castillo Fuerte in Guatemala City for our first clinic.
We each had a translator and we also had a Guatemalan doctor working with Laura. There is a lot of malnutrition and parasites so every patient was treated whether they have complaints or not. Health insurance is practically non-existent in Guatemala except for government employees. So the average person has to pay out of pocket and this creates an illness approach with no preventive care. Many of the children and the adults were very sick and others came for a check up. Each person was charged 5 quetzals at all the clinics. That is less than a dollar. The team wouldn’t have charged anything. The belief was that a person will appreciate/value something more if they have to pay something for it. Muriel and a translator were busy fitting reading glasses and the same group of volunteers painted the classrooms and the sanctuary today. The paint had such a pungent odor and the ventilation was so poor, it almost closed down the clinic. After the clinic, Eddie Bonilla, one of the Deacon’s son’s gave a power point presentation on the Lutheran Church in Guatemala. It all started after the Lutheran Hour was heard by someone on a short wave radio and wrote asking for a pastor to come to Guatemala. In the evening we worshipped with the congregation and it was a first for most of us to participate in a Spanish service. Pastor Webb gave the sermon in Spanish and it was translated to English. He and Pastor Tiemann celebrated the Lord’s Supper. The service was 2 hours! Dinner was at Castillo Fuerte after the service. The women of the church made a traditional dish that is only served at Christmas, a tamale with potato or chicken wrapped in a banana leaf. Someone said the true beauty of this country is the people and they are warm, charming and beautiful. It was a full and busy day and the ride back to El Centro Luterano in Antigua was a quiet one.
October 21
Today we were at the Santa Cruz Clinic outside of Antigua on Lake Amatitlan. This was the former home of Porfidiao Escobar who donated it to Castillo Fuerte two years ago. It will be used as a medical clinic and we were the first group to use it. It was an honor. Lake Amatitlan is dying and a pump was added to aerate the water and kill the algae. The lake is used by the people for laundry, fishing and swimming. They are very poor and here we saw the sickest children. We had a Guatemalan pediatrician today and he did do follow up with a very sick 6 week old baby and the 16 y/o mother and others that needed it. Because of the clinic arrangement no work by the construction volunteers could be done inside the house. The focus was on the water supply! Water only trickled out of faucets and toilets could not be flushed. It was a busy day. We set up the clinic, conducted the clinic and then had to pack up again and load it on the bus because there was no security. Back to El Centro and a dinner of chile rellenos, corn on the cob, pickled beets and cream of broccoli soup, some fellowship and browsing through the beautiful textiles hanging in the courtyard. The textiles were made by the Santiago Zamora women’s collective. A woven Christmas runner selling for $50 took the woman 20 days of weaving 8 hrs/ day to make it.. The women’s collective was formed about 8 years ago. The sale of the textiles provides money for health care and education for residents of Santiago Zamora This is where we shopped the most!!!
October 22
Santa Cruz Clinic today was our busiest day so far. We were short of translators but as Laura would say “there was a GOD sighting.” Frank asked the waiting patients if anyone could speak English. Miraculously, a woman (named MARY) spoke up. She was an English teacher and helped us all day! God will provide. So many of the children had fevers today that Janie and Georgia thought the thermometer was inaccurate except their temps were normal. Kudos to our construction team – the water supply was restored and we could flush toilets and wash our hands! Following dinner tonight, Nury did a presentation on El Centro Luterano and The National Lutheran Church in Guatemala. The president of the National Lutheran Church in Guatemala, Pastor Chin was staying at El Centro Luterano with his family and we met them and he spoke to us.
October 23
This morning for breakfast we ate a new fruit called a rambutan. It is the size of a plum and prickly. After it is peeled, it looks like a large ovum! It is sweet and has a pit. Bill called it a “porcupine embryo” Today our clinic was in Santiago Zamora. It is a longer ride to this clinic over bumpy, rutted and muddy roads. The fields are green and lush from all the rain. We learned the light green in the fields were vegetables and the darker green by the trees were the coffee beans. Because of the different shades of green, Sandi said the sides of the hills/mountains looked like patchwork quilts and we all agreed. This is a school/church named Iglesia Evangelista Luterano Redentor del Mundo (Redeemer of the World). There was a medical clinic but it closed and no one seems to know why. Guatemala follows the Latin America school calendar, so students are on a break and it is like the summer break in the US. There was a summer session for the younger children about 6-8y/o. The children are small for their ages probably due to malnutrition so it’s hard to guess their ages. The school break made the classrooms available for painting. The sanctuary walls were prepared for painting the next day. The work here was done in preparation for the pastor’s 50th wedding anniversary celebration to be held that weekend. We met the pastor as he was digging a trench for a new classroom that was being built in the yard. He’s 70 y/o! El bano had no door so a sheet was hung in front of each toilet! The ladies of the church cooked lunch for us in a “kitchen” over an open fire. It was so smoky. No wonder so many patients complain of burning eyes. We set up the clinic and saw about 30 pts and then there was a torrential downpour. There was rain blowing into the clinic and not many patients. We don’t have to take down the clinic and pack the medications. The room for the pharmacy has a lock. Home to Antigua and we walked to the restaurant La Fonda for dinner. Nury is an archeologist and showed us a church damaged by an earthquake in the 1700’s and some of the architectural details on buildings from the colonial period. We stopped at a jade factory and learned that lavender jade is only found in Guatemala. Everyone did some shopping for themselves or for gifts! The drink of choice is Gallo (beer) or a margarita. Both are well done!
October 24
The Santiago Zamora clinic is very slow compared to Santa Cruz. We wonder if it is the 5 quetzals that are being charged. But, many have cell phones. The construction team painted the sanctuary today. Before the clinic this morning we stopped at a pharmacy in Antigua to buy medications for the clinic. There were armed guards at almost every store! There was a guard carrying a gun the first 2 days on our bus and now there is a man on a motorcycle either in front or behind the bus.
We left the clinic early since no patients came for about an hour. Our team really works well together. The team went shopping at the big Mercado in Antigua. Three of the nurses rode back to El Centro in a “tuk-tuk”. It was like a carnival ride.
October 25
We saw about 30 patients today. Janie had brought along some children’s game books and played with the children since she speaks Spanish. There was time to do some teaching and we wished we had brought some teaching tools with us. The classrooms were painted today. The second floor of the school was amazing. One room was a computer lab and the other room was a music room. It had about 7-8 harps for children. A Danish music teacher had provided the harps and was teaching the children to play. Schools in the US don’t even have one harp! Domino Pizza for dinner tonight and delivered by “tuk-tuk.” It was better than in the US according to those who eat it regularly. Laura and Georgia modeled corte (skirt) bought from the women at El Centro. It took 3 women to wrap one correctly on Georgia! Some are getting sick and everyone is tired but the weather is beautiful. The morning devotion is on the Theology of Mercy.
October 26
Today was a double clinic day. Our last day at the Santiago Zamora clinic was in the morning and a clinic for Nury’s staff at El Centro in the afternoon. . Nury took us on a tour of a coffee plantation and a music museum. The guide at the music museum played each instrument for us and then played a special piece on the marimba because we had come to help his people. Our lunch was German chocolate cake and coffee from the plantation. Really healthy! The clinic for Nury’s staff was very busy and the people had more complicated health problems. More of the team are sick so about 7 went to dinner a Santo Domingo, a 5 star restaurant in a restored archeological ruin. The ruin had been a monastery and convent destroyed in an earthquake and covered in mud. It has been restored to an elegant hotel, restaurant, a church and several museums. We have become used to CGT (central Guatemalan time) and having lunch at about 2 pm and dinner at 8 pm.
October 27
Our free day and we were able to sleep later. A lot was going on at El Centro. A tree had fallen during the night blocking the driveway. The fire department came to restore power and workers started to clear the tree. The volcano was erupting so many pictures were taken. Nury took us on a tour of the church and museums in Santo Domingo. Lunch was on our own followed by shopping in the Mercado. Frank went to Tikal to see the pyramids and will stay an extra day to see the volcanoes. Janie visited with relatives living in Guatemala City. We said goodbye to our translators and the staff. Our last dinner was the same as our first lunch – chicken from Pollo Campero delivered by tuk-tuk. When packing was finished, everyone turned in.
October 28
We were all up at 2:45 a.m. even those who did not have be at the airport got up to see us off. Deacon Bonilla drove the bus and his wife and Oscar our dear young translator and guide were with him. At the airport in Guatemala City good byes were said again and one by one we went our separate ways. Memories were made and lives were changed.
A few quotes from the summaries:
Del Tiemann: “For me the highlights beyond the people and experiences were our devotions, praising of our God together, sharing His Truths, and sharing His workings in our individual lives. Praying for one another and others, receiving His blessings and assurances for yet another day brings joy to the heart which only God can give.”
Brigitta Tiemann: “El Centro Luterano in Antigua is fabulous under the outstanding leadership of Nury Milian. The reception is gracious and the true spirit of Jesus Christ is everywhere.” “Those teens that were with us as translators, helpers, guides are a true example of what we Christians should be to one another.” “I will always remember the mother and her nine year old daughter who received the diagnosis of heart problems due to malnutrition with no referral to another clinic as we would have in the States. That evening the little girl was in my prayers and will continue to be for my life.”
Sandi Morgan: “I wonder at times if I am touching these people doing the job that I am doing, but once again I know that I am doing exactly what the Lord sent me to do, and I will do it gladly.”
Janie Rhody: “I grew to appreciate the needs in the country and the incredible resources we take for granted here in the United States.”
Georgia Sylke: “I was privileged and blessed to be able to serve on this mission. I had the opportunity to grow spiritually and personally and show Christ’s love by fulfilling my nursing vocation to the best of my ability in Guatemala.”