The Beginning...

Many people are asking me if I am going to do some kind of newsletter, blog, etc as communication while in Guatemala. After a busy couple weeks of groups here, getting settled, and adjusting, I have decided I am going to do my best with this. I think I am doing it as much for all of you as I am for myself. I’m hoping it will give me something to look back on to remember this amazing time in my life.

After a wonderfully supportive Hearts In Motion fundraiser and Send Off party, I spent a couple days tying up lose ends and left Waupaca Wednesday evening with my good friends Mark Vrakas, and Tony Mo. They drove me to Oconomowoc where I stayed with friends Kevin & Denise O’Halloran. The O’Halloran’s have traveled with HIM for many years and I am pleased to say they quickly became part of my HIM family.

I arrived in Guatemala City the evening of Jan 29th after a long day of traveling with my friend John who was heading here on his first Hearts In Motion trip. (I say his first because I knew he would love it, and now that the trip is over, he has assured me, he is not done with Guatemala and Guatemala is not done with him.) John Hopf and I were introduced a few months prior by our mutual friends the O’Halloran’s in hopes that John and I may be able to join forces on our efforts. John is walking the Appalachian Trail (a whopping 2175 miles) as a fundraiser to raise awareness and bring clean water to Guatemala through the use of a water filtration system called Hydra Aid. He has partnered with HIM to be the vehicle in which to make this happen seeing as HIM has a rapport and a presence with the country. Knowing I would be here for at least 6 months this seemed a logical way to get the project spearheaded.

Anyway….Jan 29th was spent at a hostel in Guatemala City with John and my friend Lauren who is also a long term HIM volunteer. The three of us returned to the airport Friday, to meet up with the group of volunteers who was flying in that day for our first 10 day trip of 2009. After a few hours of meet and greet, get organized and find out who’s luggage is lost (including John and mines) we headed out for the 3 and a half hour journey on our big yellow school bus to our lodging for the week in Santa Cruz, a city in the department of Zacapa.

Saturday morning, as always at the beginning of a trip, is spent doing intros, guidelines, etc. From there we head to the HIM house in Teculutan where we make sandwiches and bag rice milk, which we then deliver to the people who live at the garbage dump. There are about 300 people who live at the dump and rummage through the garbage somewhat as means of survival. It is quite a sight. After our lunch, we went to visit one of the daycares HIM started. There we played with the kids, and listened to the songs and lessons they have been learning. They are even learning a few English terms! We then headed back to the hotel where the process of sorting bins begins. We have a LARGE amount of meds, equipment, clothes, toys, etc that need to be inventoried for the week. Piles are made to sort where things are going ie the hospital, clinic, specialized clinic (this week’s specialty was OB/GYN,) construction, daycares, schools, etc.

This is where it gets hard…there are so many things happening throughout the week, and I have yet to master being in more than one place at the same time! I kind of feel like Sunday starts as a group huddle where everyone then breaks, says “GO TEAM!” and gets started on their project. The nurses, doctors, surgical techs, etc head to the hospital. Patients are evaluated and a preliminary surgical schedule is made out for the week. Clinic people (physicians, translators, pharmacists, laymen, etc) round up to head to the village the clinic will be held in that day. Clinics sites range from half hour to 2+ hours away. The firemen meet with the local firefighters for training of techniques and general knowledge. Construction people head to the work site, which most likely is in Gualan where I am currently living.

I spent Sunday at construction making a few pieces of furniture for my room at the Nutrition Center and setting up the first of the three water filters that were brought down. Monday was again doing construction and for me a day to start moving things into my room. I also got a chance to spend a little more time with the kids at the Nutrition Center that I will be helping to take care of. More on them in another, actually probably many blogs. Tuesday John, Bert and I spent much of the day seeking out materials for the other two water filters. Let me explain, the units use different granulations of gravel and sand to work properly. In efforts to cut down on transportation costs of the 130 lbs of natural resources used per unit, we only brought enough for one unit. This also in turn pushed us to HAVE to find the materials locally in order to get the other two installed. We are planning to make this project MUCH bigger. I will have more detail on that in the near future as well.

Wednesday we set up clinic at a village about 2 and a half hours away called Lampocoy. Along the way we witnessed roads being rebuilt as mudslides six months ago had taken out the roads, as well as a neighboring town. Here, John and I installed the second water filter, as both general clinic and OB/GYN clinic were being run as well. We were quite far up in the mountains, where we were greeted with cold(er) weather, followed by rain, as well as a lot of needy people. What will always sick out in my mind at this clinic is the 45 (ish) year old woman who came in for a pap and it was discovered that she had stage 3 cervical cancer. How fortunate we are in the US to have access to preventative health care.

In the evening, to test what the firemen, called Bomberos, have been learning all week we held a mock mass casualty on the hotel grounds. Volunteers were, as I was calling it, “all gored up,” and strewn around the grounds. At the whistle, the Bomberos had to locate everyone, assess their level of care needed, transport them to safety, and report to a superior. Here I am with my severed arm and stab wound. I’m still not exactly sure what happened to me to cause such injuries!?!

Thursday we traveled to the village of Jones, pronounced Honas for all you non Spanish speakers. Once again we encountered road problems as we came down a hill and around a corner to find the road covered in 2+ feet of water. But, we use the f word a lot on HIM trips…the f word being FLEXIBLE. So we improvised and after a good hour or so delay, we were ready to set up shop once again. Here, the third water filter was installed and many people were seen in clinic.

Thursday evening is always marked with a celebration dinner where we talk about the week’s accomplishments. I love this evening as a point is usually made to show the vast ages of the volunteers. This trip's youngest, 16 and oldest, 82 (ish). Then the dance party begins and even a make shift limbo contest in which yours truly was the proud winner!

For me, Friday morning marked the end of the trip and the beginning of my extended stay in Guatemala as the group headed to Antigua, Guatemala for a day and a half of relaxing, reflection and reconnecting with new friends and more accurately stated, family. Because like it or not, it feels like you have just become a part of a truly inspiring and devoted family, the Hearts In Motion family.