Pictured: Dr. John Norris, Susan Peller, Teacher Lia Price, Dr. Catherine Davis and Jill Frentz. (Photo by Bob C.) On Wednesday afternoons a very special class meets to study Spanish. The students under the direction of teacher Lia Price work hard to master the language and also enjoy a special kinship. All had previously served on MDP teams and they had dreamed of making a trip together. That wish came true on our March 2010 trip. The five members enjoyed working in their medical areas - and in practicing their Spanish. (Lia of course is a translator.) Jill Frentz who had previously helped in the pharmacy stepped into a new Spanish speaking role of greeting our patients and gathering information about them as our intake person. She did a wonderful job and we were all so impressed. Congrats to Jill and all of the Spanish Class! You are an inspiration in your pursuit of lifelong learning! Note: Teacher Lia Price may be adding a comment to our blog regarding her class. Watch for it!
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A MESSAGE FROM SUSAN PELLER... I want to start by saying thank you to everyone. First to God who has really blessed me with MDP, the people, the teams, and the countries we have the opportunity to visit. Through Him all is possible and I have loved where MDP has lead me. Next to my family, especially my husband for being my strength, guide and support. He constantly picks up all the extra work and does it with grace and style I must say. Next the people we serve, they are amazing in so many ways. The infectious smiles and wonderful laughter of the children stays with me well after my time in Guatemala is completed and also the parish of San Lucas for hosting us and helping with so many of the logistical details. Finally I want to thank my team members. You guys were all terrific! You worked together so well and really hung in there in spite of some unplanned difficult circumstances. THANK YOU!!! Now that we are home you may be feeling some fatigue or just plain out of sorts, this is so normal after the experience we have just had. Remember, be patient with yourself! It takes time to readjust. I keep thinking of one of our readings, I think it was our last clinic day about serving the person in front of you and now that I am home I find myself reflecting on that quite a bit. Steph talked about bringing the idea of service home and I think that is what we can try to do. Now that I have traveled several times I am more familiar with the out of sorts feeling and I just ride it out but it can be trying. Remember to keep in touch with each other and share your feelings and experiences, that always helps. Thank you again for all your work and for making this trip such a memorable one, and thanks to everyone back home who has supported us in so many ways. Peace, SP We arrived in Minneapolis at 10:20 p.m. Thursday and returned back to our homes between 1 and 2 a.m. Friday morning.
I will write one final post but for now am putting up a few photographs. We shared our pictures during the trip and although I would like to take credit for them, I do want you to know that the ones on this blog come from several team members. Enjoy this set from Dr. Bob Christensen and Dr. Catherine Davis! I'll post more soon from other team members soon! After a good night's sleep in comfortable beds in a quiet hotel in Antigua, we are preparing to return home. I am think ing of the children of San Gabriel who were practicing their English with us. They loved to say "Good Morning" and "Good Night." One little boy counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten." He smiled with glee at our approval. His friend quickly added, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, ELEVEN!" And Nick and I laughed right outloud. They are so delightful.
With tears in her eyes, Lia had shared that she had asked several of the young girls during the week what they would like to be when they grow up. Some wanted to be teachers or to study science or other things. They all had dreams. It broke her heart that many would never have the opportunity to study beyond sixth grade. And so as we walk with the people we serve, although we cannot change many things, we can be aware and care. Before we left the parish of San Lucas, Fr. Jim from New York led us in praying and remembering the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador who was killed during the troubles in which more than 75,000 lost their lives.. Romero was a timid, "by the book" clergyman who was considered to be a safe appointment. He was transformed through the influence of a friend of his who was working with the people and seeing their struggles and the injustice. Romero took to the airwaves in his weekly radio broadcasts and spoke the message of the true Christianity with vigor and conviction. He foretold that he would probably be killed but said that his voice would live among the people. And it continues to. The movie, "Romero" starring Raul Julia is excellent. You can find it on Netlix. There are also several books available with Romero's writings. One I like is "The Violence of Love." We enjoyed a nice meal at a beautiful former monastery last night.. It was 450 years old. The hanging orchids, lighted candles and old stones made for an extraordinary setting. Our team shared stories, talked about books and families and shared laughter and smiles. We have been so blessed and are so grateful. I had better take a shower and may write one more post before the airport. I have a few more thoughts swirling around in my head. Thanks for following us. For an insight into wonderful volunteer work that is being done with disabled children in Peru by Stephanie (Price) and her husband Jim Stockman check out their blog at stockmanperu.blogspot. We are thrilled that Stephanie joined us as an interpreter. She brings such grace and goodness with her! And it was wonderful to see her have a chance to spend time with her mother Lia!
Last night we had a wrap-up and sharing time on the outside terrace of the Iquitiu Hotel where we had been staying. Susan, our group leader helped us to process the week, our expectations and how we might feel on re-entry into our lives back at home. She asked each of us to share a "treasure" and a "stretch." Everyone spoke from the heart and we were amazed at the journey we made emotionally and physically this past week. We also knew that our work as a team was a beautiful gift which we will always carry with us. John read story about how a rich man wanted to teach his son about the poor. He took him to a farm where the boy stayed for a week. In the end, the man learned from his son that the farm held riches beyond what money could measure. Dave, with a guitar and harmonica and his daughter Maggie, with her lovely voice seranaded us with several great songs. The Coughlan family genes seem to bring out that musical ability. Several folks went down to watch the soccer game. And of course we were serenaded by barking dogs and crowing roosters through the night. This morning we met for prayer before leaving San Lucas. Susan shared a prayer by Teresa of Avila about how Christ has no hands and feet but ours. She then read excerpts from the book, "God Has A Dream" in which Archbishop Desmond Tutu talks about how God must cry at how humans treat each other. But then like the sun peeking through the rain, a grin may come across His face when people reach out and do good works. After a hot, two hour van ride to the city of Antigua, we will take in a few sites before heading to the airport in the morning. I also want to mention that I was able to meet with our family's sponsored student from the San Lucas area. This is the third year I have met with him. He is pictured below and lives in the village of San Martin. We have sponsored Axcel for 6 years and he is now in his senior year of high school and is taking a specialization in bookkeeping. He lives in a cornstalk house with his parents and 6 brothers and sisters. In October, Axcel will be the first person to graduate from high school in his extended family. School is required through 6th grade and after that is optional. Many families can't afford to send their children on to school. Much of the poverty in Guatemala is historical dating back to land ownership and lack of opportunity. We know how important education is for the children of our world. Guatemala is making strides in improving educational opportunities. Many of you may already sponsor a child - but if you would like information on a good sponsorship program, check out SLT Scholars (in which we sponsor Axcel through for $200 per year) or CFCA (Christian Foundation for Children and Aging). It's also a wonderful organization. You can find them with a google search. Thanks to the Bruce and Keli Milbrandt family for sending many pairs of shoes with me to Guatemala. I gave them to Axcel for his family! Blessings and thanks to all of you for your support. We look forward to seeing our families which we have missed much. I'm going to try to add a few photos. Last night the signal strength was so weak that it took me an hour to add 2 pictures. Oh my! We are in the city of Antigua today,
We finished our last medical clinic in San Gabriel today. It was way up the mountain. What a beautiful ride! We stopped along the way and Dave was let out to take photos. I'll share them when he puts them into the computer.
The docs and Susan are at the parish pharmacy loading our medicines into the pharmacy. We leave behind our medicines for them to use. The docs - John, Bob and Cathy and nurse Susan are always so good about putting everything back to neatly. It takes a fair amount of time and they have worked really hard non-stop all day, but they are so amazingly caring and giving! The rest of the group is taking a tour with Andres and they will be back for supper at 6 p.m. at the parish center. We served 62 people today and that puts us at 200 for the week. We all commented how gentle and sweet these people were. They look Guatemalan but have a different appearance. It's interesting. We worked near a dental clinic that was going on just outside the building we were in. It was a group from the states. The blood curdling cries of the kids as they had their teeth pulled sent shivers up our back and tears into Maggie's eyes. I'll try to load some more pictures! Thanks to all who are thinking of us and to all who helped make this trip possible. We just concluded our morning prayer. Cathy led us with a reflection from Gerard Straub about the importance of compassion and also shared a quote from Mary Jo Copeland about how we are not responsible for the outcome but we are responsible for the effort we put into serving. Stephanie also led us in a praying (she will blog about this later) about how perfection is in being moved to serve. It was a beautiful way to start the day.
Yesterday we went to Panimaquep. I'm not sure if I spelled it correctly but it is pronounced Panimawkeep. We worked in very croweded conditions and the greeter, nurses, pharmacy and one doctor were actually outdoors. The other two docs were in a small room. Our transportation was pretty interesting. We were crowded into a 10 passenger van. That included 16 people, 5 large suitcases of medicines and supplies, 12 backpacks and yet there was plenty of room for smiles! I did think it reminded me in a good way of how tightly the folks here pack the Church! The terrain was particularly steep with intermittent bumps and many sharp turns. On the return trip the van was like the "Little Engine That Could" except for a while it couldn't! Actually, with our weight it couldn't make the climb and the driver had to gingerly back down a steep curvy spot. He reved it up and took a run at it and we suceeded. We set up the clinic in a rather primative area and were forced to explore creative bathroom opportunities. I guess that's all I will say about that. Nick and Teri were playing soccer with some of the kids and the ball went over the hill. They pursued it and gave up since it went into a jungle like area. We only served 35 people but for those people we did our very best. I am always deeply moved to see how each member of the team shows such respect and sincerity to those they help and serve on this journey. I stood near Dr. Cathy for a while (partly to get out of the sun, since I was getting a bit burned) and I marveled at the connection she and Lia made with the patients. There were smiles galore and an occasional tickle for a small one. She was often on her knees at eye level with the moms or kids and was truly their servant. Beyond the medical help, the genuine care and sense of dignity that we really care is perhaps as important. I am reminded of a story Fr. Russell shared years ago about a man who was walking along a seashore. There were many, many starfish that had washed up on the beach. He was walking along and tossing the starfish back into the ocean one by one. Another person came along and asked why he was doing that since he would never get them all back into the water. The man kept tossing them back and simply said, "Well, it made a difference for that one." And that is how we must think. If we can make a difference for even one person it is worth the effort. And we know it also makes a difference in our hearts. It is a good journey. Thanks for sharing this medical mission with us! By the way, I got out of doing dishes this morning to write the blog. Thanks Susan! The rest of the team worked hard doing dishes for about 50 people who ate breakfast at the parish center. We just finished a nice prayer time. John shared a reading about coffee and the coffee cup and how we get stressed out about the wrong things. Shannon shared a beautiful prayer from her friend Katy Brielmaier about how God puts us just where we need to be. We also want to wish Cathy's son Drew a very happy 11th birthday today!
Thanks also to Julia and Eileen, who have traveled with MDP previously and who sent us such thoughtful messages. I'm going to try to load a few pictures before we head out for our clinic. Have a great day! Today I would like to begin by telling a little bit about our team leader Susan Peller. Susan, along with Bridget Coughlan Hermer, founded MDP in 2006. Since that time they have both been the driving force behind this medical mission group. They serve with energy, wisdom, a spirit of service and such amazing goodness and enthusiasm.
As team leader, Susan makes the logistical decisions for our team. She lets us know when we should be at a certain place, such as team prayer which will begin in 15 minutes. She watches for our well being and helps us grow as a team, appreciate the many different gifts of each person and grow in embracing social justice elements which are critical to being able to serve well. This morning Susan was up before 6 to shower so that she could lead a group on a city walking tour. She especially wanted those who are new on this trip to get a chance to see the town. San Lucas Toliman is about the size of Waseca, MN. It is surrounded by 3 volcanoes and Lake Atilan is at its base. It is dripping with beauty. Susan also handles any problems we might encounter and at our medical clinics helps things run smoothly in all areas. She is an RN, an interpreter and an expert in the pharmacy area. She can be seen helping in any of those areas during our clinic days. We are truly blessed to have her as our kind, caring and gifted leader. She was recently volunteering in Haiti for 10 days and truly lives her Christian faith. Thanks to her husband Rich and her three children for sharing her with us so that we can help others! |
Author Helen Peterson Archives
April 2010
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