Clinic Day 1

A warm hello to parents, friends and family,

What a great day we had! We spent a full day at the clinic in Leon, 7:30am to 5:30pm. We saw a total of 74 patients, and led 14 to Christ. Yay God! It was quite hot, but we were graced with a rain shower mid-afternoon that cooled us off. We were divided into groups that each saw patients within their procession through the clinic. First the patients stopped at a secretary, then had their vital signs taken, followed by patient history, they saw the PA's, and then waited for their precriptions. The Nicaraguan's are extremely patient people! Addionally, some of the team helped occupy the children that are just as restless as American children. Balloons and bubbles go a long way!

The clinic is held in a neighborhood Church on a dirt road about 5 miles from our beautiful hotel! We are staying in air-conditioned rooms of 2, 3, or 4 people. The rooms surround an open-air veranda with a kitchen and porch on the lower level. The hotel is decorated with lots of rocking chairs and greenery. Muchas bonita!

We have all had a chance to practice our Spanish, and the Nicaraguans are eager to pick up some English. It has been really neat to see the way that they live and the many similarities that exist amongst our cultures.

We have an absolutely fantastic Nicaraguan cook that is staying with us at the Hotel. She cooked a delicious fish, rice, and fried plantain dish tonight. Every meal is accompanied with a fresh juice made from the local fruits.

We love hearing all of your comments, please keep them coming! At this point we are all still happy and healthy, although three accidently drank some unpurified water today. Ahh! Please pray that their stomachs will handle whatever was in that water!

We love you and will update again tomorrow!
Allison and Brittany

Bienvenidos a Nica!

Today was our first full day in Nicaragua. Since we were all tired from getting up at 3am yesterday, we went to bed around 7 last night at our hotel in Managua and all got a full 12 hours of sleep. We were feeling very rested this morning and ready for the day. It's the beginning of rainy season here so we slept to the pouring rain on the tin roof all night long. To some it was very soothing, but I think it kept some of the others up all night. We had worship and devotional time this morning on the patio, which was a great way to start the day. Nicaragua seems to have an abundance of rocking chairs (at least where we've been) so we've been taking full advantage of them so far. We also had a brief orientation this morning led by Christ for the City staff (who have been so lovely and so welcoming!) We learned a little about Nicaraguan culture, politics, religion and family life and about how to "take the high road" when it comes to interacting with the Nicaraguan people this week in clinic and in our travels. After orientation, we were on the road to Leon, where we will be staying all week and holding clinic. We ran into our first obstacle on the road to Leon with a flat tire on the bus. Ariel, our bus driver, is a champ and changed our tire in about 5 minutes flat. We're thinking of recommending him to work for Nascar. We got to the church/clinic where we'll be working, met and prayed with the church staff and volunteers we'll be working with this week, and set up the pharmacy. Now we're at our hotel and about to eat a delicious meal prepared by Jo Lydia.

Tomorrow is our first day of clinic and we're all very excited and looking forward to the day. Please be praying for our team members, church volunteers and patients we'll be interacting with.

Much love from Nica,
Aileen and Caroline G.

Schedule for today, for our medical team

Sunday, Aug 22
07:30 Breakfast and devotionals
09:00 Orientation (training on Nicaragua culture, clinic operation, and more)
11:30 Load Suitcases and all medical supplies on the bus
12:00 Lunch at Baptist House in Managua
01:00 Leave for León city (2-4 hour drive)
03:00 Meet w/ church in León & set up pharmacy for clinic tomorrow
05:00 Arrive Sn. Juan Hotel
06:30 Dinner, then meeting time
07:30 Free time/Bedtime - prepare to get up at 5am for a long day tomorrow!

All safely in country -

[Michael Overcash reporting here: no Internet now in Nica]
The team all made it safely (thank you all for the prayers) Travel went very smoothly. They toured Managua yesterday & ate at tip top (Nicaraguan fast food). Word is that Everyone is happy to be there. Stay tuned for more posts later.

Mock Clinic Complete...It's Go Time!

This past Sunday marked our mock clinic and last team meeting, which in turn means the stomach butterflies have officially begun! When we signed up for this trip, it seemed like forever before we'd leave, and now it's only 3 days away! With meetings starting months ago and a practice clinic under our belts, I think we're the most prepared that we can be.

Now the fun begins:
-Serving the beautiful people of Leon, Nicaragua
-Bringing free health care to those who truly need it
-Growing as a team, making new friends, and creating bonds that will last a lifetime
-Meeting our Nicaraguan team members who have been preparing for our arrival
-Experiencing a totally different culture
-Being stretched daily
-Releasing control of our usual schedules to go exactly where the Lord leads, when He leads.
-Eating pinto gallo til we can turn into beans and rice ourselves
-Leaving our cell phones, laptops, facebooks, and TVs behind (or at least turned off)

Is it Saturday yet??!!

Heading to Leon, Nicaragua

A week or so ago we received word that we'll be spending our time and holding our clinic in in Leon, Nicaragua. It's always exciting when we find out exactly where we'll serve in the country, plus it's nice to be able to answer the reoccuring question of "where will you be going in Nicaragua?" with an answer other than the usual "we're not sure".

Thanks to Wikitravel, here's what little we know about Leon thus far:
Situated in western Nicaragua, Leon is the second most important city after Managua. Blessed with graceful old architecture and a fascinating history, Leon has played a pivotal role in the country's history many times over. Modern day Leon may not be as important as it once was, but it serves as home to the National University which has proved to be a constant injection of life to the city.

Leon, here we come!

Meet Our Team

1. Rachel Sammis (Leader)
2. Steven Johnson (Co-leader)
3. Allison Ayers
4. Amanda Danielson
5. Brittany Meyers
6. Kelly Gleffe
7. Leah Gumucio
8. Matthew Ewald
10. Stephanie Knott
11. Joan Hagan
12. Aileen Kucsera
13. Rose Doyle
14. Caroline Snow
15. Caroline Garrison
16. Jonathan Flanary
17. Grace Hall
18. Kara Cochran