The Amazon trip is coming up in June. Sadly, I can't go due to my financial commitment to the DNP. The more I think about the Amazon and what it means to me, it is an extension of my work with vulnerable populations.
The major difference is how the people of the indigenous regions along the Amazon River have made life-impressions on me. My first recollection of the Amazon and my intrigue began in fifth grade geography. Studying the region and the cultures really impressed me and created my long term desire to visit there. Fast forward 50 years, and I got here! Now 10 years later, I truly live for the summer and my annual trip to visit the families and friends I have in South America.
This year I am helping in several ways despite I will be working remotely (from St Louis).
I have created a social marketing campaign through which I disseminate the opportunity to healthcare providers, nursing students and and one interested in serving and learning. Thus, recruiting team members to join the existing (and amazing) team that is in place under the guidance and direction of Rev Jaime Usche and his wonderful wife, Lori. The Central to Life Methodist Church in Fayetteville, AR have some of the most loving and terrific people I have ever met.
Second is my work to seek donations of pharmaceutical and medical device donations as well as incidentials and monetary assistance that makes the trip and service a sustainable program. We could not do the extent of the work there without the support of our corporate friends.
The best way to support the mission is to pray for the safety and success in getting to Leticia, Columbia, SA. Speaking from experience (when it took 4.5 days to complete a 12 hour trip), getting there is more than half the journey (energy). Asking for guidance and help in getting the supplies and equipement there is also a large task...between missing luggage loaded with medications to confiscated luggage and supplies by customs that hold our goods ransom is herculean but somehow always works out! Amazing or Miracle?
I hope the team sees and feels the miracles that we have seen on the trip many times.
My dear WOCN colleagues in St Louis have so generously donated devices, dressings and other supplies that make such a difference. The hospitals that support our efforts with donated IVs, surgical equipment, and paper goods...we are grateful for your continued assistance.
So, for now, this past week has enabled me to get the word out, organize the supplies with an aggressive inventory listing and organization of informational meetings with my students returning from our spring break.
I have traveled to Brazil and Ghana and both times have changed my life forever. It is amazing how different and how the same things are all around the world. I am extremely grateful for my friends and colleagues in other countries. Thank you for sharing your story.
The Amazon mission continues since the first nurse team started in 2004. This year, 2014, another group will venture the elements to serve God and their fellow man.
The team is preparing to travel to the Amazon next month. Just sent off a box of rehydration salts and analgesics to add to the other donations. I had a ton (27 cases) of skin, wound and surgical equipment from one of the hospitals that always donates to the mission work...too much to send to Columbia, SA so donating the supplies to Randolph Ministries for their work in Haiti this summer. Tim Randolph is a professor at St Louis University in microbiology. His Haiti mission work is long standing and established in Haiti. The thrust of his work is HIV testing, treatment and follow up care.
Just received word today that as of the fall (2014) a permanent medical team will be based in Leticia at the Ministry house. This is tremendous news as the ethics of providing sporadic care and medicine is not an ethical position to be in as a healthcare provider.
THe medical team that will be in place has asked for assistance in developing health education and promotion programs. The two programs that we have already (my students) developed are: Eye Safety and Pure Water. Eye safety is focused on teaching preventative methods of using machetes, sticks, hooks and fire to cook. Teaching the people how to use clean water and salt (making saline) for eye compresses is detailed.
Pure water care addresses the issue of the need to boil water, how to boil water, how long to boil water and how to store once it has been boiled.
All the content has been created as a laminated poster (humidity resistant) and will be posted in each village dining hall.
Currently, I am researching a paraffin filled vial that can be used as a visual cue to determining when the water has been adequately prepared. This device is approximately $0.25 each. While obtaining the devices will not be accompished for this upcoming trip, they will always be used once we have obtained them.
The team is due back from Coche de Caballo. This is a village on the Peruvian side of the Amazon.
The team visited there several years ago. It was a fairly modern village, yet very lawless and very violent. As the ministry has been working very hard with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), the village has become peace-filled and family centric.
It will be interesting to hear about the experiences this year. The last time we were there, we served 1700 people in 1.5 days. A lot of domestic violence and sexual abuse. I am hopeful that our team had a God filled week and that the Word and Message was heard and felt by the many people there.
I will never forget arriving at the village, the air was filled with stillness and the people just glared at us as we came off of our boats. No one came to welcome us or to help us unload all of our supplies.
Despite the unwelcomed aura, people did line up to recieve healthcare. Mainly, meds for pregnant women and kids. Parasite meds and vitamins were the most commonly prescribed meds. The children's ministry was where things changed. WE had over 900 kids learning Christian songs and making necklaces and bracelets with crosses. By the time we were leaving (1.5 days later!) the people helped carry our things to the boats, fed us a lunch before we left and wept and waved as we left the shore.
Thinking about the experience brings tears of joy and happiness to me, as I know I am blessed to have had that experience and felt the spirit of the Holy Spirit at work.
I am working on this years mission trip. Mary Farrell from Arkansas is leading the mission outreach from the clinical side. I am working with student nurses on training them on what to expect in the Amazon, how we deliver health care during the clinicas and how to process the prescriptions that the pharmacy receives to fill for the people.
I have held an information session and will be holding bi-weekly sessions to orient and train on the process. I wish that I could make the trip this year, but know that next year that will be a reality. For now, I feel that I am doing my part to support the medical mission and the mission purpose.
The Amazon trip is coming up in June. Sadly, I can't go due to my financial commitment to the DNP. The more I think about the Amazon and what it means to me, it is an extension of my work with vulnerable populations.
ReplyDeleteThe major difference is how the people of the indigenous regions along the Amazon River have made life-impressions on me.
My first recollection of the Amazon and my intrigue began in fifth grade geography. Studying the region and the cultures really impressed me and created my long term desire to visit there.
Fast forward 50 years, and I got here! Now 10 years later, I truly live for the summer and my annual trip to visit the families and friends I have in South America.
This year I am helping in several ways despite I will be working remotely (from St Louis).
I have created a social marketing campaign through which I disseminate the opportunity to healthcare providers, nursing students and and one interested in serving and learning. Thus, recruiting team members to join the existing (and amazing) team that is in place under the guidance and direction of Rev Jaime Usche and his wonderful wife, Lori. The Central to Life Methodist Church in Fayetteville, AR have some of the most loving and terrific people I have ever met.
Second is my work to seek donations of pharmaceutical and medical device donations as well as incidentials and monetary assistance that makes the trip and service a sustainable program. We could not do the extent of the work there without the support of our corporate friends.
The best way to support the mission is to pray for the safety and success in getting to Leticia, Columbia, SA. Speaking from experience (when it took 4.5 days to complete a 12 hour trip), getting there is more than half the journey (energy). Asking for guidance and help in getting the supplies and equipement there is also a large task...between missing luggage loaded with medications to confiscated luggage and supplies by customs that hold our goods ransom is herculean but somehow always works out! Amazing or Miracle?
I hope the team sees and feels the miracles that we have seen on the trip many times.
My dear WOCN colleagues in St Louis have so generously donated devices, dressings and other supplies that make such a difference. The hospitals that support our efforts with donated IVs, surgical equipment, and paper goods...we are grateful for your continued assistance.
So, for now, this past week has enabled me to get the word out, organize the supplies with an aggressive inventory listing and organization of informational meetings with my students returning from our spring break.
Vamos de Amazones!
I have traveled to Brazil and Ghana and both times have changed my life forever. It is amazing how different and how the same things are all around the world. I am extremely grateful for my friends and colleagues in other countries. Thank you for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteThe Amazon mission continues since the first nurse team started in 2004. This year, 2014, another group will venture the elements to serve God and their fellow man.
ReplyDeleteSafe travels my sisters and brothers.
The team is preparing to travel to the Amazon next month. Just sent off a box of rehydration salts and analgesics to add to the other donations. I had a ton (27 cases) of skin, wound and surgical equipment from one of the hospitals that always donates to the mission work...too much to send to Columbia, SA so donating the supplies to Randolph Ministries for their work in Haiti this summer. Tim Randolph is a professor at St Louis University in microbiology. His Haiti mission work is long standing and established in Haiti. The thrust of his work is HIV testing, treatment and follow up care.
ReplyDeleteJust received word today that as of the fall (2014) a permanent medical team will be based in Leticia at the Ministry house. This is tremendous news as the ethics of providing sporadic care and medicine is not an ethical position to be in as a healthcare provider.
ReplyDeleteTHe medical team that will be in place has asked for assistance in developing health education and promotion programs. The two programs that we have already (my students) developed are: Eye Safety and Pure Water. Eye safety is focused on teaching preventative methods of using machetes, sticks, hooks and fire to cook.
Teaching the people how to use clean water and salt (making saline) for eye compresses is detailed.
Pure water care addresses the issue of the need to boil water, how to boil water, how long to boil water and how to store once it has been boiled.
All the content has been created as a laminated poster (humidity resistant) and will be posted in each village dining hall.
Currently, I am researching a paraffin filled vial that can be used as a visual cue to determining when the water has been adequately prepared. This device is approximately $0.25 each. While obtaining the devices will not be accompished for this upcoming trip, they will always be used once we have obtained them.
The team is due back from Coche de Caballo. This is a village on the Peruvian side of the Amazon.
ReplyDeleteThe team visited there several years ago. It was a fairly modern village, yet very lawless and very violent. As the ministry has been working very hard with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), the village has become peace-filled and family centric.
It will be interesting to hear about the experiences this year. The last time we were there, we served 1700 people in 1.5 days. A lot of domestic violence and sexual abuse. I am hopeful that our team had a God filled week and that the Word and Message was heard and felt by the many people there.
I will never forget arriving at the village, the air was filled with stillness and the people just glared at us as we came off of our boats. No one came to welcome us or to help us unload all of our supplies.
Despite the unwelcomed aura, people did line up to recieve healthcare. Mainly, meds for pregnant women and kids. Parasite meds and vitamins were the most commonly prescribed meds. The children's ministry was where things changed. WE had over 900 kids learning Christian songs and making necklaces and bracelets with crosses.
By the time we were leaving (1.5 days later!) the people helped carry our things to the boats, fed us a lunch before we left and wept and waved as we left the shore.
Thinking about the experience brings tears of joy and happiness to me, as I know I am blessed to have had that experience and felt the spirit of the Holy Spirit at work.
I am working on this years mission trip. Mary Farrell from Arkansas is leading the mission outreach from the clinical side. I am working with student nurses on training them on what to expect in the Amazon, how we deliver health care during the clinicas and how to process the prescriptions that the pharmacy receives to fill for the people.
ReplyDeleteI have held an information session and will be holding bi-weekly sessions to orient and train on the process. I wish that I could make the trip this year, but know that next year that will be a reality. For now, I feel that I am doing my part to support the medical mission and the mission purpose.