Journal Entry Day 3 Medical & Hair Team

Mon. Jan. 7 Rise and shine thanks to our resident rooster! We are already proving ourselves to be an amazing group. 28 women showered, used the bathroom, brushed teeth, spiked hair and were ready to board the bus for 7:30 AM departure. What a team!

We headed to our site. Kathy was armed with hair gel (THE FAMOUS GORILA GEL aka SNOTT) clippers and scissors. Lois had the BP cuff. Marj was everywhere. Mary, Jodi and Lori had their suitcases of supplies. Beverly was there to show us the ropes, keep us in line and register the incoming people through it all. Our fearless photographer, Darci, was there to capture the day. We set up in the church and shortly the people began to come including babies, toddlers, young children and packs of mothers and men from the community. Each was freshly showered, the babies are so cute in their mother’s arms. One can not help but be aware of how each took special care to look their best for “La Doctora” and staff.

From the first moments it was very clear that without the nebulous verbal skills of Nitza—our day would have been frustrating and

not successful. Nitza was truly God’s blessing to the group. In the afternoon we also had Mark to help translate. The result was 70 patients and many happy, relieved mothers, papas and staff. It took two extra trips to the farmacia and even now we know we could never have enough supplies to reach the many served and to be served in the next 4 days.

Moments to remember included: The explosion of the colodyl as Jodi opened it—hitting the velvet curtain behind the altar, the chest of the child’s mother and my hair!

Sweet babies and children. Oh, how beautiful with their chocolate eyes, timid smiles that broke like the morning sun when before the camera and so ready to accept our love. The bench was full of kids waiting to Kathy to cut their hair. Lunch, so much food, was first served to the children, then the work crew and medical team. Certainly all of us left knowing that we would never be able to take care of all the needs that were presented. But we also knew that just for a moment, a day,we made a small difference. Mary G.