December 2009 Work Trip
"Blog"
The fourth Amiguitos work team is in Veracruz for 4 medical clinics in
December 2009. Below are
the brief
updates from the
team during the
work trip. Please scroll
to the bottom to see the latest updates!
Curtis
On Wednesday December 23, 2009, at 5 PM, Curtis
Wait wrote:
The team of 34 people is gathering from the USA and Mexico
for
Monday's first medical clinic in the Tarimoya neighborhood.
Photos of
the team are posted.
Ailee
Please keep the team in your prayers as we travel and prepare for the
clinics
Click
here for more pictures from the December 2008 work trip
Curtis
On Saturday December 26, 2009, at 5 PM, Ailee (Age 13) wrote:
Today was the first day in Mexico. We got up (after being woken
up at
5am by Saul’s alarm, a mariachi band), ate a WONDERFUL breakfast, and
then headed out for the center.
It is way shorter walking than you’d think. We taught English, and
apparently I’m dancing in the celebration tomorrow because I was
present during the dance review.
After lunch, and more dance rehearsal, and baptism preparation, and
clinic overview, we headed back to the house. Ever since, I’ve been
eating, reading, listening to awesome music, and finding new bug bites.
Click here for more
photos from our day
Ailee Rowe
13 years old
On Sunday December 27, 2009, at
Noon, Curtis Wait wrote:
All - Anne, Alex, Dana and I arrived last night with all the
medicine. Unfortunately, there is a new manager for the Mexican
Customs office in Veracruz and he has had our bags of medicine
held. Monday, I will go with the bishop of Southeast Mexico to
visit the Mexican Customs office in downtown Veracruz and hopefully get
permission to have the bags released. We will have to go back to
the airport and then get them.
We have a small amount of medicine already at the center and we will
use this for as long as it lasts. Please include us in your
prayers for the medicine to be released. Thanks Curtis
On Sunday December 27, 2009,
at 9pm, Curtis Wait wrote:
We had a great celebration in the Laguna neighborhood
tonight.
We had a baptism service for 8 children and one adult. We also
celebrated the 15th birthday for Victor, Ana, Esmerelda, Cesar and
Ramon. Victor was too shy to dance and Omar took his place.
Maria
Elena (now 16)
also participated.
Omar, Ramon, Cesar (top row),
Esmeralda, Maria Elena and Ana (in front)
The 6 showed off their formal dancing and got the rest of us
involved. Then it was a fiesta and a great time. Tomorrow
is our
first clinic. The location has been changed to Vias Ferias (from
Tarimoya) due to problems with the principal at the Tarimoya school.
There seem to be many challenges for Monday's clinic. Hopefully
we
will get things on track and then run smooth. We hope so.
Certainly
we had a great celebration today and start to our work trip. It
is
good to be back with our friends at the center.
Click
here for more photos from our day
Curtis
On Monday December 28, 2009,
at 9pm, Alex Wait wrote:
(Official) Day 1:
The first day of clinic went very well, all things
considered.
With 100 patients (exacto!) going through and receiving medicine we
were very pleased. We still have a “situation” (because we don’t
have
problems) with the medicine arriving to the country but I will refrain
from speaking of that the rest of this blog.
The hand(s)ful of teenagers from La Laguna were
quite the help
as always. With new faces joining us this year, the amount of
help is
fantastic as always (and we have reinforcements arriving tonight from
Leadville also! Fingers Crossed!)
While today was an early day (for some of us, 7:00am
Breakfast)
tomorrow will be even more of a strain! There is a social
services
office next to the school that we are going to be in that is giving out
free milk at 7:30am! 200 people are expected so we figure they might
want some free medicine as well. With a 7:30am arrival that means
breakfast at 6:15am! Although we know Goldi doesn’t sleep (she only has
to “re-charge” at night), we know that breakfast will be ready at
the
appointed time.
That is all I have at this time.
This message will self destruct in 5……4……3……2……1....
Click
here for more photos from our day
Alex
On Tuesday December 29, 2009,
at 9pm, Katherine Rowe wrote:
Today we had an early morning for all of us. We began our second
day of clinic at Enrique Segara School at 7:30am(!) (same location as
yesterday, but a much earlier start time). We took advantage of
the crowd that was gathering next door for a free milk
distribution. Word of the clinic spread quickly and we ended up
seeing 221 people today. This was more than double the people we
saw yesterday. Threats of rain didn't seem to keep anyone
away. Gratefully, we were able to fill many prescriptions despite
the fact that our medicines were still being held at the airport.
Winnie the Pooh
arrived at clinic today
Speaking of airports, Goldi met with the Bishop who met with the
Governor who met with the customs official who not only charged us for
holding the medicine hostage -- but then paid the bill herself.
All 11 bags of medicines (which also included Anne's pants!) are now
filling Goldi's livingroom floor. Our Argentinian pizza tonight
was a joyful celebration of serving others (clinic)and receiving grace
(medicine in hand).
Cake, pill sorting, counting forms and taking showers fill the
rest of the evening. We are excited to meet tomorrow with plenty
of workers, plenty of medicine, and the arrival of our Leadville team
who finally made it across the border at 10am this morning (2 days
behind schedule). God's speed to them. Please keep praying.
Click
here for more photos from our day
Katherine
On Wednesday December 30, 2009,
at 6 pm, Alex Wait wrote:
Buenas Tardes Todos,
My report of clinic day 3 is a
pleasant one, as always. The magical number was around 140 people
who
came through our clinic today. With such a slow start I was
pleased to
see such a number. The day started off so slow we couldn’t even
enter
the school. We had to break into the school with a hammer with
the
lock not being convinced that the key was sufficient payment for
entry. Once inside and set up in the scorching sun we
waited. We
never really seemed to have much of a rush until lunch (when we
couldn’t see patients of course) and then following in the
afternoon.
It picked up to the point where we ended up closing approximately 14
times.
This was also the last clinic
for ¾ of the Rowe Clan (Major Sad Face!), Ailee, Suton and
Katherine
are leaving (VERY) early in the morning. With the loss of these
valiant companions hopefully the void will be filled by the safe
arrival of those coming from Leadville.
The chamacos (teenagers ......) before
Ailee and Sutton leave
(Hannah, from Leadville has not yet arrived)
If you have read this
far, I thank you and encourage you to tune in at the same time
tomorrow! (I would encourage those who didn’t read this far too but
that wouldn’t do much good, now would it.)
Click
here for more photos from our day
Paz
y Amor de Veracruz!
-Alex ;~D
On Thursday December 31, 2009,
at 11 pm, Curtis Wait wrote:
Katherine, Ailee and Sutton returned to the USA today (leaving the
hourse at 5:30am). We finished our fourth and final clinic of the
work trip. Tonight the Leadville group arrived.
During clinic, Dr. Tomas wrote a poem about our work trip using the
first letter of our name in Mexico (Centro Comunitario Amiguitos, which
means Amiguitos Community Center).
CENTRO COMUNITARIO AMIGUITOS
Cuanta
gente se beneficia
En el
servicio comunitario gratuito Amguitos
Ninguno otra
asociación altruista
Tiene el carisma y
entusiasmo
Rotundo
de nuestros hermanos Norteamericanos
Orgullosamente
tambien Mexicanos de Corazón.
Cuenta en Veracurz con
la Reverenda Goldi
Orgullosamente
Ecuatoriana – Mexicana a
Mucha honra, porque
tiene la capacidad de
Unir los
corazones de niños y jovenes que
No se
niegan al altruismo.
Intensas
compañas de promoción en donde
Todos
trabajan con solo recibir el
Aplauso a
su noble esfuerzo y ellos solo
bien y agradecen el
Reconocimiento.
Importante
es continuar con estas jornadas.
Orgullosamente
Mexico –Americanas.
Ayundando
a estas jornadas
Medicas
estan los medicos que sin
Importar
el tener otras actividades
Gustosamente
colaboran en esta
Unión
de fuerzas para continuar
Interesante
colaboran en esta
interesante promocionando estas campañas
Todos los
pacientes se benefician con medicamentos
Objetos
varios ,como muñecos de peluche y juguetes
Solo
resta decir nos vemos en otra proxima Jornada de Salud.
Dr. Tomas González Juárez
Click
here for more photos from our day
On Friday January 1, 2010,
at 11 pm, Dana (Age 16) wrote:
Today
was the day I personally looked forward to all week . The excursion! We
started bright and early on a bus with the children from the center.
Our first stop was at a beach at the Boca Del Rio. Two or so hours
later by bus, we arrived at Salto De Eyipantla to tour waterfalls. The
combination of wind and raging falls concluded in soaking wet jackets
and shivering (but smiling) children. From there we made our way to a
small family owned restaurant to prepare ourselves by eating lunch in
anticipation of the upcoming boat ride. We rode around
“monkey
island” in small boats that held 12 persons (two boats for our group).
We approached to within a meter or so of the monkeys and so we were
practically part of the monkey clan. My favorite part was leaving the
boats to walk the island then to participate in the customary mud mask
ritual. Looking and acting like monkeys was quite the experience.
3 "Monkeys" - Maria Elena, Curtis and
Dana
I
hadn’t quite taken the term “monkey island” as literally until we
really could have been mistaken for monkeys ourselves. Although being
wet was a common theme for the day, I know everyone had an incredible
time. Lots of Love and many laughs in total, a successful
day.
Click
here for more photos from our day
Dana
On Saturday January 2, 2010,
at 10 pm, George Lufkin wrote:
Hello
Leadville and beyond, it has been the most wonder filled two days here
at Amiguitos. We spent the last two days meeting the
children. The
first day on a bus tour to the sea, and a lake boat ride to see
monkeys. The second day, we spent with the children at the
Amiguitos
school, where we taught school and played games.
George
and Lilliana held teach the computer class
Today, we went to see the new property and began the process of asking
builders how to begin building the retaining walls. The days here are
very long in the best ways because life is being lived so fully.
Love
to all,
George
On Sunday January 10, 2010,
at 11 am, Curtis Wait wrote:
As the clinics for the work trip completed, we had the opportunity this
year to begin construction on the new permanent Amiguitos center and
school in the Laguna neighborhood in Veracruz. We had a great
deal of fun and very hard work as we began the important and difficult
task of leveling the land so that we can build on it.
Because of the steep slope and heavy rains, we started our first
project to complete a very strong retaining wall. It does not
sound very sexy, but I am so pleased that we have done this work
ourselves and not purchased land that already had retaining
walls. We now know just how strong our wall will be (very
strong!).
The parents, teens and children of the Amiguitos Community Center have
all worked together to perform this work. Their tireless work
ethic is amazing. Ignatio is the lead builder (the father of
Jesus in the center). He worked through the night to prepare the
site for the concrete truck to deliver and pour the cement for our
retaining wall. Unfortunately due to the coldest day in 125
years in Veracruz, the cement was not poured this week. No
worries. Next week it shall be.
Stay tuned for more as the construction project continues, even though
the December work team members from the USA have now all gone
home. We have many photos of our construction days. I have
broken them down to make the viewing easier.
Sunday January 3, 2010 - Construction Begins
Monday January 4, 2010 - Earth and gravel delivered
Tuesday January 5 to 6, 2010 - Prepare for celebration of Three Kings
Hannah
finds a baby Jesus in her cake! She must help give the next party
(tamales!).
Click
here for more photos from our day
Tuesday January 7 to 9, 2010 - Progress
The
parents of children in the center help some of our hired steel workers
put up the key components of the retaining wall
Click
here for more photos from our day
Thanks for everything from the team!!
Alex visits Xalapa
for coffee
I hope to see you soon in Mexico
Curtis
Dec 2009 Clinics RECAP:
28 on Team (5 from Leadville arrive
after clinics)
Which included 4 doctors
The
patients, perscriptions:
Enrique Segarra Thomas Esquela; Col. Vias Ferreas
Monday 28 December 2009
100 Patients (37 children, 63 adults)
251perscriptions (69 children, 182 adults) given.
Enrique Segarra Thomas Esquela; Col. Vias Ferreas
Tuesday 29 December 2009
221 Patients (79 children, 142 adults)
649
perscriptions (223 children, 426 adults) given.
Free Milk given away next door!
Dos Caminos Esquela
Wednesday 30 December 2009
142 Patients (71 children, 71 adults)
357
perscriptions (216 children, 141 adults) given.
La Laguna Esquela - Thursday 31 December 2009
146 Patients (81 children, 65 adults)
910
perscriptions (184 children, 222 adults)given.
Week totals:
609 Patients ( 268 children, 341 adults)
1663 perscriptions (692 children, 971 adults) given.
Week 2
Construction began on retaining wall of permanent La Laguna CCA
center/school.
On Thursday January 21, 2010 Curtis Wrote:
There is one in every group! Jerry forgot his cable for his
camera and so his photos were not included in the daily blogs.
Here are Jerry's photos from throughout the trip.
Jerry works triage
at the clinics
Click
here for more of Jerry's photos