About the day yesterday...

Georgia and I were privileged to travel up the mountain to a rural clinic for the day.  After we had started up the mountain we saw people in hardhats heading to work.  They were coming on horseback, donkeys and walking, all heading to work on the washed out road.  I was struck by the rural background with industrial bright colored hard hats, in tropical environment.

Arriving at the clinic, we prepared and people started coming in.  They were all dressed up in very nice clothing to come to the clinic like it was the social event of the week! The people stayed all day with amazing patience. They were very thankful for all we were able to do. The Nurse and Physician's Assistant serve this clinic with such kind hearts.  They worked through exhaustion with diligenance because of the need.

A woman came from a long distance further up the mountain. She came because she was having difficulty with her knees. After the long walk she fell in front of the church turned clinic and broke her wrist.  Yet she waited to be seen until someone brought her to us.  We had no splints so we went outside to search.  Finally we found a dried banana stalk and the injured arm was wrapped and slung.

An old man with an amputated leg came in using sticks for crutches. We called down to town and the rest of our team brought up several of crutches when they came up for lunch.  We found the man later in the day up the road and shared our lunch with him.

Medications are in short supply here. There were many times that we didn't have what should be prescribed but had to use what we had to the best of our training and ability.  Children were very well behaved, sitting quietly all day and very patient.

(Tim's input on this story)
We went up the mountain to see the clinic, bring more supplies and to eat lunch up there.  Since we were returning to Gran Goave we transported the woman with the broken wrist.  It was a slow trip over the very rough roads trying to ease her discomfort.  When we got to the Cuban Hospital we helped her in.  As the doctor was checking out her wrist Greg made the observation that here we were, 3 American guys standing in a the best medical facility around that is financed by the Cuban government and we are all cooperating to help a simple village Haitian woman.  The woman was treated and we were able secure transport for her back to her home.  I think God smiled on this international, ecumenical response to a precious woman in need.