So I have about 10 minutes to write y´all (as my southern friends have taught me), but I hardly know where to begin. We finished our last day of clinic and surgeries yesterday and said a tearful goodbye to all our team members early this morning. We´ve spent the past week in big city Cuenca, Ecuador and have enjoyed every moment of it! Hundreds of patients came through the clinic and there were numerous surgeries that were successfully completed. God is good! I fell in love with the little children and stood in awe of the 99 year old women that hobbled through the doors. They were all seeking the same thing - love, care, and a listening ear. What an honour it was to be used for those very reasons. I was able to spend an afternoon at a local orphanage run through the church we are partnering with here - let´s just say that if it weren´t for me having one year left at Trinity, I´m not sure you would have seen me back! One of the most apparent joys of this trip lies in the telling of stories. Whether it be the 5-10 minutes spent with triaging a patient, hearing the need of our surgical patients, sharing life and love with our fellow team members, or wondering about the story of the old man I saw everyday outside our clinic....I believe God has blessed us with our stories and the ability to be a part of other people´s stories. And what a story this has been!
Oh, there is so much more to share. Thank you for appreciating this story. I´m looking forward to the next 2 weeks, as I´ll have more time to process the past couple of weeks and discern what God has and is teaching me. We are about to go to the bus terminal to catch a bus into Peru and then we have some fun and adventure ahead of us! It is our prayer that this time of travel would be a continuation of the story God has started throughout this time of medical ministry. We can´t wait to stand ocean side, trek through the mountains, and connect with local Peruvian people! Please continue to pray for our safety and purpose throughout this time.
Better go catch that bus! Goodbye Ecuador - hello Peru!
mucho amore.
-renee (one of the 3 crazy canadians as we were nicknamed by our team members - whoot whoot!)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
buenos dias!
Hola!
Ok - so I´ve finally found a few minutes to sit down and write you all a quick update of my time so far in Ecuador. To sum it up in a word: WOW! I have experienced so much already and it´s only the beginning.
We arrived in Quito, Ecuador late on Saturday night after a long day of travelling. we met some of our team and then stayed in a hotel in the city for the night. And by night I mean for about 4 hours, as we had a early bird wake up call of 430am. We spent Sunday flying to another city and then taking a 5 hour bus ride throught the mountains to get to Gualaquiza, the location of this first week of clinic/surgeries. Unfortunately, half our team (most of them surgeons) got stuck in the US due to storms and such. So we weren´t a complete team until Monday evening. We set up clinic on Sunday and ran clinic and pharmacy all day Monday. The clinic consists of a pharmacy (we brought all the medications with us), a main triage area (where we weigh and assess the patients), a diagnostics area (blood glucose tests for diabetes and urinanalysis testing), a couple rooms for the doctors to work in (continuing assessments, examinations, prescribing medications), and an area in which the local church would do evangelism with each of the patients. I spent the first few days working at this clinic. My jobs were various, starting with working in triage (would welcome the patients in, do some initial assessments, and determine what their primary medial problem was). I also spent time running the diagnostics table - asking patients through my broken spanish to go pee in a cup and then I ran the urinanalysis on it, determining important lab values from the result. I spent one day working in the pharmacy, filling prescriptions and explaining medication regimes to the patients. This was a challenge, due to my lack of Spanish abilities, and I required help with the language over and over.
Today was the first day that I went to the hospital to assist with surgeries. We performed a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and another surgery to insert a sling to provide bladder support (to stop the bladder from leaking). I ´scrubbed in´ for both surgeries (meaning that I remained sterile for the procedures in order to be able to handle equipment and assist the surgeons). You wouldn´t think that handing a surgeon a few instruments would be very difficult - however, there are at least 30 instruments that you need to know my name, have them clean and ready, and have to hand them to the surgeon a certain way. It was an intense learning curve but about 15 minutes into the first surgery, I became that nurse! I had another scrub nurse at my side, giving me instructions and much needed help but it was incredible to just jump right in there and do it! In between all the nursing stuff, I try to snuggle with as many babies as possible. Is it bad to have favourites? ha.
Ok - so that´s some of the ´stuff´ I´ve been up to...but here´s a bit about the people and the culture. The town we are in is at the edge of the jungle. It is beautiful here! The best view I´ve seen is from the second floor of the hospital, as it overlooks the town and the jungle mountainside. The people here are welcoming and always smiling or saying goodday/afternoon/evening. Ecuador is filled with glass coke bottles, motorbikes, soccer games in the street, hibiscus flowers, loudspeakers on pickup trucks, and stray dogs running about everywhere. For any of you that have travelled into Central or South America, I´m sure this description hits close to home!
Here´s a story about one of our patients that we did surgery on yesterday. She had a prolapsed uterus, meaning that it was coming out of her body. Imagine walking around with a balloon in between your legs and you now may beginning to understand this woman´s discomfort. When asked how long it had been like this, she responded - ´years - 20 at least.´ She lived in a village far from this city...but she had heard on the radio that a North American medical team would be coming and giving free health care/surgeries. She walked for almost 2 hours and then took a 3 hour bus ride in order to get to the clinic to see us. She also told us that she had visited a witch doctor, but his treatments did not work. The people in her village told her that if she went to the city for surgery, that she would come back dead. But she still came! She believed that we were the right people to help her. So, we did the appropriate surgery on her, which turned out to be rather complicated, but she is recovering well and will be making the trek back home tomorrow! Thank God!
So those are just a few snippets of the past few days. There are already so many stories, pictures, and laughs created! Our team is a riot (we are always laughing and making fun of eachother´s accents). We feel so priveleged to be working with these amazing people. Top notch surgeons/anesthetists/nurses etc....all of them so encouraging and willing to teach us the tricks of the trade! Today, after our two surgeries, a few of us went for a quick swim at a local pool and I thought to myself ´This is crazy! I´m swimming with the surgeon and anesthetist that I just performed surgery with.´ Not sure that will ever happen again in my lifetime!
Well, I could go on and on. But, please know that I am having a incredible time here. As I shared tonight at a gathering with some of the locals and some of our patients from the week, I am living out my dream. And there are so many people that have joined me in this! But above all, it is God that I thank. He has been so faithful and is walking out each step of this with me.
Thank you for your prayers and I ask that they continue throughout my time out here. Please pray for continued unity on the team, a fast ability to pick up a bit more language so that I can communicate better, and a never ceasing love for these people! Hope this finds you well! Will try to write again soon!
Would love to hear from you....take care my friends.
Adios.
Renee
Ok - so I´ve finally found a few minutes to sit down and write you all a quick update of my time so far in Ecuador. To sum it up in a word: WOW! I have experienced so much already and it´s only the beginning.
We arrived in Quito, Ecuador late on Saturday night after a long day of travelling. we met some of our team and then stayed in a hotel in the city for the night. And by night I mean for about 4 hours, as we had a early bird wake up call of 430am. We spent Sunday flying to another city and then taking a 5 hour bus ride throught the mountains to get to Gualaquiza, the location of this first week of clinic/surgeries. Unfortunately, half our team (most of them surgeons) got stuck in the US due to storms and such. So we weren´t a complete team until Monday evening. We set up clinic on Sunday and ran clinic and pharmacy all day Monday. The clinic consists of a pharmacy (we brought all the medications with us), a main triage area (where we weigh and assess the patients), a diagnostics area (blood glucose tests for diabetes and urinanalysis testing), a couple rooms for the doctors to work in (continuing assessments, examinations, prescribing medications), and an area in which the local church would do evangelism with each of the patients. I spent the first few days working at this clinic. My jobs were various, starting with working in triage (would welcome the patients in, do some initial assessments, and determine what their primary medial problem was). I also spent time running the diagnostics table - asking patients through my broken spanish to go pee in a cup and then I ran the urinanalysis on it, determining important lab values from the result. I spent one day working in the pharmacy, filling prescriptions and explaining medication regimes to the patients. This was a challenge, due to my lack of Spanish abilities, and I required help with the language over and over.
Today was the first day that I went to the hospital to assist with surgeries. We performed a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) and another surgery to insert a sling to provide bladder support (to stop the bladder from leaking). I ´scrubbed in´ for both surgeries (meaning that I remained sterile for the procedures in order to be able to handle equipment and assist the surgeons). You wouldn´t think that handing a surgeon a few instruments would be very difficult - however, there are at least 30 instruments that you need to know my name, have them clean and ready, and have to hand them to the surgeon a certain way. It was an intense learning curve but about 15 minutes into the first surgery, I became that nurse! I had another scrub nurse at my side, giving me instructions and much needed help but it was incredible to just jump right in there and do it! In between all the nursing stuff, I try to snuggle with as many babies as possible. Is it bad to have favourites? ha.
Ok - so that´s some of the ´stuff´ I´ve been up to...but here´s a bit about the people and the culture. The town we are in is at the edge of the jungle. It is beautiful here! The best view I´ve seen is from the second floor of the hospital, as it overlooks the town and the jungle mountainside. The people here are welcoming and always smiling or saying goodday/afternoon/evening. Ecuador is filled with glass coke bottles, motorbikes, soccer games in the street, hibiscus flowers, loudspeakers on pickup trucks, and stray dogs running about everywhere. For any of you that have travelled into Central or South America, I´m sure this description hits close to home!
Here´s a story about one of our patients that we did surgery on yesterday. She had a prolapsed uterus, meaning that it was coming out of her body. Imagine walking around with a balloon in between your legs and you now may beginning to understand this woman´s discomfort. When asked how long it had been like this, she responded - ´years - 20 at least.´ She lived in a village far from this city...but she had heard on the radio that a North American medical team would be coming and giving free health care/surgeries. She walked for almost 2 hours and then took a 3 hour bus ride in order to get to the clinic to see us. She also told us that she had visited a witch doctor, but his treatments did not work. The people in her village told her that if she went to the city for surgery, that she would come back dead. But she still came! She believed that we were the right people to help her. So, we did the appropriate surgery on her, which turned out to be rather complicated, but she is recovering well and will be making the trek back home tomorrow! Thank God!
So those are just a few snippets of the past few days. There are already so many stories, pictures, and laughs created! Our team is a riot (we are always laughing and making fun of eachother´s accents). We feel so priveleged to be working with these amazing people. Top notch surgeons/anesthetists/nurses etc....all of them so encouraging and willing to teach us the tricks of the trade! Today, after our two surgeries, a few of us went for a quick swim at a local pool and I thought to myself ´This is crazy! I´m swimming with the surgeon and anesthetist that I just performed surgery with.´ Not sure that will ever happen again in my lifetime!
Well, I could go on and on. But, please know that I am having a incredible time here. As I shared tonight at a gathering with some of the locals and some of our patients from the week, I am living out my dream. And there are so many people that have joined me in this! But above all, it is God that I thank. He has been so faithful and is walking out each step of this with me.
Thank you for your prayers and I ask that they continue throughout my time out here. Please pray for continued unity on the team, a fast ability to pick up a bit more language so that I can communicate better, and a never ceasing love for these people! Hope this finds you well! Will try to write again soon!
Would love to hear from you....take care my friends.
Adios.
Renee
Monday, March 9, 2009
a letter written by me.....for you
To my friends and family,
I am writing you to inform you about a medical mission trip I will be taking this coming April. Myself and two nursing school friends will be teaming up with The Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) and traveling to Ecuador, South America for a two week period. Our team will range from gynecologists, to nurses, to translators who will all be working together to provide surgeries to women with gynecological complications, preventative health education for the community, and support to the local church.
As many of you know, I have a strong desire to use my nursing skills to help people who are not able to receive basic health care. As a third year nursing student, I have dreamt for a long time about an opportunity to take my nursing abroad. After much thought and prayerful consideration, it was made clear that this trip to Ecuador was what God has in mind for us. And so, our long invested dream is becoming reality.
While in Ecuador we will be serving in two different locations for a week at a time. The first is Gualaquiza, a mountainous, rural community in South East Ecuador, and the second is the larger city of Cuenca. There is an existing relationship between CMDA teams and the local church and clinic in Cuenca, allowing us to continue building trust within that community.
The medical need is great within these communities. In Ecuador, when someone needs a surgical procedure done, they are required to purchase all of the necessary materials for the surgery. Therefore, it is largely impossible for most people to afford the health care they require.
Our team will be collecting all of the required medical supplies necessary for the surgeries we will be performing. In addition, we will be able to provide health education in hopes of impacting future health outcomes.
I am requesting your partnership with me in this ministry. I have chosen to send this letter to you in hopes that you will prayerfully consider how you can join me in this adventure. First and foremost, I hope you will consider praying for me and the team while we prepare for and during the actual trip. The dates of our trip are April 18-May 2.
Secondly, I would appreciate any financial support you may be able to offer. The cost of the trip is $1600 plus international airfare, totaling close to $2500. We trust that God will provide the necessary funds for our trip. If you are able to contribute financially, you have the option of writing out a cheque to myself or to a local church for a tax deduction. We have set up a fund through my team member's church so that there can be a tax deductible option for donors. If you choose this route, please write the cheque out to Mountainview Alliance Church and write "Ecuador trip" as the memo. My address is posted at the end of this letter for mailing purposes. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding this process.
I feel privileged to have an opportunity to live out my passions by serving God through serving his people. I feel blessed to have people in my life that share in this vision and are willing to walk alongside me. Thank you for your continued love and support in my life.
for His glory,
Renee Grootenboer
BC address:
#67 20875 80th Avenue
Langley, BC
V2Y 0B2
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