The 2013 Team!!!

The 2013 Team!!

Sarah Beaver

Sarah is a Physical Therapist who lives in Spanish Fort, AL.  She is looking forward to meeting the people in Rwanda and learning about the culture.  In her words, “It is always eye-opening to meet people who are different from ourselves!”

Jamie Partain

Jamie is originally from Mississippi and is now a NICU nurse at South.  In her free time she likes to read and participate in church activities and mission.  She attends Dauphin Way Baptist Church.  She says that she “is most looking forward to serving the people of Rwanda using the skill set God has blessed me with in nursing.”  Jamie has been on several mission trips in the past but has not yet had the privilege of doing any nursing on them and she is really excited for this medically driven trip.

Keith Peevy

Keith was born and reared in Baton Rouge and “bleeds purple and gold” especially because his dad was a professor at LSU.  His hobbies include a lot of reading and some writing.  You can check out his blogging from last year’s trip here: kjacksonp.blogspot.com.  His favorite thing about the trip last year was getting to know a group of students on a day to day basis for a whole month.  He describes it as “a great experience and one I will always remember with gratitude for getting to experience it.”  As far as Rwanda itself goes Keith loved the beauty of the country and the climate.  He also enjoyed getting to know and work with the Congolese and Rwandan staff and seeing the long hours they put in daily to care for the people there.  Finally, Keith says that the gorilla trek was a great experience (unfortunately we will not able to do that this year which is a huge bummer!).

Keith went on the Rwanda mission last year with his wife,

Micki Peevy

Micki was reared in Cullman, AL.  At home she is a closet Alabama fan although she gives lip service to LSU in support of her loving husband.

Meagan Pate

Meagan is a 4^th year medical student who will be starting an internal medicine residency in July at Baylor Medical Center is Houston.  She plans to pursue a career in Pulmonary/Critical Care medicine.  She considers herself as being from all over since her husband is in the military.  It’s a good thing they love to travel whenever they can and are looking forward to a big anniversary trip after Meagan graduates.  They also love to cook (and eat!) all sorts of foods.

Anna Foust

Anna is from Birmingham but she will be headed to Pennsylvania in July for a residency in combined Medicine and Pediatrics at Geisenger She loves to cook but baking is her true passion.  Otherwise you can probably find her curled up in a chair with a great book.  In preparation for this trip she is re-reading the Hunger Games so she can get in the mood to survive the jungles of airports as well as Africa.  Anna is most looking forward to meeting new people in Rwanda.  

Joseph Sewell

Joseph is a 4^th year medical student who has loved South so much he just couldn’t leave and will be staying next year to do a residency in Internal Medicine.  He isn’t too far from home either which is Dothan.  Joseph has many interests including film, literature, theology, and college football.  He has also taken a special interest in entomology and even tried to bring along a few of his insect friends on the trip.  Mission work is a big part of Joseph’s plans for the future and he is thankful for this opportunity to give him more hands-on experience serving patients in locations with limited resources.

Daniel Smith

Daniel is a native of Guntersville, Alabama but is headed to Jacksonville, Florida in July for a residency in orthopedic surgery.  Duane is already looking forward to the 5-6 bedroom B&B where he will gladly host the Baxter family on many occasions.  After his big times in Florida, Daniel hopes to return to a small town when his training is finished.  He is interested in theology and computers but most importantly he has a passion for fitness and is thankful for all of our supplies and luggage so he can keep up with his training.  Daniel is looking forward to serving the people of Kibogora especially by assisting Dr. Albertson with orthopedic surgery.

Duane Baxter

Duane is our fearless leader (also known as El Capitan) and is making his 3^rd trip to Rwanda.  He is a father of 4 and when he is not serving USA COM by running our Christian Medical Doctor’s Association he likes to hang out with his family or you can find him at that park on Stanton Road hanging out with his bunko group. 

Laura Jelf

Laura is originally from Midland, Texas but has called Mobile her home for the last 9 years and will be making a move to Baltimore in July to do a surgery prelim year at University of Maryland aka Shock Trauma.  In her free time she loves to hang out with her dog, Nala.  They especially love to go running except for when Nala tries to tries to play “who can trip who first” which she thinks is funny.

                                                                                      Nala: unofficial team mascot

Kristin Hummel

Kristin is currently a 3^rd year surgery resident at South.  She is really looking forward to this trip because she is planning on making missions the main focus of her career.  Although she is not yet sure where she wants to go first after she finishes training, she is currently thinking Sub-Saharan Africa.

Katy Lalor

Katy is a 4^th year medical student who is headed to Nashville next year for a residency in Pediatric Neurology at Vanderbilt University.  She is originally from Birmingham.  In her free time she loves to read as well as cook and craft things she has found on Pinterest.  Katy also really loves to sail and spend as much time as possible on the water.  She has a passion for experiencing new cultures and connecting with new people which she is looking forward to on this trip.  She is also hoping to gain valuable experience practicing medicine with limited resources.

Andrew Bright

Andrew is a 4^th year surgery resident at South.  After he finishes this part of his training he will serve two years in the Navy and then possibly pursue a fellowship.  When he has free time he likes to hang out in the great outdoors, especially if it is in the form of long walks on the beach.  He also enjoys exercising his second amendment rights and hanging out with his wife who is also in the military.  Andrew has previously spent time in Kibogora and loved it so much he decided to come back.  He has a passion for mission work and will probably want it to be a part of his future career.

Mary Margaret Clapp

Mary Margaret is a 4^th year medical student who will be moving to Tuscaloosa with her daughter, Angel, and her fiancée Townsend for a residency in Family Medicine.  In her free time she likes to play with her 5 rambunctious cats.  She is also interested in photography and loves to scuba dive when she gets the chance.  Mary Margaret cannot wait to experience this Rwanda adventure!

Carter Edwards

Carter is a 4^th year medical student who is originally from Huntsville and will be moving to Greensville, SC in July with his wife to continue his training in Internal Medicine.  He really enjoys photography and has been unofficially elected our official trip photographer.  Carter also loves to mountain biking when he gets the chance and is looking forward to being closer to the mountains. 

Jon Simmons

Jon is a Trauma/Critical Care surgeon at South.  He originally hails from the Mississippi Delta.  When he has free time he enjoys playing tennis.  Jon is looking forward to hanging out with and getting to know everyone on the trip but he is regretting agreeing to take the 13 hour plane flight.    

Carl and Francie Albertson

The Albertsons are making their 3^rdtrip to Kibogora, Rwanda.  They live in Fairhope and Carl is an orthopedic surgeon at Thomas Hospital.  The couple loves to sail and travel.  When they are able to travel they are usually either visiting one of their 5 children or going on mission trips which they have been doing since 1997.

-Katy

The beginning of our Journey

Here we go! We just took off from Mobile this morning and won't get to the hospital at Kibogora until Tuesday. We've got a long way to go, please pray.

Wrapping Up in Honduras

A panoramic view of Tegucigalpa from the street we are staying on

It's hard to believe that our week in Honduras is coming to an end. It has been an incredible week, and we are so thankful for all that the Lord has done!

Since the last post, we held held a clinic in the mountains one day and in a village near the city's dump for two days. In the mountains, we partnered with a ministry at the local school. I had the chance to work at the evangelism station. It was so good to be able to share the good news of the Gospel with our patients and show the that we care about more than their physical health. I was reminded that no matter what our situation in life is: in wealth or poverty, in hunger or plenty, in health or sickness, we all have the same primary need. A savior to redeem us from the worst malady of all, our sin. Through a translator, I shared the Gospel with I don't know how many people and prayed with many of them to receive Christ. It is my hope and prayer that the Lord uses the seeds we planted to grow faithful followers for Himself.

At the dump today, I got to witness the poverty of some of the families first hand while I served on the outreach team. We visited the homes of two families that I had met in the clinic and got to deliver them some food. It was sobering to see how the families took care of what little they had and the joy they had despite their meager lifestyle. I was struck by how often I take what I have for granted. Psalm 73 has been heavy on my mind this week when I consider the poverty that has surrounded us. I pray that I will be like the Psalmist and be able to say, regardless of my situation, "For me it is good to be near God..."

The line to get into the clinic in the mountains

Amy, Hannah, and Bethany in front of our trusty bus

Inside the mountain clinic. Not visible are all of the flies, the room was covered with them!

This is Brian with Fabrizio. I don't know if Fabrizio ever saw a doctor because he seemed to prefer sitting in someone's lap all day.

Greg with some of the kids outside the school at the mountain clinic

Our bus wasn't able to get us to the church at the dump, so we had a bit of a hike to our clinic site

This is the church that hosted our clinic near the dump

Clinic at the dump. It was cleaner, and didn't smell as bad as it sounds!

This is the outside of the first house we visited on outreach this afternoon.

This is their kitchen

Me, Ben, Shante, and Greg with the first family we visited.

Greg with the mother at the second home we visited

The father, Alex, made recovers car seats using a sewing machine in their back yard.

As the week comes to a close, I want to share with you what we have been thankful for this week and what we are praying for as we leave. First, what we are thankful for:

•   Your prayer and financial support. To bring our team and supplies here cost a lot of money and many of you provides the money necessary for us to be able to get here. And we believe that the week would not have run as smoothly without your prayer.

•   For the Honduran nationals who hosted us. Their hospitality has been overwhelming. We have had delicious home cooked meals every day. If it were our responsibility to drive ANYWHERE in this town, we would have died! And the fellowship we have shared as brothers and sisters on Christ has been refreshing!

•   For our Honduran doctors, translators, and pharmacist. Their patience in teaching us has been incredible. Most of us have very little experience with patients, much less patients who do not speak our language! And still, the doctors helped us practice exams and were patient with our mistakes. Because of my translator, Dunia, my Spanish is probably better than it ever was after any Spanish class I ever took. (My English, on the other hand, has gotten worse.)

•   For the camaraderie in our team. I am always amazed at the unity we experience in the Lord when we are serving Him.

•   For our health and safety. To have no major injuries or sicknesses in a team of our size is no small blessing and wouldn't have been possible apart from the Lord's protection.

•   For themes believers that the Lord has drawn to Himself. We heard that at the Thursday night service at the first church we worked with, they had 17 new people and they are expecting more this Sunday.

And our prayer requests:

•   We saw a lot of sick people at our clinics this week and in the hospital. In particular, we got to watch and participate in some burn surgeries with a general surgeon from Tulsa. Someone the patients were burned over large parts of their bodies and will have nothing or almost nothing to manage their pain as they recover. In one family I helped to treat, 4 of the 6 family members we saw were anemic and they do not have much money to be able to afford beans or meat that would be helpful. And finally, we saw a 7 year old girl with a congenital heart defect that severely limits her abilities. We were amazed that she has lived this long and we are afraid that she will not live long without surgery. There is a team coming in a month or so that will be able to perform her surgery, but she gets sick easily. We are praying that the lord will help the grafts to take, to provide for the needs of the families we have met, and that he will keep the little girl healthy enough for her surgery.

•   For the continued growth of the new believers. We pray that they will be able to be plugged in with a local church and will be old with the Gospel with their friends and neighbors.

•   For our new Honduran friends that they will be encouraged in the Lord.

•   And for peace in Honduras. I was surprised to learn about how violent Honduras is.   The people here live with the constant threat of violence and are surrounded by poverty and corruption. Many of them feel that there is no hope, but we know that there is always hope in Christ.

Again, thank you for your prayer and support. It has been a great week!

Esperanza en Cristo,

Griffin Collins MS II

Tegucigalpa at night

First Two Days at the Clinics and Hospital

Written by: Payton Statkewicz - 2nd year medical student

Above and below are pictures of some of the nicer homes my husband and I saw on our way to bring a basket of food to a family in need. These are homes we walked to from our clinic and this is where many of the patients we saw lived.

When we made it to the home we were walking to I was speechless. The father of the family we were going to visit has cancer and we were told is very sick, yet he was still out working trying to provide for his family. His daughter was home and was able to let us in to their one room home that was maybe 8ft by 8ft and housed their whole family. We were able to pray with the daughter for her father and family and left them their basket of food. Russell and I left their home with so much more than what we came with. The image of their home is burned into my brain permanently and a sense of immediate thankfulness came over both of us when we thought of what we call home. I know the food will be a temporary blessing for that family, but the blessing they gave to us will last a lifetime. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Above is a picture of the clinic we worked at the first two days. It is the building on the left and is actually this community's church. The pastor of the church is a precious christian, who truly is changing and blessing so many lives in this community. Many people from this church along with the pastor graciously helped us set up our clinic and helped us throughout our time there. We saw close to 400 people from this community in these two days. It was really awesome that as we were helping these people, they were also helping us learn and perfect some of our clinical skills. The Honduran doctors that worked with us were so patient teaching us and so kind to give up their time to help the community in need.

This is the public and main hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I was able to visit this hospital for an afternoon  on our second day of our clinic and watch two orthopedic surgeries. This gave me a whole new perspective on the waiting time in ER rooms in the United States. One patient that received surgery on Monday had been waiting 18 months for it. We will be setting a clinic up tomorrow in a new location, please keep our group and our patients in your prayers.

First Day of Clinic

Ben Cason, MS-3

Today we held our first day of clinic. We set up shop in a small covered amphitheatre in an outlying neighborhood in the hills. The drive getting there was quite adventurous, and at times we wondered whether we would be hiking the final couple of miles. Thanks to our very skilled bus driver, we were able to get within a few hundred yards of the amphitheatre before we had to start carrying supplies by hand.

After getting settled and manning our stations - intake, physician, pharmacy, evangelism, children, and outreach - we began seeing patients. I was assigned to intake in the morning and was immediately aware of how difficult today would have been if it had not been for our amazing interpreters. The language barrier still made communication difficult at times, but we were able to get patients through our station pretty quickly so that their health concerns could be addressed. It was remarkable how many health problems many of these patients had, and today was the first time many of these people had seen a physician in about a year.

After lunch, most of us changed stations. Emily and I were assigned to the evangelism and prayer station ("the E team"). We teamed up with a local minister who was able to interpret for us as we attempted to address these patients' spiritual needs after they had been treated medically. It was truly a blessing to see how thankful these people were to have people from another country donate their time to take care of them. Most of the people seemed to understand that we were there out of love, and some of them knew that our love came out of our relationship with Christ. Many of those who came through our station were believers themselves, and all of them had some knowledge of the Gospel, mostly from a Catholic background.

Those who were not believers were given the opportunity to receive Christ, and many new believers were added to the Kingdom.

The crowd as we arrived around 10:00. Some of these had been waiting since before 6:00.

 

Me taking vitals at intake.

Griffin had a great time playing with the kids. Apparently Hershey's Kisses are the way into children's hearts even here.

Tricia and Ethan playing with the kids.

Here's Shante taking a patient's vitals at intake in the afternoon.

Dr. Butts deep in converstation with one of our Honduran physicians, Radolpho.

This is a father and daughter we were able to help receive Christ. On the far left in Ricardo, who was both a minister for the people and an interpreter for us.

We thank God for the great success we had today. Please continue to pray for the people of Honduras and especially for the new believers, as they will be facing new challenges in the midst of an already difficult life. 

"Hola!"from Tegucigalpa, Honduras!

The team safely arrived on Saturday afternoon, and we've been on the move ever since. 

After getting settled at the Mission House, the packing of the meds began. We had a little help from translators in figuring out proper dosages in Spanish.

The food here is amazing- we have had the opportunity to experience many dishes unique to Central America. Chef Griffin has even learned how to make papooses (that is most likely not how that dish is spelled). 

Sunday morning was spent at the Basilica where we worshipped with our Honduran brothers and sisters for upwards of three hours. The service began with a special processional, and we're not sure how it ended because the entire service was in Spanish, but it was fun experiencing the different cultural worship.

Here's a group shot of our team: 

We are here with another medical team from Oklahoma. Here we all are at lunch on Sunday. 

Sunday night, we had a pizza party with a few Honduran medical students. It was interesting being able to compare their medical training to ours in the States. Hopefully, our new friends will be able to come out to the clinics and work with us after their classes. 

Monday marks our first day of clinic here in Tegucigalpa. We'll have a full update on both the hospital team as well as the clinic team. 

Thank you for your prayers! Specific needs include patience with the language barrier, strength to get through the physical demands the day will bring, safety in health, and of course, that we will constantly be aware of opportunities to preach the gospel of Christ's love to these precious people of Honduras.