Day 3: Mission Trip and Mud Bath

Tuesday started earlier than usual.  After breakfast at 7, we immediately loaded up the vans for our first medical clinic scheduled for Teustepe, a very small barrio in Boaco province.  The longest part of the trip was travelling across Managua, but once we were out of the city, the scenery was very impressive.

A flooded palm grove along the side of the highway.  A sign of things to come?

As we got closer to our destination, the homes got more and more remote.

Arriving at Teustepe, we were told that the washrooms at the clinic may not be up to North American standards, so we decided to use the washrooms at the local school before making the trek to the clinic.  The school had closed for the day for the clinic.

The barbed wire surrounding the school.

Two boys using the school as their soccer pitch.  Noticing that their ball was fairly deflated, we decided to donate some of our balls to the school before we left. 

The school had three classrooms.  I was told that the local children would do elementary school here but would then have to travel to a larger city to do secondary school.

Like the day before, the local children were all too happy to have their photos taken.

After our washroom break, we had a 10 minute walk to the church where the clinic had been set up earlier by a team of doctors and nurses.

The hike.

As we arrived, an ambulance was making the rounds announcing the clinic.

We were warmly greeted by the villagers, and some of their livestock.

The local boys hanging out in a truck.  Their serious looks lightened as the day went on.

The church was surrounded by some very modest graves.

Some explanation of the process was given before the clinic began.  This is the waiting room.

The examining room through a brick in the church.

Triage.

Mr. MacKay using the "door" from triage to the pharmacy.

Our makeshift pharmacy.  We were told that this house is being built by a member of the community.  In order to afford the building, the owner was away for months working in Costa Rica.  Meanwhile, the community was using it as a barn.

Annette explaining one of the prescriptions.

Later in the day, we distributed some of the clothing, toys and hygiene products we brought.

A local man waiting patiently for his prescription.

The students did a fantastic job, and had lots of fun, playing with the local kids.

One of our interpreters, Francis, and our driver, Pedro.

Sharing good times.

The children loved the cameras.

A girl in her school uniform.

We walked up the hill into the village made up of about 6 homes.  They have no power or running water.  There is only one well to serve the community.

A bread oven in a backyard.

Someone gave this boy a whistle, which he loved.  We always knew where he was.

The rain started as we were nearing the end of the clinic.  The children sang some local songs for us, so the students returned the favour by singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider".

More playing.

The boys did not like smiling for pictures.  But after some convincing, they did.

Lots of livestock running freely in the barrio, including these piglets.

The doctors being taken back to the main road in the back of a truck.

After some smaller rain showers, the skies opened up on us.  It is the start of the rainy season down here, but even our interpreters told us that this was a particularly heavy tropical storm.

Finding shelter wherever possible.

One of our heroic nurses, using the local facilities after a non-stop day in the pharmacy.

The rain was so hard it eventually started to flood the roadway.  Luckily, Mr. MacKay built a dam at the opening to the pharmacy so we were not washed out.

More rain.

A local boy hiding out in the barn.

It was eventually decided that we could not walk back, so we were trucked out 5 at a time.

Waiting for a ride.

After getting soaked loading the trucks, our last group finally made it out, only to discover that our van was stuck in the mud.  One of the doctors used his truck to help us get out of our first spot, but we got stuck again.  Mr. MacKay and I, along with a very, very large man from the village finally managed to push the van out.  Needless to say, we were both covered in mud.

The drive home took a little longer than usual because of the storm.

Arriving back in Managua.

Despite the bad weather, the team handled it all very well.  Even our facilitators commented that, in the past, many teams of adults had not stayed so upbeat and calm in such trying circumstances.

Today, we are off to visit some local schools and a baby and boys' orphanage.