Back in the U-S-A

After 2 weeks backpacking in Peru with my dad, I am back in Seattle. I was greeted by my hard drive crashing, losing all of my photos, documents, music, etc. Luckily I had the pictures from our trek on my camera, here are a few! Thanks for all your prayers and support :-) Merry Christmas!

Mi ultima semana...

Well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's my last week in Bolivia. It has been a little nuts with political unrest...we were confined to our house in Santa Cruz today because there is a 6-province wide strike. On Sunday, we went to a soccer game and it was crazy...we played the team from La Paz, and there's a lot of racial and social tension between the 2 provinces. Let's just say we booked it home afterwards! I got some good pictures but my computer is taking forever to upload right now. We celebrated thanksgiving right this weekened prepared by mom and dad (charlotte and derek) and me. I have to say, it was quite scrumptious, turkey, stuffing, & all. I did miss Aunt Mary's cranberry sauce, though! Tomorrow is volunteer training day for my public health project and I'm a little nervous...there have been quite a few road blocks...figuratively & literally...but I'm trusting that God's gonna work it out. I can't believe it's almost December...we had temp.'s in the 90s this week...ugh. I'm actually looking forward to real winter!

Happy Thanksgiving

Really missing my family, especially this time of year...I wish I could be there with you! I'm back in Bolivia safely and I have to say, I'm especially glad to be from the land of the free after a week in a communist country, but it was a very eye opening experience! I'll be at the clinic on Thanksgiving day so I won't be able to call :-( Love you guys! Here I am in country gooding jr, a little bit nervous to be holding the flag!

Bichos

Last week, we did a test run for the deworming/nutrition/hygiene project that will hopefully be in full force starting in February. International public health is no joke: lack of reliable transportation, communication, resources, differences in cultural practices, etc. But having the opportunity to interact with these kids & knowing how much better their lives could be without these parasites makes it more than worth it. "Worms" affect over 2 billion people worldwide. They contribute to vitamin and nutrient deficiency, decreased cognitive function, and increased risk for getting other diseases. They affect people in poverty stricken areas and haven't gotten enough attention to make needed changes. I feel BLESSED to be in a position to bring education on prevention and treatment to these people in hard to reach places.

We did the Monster Mash

To celebrate a pointless yet enjoyable American holiday, we had a party at our house last weekend. We had no problem finding costumes - there's a strip of stores that are ALL costume and party stores. But surprisingly, no trick or treaters. I wonder who's wearing all those costumes (besides us). Some of the highlights: Mike the giant penguin, Popeye & Olive Oil (aka Derek & Charlotte). I decided to go the home-made route and dressed up as Mrs. Homer J. Here are a few fotitos! Oh, last night I woke my roommates up because I was sleeptalking in Spanish...WHAT?

Survival Skills

Okay, so I'm on a blogging binge. Our internet is going fast, so I want to make sure to take advantage of it.

Halloween night:
11:30pm We were driving back to the clinic after a rousing game of volleyball when we noticed the ride, although normally bumpy, was especially bumpy. We got out to check the wheel, and sure enough, it was completely demolished.
12:00pm We can't find one of the parts to the car jack.
12:10pm Guinda (one of the clinic nurses) and I go to look for help. It's pitch dark, and we are serrenaded by sounds of insects, birds, and who knows what else for a couple miles.
Meanwhile, Ethan & Rich work their magic with no flashlight to put the spare tire on.
12:30pm Guinda and I arrive at pastor's house and wake him up for help. Just as we head out to leave, Ethan and Rich pull up. They did it!

Alex Trebek - Revisited

I've been informed that although a picture was posted, I didn't explain my encounter with Alex Trebek on my blog. People have asked, "Who's that guy your with?" and "Is that your dad?" Obviously not Jeopardy fans, I will recount our meeting to clarify. I was sitting in Lima, Peru waiting for my flight to Santa Cruz. After 2 days of travel and very little sleep, I needed some fuel for my fire. Just as I started to doze off, a strapping older man caught my attention...could it be? Weeknights at 7pm have been spent with him for decades. And there he was, sitting just across the room from me. As I thought of a witty way to approach him, all I could mutter out was "ARE YOU ALEX TREBEK?" Classy. I talked to him and his wife Jeannie about my trip to Bolivia for a few minutes and documented it in photo. I think I even said the ultimate star struck phrase, "I'm a huge fan." So there you have it.

!Que la Muerda!

I have so much to catch up on my blog! I have not been very good about this. I'm going to go back to my birthday (over a month ago). There's this tradition where the birthday girl/boy takes a bite out of the cake after blowing out the candles. Everyone chants "Que la muerda" (take a bite) and the birthday person goes in for a dangerous bite...dangerous because someone sneaks up behind them to push their face in the cake.I had the pleasure of doing this several times, as my colleagues found it amusing to take every opportunity to sing happy birthday once they discovered that it makes me blush. Charlotte finally took the bday torch a few weeks after me! Here's a couple pictures of us going for the plunge.

Every week, along with seeing patients in the clinic, we visit different pueblos surrounding Palacios. Last week, we saw over 300 patients and it was a good week to be busy because there was an amazing infectious disease doctor, a renal doctor, and a general medicine doctor with us. It's cool because I'm starting to recognize patients that we've treated and starting to build relationships them. This week we saw patients with scarlet fever, leishmaniasis, chagas, fungal infections, staph infections, and lots of parasites. Oh, and how could I forget...today we saw a lady with more than 100 larvae living in her ear. I'll show you pictures when I get home but will spare those who'd rather not see :-) It's crazy how much we take health care for granted in the US. We just got back from the clinic and I'm pretty tired, but God is good. Holla.

Let it Rain

It is a Seattle day in Bolivia and it´s so refreshing. At the end of winter, everyone burns their fields to cultivate the land. And it has been so smokey. Not to mention all the rainforest that is being burned by land hungry, not nice people. The government is taking away land from people unless they do something with it, which has triggered the destruction of miles and miles of Selva (rainforest). Humberto Parra (namesake of the clinic) burned down rainforest and on his death bed, sold the land for dirt cheap to Dr. Hou to build the clinic as an act of redemption. Now his own family is continuing to illegally burn down more rainforest around the clinic to plant sugar cane. Anyway, now that the rain has come people aren´t burning anymore. I hope they stop for good. Maybe I should strap myself to a tree.

Well, I'm nearing the end of my first week in Bolivia. And I have to say, after camping for a month in Kenya, I'm feeling quite spoiled. We spend weekends, Mondays, and Tuesdays at the house in Santa Cruz and the rest of the week at the clinic in Palacios. I am in the process of getting my public health project underway, I will be bringing "bicho" medications (for worms and other parasites) and vitamin A supplements to schools along with flip flops for the children. It turns out that if these children get 2 doses of vitamin A per year, the mortality rate decreases by 30%. Pretty amazing. To keep the program going, I will need to do some research and data collection to get it approved for funding. I'll also be teaching the teachers at the schools about hygeine and nutrition to decrease the rates of future "bichos" and encourage them to take the project over themselves. It is amazing to be working with all of these doctors. They are some of the smartest people I've ever met and I learn more and more every day. Oh, and I found out that I passed my boards the day I left! Thanks for the prayers :-)

Caregivers of Karabach

Here's a little video that explains where I was and what I was doing in Kenya. Hope you enjoy it :-)

Jambo Sana!

Maasai Mara


Mom with baby Melissa


St. John's Clinic


As a kid, it was always my dream to go to Africa. I had all the countries memorized on GeoSafari (I think Kenya was #17), interpretive dances to every song from The Lion King, and dozens of books on African culture. I had to pinch myself when we landed in Nairobi as I pictured myself on the globe. God taught me more than I could have ever imagined about His servant's heart and His love for the forgotten. It was humbling to be a granule of salt in the shaker seasoning the community of Kodera. Thank you for your prayers; know that God is doing great things.

Melissa and Gretchen to Africa

We leave for Kenya tomorrow at 8am! I will try to update on behalf of my mom and I if I have the opportunity! Thank you for your prayers :-)

Itinerary:
To Africa:
July 31st
8:40am Seattle to Detroit
7:10pm Detroit to Amsterdam
August 1st
10:15am Amsterdam to Nairobi
August 2nd
8:00am Nairobi to Kisii (3-4 hr drive from Kisii to Kodera)

To Seattle:
August 22nd
6:30pm Kisii to Nairobi
10:15pm Nairobi to Amsterdam
August 23rd
1:05pm Amsterdam to Seattle (arrive in Seattle at 2:10pm)


Things we need prayer for:
Safe Travel - it will take us 3 days to get to Kodera, including a night in Nairobi. Also, some NW airline pilots are on strike - so pray that the pilot of our flight will not cancel! Also that our luggage (supplies) will arrive with us.

Protection - on our bodies, minds, and souls. Healing & protection on the bodies, minds and souls on those we will care for.

Relationships - that barriers will be broken down. That we will be able to set aside our expectations and judgements and allow God to continue His work through us in Africa. That we will have unity with our team.

Brokenness - that we will allow God to reconstruct our ways of thinking. That God will be a part of every encounter.

Strength - that we will not grow tired or weary. That the knowledge we need to care and teach will come easily.

Peace - that the village of Kodera, nation of Kenya, and continent of Africa will find rest, joy, and salvation in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

So here I am. A college grad, a grown woman, a nurse...
I know that this "shifting" time of life is not easy. I know I am in a place where it would be easy to regress and avoid dealing with God's call on my life. But I have come too far for too long to turn back. So here I go, trusting and believing that my steps are ordered.
I'm new at blogging, but want to be able to communicate with ya'll while I'm gone...so bear with me as I figure this out!