Kathy's Blog: March 29th 2010

The medical delegation left yesterday morning and it is just too darned quiet here! Haha!

It was a FULL week. We had 4 clinics in 4 different cantons with a final clinic here in Berlin. In all, they served over 1,500 people. In the group of 27 people, there were 6 doctors, 3 dentists, a group of people helping with vision and also a pharmacy. They also did some basic hygiene and dental education.

We had 8 translators hired but I spent most of my time during the days as dental translator also.

I also served as the driver for the ‘set up’ crew each day and for the ‘mini excursion’ trips for the new folks. I was the liaison and trouble shooter for the Pastoral Team and community leaders who were helping out and I was the over-all ‘go-to’ person. I was pretty much one of the first ones up in the morning and had to be one of the last ones up at night to let the group back in from their times out getting some much needed diversion. (Since the Pastoral Team ladies are up at 4:30 each morning to clean and prepare breakfast and wash the doctor’s laundry each day, I didn’t think THEY should be the ones to have to let the group back in that late at night!)

It was a hectic week. And I would go to bed exhausted. And wake up exhausted if truth be told.

But it was a good week. They are a very caring group of people. And they serve a huge number of people. There are so many stories to tell about the week. Maybe I will just ‘bullet point’ some highlights and perhaps embellish another day:

- I extracted two teeth! ME! The dental phobic!
- I met a 90 some year old man who has relatively good health, and now looks WAY better after that tooth was extracted and is thinking about getting married again!
- I was amazed at the level of local involvement in most of the communities - Community members made themselves available to move things, set up shade tarps, organize the people or do whatever was asked of them!

I'm sure I'll think of all sorts of stories to tell.

So now I’m working on getting myself organized for my work trip back to the states. I am doing the pulpit time at 4 Sunday services (including two on Easter Sunday!), Dowling and Central Academy classes, the PW Spring Gathering, a couple of ‘supper-talks’ and a couple of Mission Committee meetings as well as the Compañeros meeting and Social Ministry Task Force meeting.

I do get to do a couple of fun things while I am in the states! I get to see my family and friends… I get to go to an Elton John concert and spend at least one day helping my sister move.

So now… I’d better get my ‘talks’ ready!!