On Mondays I see patients at a church called Igreja Metodista Mutirao. Earlier this week was the first day, and it ended at noon because Brazil had a World Cup game against Cameroon that afternoon. I saw 17 people. Next Monday is likely to be much, much busier.
The entire city shuts down for these games. People leave work several hours before it starts. All the buses stop, the stores in the shopping malls close for three hours.
On Tuesday I see patients in a Methodist church in the suburb called Alfredo Nascimento. It was busier. I saw 79 people between 8 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. They had all kinds of problems: allergies, acid reflux, snakebite (his leg had already been amputated), bronchitis, osteoarthritis, UTIs, etc. Everybody has intestinal worms. Unfortunately we only have medicine to treat adults because the factory that makes albendazole is on strike. Two young women helped me. One is in college studying psychology and the other has a year of nursing school but had to quit and work for awhile so she can continue to pay the $300 per month cost of schooling. She is currently still looking for a job.
On Tuesday nights I teach an English class from 7:30 - 8:30. That has been fun.
On Wednesday I get up at 4:30 to catch a ride to the port for the 2-hour Express boat ride to Manaquiri. I can see a few patients there before noon, and then work all afternoon. I work there on Thursday morning, too. I have to leave clinic at 11 to get on my return boat at noon. This week was my first time, and the community didn't know I was coming. So I only saw 37 people. It is sure to be much busier next week.
There's a small hospital in Manaquiri. Four Cuban docs work there and one Peruvian. They are paid about US$5,000 per month. That's wonderful pay for the Cubans, as they are accustomed to an extremely low wage in Cuba. The Cuban docs that I've met in the past have been well trained, attentive to the patients, and hard workers.
On Friday I have a day of rest (so far). There's talk of me seeing patients in a Methodist church in the suburb of Santa Etelvina on Fridays. (You can find all these places on Google Earth). Back in 2009 I helped build the church there. It's a good feeling to see it functioning as a robust community resource now. Each afternoon on school days they have a program called "Shade and Fresh Water" there. The school kids have a safe place to go after school to play, do homework, and wait for their parents to get home from work. The phrase Shade and Fresh Water comes from Brazilian story that this is all one really needs in order to have a good day.
Saturday is open for a variety of activities. It's a long trip out to our medical boat, but I need to go there to refresh my box of medicines for the neighborhood clinics.
Sunday is busy at church. From 9-12 there's adult Bible school, then evening services from 7-10.
That's my schedule.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Thursday, June 26, 2014
26 June 2014
It has been a busy 2 weeks since I arrived. I didn't plan to wait this long before adding things to this Blog, but a lack of internet access has only recently been resolved.
I returned today from an overnight trip to a little town called Manaquiri. Pastor Augusto took me to the central Manaus port at 6 AM yesterday and put me on the Express boat. It was called the "Lancha the Flash V". About 40 passengers were on it with me, in a long boat with two seats on each side and a central walkway down the middle. A very loud motor was at the stern. Good roof overhead, no windows so a wonderful breeze blew by as we crossed the Rio Negro, went through a flooded lake, and proceeded up the Rio Solimoes. After about one hour of travel (approximately 25-30 mph) we hit something under the water. A loud BOOM announced the destruction of something important. The captain shut down the motor, inspected some things, and then we slowly got underway towards the center of the Rio Solimoes. After we moved about a mile into the river, very slowly and with terrific vibrations, the engine was shut of again and we floated quietly down the river for about 40 minutes until another "Flash" boat came to offload us and continue the journey up river. The Solimoes was 5-6 miles wide at this point as we had not yet entered the tributary towards Manaquiri.
I arrived about 1 hour late, but Pastor Wagner was still waiting to meet me.
He took me to a small bakery for breakfast of bread with melted cheese, coffee, and sweet corn cake.
Next stop was to be the hospital, but his car wouldn't start. So he put me on a Moto-Taxi and I rode through the winding streets that way. From the hospital a woman named Dilma took me to my work site on the edge of town, called an UBAS (Unidade Basico Assistencia de Saude = Basic Unit of Health Assistance). The two nurses, receptionist, and motorcycle driver there were very patient and helpful as I learned their system and attended 17 people of all ages.
This morning, I saw 21 people there before going back to the port for my trip back to Manaus at noon.
We arrived in a spectacular cloudburst type of rainstorm. I had purchased an umbrella in Manaquiri because it was raining when I left there, and I used it in Manaus to help a woman with a 2-month old baby get from the boat to her home. I got soaked. She and baby were very grateful.
It has been a busy 2 weeks since I arrived. I didn't plan to wait this long before adding things to this Blog, but a lack of internet access has only recently been resolved.
I returned today from an overnight trip to a little town called Manaquiri. Pastor Augusto took me to the central Manaus port at 6 AM yesterday and put me on the Express boat. It was called the "Lancha the Flash V". About 40 passengers were on it with me, in a long boat with two seats on each side and a central walkway down the middle. A very loud motor was at the stern. Good roof overhead, no windows so a wonderful breeze blew by as we crossed the Rio Negro, went through a flooded lake, and proceeded up the Rio Solimoes. After about one hour of travel (approximately 25-30 mph) we hit something under the water. A loud BOOM announced the destruction of something important. The captain shut down the motor, inspected some things, and then we slowly got underway towards the center of the Rio Solimoes. After we moved about a mile into the river, very slowly and with terrific vibrations, the engine was shut of again and we floated quietly down the river for about 40 minutes until another "Flash" boat came to offload us and continue the journey up river. The Solimoes was 5-6 miles wide at this point as we had not yet entered the tributary towards Manaquiri.
I arrived about 1 hour late, but Pastor Wagner was still waiting to meet me.
He took me to a small bakery for breakfast of bread with melted cheese, coffee, and sweet corn cake.
Next stop was to be the hospital, but his car wouldn't start. So he put me on a Moto-Taxi and I rode through the winding streets that way. From the hospital a woman named Dilma took me to my work site on the edge of town, called an UBAS (Unidade Basico Assistencia de Saude = Basic Unit of Health Assistance). The two nurses, receptionist, and motorcycle driver there were very patient and helpful as I learned their system and attended 17 people of all ages.
This morning, I saw 21 people there before going back to the port for my trip back to Manaus at noon.
We arrived in a spectacular cloudburst type of rainstorm. I had purchased an umbrella in Manaquiri because it was raining when I left there, and I used it in Manaus to help a woman with a 2-month old baby get from the boat to her home. I got soaked. She and baby were very grateful.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
A 90-day Mission as an Individual Volunteer for the United Methodist Church.
Well, it's just about to begin. On 11 June I will leave Montana at 6 AM to begin my three-month experience as a United Methodist Individual Volunteer in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
Today I was commissioned at church with a very special ceremony. Our Pastor, Marianne Niesen, wrote it especially for me and I thought it was wonderful. With any luck, I'll get a copy and post it here eventually.
I have already started to pack bags, and with that have already started to worry about leaving some critical thing behind. I mean, yikes, how can I know what I'm going to need for Three months in the Amazon?!?!?
Don't entirely know what to expect. I am looking for a thoroughly spiritual experience, and I don't even know what that means. I imagine that I will spend a a lot of time at Augusto's church. Every time I've been there before it has been a terrific experience. Dare I say it? God feels closer, more real, and more accessible perhaps. I'm looking for a big dose of that, a very big dose. And I expect to achieve even more closeness through endless, selfless service. I truly intend to dedicate myself to helping and serving and working every day. I want to provide continual access to medical care, teach English, and learn, learn, learn. I have an intense curiosity about what is actually going to happen! I really believe that "if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans!"
Still debating whether or not I should bring my water color painting supplies. I've never really felt comfortable painting in public, but maybe I'll get used to it. Maybe I won't have the time for it.
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