|
Apizaco/Altatonga, Mexico 2003
“I received so
much more than I gave.”
by:
Gene Flanery
On July 26th
– August 6, 2003 I had the privilege of leading a group of six
North Americans to Mexico. The trip was organized under the
auspices of Mercy and Truth Medical Mission but was in
partnership with my occupational Spanish training program
called Seein’ Vases. Our goal was to give the North Americans
a hands-on approach to learning Spanish through immersion into
Latino culture while providing basic healthcare to the poor.
Two nurses, a medical technician and two students joined me
for eleven exciting days in Mexico. We arrived at the airport
in Mexico City on Saturday and immediately loaded our medical
supplies and suitcases on a bus and headed to the city of
Puebla two hours away. There, missionary Bill Rupe escorted
us to Apizaco, Tlaxcala. This beautiful city, nestled at the
foot of a large mountain, provided our team with a pleasant
setting for an initial exposure to Mexico. Moderate weather
during the day was replaced by cooler temperatures at night as
we stayed at an elevation of 8,000 feet.
 The
first two days were spent learning the basics of the Spanish
language. Long hours in the classroom were complimented with
time spent in the park, streets and market conversing with the
local people. The on-the-street time was a real favorite for
the students who got to actually put their Spanish into
practice where ever they went. Our evening meals were
highlighted with exciting stories of cross-cultural encounters
with the gracious Mexican people the students had met that
day.
After two
days of learning some of the basic conversation we began
preparing for actual situations where the students were going
to encounter patients for the remainder of the trip. They
learned how to take vital signs, do basic pain assessment
using the pain scale, to conduct blood analysis through a
hemoglobin test and how to instruct patients to take
medications, all in Spanish. These times of practice were
quickly put to the test as we conducted half day clinics at a
local church and saw about forty patients on our fourth and
fifth days.
After five
days of classes and staying in a nice hotel we were ready for
the demanding part of our trip. 
From Apizaco we rented a vehicle and went to the smaller town
of Perote in the neighboring state of Veracruz. For the next
two days in this small mountainous town we saw over 400
patients. Our students worked side-by-side with Mexican
doctors, dentists and nurses in giving free health care to the
poor of the town and surrounding areas. As is customary in
all Mercy and Truth medical outreaches, spiritual counseling
and prayer was provided by a team of local pastors and church
workers. This holistic approach to healthcare has proven to
be popular among the people as almost 60 adults responded to a
prayer to receive Christ. Members from the local churches
opened their homes for the team to spend the night to further
enhance the cultural immersion. The North Americans quickly
learned that, “Mi casa es su casa” is not merely a saying as
Mexican hospitality made a quick onslaught on our waste
lines.
 After
spending two days in Perote the team went to the small Mexican
town of Altatonga where two more clinics were conducted. Over
two hundred patients visited our clinics. Again the language
skills that the students studied earlier were put to the test
as they attended to the various healthcare stations we set
up. On Sunday, a trip to nearby ruins was followed by
attendance at a lively worship service at one of the
sponsoring churches.
Working
with local Mexican doctors, dentist and other healthcare
professionals made the experience rewarding for both sides.
Our team provided an impetus to show compassion to the poor.
We were pleased to find many of the doctors and dentists had
invited those we saw in the clinics to visit their offices in
the city for further care. One of the North American team
members seemed to speak for the whole group when she noted ,
“I received so much more than I gave.” Over seven hundred
patients were seen during the trip and close to one hundred
expressed a desire to know Christ better because of the impact
of the team. To top off the experience, Mercy and Truth
awarded 30 CEUs for 16 hours of classroom and 14 contact hours
for clinical work for those who registered. No wonder
everyone on the team expressed a desire to return on a future
trip.
|
