Dia de "CAP" Santa Eulalia

Waiting Room at the CAP at 8 am, line goes out the door quite a ways

A simply amazing and remarkable day. We were scheduled to provide consults and perform prenatal ultrasounds today for the people of Santa Eulalia along with many of the nurses and staff who participated in our training yesterday. It was a truly lovely morning at 9000 feet, blue skies, the sun shining, a great breakfast of Panquakes and we were off to the CAP. Now I am not really sure what that acronym stands for, but what we witnessed was a bare bones, clinic and emergency care single level stucco building staffed by dedicated, mostly young and bilingual professionals (that's Spanish and the Mayan language K'anjobal), crowded by the poorest yet gentlest people in Guatemala.

Happiness is doing lots of ultrasonidos

By the end of the day we provided care to nearly 200 people including 39 ultrasound exams. We saw babies, infants with febrile seizures and failure to thrive, many mom's in varying gestations of their pregnancies, domestic violence, scarlet fever x 3, and a few older people who were dying as their families asked for guidance as to what to do next for their beloved and honored father or mother. Sure, there were logistical and cultural barriers, but all in all, despite the dis or organized chaos, it went great! Suzy was our generous pharmacist, while Mike, Orlando, Matt, Elena, Mali and I saw patients. There was no EPIC charting, denials of meds (although we had a limited formulary (see above), PAR's, insurance forms, billing hassles, or meetings! Orlando and I were in heaven!

Mali'e Med List

Me and the ladies who were translators, "I needed a lot of them"!

Yet, the day fished with a few very humbling and kindhearted words form the head nurse. She earnestly shared that we were so very much appreciated and apologized that we had to practice in a place with so little resources. Little did she probably understand how grateful we were to be allowed to touch so many today and provide some kindness, help and our expertise. Many tears came to our eyes, the patients were so greatful, hugged us at every chance and asked us to come back.

Check out the brim!

We all know that the problems of Guatemala with its poverty, environmental poisoning, malnutrition, violence, corruption and just the peoples' very difficult and arduous physical existence can seem overwhelming. But we from North America have our own difficulties too, sometime because so much has been given to us, sometimes because we can suffer too, sometimes because we are ignorant to what is really happening.  It just seemed that our two worlds came together today, and it brought me a sense that there is hope for a better world, small step by small step with dignity in one hand and love and compassion in the other.

Maybe this is why the murdered American priest Father Stanley Rother who felt willing to fight for their peace and justice. Fr. Rother was a missionary priest from Oklahoma, serving in the Oklahoma Catholic Mission in Santiago Atitlan Guatemala when he was martyred in the rectory of the parish church on July 28, 1981. He was killed by right-wing paramilitary forces opposed to the work he was doing to improve the lives of his poorest parishioners. We visited his parish this past weekend in Santiago de Atilan. It is often said that one can only meet the Divine by living with and serving the poor.

Tomorrow we travel to Soloma which is about 35 miles south of our current perch for another series of workshops with the midwives and staff of the children's and maternity health post. This evening was topped off, by the way, with an exciting match of futbal in a covered small field (cancha) complete with artificial turf, drunken fans and our own Mali, Mike and Matt who played with local chapinos. Pretty much a blast with many "Golazos" and cheers from the Los Guerroros Verdes de Portlandia, Oregon (Suzy, Elena and Loro) while Orlando got some well deserved rest).

Chapulin y La Paloma in action

Hasta Manana,
El Loro -