Hey everyone,
It has been quite a hectic week, topping it off with our bus getting lost in the back country of the DR. We have served five bateys this week, each with their own flare, but all equally as rewarding. We have met some amazing people, both within the batey and within our group. Each individual has touched our lives in a way that is profound and whose influence is yet comprehensible. We have had our share of fun in our pool parties, beach, ice cream (and bus) adventures, but yet we now understand the importance of hardwork and service.
We can't wait to share our experiences with the rest of our communities at home, through pictures and stories.
Thank you all for your support and kind words; just know that this trip has meant so much to all of us.
- Liam and Marcela
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Hey Everyone!
Today was our second to last day at the bateys. In order to get to the beach this afternoon, we got a very early start this morning leaving the hotel at 7:30 and going straight to the bateys! I worked as a scribe today helping Dr. Bliss and learned a lot while watching her work with the patients. Most of the problems that we saw were aches and pains (stomach, headache, you name it). Unfortunately the most we can do is give them some medicine to ease the pain, because things like CAT scans to figure out exactly what the problem is is not readily available. These people are extremely grateful even for this little bit of help, and it was great being able to see their happiness at finally having their problems understood and addressed. On the ride back we got to try some sugar cane which was DELICIOUS! Very sweet (obviously) but surprisingly different than what I expected. It tasted kind of like pears...and was very messy. I got sugar juice all over my scrubs! The rest of the day was spent at the beach soaking up some rays and playing a little bit of soccer (just to let you know the girls won 8-4!)
- Sherilyn
Alright so I'll try to not write a novel like everyone else, but a lot has been going on! In the beginning of the week, I took blood pressure for the first two days. This was great because I was able to interact with every patient that came into the clinic. When taking the BP of the pregnant girls, some of which were 15 and 16, I was able to hear the child kicking through the stethiscope. When talking to the kids of the bateys, my Spanish somehow just came out. Being out of the class room and in a real life situation where communication is key, I was somehow able to step out of my comfort zone and really try to talk to the kids (unless they spoke Creol!). During my time as a scribe with Dr. Miner, many of the patients and even the translator thought I was an actual doctor. Today, Liam and I were on de-worming duty and were able to play with all of the children. One of the kids called me over and whispered in my ear "thank you". Although very simple, this meant so much to me because a child went out of his way to let me know how thankful he was for what were are doing. I have experienced more here in a week than many do in a lifetime, and I look forward to my final two days in the D.R.
And yes mom, I am wearing sunblock!!!
-Kirk N.
Well, this week has been an amazing experience, as expected. I won't say much since much has already been said to consume your time. In a recap of the week, I will say it has been hectic. We have had a lot to do and time always seems to be against us, but the work we have done speaks volumes to the resolve and hard-working nature of this group. My work has been busy with the pharmacy for 2 days, scribing for one, and de-worming (giving children stomach medecine) today with Kirk. The pharmacy was intense, filling prescriptions and making sure that patients get the needed drugs. Scribing was great because I got a chance to talk to patients about their problems and even administer a diabetes test. De-worming basically meant playing with the kids all day. While throwing the ball with some of the children, I realized why so many major league baseball scouts seek talent in the DR. A 4 year old kid had an arm better than many of the Little Leaguers I remember playing with in Rhode Island. Overall, the trip has been exhausting but a real beneficial experience for everyone involved.
The thing that has affected me the most on this trip is the people. Everyone needs so much yet everyone is happy. They are proud people living on less than 7 dollars a day per family (try that in the states) who need so much help but yet only take what they are given and are always graceous. At home, I am a habitual Ibprofen user for headaches or pains. It has never been a problem for me to go to CVS and buy a cheap bottle of Ibprofen. It amazes me that when I feel a prescription for Ibprofen down here for one month, that will be all the pain meds they get all year. And they are working 10-12 hour days at least 6 days a week in the fields chopping down sugar cane, which is very physically intense work. It really gets me thinking of the way Americans demand so much but yet have such a good life in comparison to the people down here. This has been a wonderful experience, one that I wish that everyone in the US could have at least one in their lives.
-Liam Miner
Today was our second to last day at the bateys. In order to get to the beach this afternoon, we got a very early start this morning leaving the hotel at 7:30 and going straight to the bateys! I worked as a scribe today helping Dr. Bliss and learned a lot while watching her work with the patients. Most of the problems that we saw were aches and pains (stomach, headache, you name it). Unfortunately the most we can do is give them some medicine to ease the pain, because things like CAT scans to figure out exactly what the problem is is not readily available. These people are extremely grateful even for this little bit of help, and it was great being able to see their happiness at finally having their problems understood and addressed. On the ride back we got to try some sugar cane which was DELICIOUS! Very sweet (obviously) but surprisingly different than what I expected. It tasted kind of like pears...and was very messy. I got sugar juice all over my scrubs! The rest of the day was spent at the beach soaking up some rays and playing a little bit of soccer (just to let you know the girls won 8-4!)
- Sherilyn
Alright so I'll try to not write a novel like everyone else, but a lot has been going on! In the beginning of the week, I took blood pressure for the first two days. This was great because I was able to interact with every patient that came into the clinic. When taking the BP of the pregnant girls, some of which were 15 and 16, I was able to hear the child kicking through the stethiscope. When talking to the kids of the bateys, my Spanish somehow just came out. Being out of the class room and in a real life situation where communication is key, I was somehow able to step out of my comfort zone and really try to talk to the kids (unless they spoke Creol!). During my time as a scribe with Dr. Miner, many of the patients and even the translator thought I was an actual doctor. Today, Liam and I were on de-worming duty and were able to play with all of the children. One of the kids called me over and whispered in my ear "thank you". Although very simple, this meant so much to me because a child went out of his way to let me know how thankful he was for what were are doing. I have experienced more here in a week than many do in a lifetime, and I look forward to my final two days in the D.R.
And yes mom, I am wearing sunblock!!!
-Kirk N.
Well, this week has been an amazing experience, as expected. I won't say much since much has already been said to consume your time. In a recap of the week, I will say it has been hectic. We have had a lot to do and time always seems to be against us, but the work we have done speaks volumes to the resolve and hard-working nature of this group. My work has been busy with the pharmacy for 2 days, scribing for one, and de-worming (giving children stomach medecine) today with Kirk. The pharmacy was intense, filling prescriptions and making sure that patients get the needed drugs. Scribing was great because I got a chance to talk to patients about their problems and even administer a diabetes test. De-worming basically meant playing with the kids all day. While throwing the ball with some of the children, I realized why so many major league baseball scouts seek talent in the DR. A 4 year old kid had an arm better than many of the Little Leaguers I remember playing with in Rhode Island. Overall, the trip has been exhausting but a real beneficial experience for everyone involved.
The thing that has affected me the most on this trip is the people. Everyone needs so much yet everyone is happy. They are proud people living on less than 7 dollars a day per family (try that in the states) who need so much help but yet only take what they are given and are always graceous. At home, I am a habitual Ibprofen user for headaches or pains. It has never been a problem for me to go to CVS and buy a cheap bottle of Ibprofen. It amazes me that when I feel a prescription for Ibprofen down here for one month, that will be all the pain meds they get all year. And they are working 10-12 hour days at least 6 days a week in the fields chopping down sugar cane, which is very physically intense work. It really gets me thinking of the way Americans demand so much but yet have such a good life in comparison to the people down here. This has been a wonderful experience, one that I wish that everyone in the US could have at least one in their lives.
-Liam Miner
Hola Todos! We are very sorry for the delay in the recent blog. We didn't have any internet service yesterday. This was supposed to be sent yesterday around 3ish...
Hi Everyone! Since the last update, we have been quite busy. Yesterday afternoon, we visited the orphanage, truly an amazing experience. As soon as we walked in the gate, we were greeted with hugs and smiles from all the children. I immediately found myself holding the most adorable little eight year old girl who did not let go of me the entire time we were there. It was incredible to see how happy and welcoming they all were, given everything they have gone through. Even though we were only there for an hour, our visit really brightened their day and it was extremely difficult to say goodbye. After the visit to the orphanage, we had dinner and then headed out for a competitive game of basketball against another group from Kansas (Go Quakers!). Although the first half we were a bit rusty, by the second half we definitely came back a bit. We came back to the hotel tired, but some of us still had energy to run in the pool and do an ab workout! Needless to say we were more than a little tired this morning, but were all set to go out to another batey. I worked as a scribe to one of the doctors, which was a great learning experience. It was eye opening to see how many people had simple medical problems like headaches that would be a quick fix in the U.S. but had gone on for months because of the lack of medical resources. At the same time, I feel like the work we are doing is making a small, but tangible difference in these people’s lives. This trip has been an amazing experience and I wish we could stay for longer to help out even more. Hope everyone is doing well back home!
--Molly S
This trip has been absolutely amazing. It is truly a humbling experience seeing all these people. For example, the first day Kirk and I took blood pressures of all the patients. After seeing so many BP over 200, we were ecstatic to see normal BP and we were so enthusiastic when telling them that they were in great health. Needless to say, they were equally as thrilled. However, there were countless people with BP that were in the not-so-great range. When earnestly asked, “Is my BP okay?” (in Spanish of course!) when it wasn’t, it was extremely difficult to answer. We tried to reassure them as best as possible. It’s heartbreaking to see that these people have so little when we have so much. When you see the children laughing and playing and hugging us, and the adults begging for reassurance, all you want to do is give them everything you have. As we worked in the pharmacy, we all came to the realization that a tiny pill of advil can go so far, yet this is the only bit of medication they will get in a long time.
Today, a few of us gave out glasses to people, many of whom desperately needed them. I cannot even begin to explain the feeling you get when you see the widest of smiles stretch across their face when they are finally granted the gift of sight, something they have lived without for so long. It is so rewarding to help someone, and so devastating when we have to say no. The children are unbelievable; so open, so genuine, so happy despite all that have been through. This was especially prominent when we visited the orphanage. The person who ran the orphanage said that she had been praying for people like us to come and play with the children, and we were “answers to her prayers.” I cannot even begin to explain how rewarding it is to help someone. I just wish more people in the world would do this!
--Jenna
Hi everyone! The weather is awesome down here, right now I am sitting in the sun (with sunscreen on of course) and it’s about 82 degrees out. Other than the gorgeous weather we are having, I am having the time of my life. This is my second time out of the country and it has been such a positive experience. I really hope that they will offer this trip next year so I can have a chance to come back.
The first day we arrived I was really nervous, but after a fun time with a few natives and a one year old girl I relaxed completely. Although there is a language barrier here, it is still very easy to communicate with those that speak either Spanish of Creole. I take Spanish at school and it has been very fun to use my skills here, although there have been a few times where I have said phrases that were blatantly wrong. All in all, it has been so much fun working as a scribe, a pharmacist, and taking blood pressure. The orfanage was a great experience and all of the people here have been extremely nice and understanding, especially when I mistakenly said “yo puede” instead of “yo puedo.” ☺ Thank you so much to everyone who donated and made this trip possible. Now I don’t want to leave!
--Zoe
Hi Everyone! Since the last update, we have been quite busy. Yesterday afternoon, we visited the orphanage, truly an amazing experience. As soon as we walked in the gate, we were greeted with hugs and smiles from all the children. I immediately found myself holding the most adorable little eight year old girl who did not let go of me the entire time we were there. It was incredible to see how happy and welcoming they all were, given everything they have gone through. Even though we were only there for an hour, our visit really brightened their day and it was extremely difficult to say goodbye. After the visit to the orphanage, we had dinner and then headed out for a competitive game of basketball against another group from Kansas (Go Quakers!). Although the first half we were a bit rusty, by the second half we definitely came back a bit. We came back to the hotel tired, but some of us still had energy to run in the pool and do an ab workout! Needless to say we were more than a little tired this morning, but were all set to go out to another batey. I worked as a scribe to one of the doctors, which was a great learning experience. It was eye opening to see how many people had simple medical problems like headaches that would be a quick fix in the U.S. but had gone on for months because of the lack of medical resources. At the same time, I feel like the work we are doing is making a small, but tangible difference in these people’s lives. This trip has been an amazing experience and I wish we could stay for longer to help out even more. Hope everyone is doing well back home!
--Molly S
This trip has been absolutely amazing. It is truly a humbling experience seeing all these people. For example, the first day Kirk and I took blood pressures of all the patients. After seeing so many BP over 200, we were ecstatic to see normal BP and we were so enthusiastic when telling them that they were in great health. Needless to say, they were equally as thrilled. However, there were countless people with BP that were in the not-so-great range. When earnestly asked, “Is my BP okay?” (in Spanish of course!) when it wasn’t, it was extremely difficult to answer. We tried to reassure them as best as possible. It’s heartbreaking to see that these people have so little when we have so much. When you see the children laughing and playing and hugging us, and the adults begging for reassurance, all you want to do is give them everything you have. As we worked in the pharmacy, we all came to the realization that a tiny pill of advil can go so far, yet this is the only bit of medication they will get in a long time.
Today, a few of us gave out glasses to people, many of whom desperately needed them. I cannot even begin to explain the feeling you get when you see the widest of smiles stretch across their face when they are finally granted the gift of sight, something they have lived without for so long. It is so rewarding to help someone, and so devastating when we have to say no. The children are unbelievable; so open, so genuine, so happy despite all that have been through. This was especially prominent when we visited the orphanage. The person who ran the orphanage said that she had been praying for people like us to come and play with the children, and we were “answers to her prayers.” I cannot even begin to explain how rewarding it is to help someone. I just wish more people in the world would do this!
--Jenna
Hi everyone! The weather is awesome down here, right now I am sitting in the sun (with sunscreen on of course) and it’s about 82 degrees out. Other than the gorgeous weather we are having, I am having the time of my life. This is my second time out of the country and it has been such a positive experience. I really hope that they will offer this trip next year so I can have a chance to come back.
The first day we arrived I was really nervous, but after a fun time with a few natives and a one year old girl I relaxed completely. Although there is a language barrier here, it is still very easy to communicate with those that speak either Spanish of Creole. I take Spanish at school and it has been very fun to use my skills here, although there have been a few times where I have said phrases that were blatantly wrong. All in all, it has been so much fun working as a scribe, a pharmacist, and taking blood pressure. The orfanage was a great experience and all of the people here have been extremely nice and understanding, especially when I mistakenly said “yo puede” instead of “yo puedo.” ☺ Thank you so much to everyone who donated and made this trip possible. Now I don’t want to leave!
--Zoe
The joys and frustrations of technology
I am so pleased that so many people are following the blog this year! And commenting! It is awesome. Unfortunately it can be a difficult thing to blog in the DR. Basically there are two ways that the students are able to blog, either they are able to use the computer of an adminsitrator in the hotel when they return from the batey, or they are able to use the one business computer of the hotel. Both of these depend on one thing internet connection... Unfortunately the internet connection has been down...
Fortunately, I spoke with Jill tonight so I have a bit of an update. Everyone is doing a great job! They have been going to one batey each day. After the batey yesterday they went out to dinner at one of the resorts. This afternoon they went to the beach after their day of service. They also had time to celebrate David's 16th birthday with a cake! Tomorrow they will head out to one more batey and have time to reflect on their experiences together and celebrate their time with the people they have been working with all week.
They are hoping that their parents' won't forget to pick them up at the airport on Saturday night:) Jill said they will continue to try to blog tonight, and will try again in the morning. Thanks for your patience, keep checking the blog!
Fortunately, I spoke with Jill tonight so I have a bit of an update. Everyone is doing a great job! They have been going to one batey each day. After the batey yesterday they went out to dinner at one of the resorts. This afternoon they went to the beach after their day of service. They also had time to celebrate David's 16th birthday with a cake! Tomorrow they will head out to one more batey and have time to reflect on their experiences together and celebrate their time with the people they have been working with all week.
They are hoping that their parents' won't forget to pick them up at the airport on Saturday night:) Jill said they will continue to try to blog tonight, and will try again in the morning. Thanks for your patience, keep checking the blog!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Boston Airport Send off
As most of you know my wife went into the hospital last week so I was unable to go with the trip this year. Of course I was totally bummed when I realized I couldn't go, but so relieved when Jill Stockman volunteered to go in my place! I was able to make it to the airport for the 4am send off and of course my favorite the last minute shuffling of items in the bags to make sure that each bag did not exceed the 50lb limit. Leaving from Boston was much easier than leaving from Providence because they did not individually check each bag at security so it was a lot less stress. I think the biggest sadness for me in not going this year is that for the first time in the trip's history, there are 3 siblings of former DR trip participants, and several students who came through the middle school wanting to participate. As I waved goodbye as they passed through security the loss I felt was knowing that I wouldn't see the amazing and transformational experiences that these 12 students were about to have; but I am looking forward to hearing all the stories when they return.
Fortunately, my wife was discharged yesterday and now I get to practice my nursing skills at home.... So I will be following the blog every day! Hopefully we will get to see pictures tomorrow?
Hope the b-ball game goes well, and of course that you beat Kansas! I'm so proud of each of you and can't wait to hear all the soties upon your return! Much love to you all. -Galen
David and Graham´s Batey Adventures
We will not be repetitive because we want to surpass the previous dual blog entry. Yesterday was an first day in a world very different from the East Side. Kirk said it perfectly as we roamed into the dense sugar cane to empty our bladders. He said something like, "Graham, this is surreal". I (Graham) looked up to see miles of emptiness. My job as trafficer in the clinic was completely negated and I was defaulted to being a sort of amusement for all waiting patrons. I became lost in my primitive three years of Spanish yet I gained confidence as I played baseball with children who may never go as far as Santo Domingo. We do not have much time and I want to let David write his entry. Today we saw the face of poverty. Even my decent Spanish could not break the vast barriers between the Creole speakers and me. I worked in the pharmacy and attempted to use my nonverbal communication. I had trouble finding the optimism today as once again I scrambled toward the cane as the ground was lined by a layer of can and plastic, but I wil continue to remind myself that although we can not cure the tumor on the old woman´s neck or the oral infection of the little infant, but we can make these Dominicans feel that someone cares.
As I (David) started yesterday on the eyeglass station, I did not understand what I was getting myself into. I was given a card similar to those found in pediatric Doctor´s offices for recognizing the strength of visi0n. Although I have no experience in the Spanish language, my study of French has helped in my attempt to communicate with the Creole people. For the most part, the Creoles speak in a dialect that is rooted in French, which allows me to communicate basic vocabulary, and being able to give the gift of sight.
As I (David) started yesterday on the eyeglass station, I did not understand what I was getting myself into. I was given a card similar to those found in pediatric Doctor´s offices for recognizing the strength of visi0n. Although I have no experience in the Spanish language, my study of French has helped in my attempt to communicate with the Creole people. For the most part, the Creoles speak in a dialect that is rooted in French, which allows me to communicate basic vocabulary, and being able to give the gift of sight.
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