Wednesday
Our mobile clinic moves to Puente Piedra! This site was a bit different than the first as our view is now the mountains whereas on Monday and Tuesday it was thePacific Ocean! The different site proved challenging because of the limited space. The pediatric doctor met with patients in the bus and tents were set upfor the pharmacy, registration, and health education.
The day started off very slow but picked up in the afternoon and really got crazy when 29 children showed up at 1:00 to see the pediatrician. The clinic closes at 4:30 and we only have one pediatrician! Physical therapy only treated 7 patients but it still was a rewarding day. Two wheelchairs were sent home with patients. One wheelchair was given to a postpolio patient. The other wheelchair went home with a patient with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy.
Praises: We treated 60 patients and of those 7 came for physical therapy.
Prayers: Giving the wheelchair to the patient with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy was bittersweet due to the nature of the disease and the family’ssituation. The patient was 9 and had stopped walking at 8. His 5 year old little brother has Duchenne’s as well. He received orthotics. Their young uncle who is 15 also has Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. Please pray for this family as they have many struggles ahead.
Thursday
We rearranged some things to allow for better patient flow. Physical therapy had several pediatric patients. Due to our rotations, we have been working intriage, pharmacy, dental and optometry as well. It has been a wonderful experience as we are learning so much by assisting in these areas. It is really helping us with our vital signs and gaining more knowledge about medications (weare even filling prescriptions!! ) In addition, our Spanish is definitely improving although it is very difficult sometimes having to communicate with patients and other medical staff who do not speak the same language as you (there are only two translators for the team).
Praises: We treated 98 patients today and of those, 10 came for physical therapy. We measured a wheelchair for a 9 year old cerebral palsy patient who had been carried by her mother since she was born. With a lot of prayer and the support of donations, she will hopefully have a wheelchair by October.
Prayers: We move to a new site on Friday. Please pray that the transition goes smoothly once again.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Medical Clinic Begins
Monday and Tuesday
The morning routine: Breakfast was served at 6:30 and was wonderful as usual consisting of bread anddifferent jams. We also were served yogurt, juice and tea. Jimmy and Andrea played another worship song. The team then had a quick meeting and devotionaltime. Following the meeting the team boarded a bus and traveled for an hour to the site.
Praises:
On Monday: 1) We delivered a wheelchair to a patient who was seen in November by the fall mission group. He was so excited about it! He could barely contain himself.
2) 102 patients received medical care on Monday and of those 15 were treated with physical therapy.
On Tuesday: 1) Another wheelchair found its owner! The patient was 11 and had cerebral palsy. When we brought the wheelchair to Peru we didn’t have a specificpatient in mind which is okay because the Lord brought one to us! His family was
very excited because his father had to carry him everywhere.
2) 100 patients received medical care on Tuesday and of those 20 received physical therapy treatments.
Prayers: 1) Many of the patients come in to the clinic and want back (spinal) braces. We have a very limited number of braces and oftentimes the patients don’t actually need them. This makes treatment difficult because they can be very insistent. Please pray that the patients are understanding and open to using exercises for treatment, in place of just getting a brace.
2) On Wednesday we go to a new site. Please pray for a smooth transition and that God keeps sending us the patients that we can best serve.
The morning routine: Breakfast was served at 6:30 and was wonderful as usual consisting of bread anddifferent jams. We also were served yogurt, juice and tea. Jimmy and Andrea played another worship song. The team then had a quick meeting and devotionaltime. Following the meeting the team boarded a bus and traveled for an hour to the site.
Our service begins: Both Monday and Tuesday were spent serving the local community of Ventanilla. We arrived early and after a quick set-up and prayer, began seeing patients at8:30. The PT students were put on rotations and spread out to serve in different areas. We adapted quickly to the different specialties.
Praises:
On Monday: 1) We delivered a wheelchair to a patient who was seen in November by the fall mission group. He was so excited about it! He could barely contain himself.
2) 102 patients received medical care on Monday and of those 15 were treated with physical therapy.
On Tuesday: 1) Another wheelchair found its owner! The patient was 11 and had cerebral palsy. When we brought the wheelchair to Peru we didn’t have a specificpatient in mind which is okay because the Lord brought one to us! His family was very excited because his father had to carry him everywhere.2) 100 patients received medical care on Tuesday and of those 20 received physical therapy treatments.
Prayers: 1) Many of the patients come in to the clinic and want back (spinal) braces. We have a very limited number of braces and oftentimes the patients don’t actually need them. This makes treatment difficult because they can be very insistent. Please pray that the patients are understanding and open to using exercises for treatment, in place of just getting a brace.2) On Wednesday we go to a new site. Please pray for a smooth transition and that God keeps sending us the patients that we can best serve.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Day 3-Sunday
The morning started with breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and then introductions and general orientation into how the clinic will be run for the next five days. We are going to be part of a general medical mission so they informed us about how the different specialty areas will work and what other areas in the medical field the students will help with during the upcoming week. There is pediatrics, optometry, dental and general medical all working together with physical therapy to offer medical services to the Peruvian people. Supplies were sorted and packaged into five different sections for the respective days in the clinic. Our group was able to sort vitamins after the physical therapy items were organized and it was a great bonding experience for the students and Dr. Beck. Around 3 p.m. we departed to go to the Anglican Church- Mission San Patricio where we would be having church for the evening as well as dropping off the supplies as this will be our first clinic site. The Mission San Patricio islocated an hour away from where we are staying and the community was extremelywelcoming and thankful that we are going to be offering medical services tothem. Our team led Praise and Worship at the church and a lot more community members started joining the service after the heard us praising God. The sermon by the pastor was translated by Jodee Fortner, and Dr. Townsend Cooper and the pastor expressed how wonderful it is that we are offering our time to do this for them and described us as “angels of love.” After the service, the young children came up to Andrea and asked her what her violin was. She offered themthe chance to play her instrument and they all jumped at this opportunity. Dr. Beck gave treats to the children as well and they were all super happy fortheir Starbursts! Today was definitely a great day and we are all deeply moved and inspired by what we have witnessed in this short time.
Praises:1) Mallory, a pre-med student from Illinois, joined our group during Praise and Worship. She plays the oboe and violin.
2) More of our team members arrived – a nurse, the pediatrician and translators!
3) The lunch was amazing! Jimmy is very thankful for the great food the retreat center is providing us with.
Prayer Requests:1) The clinic goes well tomorrow and we serve many patients!
2) The continued strength and well being of all the volunteers.
Praises:1) Mallory, a pre-med student from Illinois, joined our group during Praise and Worship. She plays the oboe and violin.
2) More of our team members arrived – a nurse, the pediatrician and translators!
3) The lunch was amazing! Jimmy is very thankful for the great food the retreat center is providing us with.
Prayer Requests:1) The clinic goes well tomorrow and we serve many patients!
2) The continued strength and well being of all the volunteers.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Days 1 and 2
Here is the first days of our trip to Peru!
Day 1:The team journeyed to Peru from three different locations. Jimmy left from Chicago, Josh from Tulsa and the girls (Andrea, D and Nakita) from Springfield. The Springfield flight was delayed and the three of us girls almost didn't make the connection to Lima, Peru. When we arrived in Peru we were met by the lovely staff of MMI and then traveled to our cozy quarters at the Catholic retreat center.
Day 2:Today was a free touring day for the team. Before we went touring, we unloaded a bus of more supplies that came in and met Jenny, a Peruvian optometry student, who will be part of our team for the week. We visited the main square of Lima and was able to see the National Cathedral and the President's House. They were having a 
First Communion service in the National Cathedral and we got to go inside and view the service for a short time. Next, we visited the Indian Market, which was filled with lots of Peruvian trinkets and souvenirs, and got some shopping in. Jimmy was able to meet up with a family member at dinner and the rest of the team went to a food court near the beach. For the majority of our team this was the first time 
we viewed the Pacific Ocean which was amazing! At the food court, Dr. Beck and Jodee Fortner met up with us after giving their class to the local Peruvian physical therapists. The last place we ventured to was the fountain park, Parque de la Reserva, and we were able to see a water show. The fountain park is the current world record holder for being the largest fountain complex in the world.
Day 1:The team journeyed to Peru from three different locations. Jimmy left from Chicago, Josh from Tulsa and the girls (Andrea, D and Nakita) from Springfield. The Springfield flight was delayed and the three of us girls almost didn't make the connection to Lima, Peru. When we arrived in Peru we were met by the lovely staff of MMI and then traveled to our cozy quarters at the Catholic retreat center.Praises:1) United, Delta and American Airlines waived our fees for the second checked bag and we were able to bring the wheelchairs and walkers for free!!!!
2) We all made it here safely and all our luggage arrived!
3) The super awesome MMI staff that we met!
Prayer Request:1) Josh does not run out of his fancy peanut butter before the end of the week (He brought two different specialty types of peanut butter).
2) The safe arrival of the remainder of the MMI staff!
Day 2:Today was a free touring day for the team. Before we went touring, we unloaded a bus of more supplies that came in and met Jenny, a Peruvian optometry student, who will be part of our team for the week. We visited the main square of Lima and was able to see the National Cathedral and the President's House. They were having a 
First Communion service in the National Cathedral and we got to go inside and view the service for a short time. Next, we visited the Indian Market, which was filled with lots of Peruvian trinkets and souvenirs, and got some shopping in. Jimmy was able to meet up with a family member at dinner and the rest of the team went to a food court near the beach. For the majority of our team this was the first time 
we viewed the Pacific Ocean which was amazing! At the food court, Dr. Beck and Jodee Fortner met up with us after giving their class to the local Peruvian physical therapists. The last place we ventured to was the fountain park, Parque de la Reserva, and we were able to see a water show. The fountain park is the current world record holder for being the largest fountain complex in the world.Praises:1) Jimmy was able to meet up with a family member who he hasn't seen in ten years!
2) We met Jenny and Jodee Fortner and reunited with Dr. Beck!
3) We had a safe journey around the city of Lima.
4) Dr. Beck's classes were successful that she was teaching!
Prayer Requests:1) A good and productive day setting up the clinic tomorrow.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
2012 Spring Break in Peru!
"I think this information will be revolutionary for the PT's here in Peru." quote from Jodee Fortner, MS, PT, Full-time Missionary with MMI serving in Peru
Dr. Cathy Beck is now in Arequipa, Peru teaching a continuing education course on examination and intervention for neck and back pain to local Peruvian PT's. This will be a week-long course. On Saturday, she will travel to Lima, Peru to teach an abbreviated version of the course to therapists there.
Meanwhile, 5 eager SBU PT students are preparing to sacrifice their Spring Break to join Dr. Beck in Lima next week to serve on a medical mission project with MMI (Medical Ministry International). They are diligently packing a mountain of donated supplies to take with them, to be prepared for anything they might see at the clinic next week.
Pray that :1) They all travel and arrive safely
2) That they are able to travel with no or minimal extra fees for all of the supplies, and that it all gets through customs without a problem
3) That their hearts are prepared for what God has in store for them to do next week, in the misdt of all of the excitement and nervousness of leaving.
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