Shannon Carroll

This trip adds to continued enjoyment of mission work I've experinced. The comaraderie of the whole group working together, playing together, and worshipping together has been wonderful. Surgical days from b'fast till after dark, although tiring was replaced with joy when seeing the beautiful faces of the sweet ladies (25 total) on rounds. Truly an experience I'm sure everyone would say can NOT be described in any other way but to GO experience it.

Simple Thoughts.....

This week we have been here for the purpose of demonstrating the love that God has for man. The volunteers this week vary in backgrounds, ages and professions. For some people this is their first trip to Guatemala; for others this has become an annual event. The common thread is that all want to use the talents that God has blessed us with. Each person has stories to share of special moments, kind words or a compassionate hug. We are here to serve and yet we always seem to receive more than we give.

We should not loose sight of the work that continues here so that weeks like this can take place. The staff at Clinica Ezell are diligent in their service. Without them, patients would not be screened and waiting for our arrival. Follow-up clinics and visits take place after surgeries. The rooms are prepared for our arrival and we are treated as guests. The clinic grounds are manicured in preparation. The kitchen staff begin preparing meals at 0400 and continue through the evening every day. They work tirelessly preparing meals for volunteers, clinic staff and patients.

A special moment for me is in the evenings when the clinic staff has a devotional time with the patients. They sing songs of praise, read scripture and unite in prayer. Those patients who have had surgery word their prayers of thanks, while those preparing for surgery word prayers of comfort and peace. Our God has answered those prayers and may He continue. Sheri Kretzschmar

THE GIFT OF JOY AND LAUGHTER

What is so joyful about surgery and what is there to laugh about? Surgery can be and is a very scary time for anyone, especially for someone who is having to trust a stranger with an unidentifiable dialect. But isn't it a good thing to enjoy what we are doing and let them see the joy in our faces and hear the laughter in our voices, which transcends all language barriers.:)
Love ya, Mean it!
KRISTY, KYLE, LISA, MISTY
P.S. Can I get a WITNESS?!!

Day 3

Day 3 of our clinic- This is an absolutely beautiful morning. The air is cool now. By 2pm we will all be hot. The flowers are blooming- red, pink, and beautiful fusha bouganville. The work day goes by so fast. Sleep is easy at the end of the day. The Guatemalan ladies and men who help run our hospital and living quarters are awesome. The clinic is much more organized than expected. I believe Rosario(local nurse at the clinic) has something to do with that. Every day brings new patients and problems to be solved. I wonder what today will bring.. Martha Oyston.

Getting better all the time

This is my third trip to Clinic Ezell, and I'm enjoying myself more each year. The clinic is not an oasis in the desert, but it is a house of healing and prayer in the midst of poverty and need.
The first impression of a seasoned,medical missionary is that this clinic is too good to be here. It is well equiped and built in a beautiful setting. But, after a day or two, your impression changes and you begin to appreciate the qualtiy of care given by the physicians, surgeons, and all the others who sacrifice so much to be here.
Yesterday, a plastic surgeon took one of his patients from last year to surgery. All he did was make a small incision, L-shaped, about 3mm vertical and 2mm horizontial. This will perfect the double cleft lip he did last year. It looked good before, but this poverty stricken patient received the same attention a paying patient would receive in the USA. This is typical of the concern and care given at Clinic Ezell. Why is so much accomplished in such little time? The answer is that no one cares who gets the credit, as long as God gets the glory. John C. Bailey

It's already Wednesday!

Wow...time flies when you're having fun. This trip has been great not only for the patients we've attended to but also to our group members and the team of Guatemalans who are working here at the Ezell Clinic. I've seen more and done more than many students in any nursig program. I may not be a nurse nor a nursing student, but I sure have had a good eyefull this week. I have been a part of a special group here. We're able to by-pass all of the red flags which we see in the states. We've been so busy. Patients coming and going. Friendships budding and hearts bonding. I feel so lucky to be able to understand their language. The frenzy of all the nurses and aids in the recovery room is exciting. They all call for assistance. Everyone wants to know and understand another's pain and desires. I'm glad I've had a chance to be in the middle of it all. I know I've rambled through this blog. However, with the flow of all the emotions one faces while down here, you can get one tongue tied, too. Sarah Tolentino...Nashville, TN

A Gynecologic Report

It has been a good week, a good patient mix and a good number of total patients. Dr. Sierra did an excellent job of scouring the country for the group of patients.
We arrived on Saturday and drove all the way to Clinica Ezell on that day. That allowed for unpacking of supplies and orientation as well as planning for the next day's activities.
After a wonderful Sunday worship service, we evaluated that afternoon's patients. During the course of the afternoon we would evaluate the next day's patients, making sure that they were candidates for what we had to offer. This allowed an earlier start for O.R. time as opposed to seeing the patients on the day of their planned surgery. This was a pattern that was repeated each day to facilitate each operating day.
An example of a patient beyond our scope was a 44 year old woman with a large pelvic mass, ascites and an ultrasound report suggestive of ovarian cancer. Her needs were unfortunately beyond our capabilities. Dr. Lisa Dunham compassionately and expertly helped her, calling on the Great Physician to heal her and made arrangements for gyn oncologic care in the city.
A common problem seen on this trip was complete vaginal vault prolapse with massive eversion. A procedure that gave a very good post-operative result, at least in the immediate post op period was total vaginal hysterectomy, bilateral uterosacral suspension (high), and posterior repair with a levator plication. The foley was left in for two days and then removed. Very few patients had difficulty with voiding after that. I think that a good comparison study is needed to determine which procedures yield the best long term results with the greatest degree of safety.
Roy Kellum

On the operating table right now at 3:25 pm on February 22 is a 20-year-old young man named Jorge. As a 19-year-old, he was operated on here last year to correct his cleft palate that had never been corrected in his entire life. His speech was so bad that only his mother could understand him when he talked. He had become so discouraged in school that he dropped out several years ago. When we first met him, he was so shy he would hardly speak to anyone.

Dr. Philip Strawther repaired his cleft and asked him to return for additional superficial facial surgery this year. When Jorge showed up, we were delighted to hear that his speech had improved dramatically. He was very concerned about his appearance, however, so he was eager to see what magic Dr. Strawther could do for him this year.

Jorge has made friends among the teenagers in this team, and they are all in there watching the surgery. One is videotaping it for Jorge to see later.

It was so heartwarming last night to see Jorge playing "Shark" with the kids and kicking the hacky sack with vigor. This would have never happened last year! We can only imagine how much more positive he'll be feeling about life this time next year. This has truly been a life-changing experience for him.

Gets Better All The Time

Monday

The surgery clinic is off to a good start. We have done surgery on a 5 week old, a 74 year old, and several in between. Everything is going well. As always there are the unexpected things that come up in the course of the day. We have fixed an OR table and one anesthesia machine. We are also grateful for the weather as Nashville was 8 degrees with 3 inches of snow when we left. Jeff Bennie

Hacky Sack and Bubbles

Today flew by! To second what Sarah said in an earlier blog, the service this morning was inspiring. Everyone singing passionately and whispering their prayers up to God. I also witnessed three surgeries today-3 hysterectomies and I did not even barf, but it was not inspiring enough to make me want to be in medicine for a profession. Tonight we played shark again. Shark is a hackey sack/dodge ball game. Our (Me, George, Kyle, and Ari...the youngest kids here) goal is to try and get every team member to play...and to hit Phillip as hard as we can so he is sore when he wakes up in the morning. My most memorable moment of the day though was teaching Chriseda, the only little local girl spending the night at the clinic, Go Fish. I had to use my rusty Spanish, but it worked! Then we took advantage of her being the only child around and spoiled her. I gave her chocolate and painted her finger nails. Emily had bubbles and stickers. And Jenny brought glow sticks that become bracelets and a pink head band with a flor(flower). I took many pictures, no worries. We kept her up till 11...oops. I am excited this week to cheer up the children recovering from surgery and to play "football" with the village kids. I can totally feel God reviving something inside me that had faded in my self centered world. Also, everyone here is so encouraging and friendly. Its very easy to serve in this environment. Well I need to go play cards with the night shift nurses to keep them awake. Adios -Elizabeth Smith

The First Night Shift

Sheri and I are here taking the night shift (9PM-7AM) with the post-op patients. We currently have 4 OB/GYN patients recovering and 12 patients "rooming in" for surgery tomorrow (so we can make sure they don't eat or drink anything). We're being entertained by Elizabeth, Ari and George and an adorable little girl who is having surgery tomorrow. Things are starting to wind down so Sheri and I are attempting to stay awake by playing on the computer. All the patients appear to be resting comfortably so it should be a fairly low-key night. Earlier in the evening Gaspar and Valentin, two of the clinic staff, led the visitors and tomorrow's patients in singing hymns and reading the Bible. It was nice to end the evening that way before they went to sleep. That's all for tonight (unless we get too sleepy and need another distraction!).......Emily Van Voorhis

Thoughts from the team

1. John 17: 20-21 ...would like to make this our prayer for the week especially the first part of 21. 2. It is not our job to be a shining star but to be a mirror and reflect God's love and glory. 3. To see Jesus in the face of each patient. 4. In your wak with Christ, is it enough for you to experience the love of Jesus or do you feel the burden for all you come in contact with to know and experience that love? 5. You know you are going to make mistakes- The sin is not in the falling but in the refusing to get up and try again. 6. The church was "packed", the preacher was into his sermon, but a baby kept crying. The great moment came when Sarah calmly went over to the mother of the baby, and took him (the baby) on her shoulder. Instantly, the baby quit crying and stayed quiet for the rest of the service. 7. We are here to serve these people. But we also have to keep in mind that the people in our team can be served, too. Just by listening, encouraging, or just smiling. These people might have sick bodies, but sometimes the heart is sick and we have to keep open eyes to see how we can help heal hearts....

Who gives? Who receives?

Today's church service brought tears to my eyes. We walk into a crowded room, full of Christians singing. No, not like we sing in the states, but truely singing with all their hearts with glory to God. The strength in their voices is so uplifting. All types of people fill this place....locals, Mayans, children, adults, Americans, mothers, fathers, friends, and strangers all worshipping the One and only. Different appearances,clothing, and languages yet share a common bond in Christ. It's the American's way of thinking...'we come here to serve'...however, what we experience is being served by the rich blessings the local people show us. I my opinion, we receive much more from them than they do from us.-Sarah Tolentino-Nashville, TN

what i saw today

first timer

What a great team with great hearts! I am moved by seeing the dream of a few to establish this clinic. Lives are being touched in real and dynamic ways and will be for generations because a few dared to dream. This group is moving with the heart of the Father. Pray for us that we will complete the work God has given us to do. Terry Smith

After about a 2 1/2 hour bus drive, we arrived at Clinica Ezell. The Mayan women were preparing dinner for us. It was a wonderful meal comprised of handmade tortillas, strips of marinated chicken and beef, fresh guacamole, diced tomatoes washed down with fresh lemonade. To top it all off, the weather is delightful. We look forward to a busy, busy week. Some of the old crowd and a lot of new faces are part of the team. Pray that all surgeries will go well, and the Godhead will be glorified....Marjorie & Bill Strawther

Greetings from Clinica Ezell

Saturday, February 18

Bad weather played havoc with many of our travel schedules today. The large group from Nashville and the small group from Jackson, Mississippi, barely made the Guatemala connection. Two from Dallas missed the connection entirely because of weather delays. When time came to board our plane to Guatemala, there were only three team members present to board--out of 30! Before the door to the aircraft closed, however, all but two people had made it! What a relief! I thought I was going to have to do surgery, Kyle Hendrix administer the anesthesia, and Martha Oyston run the patient ward single-handedly! Our patients are glad that everyone showed up! Actually, the more amazing thing is that all their luggage except two pieces made the flight!! ........ Marie Agee

Health Talents Trip News

On Saturday, February 18, a team of 35 people traveled from the U.S. to Health Talents' Clinica Ezell in Montellano, Guatemala, to conduct a surgery clinic. This blog will be a daily record of activities during this week. (And, if you are like me, you are wondering where in the world the word "blog" came from! Well, I found out...It is short for "web log." There now. Don't you feel more in control?)

The daily notes will be written by many different team members, so you will get different perspectives and stories as the week goes on. We hope you visit our site daily and that you find it interesting and informative. We ask also that you pray for us and our Guatemalan patients every day this week. It means so much.