Making our way to Mollendo!

Yesterday (Thursday) 3 of the SRU students (Heidi, Allie and Mandy), 3 students from Arcadia, and Erin (one of the PTs, who we affectionately call "Mother Goose" :) ) made the 2- 2.5 hour bus trip to Mollendo, Peru. We filled up the van and took as many wheelchairs as we could fit to give to people in need in the city. The ride was very scenic, and we were excited to be working in a new place with people that were so eager for help!
We split into 3 groups and with the help of several local translators, we were able to fit all of the patients that attended that day with wheelchairs. It was a huge blessing! Some of the patients had no wheelchair or way to get around before we came (many had to be carried everywhere or supported by several people to walk very short distances), and others had "wheelchairs" crafted out of plastic lawn chairs and bicycle tires... The innovation in this country is absolutely amazing!
There were several mix-ups on the way (we could not find all the leg rests to the wheelchairs, certain chairs appeared to be "missing" due to mix-ups in the measurements), but we were able to all come together and fix every loose break and squeaky chair in order to give the folks in Mollendo the best MMI had to offer. Though at times we were very frustrated, it was incredibly rewarding to see the smiles on these people's faces after we got the wheelchairs fitted just for them.
Erin (the PT that was there with us) was actually interviewed 2 times for Peruvian TV stations while we were in Mollendo. A newspaper crew also came to cover the event. We didn't realize it initially, but apparently this event was a major deal and there were even 2 security guards on location with us the entire day to make sure that everything ran smoothly! It was a very interesting experience!
We made one house call to a gentleman that was unable to arrange transportation to the make-shift clinic that day, and it blew our minds to see his living condition. He was living with 2 other people in a very small, cramped house (we only saw one room, there may have been one more). He was elated to receive a wheelchair because before we saw him, he was unable to leave the house... He and his family were ashamed of his condition and did not want him to go out in public. But now that he has a wheelchair he feels more proud and is able to get out of the house. Again, it was such a blessing to be a part of something that was so important for this family! At the end of the day, we were able to take a peek at the Pacific Ocean, then made our way back to Arequipa. It was beautiful; a great ending to a very special day.
Today we worked in the clinic as we had Monday through Wednesday. It was a jam-packed day full of evaluations and wheelchair fittings. Though we were frustrated at times (we didn't realize we would have to be such good mechanics on this trip!), we were able to meet the needs of the folks we worked with today. Some appointments took 30 minutes and others took closer to 2.5 hours, but in the end (we hope!) all of the patients left satisfied. It is encouraging to know that our hard work is appreciated.
One thing that was different about today (other than the fact that we were missing half our team, as they did not return from their trip until about 4 pm this afternoon) was our prayer time at the beginning of the day. Monday through Wednesday we were able to hold a community prayer time together before starting patient appointments. We would gather everyone together (staff, PTs, PT students, patients) and the translator would pray in Spanish, one of us would pray in English, and then we would sing a song together. Unfortunately, we were unable to have that time with the patients this morning, as the owner of the hospital did not find it appropriate for us to pray in the main lobby of the hospital. The staff and PT/PT students were still able to pray, but by ourselves in the clinic. It was still a great time to focus on the Lord and to get ourselves in the right mindset to serve our patients, but it was sad that we were unable to have that time to pray with the patients as well. At this time, we are just praying for the owner of the hospital (as well as everyone we meet) to have open hearts to hear the Gospel. We prayed for each person that we would work with today or come in contact with in any way, and we hope that you will join with us and do the same!
Tomorrow we are headed on another adventure to the Colca Canyon... it is about a 4 hour bus ride, but we are excited to go on another adventure! We would appreciate prayers for safe travels and that no one would get motion sick (we've had a couple folks that haven't been feeling quite up to par!). We may not have internet tomorrow, so if we don't, we will give updates on the trip when we return Sunday afternoon/evening! Hopefully we will be able to post pictures soon as well! It is incredibly beautiful here, and we'd love to share some of the scenery with you :)

Ciao!
Allie