Your 2015 Peru Team

INTRODUCING,

Your 2015 Slippery Rock Physical Therapy Team...

...(drum roll please)

Ben Lowry, Laurie Martin, Erin Miller, Connor Sheriff, Nick Wilhelm, and Kristin Eberhart (me)!

We are more than excited to embark on this journey to Peru, and it is our pleasure for you to join us.

The trip is scheduled for August 8 - 22, 2015. We are currently in the midst of planning details for the trip such as scheduling plane tickets, collecting equipment, and fundraising support. As more details fall into place, we will be sure to keep you updated. For now, if you are interested in learning more about the organization we are travel with, feel free to visit the organization website: Medical Ministry International, Canada.

The Tradition Continues: Peruvianisms!

In order to keep with the going tradition of the previous SRUinPeru groups, we have made a list of Peruvianisms that we've collected during our stay. They're all things we've learned from Peruvians or members from our group. There are some Canadianisms and Englandisms mixed in there too from some of the members. Here it goes!

1. Stop signs are only a suggestion (that is often ignored)

2. Every bus ride feels like its going to be your last. As Logan said so eloquently: "It's kind of like a rickety roller coaster...that's not on a track....and a crazy Peruvian is driving it."

3. Guard rails are rare, especially when driving 2 inches away from a cliff

4. Injections heal all things

5. If you get wet then you will get cold, and if you get cold then you will get sick. Therefore don't shower.

6. If you're white, you need to buy something

7. Peruvians don't smile for pictures

8. Toilet seats are overrated

9. You need at least 3 pairs of socks on at all times

10. If you have flat feet, its the end of the world

11. It's not a meal unless it has potatoes. And sometimes rice and potatoes together.

12. Vegetarians aren't normal. And they must only eat eggs.

13. If you're 5'10" then you're a skyscraper

15. Getting a pillow in your hostel is overrated

16. Booger is a swear word in England

17. CLARO!!

18. Empanadas are amazing

19. Some Canadians will search all of Peru to find the right kind of alfajores. But understandably so.

20. If it ain't 3 liters of pop, it ain't nothing.

21. Peruvians sure can make some excellent chocolate.

22. Some desserts are like melted air fresheners

23. Ostriches would love Peru

24. Do dragons even have legs?

Machu Picchu

Logan staying hydrated

 Evan, Izzy and Shawn with one of their patients

The clinic set up in an auditorium in our trip to Aplao

Here is a link to more pictures via MMI's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.703195246401888.1073741852.158036800917738&type=1

And here is a link to MMI's general Peru Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MMIPeru

 

Thanks for following us on this blog and thank you for your support!

God Bless,
SRUinPeru 2014 team

Closing Time

Jeremiah 29:13
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

It's time our adventure comes to a close for the 2014 SRUinPeru team. All of the group has returned safely to their respective homes and can now rest from long travels and procrastinate against the unpacking that remains. Shawn and Emily returned home over the weekend as where Logan, Evan, and Beth traveled to Cuzco and Machu Picchu for some personal touring. What breathtaking sights and feats of creation. Machu Picchu gave us all an appreciation for the natural creation of God among the vast mountainous jungle and the capability of man's inventiveness and efforts from the immense creations of the Incans. It was truly a once in a life time experience that leaves you humbled and awestruck.

As for all members of the group, this weekend was an excellent opportunity to rest after some very emotionally and physically exhausting weeks of clinic, although we wouldn't trade the efforts and exhaustion of the weeks for the world. Unfortunately some of us have gotten a bit sick at the tail end of the trip, although nothing serious. Fortunately we are all feeling better now and can rest easy to recover.

 It has been an incredible two weeks of experiences. There is no doubt that all of us have grown closer to one another and closer to God in our travels. We must all remember how this entire trip was made possible. We cannot thank Erin, Jodee, and all of the MMI team enough for all that they have done for us and how much of a blessing they have been. We also owe our thanks to the additional therapists Tim and Heather for their mentorship. And of course, we thank you for your prayers and donations that you may have made, as they were invaluable to this endeavor. However, we must remember the true reason behind all of these great people and things that made this all possible: Christ. In light of all of our experiences, it is essential to remember that God deserves the glory and thanks. Jeremiah 29:11 was brought to my attention by someone very close to me to remind me of a very important focus while leaving this trip. Through seeking Christ, we can find him in every aspect of our trip. In every prayer. Every patient encounter. Every moment shared with a friend, new and old. Every lesson learned. Every laugh and every tear. As we move to the next stage of our lives with each of us starting our clinical rotations next Tuesday, we must always remember to keep seeking God with all of our hearts. We must be willing and obedient to allow him to use us as he did on this trip. We must remember that all of this is possible through Him. Because the same God who was with us in Peru will be with you and I wherever we go.

Our trusty van, all packed for Aplao on our first Friday trip

Logan, Heather, and Emily enjoying the swings with a local Peruvian patient

Heather works with an adorable little patient we were blessed to treat

Our Canadian friend and OT student Izzy is thanked for the splint she made from scratch for this patient

More Pictures and Peruvianism's to come so stay posted!


God Bless

The Beginning of the End

Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great....."

As has been famously stated, "all good things must come to an end." Tomorrow is our last day in the clinic treating patients with MMI for this two week project. We have treated countless people, given just about all of the available donated materials and additional materials, and shared invaluable prayers with those that we have been blessed to be here with. It will be a difficult time leaving Arequipa. We have had such amazing experiences and shared such invaluable joys.

But just what did our typical "day in the life" look like here in Arequipa? I apologize for not having done this sooner for those who are interested in the specifics. Most of our days begin early with hotel breakfast at 6:30am. Arequipa has some great fruits, juices, and teas that are very typical for breakfast at our hotel. After breakfast we all share time together as one of our members leads a devotional on a verse/topic of their choosing. Then off to the clinic. There are 16 total in our team and we only have one van. This leaves some of us left to take a taxi. Peruvian traffic is ludacris, at best. Taxis and buses zip by the busy city streets, pedestrians and stray dogs are common, and stop signs are a mere suggestion. Fortunately enough, Jodee and Erin, our MMI leaders, are fluent in Spanish and have lived here for years. They are well aware of what is best here and are excellent at seeing that we are safe and taken care off with such amazing love and hospitality. Once we arrive at the clinic around 8am we begin treating patients. The patients we treat range for pediatric to geriatric with countless different conditions, many uncommon to the states. Many of the patients have come far to be treated here by the "gringo" doctors. Unfortunately, because of the many short comings of the Peruvian healthcare, there is little trust (and some for very good reason) of the local systems. Many of the people here also have minimal resources for medical equipment and come knowing well about the grace shown by MMI in their offering of medical equipment. MMI also focuses on training local health professionals to hopefully make this project self sustaining so it has been excellent to work along side Peruvian PTs to see how they approach things.  The day also requires translators for the non-Spanish speaking students and PTs because few of the locals speak much English. After a long and relentless days work, we return to the hotel around 530pm. Both dinner and lunch are cooked by a local woman who has felt called to help us. It's given us an excellent opportunity to try many local dishes, most consistently made with potatoes (Arequipa has over 200 different types of potatoes). Today, we had our send off dinner at a Brazilian restaurant. We were able to try so many different things, from grilled pineapple to cow heart, both of which were excellent! After dinner we usually unwind and spend time with the fellow students. Chess, cards, conversations, or just trying To talk to love ones back home to no avail with the spotty wifi. And afterwards we rest and repeat!

With all that being said, that routine will shortly be no longer. There is no doubt we gathered cool souvenirs and even more importantly great memories, but is that all? Our Canadian friend here, Lester, lead an excellent devotional where he spoke about how something as simple as a game of monopoly can serve as an excellent analogy. Just as in a game of monopoly, no matter how many things you accumulate, at the end of the game, everything goes back into the box. Just so, in life, you cannot take much of what is in this world with you, leaving you to think....is there anything that doesn't come to and end? In Matthew 5:12, a beautiful message is told about what is to come after the "box is put away." As great times and great memories come to a close and as we begin new adventures, we must remember that our reward is in heaven. Although the message in Matthew more attests to persecution, the message still applies to what you put your value in. We must value God because he is what will last forever. Although God has given us amazing things to enjoy on earth, they must ultimately be instruments used for the love and glory of his name. We pray that our trip here was just that. We turn our focus in our journeys and our works to glorify God and to spread his love to other people.

May God continue to work through us, and through you wherever you are, to serve others as we are always mindful that our reward for what we do here, through his grace and our faith, will not come to and end, but rests in heaven with Christ.

Tomorrow (Friday) we have a half day of work with patients and the other half is dedicated too cleanup. Many of us are traveling out at night to head off to a weekend retreat to Machu Picchu, as where others are returning home Saturday. We pray for a successful day and safe travels to follow.

Harmonizing

Romans 15:5-6
"May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We are back to work again this week! After a brief retreat this weekend to Culca canyon, we returned to work yesterday (Monday). What an amazing retreat with great friends and breathtaking landscape. Our weekend visit not only gave us some time to relax after a hard week of work but it also gave us time to focus our appreciation on God's beautiful creation in the world.

This week we were missing our normal group but gained some friends in the process. The group that was here working in general medicine finished up Friday and headed off over the weekend to return home to Texas. Through them, we not only gained some friends, but we learned some valuable things on medical care to help us in our clinical experience. We have since been joined by a dentist and his daughter here from Canada to join the team at another building doing dental work for MMI. There is a lack of dental care just as there is all other facets of medical care with Peru's struggling health care system. It amazing how people from so many different background gather to do good for those in need!

The last two days proved to be exhausting for just the start of the week. Monday we extended our hours to accommodate more patients and today we faced some tough cases and had minimal resources to work with. In all of these troubles, Romans 15:5-6 has proved to be a great help. Shawn in our group shared this verse with us in our devotional time this morning and it couldn't have been more timely. How important it is to receive encouragement for God, focusing on glorifying him with together in harmony. It's amazing to see that we can all serve God by harmonizing to make one voice; whether you're a doctor, a physical therapist, a student, a dentist, or someone who just jumped in to help in any way they can. Whether you speak English or Spanish, whether you're rich or poor, whether you're American, Canadian or Peruvian, everyone has something to offer and can work together to glorify God.

In this encouragement, we can more clearly see the blessings we have had. The opportunity to sharpen our skills. The new experiences (like eating alpaca!). The mentorship. The friendships. The opportunity to help others. The opportunity to see God in ways we've never seen before. Such amazing things have shined through in just a little over one short week.

We will be working for the rest of the week out of the hospital to serve those who come far and wide. Much equipment has been given out and many patients have been seen but there is still much more to do.


Here are some pictures of the clinic we have been working out of in Arequipa. Not the best but as much as google plus will let me upload for now!

God bless!

Hands and Feet

1 Corinthians 12:20 "As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. "

The human body is a beautiful creation. There is no other machine that has ever been created to do such amazing feats of nature with such efficiency. What else can do so much on as little as a ham sandwich? As we continue serving in Peru, however, it becomes very apparent that things can go quite wrong. Diseases, injuries, disabilities.  Throughout the past week we have seen many challenges. Men, women, and children have come to the clinics seeking help for what plagues them. Some stories seem to end with great joy and some, despite all efforts, seem to be a tragedy. There are also many conditions that exist here in Peru that are not seen in the states and would be very preventable with proper medical care that is just not available in the surrounding area. We are learning that Arequipa is a very large city and although much of it does not appear to be very third world, their health care is minimal at best and the training of their health care professionals is highly inadequate. Patients have travelled great distances to see us for this seemingly famous annual project. Some people have carried children and adults on their backs over an hour just to come receive a wheelchair. Many others have chairs or equipment that is highly outdated and held together with wiring and bands.

We were given an opportunity to leave the hospital we have been serving at all week and drive four hours away to the a town named Aplao. The town is much smaller and has a great need for healthcare and medical equipment. We set up a clinic in a small auditorium as our home base today and treated patients there all day. We helped what felt like countless people and gave out around 20 wheelchairs along with plenty of orthotics, walkers, canes, and other accessories (none of which were easy to transport via bus and van for our long and distant trip over the mountains). So thanks to all of you who donated! Rest assured your donations were much needed.

As we continue to serve here, God is teaching us a great lesson on the body in more ways than one. Although sometimes broken, the body can be healed. Even if the body cannot heal the soul still carries on and a person with a disability can still be such a blessing to the people he or she meets. We have had such amazing chances to help others in their sufferings here in Arequipa. We have even had many chances to pray with our patients after treatments!! Through all of the patients we have treated, each and every one of them has taught us something valuable.  Patience, humility, kindness, and not to mention sharpening our PT skills (as well as Spanish)! We are also learning what it means to be part of the body of Christ. More to speak on behalf of Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 12, the body has many parts but yet it is still one. We are striving to be the hands and feet of Christ as we serve on this trip. We have already seen such amazing physical and spiritual healing and we have no doubt more is to come. We pray for continued success, safety, and glory to God.

For anyone who is reading, I apologize for the lack of posts. The wifi At our hotel moves at South American speed and comes in short waves! We will keep you updated as much as possible. We have the weekend off and will be visiting a local spot called Culca canyon for some R and R. There will likely be no wifi so there will be no contact with the outside world until Sunday night. Clinic starts back up again Monday!

Thanks for your prayers and your time spent reading! I am having difficulty getting pictures onto the blog with this wifi speed but I will keep trying!

God bless,
SRUinPeru team

Why not?

We've hit the ground running here in Arequipa with an amazing couple of days. So much can be said about such a short amount of time but for readers sake I will keep it short.

We have loved our hotel and the hospitality shown. It has been a blessing to be shown such hospitality. Unfortunately the hotel is a bit of a oasis in Arequipa. Immediately outside the gates and walls of the hotel (as most buildings here have walls with barbed wiring or spikes) the city of Arequipa is a hustle and bustle of old and small cars, jammed packed buses, and lots of foot traffic. A lot of the buildings are run down and many are covered in graffiti. But there is still a lot of beauty to be found in the city and a breath taking horizon of mountains and the volcano named "misty.

Yesterday we were blessed with an excellent opportunity to attend a local church. The church was very small but the people made up for it in their passionate worship for God. We later had a briefing on the weeks to come and the clinic we would participate in followed by a long and hard days work moving a truck load of medical equipment from the office to the hospital. After what felt like a very long and challenging game of Tetris with wheelchairs trying to fit everything into the truck, we unloaded the equipment, cleaned it and repaired what we could in preparation for the days ahead.

Today was our first day of clinic. It was an excellent and humbling experience for all of us. All of the students were separated to be either placed with a physical therapist or in the general medicine room to assist with triage and consults. We spent the whole day problem solving for the people that have come for the two week clinic in hopes of help, some of which who have been waiting all year to be treated or receive equipment, and some of which who had rarely, if ever, been seen by a doctor before.  The patients were both adults and children and all of which had an excellent warmth and willingness to meet us and receive our help (except for a couple cranky kids!) Some students were even given the chance to pray with some of the patients after treatment.

The reason this post is titled "why not" is because of the sermon we heard on Sunday. The pastor spoke about how many of us live in fear, and out of fear, we stay still and ignore Gods commands. But the truth of the matter is that God has called all of us to do something with our lives. The pastor continued by explaining that the richest place in the world is in a cemetery. The reason being that many of those people have taken some amazing ideas and talents with them to the grave. The end question comes to be that when God calls you to do something the real thought is "why not?" God calls us to amazing places and with him, we need not stay still out of fear as long as we are walking in his ways. We have all been given amazing gifts from God. As Matthew 5:14-16 says "you are the light of the world.....let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven."
We hope to be a light to the people of Peru as those who are welcoming us here have been a light to us. Although this mission is an excellent opportunity to do that, we must all keep in mind that we can be a light anywhere we go. I pray that we can all do this right where we are, and right where God calls us to be.

This is in the town square (the nicer part and view of Arequipa) with the beautiful view of the mountain horizon. Unfortunately one of the few days here that are cloudy. More pictures to come soon!!