Part one of a nurses volunteer vacation at Casa de Sion

Buenos Dias! We awoke to a beautiful sunrise and a sweet smell coming from the kitchen. The corn grinder drowned out the rooster this morning. :) Dominga made us french toast and oatmeal with bananas and pineapple. The oatmeal was already sweetened and the texture was more soup like than I make in America but it was very good. I believe it may have had other grains in it as well.

         Patients started arriving about 8:30. A local man we had met at the look-out the previous day had come to be seen and was the first patient most of us interacted with. We were able to give him a walker instead of the sticks he was using and some medications for other ailments.

         After caring for him we all started setting up shop in our stations for the day. I was assigned pharmacy with Amy and we started writing down some common phrases that we used or wrote on the bags. The interpreters were vital to explaining the correct dosing and times as well as what the medicine was used for. All of the interpreters were patient with each of us and worked extremely hard to make sure both sides understood what the other had said. It was a bumpy first day trying to learn what all need to be done, how each other works, and the best way to serve the people. I know I personally relied on Taylor a lot that first day to help me learn phrasing and to speak my knowledge to the patients. Pharmacy was also very busy due to a dentist who was seeing patients in the Casa de Sion building and sending them to us for antibiotics and pain medicine. It was wonderful to see everyone working so hard and together after such a brief introduction. 

        We broke for lunch around midday. Half of our group did some teaching to the children who attend school at Casa de Sion. Bethany and I talked about nutrition with them while Amy and Kelsey discussed dental and hand hygiene and Emily and Kelly taught them body parts in English. The kids are so smart and were very interactive. We enjoyed teaching them and learning what they already know. :) Lunch consisted of chicken soup and tortillas. The soup had squash, carrot, potato, and pumpkin in it. Super yummy! After Lunch we finished seeing patients at the clinic and started organizing medication and supplies for the traveling team the next day. 

       While waiting for dinner, a small group of us ventured across the street to see the corn grinder. After making some fresh dough the woman politely invited us to watch her make tortillas. We played with her children while she made us fresh tortillas. They were so good. Dinner was served by the time we returned. We had spaghetti with parmesan and banana bread. Then came the team meeting where we discussed our day and the plan for the next. Afterwards a group of us played cards and some learned a new dance from Diana. Then it was off to bed to make sure we were rested for tomorrow.