Saint Mark's Church

We sure went out with a bang. It was by far the hottest day of our trip, and we were all fighting exhaustion as we arrived at Trinidad a little before 9 this morning. There were already 50 people waiting for us, and they were some of the hardest and most involved patients we’ve had yet. In addition to the usual parasitic infections and vitamin needs, we encountered severe dehydration, an infant with a defect that prohibited him from passing his stools, and a young lady who had attempted suicide and was living with an abusive husband. That women was especially difficult for us – it took the skills of our Deacon and the dedication of Padre Hector to assure her safety. We saw nearly 70 patients by lunchtime, and we were well over 100 for the day.
And it’s an especially good thing our boxes arrived, because in them was our equipment to start an IV for fluid resuscitation. This was particularly important to me (P.J.), because during lunch break it was the overwhelming opinion of our medical staff that I needed some IV fluids. Apparently in the chaos of the day, I forgot to hydrate, and I suffered the consequences. I am blessed to have traveled with an astute, caring, and capable group of professions.
We left Trinidad today infinitely richer for our time there, and the locals who helped us made sure that we knew their gratitude for our work. Hugs, kisses, and the promises of a return visit made our departure a moving one.
We are taking the day off tomorrow to explore some of the country of Honduras. It is an amazing place with a beautiful people – I can’t wait to see some of it.
(Sorry about there being no pictures - the internet is being funny; more later!)