A Day in San Andres

Today, we went to San Andres to help with the clinic. The people who need to be seen line up really early in the morning and get a ticket with a number on it. We got there a little before 9 and started seeing people. One room was seeing all of the pregnant women and checking on how their pregnancy is doing. The other room was seeing chronic patients, including the people who have diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions. We also helped with the nutrition program, weighing kids and recording their information. We helped out in the rooms for a bit, but none of us have medical training, so there wasn’t much we could do in the clinic part. There was a courtyard where the people waited for their number to be called. We brought some things to do with the kids who were waiting with their parents. Jim made bracelets and necklaces out of pipe cleaners, while Lisa, Allison, and I helped kids do those things where you scrape off the black layer on top and there’s colors underneath. It took a while for them to join in, but once they did, they really liked it. At around 11, Jim, Allison, Lisa, and I went down the road to the market to look for souvenirs to take home. Adrienne stayed at the clinic to help Leslie, so we were on our own! It was a bit difficult to communicate, but we were able to figure out how much they were charging for what we wanted. Adrienne met us and we got some snacks to take back to the girls helping with the clinic while they finished seeing the last people. We rode back to the mission in the truck on a very bumpy, windy dirt road. Allison and I were in the back of the pickup which is something I don’t know if I could ever get used to. We ate lunch and then organized some of the books and school supplies that we had brought. Jim helped Duane work on some electrical stuff while us girls headed up to what they call “Bunker Hill” to watch the sunset. We walked down to the cemetery and enjoyed the end of the day. We grabbed some snacks and debriefed for the night. Tomorrow we will be heading back to the school. ~ Megan