Monday for Team 2

Seven o'clock sharp and we're off to San Mateo...some by taxi because of medical supplies that need to be delivered and the rest by beach. It's a beautiful day.

First sighting of Holy Cross for Beth, Lynn and Kathy

Each Monday we do a new Group Orientation. While a lot of the history etc. is familiar to many in this group, the new bathrooms and the trip to San Mateo are always the highlight. These are a few images from Team 2's visit.

A little San Mateo history before we begin our walk.

Once you get past the squalor, there's a lot of beauty in San Mateo.

Mike escorting Clara back to Holy Cross School

Ginny, Clara and Jean decided to pass on the London Bridge experience and instead took this wider bridge and the city road to see where the Empowerment Project Road was going to come through. There had been a lot of progress in this past week!

There actually is now a path between the two roads that the other group took back, rather than return along the bridges. This is the base that the city road is being built on. Not much longer and it will be one big road.

Dr. Jim greeting Maggie. Last year he did a new baby visit to her house.

This bike is going to get much more mileage with a road!

Time to get to work. It took about an hour to get the "clinic" set up on the porch. Last week's team had asked for referrals from the teachers and done interviews with the students they suggested so the medical folks had a little head start. Today we worked on seeing as many as possible and did vision tests for the Infant 1 students in one class.

Joyce and Kathy organizing medical records.

Beth checking ears.

Lynn doing an adult checkup.

Ginny doing an eye check. The little guys point to the direction of the open E with their hands.

Joyce doing a checkup

Lunch Break-yummy chicken, slaw and plantains!

The educating goes on.

Meanwhile, Scott, John & Bob are creating blocks to hold the
hasps on the cupboards in the computer room.

A face to love!

and another....

After school Dr. Jim, Kim Shackleford, Lynn and Beth headed back into San Mateo for some New Baby visits this afternoon.

Beth gets assistance from 2 helpers in our walk through San Mateo.

Andier is not so sure about big Dr. Jim.

Zayna was complaining of stomach pain, the most likely cause being intestinal parasites.

Beth gives Dion a warm hello.

Dr. Jim has a look at former premie, Dion who is now up to 7 lbs 3 oz at 47 days of age;

he is Destiny's newest brother.

Dr. Jim and Kim Shackleford, an Associate Professor of Social Work at University of Mississippi who has made miracles happen at Holy Cross and in San Mateo. She has been to Belize for five years; did a 9 month sabbatical at Holy Cross where she learned the good, the bad and the ugly of home and community life of the students going to Holy Cross. She brings two student groups down every year and each year attends a Conference in Belize City so she can overlap with our St. Luke's Medical Team so our folks can get a handle on the social and psychological implications of the student's health issues. She and her students are the driving force behind the San Mateo Empowerment Project. A true blessing to all down here.

The road home.

Everyone assembled again for a short reflection time and then headed for dinner - Waramunga's for Pupusas. We watched as our dinner was being made and was it ever good!! Then, one more trip to DandE's for ice cream (they're closed Tuesdays) and home to bed.