Friday morning was our first Breakfast together as a team. Dr. John Canady, our Medical Team Leader briefed us on what our day will be like, unpacking the supplies from last year, and acquainting ourselves with layout of the new hospital renovation. The private hospital where Iowa MOST operates has added two new surgical rooms, recovery rooms, sterilization room, and exam rooms. How fortunate this team is to do our work in such improved conditions!
The seven crates of supplies that were shipped ahead of us for this year’s mission are still sitting in Customs in Guatemala City. Fortunately for our work, the team kept enough inventory of supplies in storage in Huehuetenango from last year’s mission, that we have all the essentials necessary to perform surgeries. We hope that our crates will be released today so that we will have them by Monday. We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to DHL and Caritas for their help in getting Iowa MOST supplies delivered to the hospital door.
The hospital is great! It is well situated in the community. The staff are welcoming and wonderful. During our week of residence, the staff are volunteering their time to help us serve all of the patients and their families. This is a tremendous sacrifice from them and a wonderful gift to their fellow citizens.
This project is truly “Rotary Serving Humanity.” It is also showing that “Rotary is a Gift to the World.” Rotary is bringing the world together through partnerships. Iowa MOST has a wonderful partner in Johnson and Johnson for providing medical expertise, volunteers, and funding for which we thank them for helping us work toward our Rotary goal of World Peace and Understanding.
After unpacking and setting up the hospital for Saturday’s screening of patients, our afternoon was centered around a welcome picnic hosted by the Rotary Club of Huehuetenago. The picnic was held on the site of the historic Zaculeu. Zaculeu was the ancient capital of the area we are visiting. It was founded over 1200 years ago by the Mayans. Conquered finally by the Spaniards in the 1500’s it was nearly destroyed by them. Today it is a wonderful park where many locals and tourists visit. Our tour guide was terrific and a very special young lady, a 2008-2009 Guatemalan Rotary Exchange Student to Oregon and the daughter of Dr. Carlos Solorsano, a member of the Huehuetenango Rotary Club.
-from District 6000 President Elect & Spouse, Chris and Vernette Knapp