Day 3: Our Daily Bread/Schedule

Good Morning! It seems this is the best time to write. Breakfast is usually at 8, but because today is Sunday, we will eat at 9.

This seems like a good time to tell about our schedule. We are able to sleep until 7:30 (which we never do). Breakfast is served at 8. Each meal starts with a group prayer (remember we are in a country that is 98% Catholic) and is served buffet style. The food is surprisingly, to me, very good. There is fresh fruit available at every meal along with a hot entree. The kitchen is so tiny that I thought there must be a restaurant type kitchen elsewhere. They serve nearly 70 people each meal on a four burner gas stove (it is hot here). The refrigerator is the size of a US home frig, which to them is restaurant size. A new addition is a standard size dishwasher and a small freezer. Most food is purchased daily. There is no cupboard space.
After breakfast, we gather at 9:00 to find our service for the day. So far, Kathleen and I have been to the hospice, the school and a village clinic. We return @ 12:30 and lunch is served at 1:00. At 3:00, a new place of service is assigned. We shower before mass at 7:00 and eat dinner at 8:00. Mass attendance is expected and we have an 'assigned' place to sit in church. I like that we sit together because it builds camaraderie. After dinner, we visit and/or play cards.
Rereading this, it sounds like we are at a camp:)

Yesterday, Kathleen and I joined 3 Marquette nurses at a clinic in a village. I thought the area around the church was poor until I saw the village. Before yesterday, the nurses went from home to home. Yesterday, we worked out of a small chapel. Our supplies were: the blood pressure equipment each nurse owned and small packages of tylenol and vitamins. We saw 30 patients, which is much more than if we had gone to individual homes. Each one had their blood pressure, pulse and respirations checked, was asked about their health and given 12 tylenol and 15 vitamins. They each received back, neck, leg, etc massages, too. One person was referred to the church clinic and another hopes to have some dental work done when the volunteer dentists are here in a few weeks. They are so unbelievably appreciative. They give all of us hugs as they leave with many 'Muchas gracias'. I was the recorder in case you wondering what I did without any nursing experience. I was humbled to be a part of this group.

After lunch we again joined the Marquette nurses (we are so lucky to be able to join them because most everyone here is with a large group). I have made friends with their two teacher/leaders so I am not the only old person in the group. We walked to the central market with two escorts from the church. What an experience of sights, sounds and smells that was! My senses were on overload!! Unfortunately, we lost two students and were frantically trying to find them. One of our escorts stationed us outside with the other and he went back in to look for "2 Americanas"
When we were reunited, half walked back with one 'guard' and the other went shopping with the second 'guard'. We are warned to never leave the church premises without a church employee.

We are on our way to Sunday mass at a church in one of the outer villages.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer. Heard the weather has been cool and rainy. How we wish for what we don't have!:)
Cathy