Reports from recent medical missions - Fairview Health Services

Fairview Foundation
Medical mission participants - In their own words

Nicaragua Lynann D. Hughes, RN Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 26 Patients served: 2,000 This dream team was the first medical team ever to visit this part of Nicaragua. We witnessed severe poverty, devastation and helplessness. I had an opportunity to work with a Nicaraguan dentist which had its challenges as we didn't speak the same language. The dentist was able to communicate with the patients and families and that was outstanding. By the second day I was anticipating her instrument choices and the week was exciting and rewarding. I truly enjoyed moving from village to village. I enjoyed watching the team transform the space were were given into a functional clinic in 15 minutes. Every location seemed to have its challenges in setting up our equipment but I thrived on that. Doing dentistry in a folding lawn chair had its own challenges -- as it would fold up on the patients periodically. We mainly extracted teeth only filling a handful of cavities. I am so grateful we were able to alleviate pain for our patients. We did bring hope to this area-- and I know we blessed them with our own clothing as we gave up our own shoes the last day of clinic. We are blessed as they are blessed. I would like to thank you for your financial support at this time in my life. I have been very blessed - my son has returned safely from serving his country in Baghdad, Iraq, for 23 months. His only deficit is 100 percent hearing loss in one ear. Annie Hughes, RN Fairview Ridges Hospital, endoscopy
Guatemala Louise J. Grahm, RN Clinic: 6 days Volunteers: 75 Patients served: 1,200 You'll Never Walk on Water, if you don't get out of your Boat In the story of Jesus walking on the water, Peter also tries to walk on the water but begins to sink when his faith wanes. This was like me going on a medical mission. I've observed how Jesus did the ultimate medical mission when He came to earth and healed us, both in body and in spirit. It looked pretty easy when Jesus did the healing ,so I asked Him to send me on a mission--walk on water. But first Jesus told me that I needed to get out of my boat--my comfort zone. To read more about Louise's medical mission, click here.
Guatemala Debra L. Vedders, Surgery tech Clinic: 5 Volunteers: 100 Patients served: 132 surgical patients I would like to thank the Fairview Foundation for the financial support given to me, making it possible for me to achieve a personal goal of volunteering for a medical mission! I am grateful for your support. Our mission trip was to Tejutla, Guatemala, which is located in the mountains in Central Guatemala. The people there have a hard life, physically and economically. It amazed me know they farmed the mountain sides. Consequently, there are many people with hernias from the physical labor involved in their lives. I was on the surgical team. We were able to do 132 surgical procedures which is the most ever done! Among the surgical procedures were 14 cleft palates, hernia repairs, hysterectomies, ovarian cystecomies, D&Cs, A&P repairs, scar revisions and many others. It is amazing how much you can do with so little. The people were very happy and content and very thankful for what we could do for them. We had a great team. We were blessed by the people of Tejutla and I pray we were a blessing to them and hope that we were able to touch their lives and help improve their quality of life. My trip was a rich and humbling experience - one that I hope I can do again!
Guatemala Gregg P. Kyllo, pharmacist Clinic: 6 Volunteers: 110 Patients served: 1,724 My recent medical mission to Guatemala was once again a very rewarding experience from both a professional and personal perspective. The community of Tejutla was extremely receptive to our presence and we had ample opportunities for medical and dental interventions. From a surgical standpoint, we provided care in the areas of plastics, OBGYN and general surgery. The great majority of our cases involved hernia repair, cleft lip and palate corrections, webbed finger corrections, burn reconstruction and OBGYN surgeries. All patients received optimal care and recovered without issue. The majority of my time in Tejutla was spent providing pharmaceutical support for the surgery teams and keeping both the hospital and clinic pharmacy teams running efficiently. This year, I was the only pharmacist on the mission trip which created logistical issues involving pharmacy setup and day to day operation of the surgical and clinic pharmacies. Fortunately, we had a great team providing back up support for pharmacy. During the week we provided the following interventions: 132 major surgeries, 1,261 clinic visits, 331 dental procedures. This trip was my tenth mission opportunity to Guatemala. Every trip is rewarding and this year's was no exception. Thank you again for your financial support for me and the people of Guatemala. I hope to return to Guatemala again in March of 2009.
Guatemala Pamela L. Bekius, R.N. Clinics: 7 Volunteers: 100 Patients served: 131 surgeries, 330 dental March 8-19, 2008 a group of approximately 100 volunteers from HELPS International traveled to Tejutla, San Marcos, Guatemala to provide medical, dental and surgical care to rural Guatemalans. This was my third trip with HELPS to Guatemala. A stove team also was a part of this mission. They installed an indoor and an outdoor stoves for 75 households. This will reduce dependence on natural resources by 75 percent , decrease the physical labor of mothers and children and most importantly, decrease the pulmonary damage caused by the smoke of open fires in the home. To read more of Pamela's medical mission, click here.
Peru Juanita Reyes Royle, R.N. Clinics: 6 Volunteers: 25 Patients served: 450 This past January I had the opportunity to return to Peru with students from Saint Olaf College in Northfield on their Peruvian Medical Odyssey. Most of these students are interested in medicine, nursing and dentistry. Our group consisted of three pediatricians, two dentists, one registered nurse, one interpreter and sixteen students. In Peru, a local pediatrician joined our team. We traveled to Cuzco and set up our clinic in an orphanage where during three days we were able to see all the children from this orphanage as well as other children from the community including some of the street children. All the children were seen by the doctors and the ones in greatest need saw the dentists. to read more about Juanita's medical mission, click here.
Bolivia Lori Hanson, R.N., Child-Family Life specialist Clinics: 2 Volunteers: 56 Patients served: 200 screened; 127 surgeries I have just returned from my two week medical mission to Bolivia with Operation Smile. They are a delightful, highly organized group to work with and they organized a wonderful medical team from 11 countries. I worked with this organization ten years ago and they only get better. On this trip we did health screenings for more than 200 children and 127 surgeries. I also trained a psychologist from Bolivia to be a future Child Life specialist. This involved doing classes for parents and children. To read more about Lori's medical mission, click here.
Nigeria Diane Vogel, Home health aide Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 6 Patients served: 1,037 I left for the third year in a row to Nigeria with the Isaiah Connection. Our mission or goal is to come along side of people in different countries to assist meet a need. This also includes needs here in the United States. The needs we were asked to help with in Nigeria were medical care and clean water. In Nigeria I help to provide medical care. I work along side Dr. Binga from Nigeria who cares for patients. I have learned to treat many things such as stomach pain, parasites, typhoid, pain, etc. I also do all the wound care, which I love to do. To read more about Diane's medical mission, click here.
Guatemala Candies Rancher, speech language pathologist Clinics: 2 seminar days with 60 nursing students Volunteers: 30 Patients served: 60 surgeries My primary role was in the sterilization room washing surgical tools and ensuring that linens were sterilized and folded between surgeries. The gifts of this medical mission journey were numerous. I was able to watch three cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries and a portion of one hernia surgery. Since my husband worked in the post-op area, I was able to witness the joy of families receiving their children who could smile for the first time, model a completely repaired hand or foot, or suck out of a bottle without liquids gushing through their nose. To read more about Candies' medical mission trip, click here.
Honduras Henry Padgett, CNP Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 12 Patients served: 700+ I want to express my appreciate to the Fairview Foundation for the support to my medical mission trip to Honduras. During our trip we saw in excess of 700 patients in four days of clinic. We provided a 90-day supply of multivitamins to all children and pregnant women, in addtion to seeing a full spectrum of medical problems.
Honduras Cathleen Pearson Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 26 Patients served: 1,000 God never ceases to amaze me. By trusting him to do his will through me, I have been blessed with a new passion in life-mission work. Upon leaving Honduras, I realized this kind of work is in me to stay. This was my second medical mission there and it won't be the last. We were north of Tegucigalpa, between the two villages of Talanga and La Ermita. We stayed at Monte Horeb run by the Christian Commission for Development. Our group consisted of three doctors, seven nurses, one pharmacy technician and 15 others with blended talents to serve. Our plan was to have 4.5 days of clinic, but we ran out of medicine for the last half day. In that time, we treated about 1,000 patients for intestinal problems, dehydration, malnutrition, prenatal care and various other ailments. To read more about Cathleen's medical mission, click here.
Huehuetaenango, Guatemala Teresa McCartney, RN Clinics: 5 Volunteers: 73 Patients served: 1,000 Surgeries: 130 Thank you so much for giving me a grant for the medical mission to Huehuetaenango, Guatemala with Helps International. This experience has helped me grow personally, professionally and spiritually as a person. In just one week the team treated more than 1,000 people in the dental, medical and outreach clinics. The dental clinic extracted more than 20 teeth a day on children through adults. The clinics triaged potential surgery candidates, which included cleft lip and palates, hernias, ganglion cysts, tumors, burns and gynecological problems such as prolapsed uterus and cysts. The clinic saw many patients with chronic pain, parasites, rashes and infections. Parasite medication and vitamins were given to nearly everyone. The team performed about 130 surgeries. The most common were cleft palates, hernias, cyst removals, hysterectomies and A&P repairs. I was lucky enough to work both in the clinic and in recovery. To read more about Teresa's medical mission, click here.
Lima, Peru Helen Rech, RN Volunteers: 30 Patients served: 170 My week in Lima, Peru, with the San Francisco de Asis program was truly rewarding. I am thankful for the opportunity to have been able to participate with such a fascinating group of competent and compassionate professionals. The families and children were so thankful and grateful for the work being done. It truly was a heartfelt experience. My second week in Chimbote, Peru, consisted of meeting the poorest of the poor families while going on home visits with a a social worker name Udy. Pictures cannot describe what I felt, heard, and smelled as I experienced the life these people live on a daily basis. I look forward to going back and trying to help in some way. For now , I have truly learned "Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff."
Lima, Peru Tanya Verlishek-Vzaguirre, RN Clinics: 5 Volunteers: 30 Patients served: 170 This year's San Francisco de Asis program was a continued success. We operated on 170 children with multiple issues. Our dentists made retainers with false teeth for about 35 patients. We helped so many children from the city, desert and mountains of Peru. The poor children come every year to have our team operate on their cleft lips, palates, burns and other malformations. We see children from past years who come just to say thank you for changing their lives. We had 57 medical professionals and lay volunteers who assisted in our program. I coordinated the team's daily activities, aided in translating for the doctors, triaged the patients and worked with administration and more. Every year, the program impacts my life in so many ways. I enjoy working with our team, the Peruvian medical team and the administrative people. The children however are the highlight of the program. We bring smiles to faces, help with fixing problems that otherwise would never change and instill hope to children's lives. The children and their families are so grateful, and always bring a smile to my face. That is the main reason I continue to go year after year. Personally, I take home the feeling of success and feel rewarded in helping poor children get the surgery they needed and giving them a life of normalcy. I used my knowledge and skills professionally and contributed my talents to assist the team in success. I will continue to travel to Peru with the program as a lifetime of mission to serve the poor children of Peru.
Chinandega, Nicaragua Jennifer Greiber, RN Clinics: 5 Volunteers:23 Patients served: 1,800 I recently returned home from a medical mission trip to Nicaragua with Volunteers In Medical Missions. The trip consisted of five days where we set up medical clinics held to serve members in five different communities in Nicaragua. Each day we packed up our medical supplies and traveled to a different location. We set up clinics in churches or schools to try and meet all the community needs. Though it was extremely sad to see poverty at this level, this was the most rewarding experience I have ever had. Being able to give these people even a small amount of medical care was so fulfilling. The people kept telling us that they were truly grateful and that we were a blessing from God. It was an eye opening and life-changing event for me that I will always cherish. I hope to make mission trips a part of my life and hope to be able to travel to other areas where I can serve others in this way. It was a blessing for me to be able to go on this trip. It only happened because of the support of my friends, family and the Fairview Foundation. I cannot thank the foundation enough for the support for this trip which helped make my personal dream come true. I will share my memories and excitement with my coworkers so they continue to support the program and promote the mission trips so they may get to experience this on their own.
Chinandega, Nicaragua Debra Berg, RN Clinics: 5 Volunteers: 23 Patients served: approximately 1,900 I found my medical mission experience to be a humbling, rewarding experience. Our patients' ages ranged from 6 days old to 105 years old. We saw many women and children; most of the men were in the nearby sugar cane fields working. Parasites due to contaminated water is one of the major health concerns in the area. Every person we saw received parasite medicine and 1-2 months supply of vitamins. I was moved to tears each morning as we prayed for the people we would see that day in clinic. People would lime up outside the clinic door for up to two hours before clinic began. I found the Nicaraguan people to be warm and compassionate. since I do not speak Spanish, a smile was a common means of welcoming them to our clinic as I was one of the first people they saw after registering . My smile was met with a return smile and an immediate connection was made. The mission trip to Nicaragua was a highlight in my professional career. It has made me realize how wonderful our health care system is in this country. It opened my eyes to the impact a group of people can make in the lives of 1,900 people. Personally, going on this mission trip helped me attain a goal I have had for several years. My experience will leave a lasting impression on my heart forever.
Chinandega,Nicaragua Donelle Heilman, RN Volunteers: 23 Patients served: 1,700-1,800 Nicaragua was a new country for most of us, and we were set for new adventures! Our team was 23 strong--with the majority being Fairview employees. Our destination was Chinandega, Nicaragua, as our main base, with five nearby villages as clinic locations. Our team leaders dubbed us "The Dream Team" prior to our departure, and we set out to make a difference. We were challenged prior to our departure by various strict new regulations from the Nicaraguan government and their department of health. Both our team leaders here and our hosts in Nicaragua worked tirelessly to make sure all our "i"s were dotted and the "t"s crossed. Our team along with all our many bags of medications crossed customs without a problem. You could almost hear the signs of relief in unison as we left the airport. Onward and outward over the first hurdle, with a prayer of thanksgiving. To read more about Donelle's medical mission, click here.
Lougou, Haiti Anil Patel, M.D. Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 23 Patients served: 950 Several months of preparation went into the mission. The people of Lougou, working with the charity COEFED invited us. For my part, I worked with Anne Dillion, M.D., internist from Edina obtaining medications and supplies. I made contact with several physician practices in Edina: Southdale Internal Medicine, Urology PA and Minnesota Heart were all generous donors. I also received donations from individuals and of course Fairview Foundation. Several helpers and I spent countless hours obtaining medications and supplies and pre-counting and packing each prescription. To read more about Anil's medical mission, click here.
Leon, Nicaragua Sheila Powers, RNC Clinics: 5 Volunteers: 12 Earlier this month, I had an opportunity to visit Nicaragua thanks in part to Fairview Foundation and the grant shared with our group. A group of 10 registered nurses who currently are enrolled in the Women's Health Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Minnesota along with two instructors formed the Project MN-Leon University of Minnesota Nursing Delegation. Project MN-Leon is a nonprofit organization which promotes a people to people exchange between Minnesotans and residents of Leon. Project MN-Leon has a history of organizing cultural exchange trips for local church groups and Augsburg College students among others.
Bapatla, India Andrea L. Childress, RN Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 12 Patients served: 300 Recently I returned from Bapatla, India where I spent two weeks providing nursing care and spending time with nearly 300 children and the surrounding community. Thank you for the grant in support of my trip. After holding eye camp for several days, twenty patients were identified as having vision deficits and/or other eye problems and were sent to an ophthalmologist for further testing and glasses. It was wonderful to see the kids in their new glasses! We also purchased baby formula for abandoned infants who were being fed water buffalo milk and steadily declining. There were so many ways to connect and make a difference while there. It was an amazing experience for me on so many levels. My scope of how nurses can enhance the lives of others has been expanded to include people far away living vastly different lives. I had the opportunity to work with the local health care providers and learn about the differences in health care. I will definitely return and hope to take more people with me to help this orphanage and community. Thank you againfor supporting my trip and the activities we carried out while there.
Honduras Jennifer Schwartz, Certified surgical technologist Clinics: 8 Volunteers: 30 Patients served: 60 Our trip to Honduras was a memorable one. We went with three orthopedic surgeons and an ENT physician. This was the first time our groups attempted to perform total knee replacements. It was quite a feat to even get the supplies down there. The implants had to be donated by an orthopedic company. Besides that, implanting joint components increased the chance of post-op infection. Considering that the operating rooms in Honduras are not sterile environments, it was a risk to attempt the operations. Also, these operations normally use battery-powered drills and saws. We only were able to use one small electric saw that was only available for half of the cases. We had to use handsaws instead. Even though we had some obstacles to overcome, we were able to perform ten successful total knee replacements. I know these operations had a huge impact on the patients. They had some of the most arthritic knees we have ever seen. Some of them couldn't even walk before the operation. Afterwards, they were able to go home with crutches. I was touched by how thankful the patients were. We were really changing their lives. The whole week we were there made me appreciate the environment that I worked in at home. Here we always have the supplies we need to do an operation. In Honduras, we had to be creative to think up alternatives to supplies that we didn't have. I'm hoping that creativity and "thinking outside of the box" attitude we adopted will carry over into my job at home. It certainly has made me a more flexible person and I appreciate everything we have available to us in the United States.
Rajanacar, India Nanette Nys, RN Clinics: 2 Volunteers: 3 This was my first attempt at mission work. I had no idea what to expect, what to bring or how I could be more effective. I learned a lot. The trip was organized by one of my fellow nurses-Philo George- who works at Fairview Southdale Hospital. For year's Philo has talked about going to a remote place in India to help a childhood friend (Bishop George) reach a dream of efficient and effective medical car for the poorest of poor. He has been working on starting dispensaries in the area and he eventually wants to start a hospital. He needs volunteers and money to reach these goals. To read more about Nanette's medical mission, click here.
Guatemala Amanda Smith, RN Volunteers: 70 Patients served: 1,000+ I just got back from my first medical mission. I was blessed to have gone with wonderful people who have a heart for helping others using the gifts God gave them. Little did I know that I would come back to Minneapolis and want to sign up again. The medical mission I went on was through Helps International. It was a medical group based out of St. Cloud, Minn. but included people from other parts of Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Iowa. There were about seventy of us who set out on Jan. 26 to Guatemala City with Huehuetenango being our final destination. Included on our trip were surgeons, anesthesiologists, CRNA's, OR nurses and scrubs, instrument sterilizers, OR schedulers, a dentist, pharmacists, family practice MDs, a pediatrician, a sonographer, triage nurses, recovery room nurses, interpreters, cooks and several helpers for all areas. I never thought about how many people it took to run a hospital in a remote area. To read more about Amanda's medical mission, click here.
Guatemala Kristin Hall, RN Clinics: 4 Volunteers: 60-70 Patients served: 1,000+ The medical mission trip that I was part of in Guatemala was a wonderful, great learning experience. We arrived in Guatemala City on Saturday and then took a bus to Huehuetenango, our final destination, on Sunday morning. Sunday afternoon we unpacked the medical supplies and put the hospital, operating room, recovery rooms and kitchen together. We stayed on a Guatemalan army base so we slept on cots in barracks. The following week nurses triaged patients waiting to see the doctors. We had three family practice doctors, one pediatrician, one OB/GYN, two general surgeons, one plastic surgeon and one dentist. I worked in the recovery room on the evening shift. The following Saturday, we packed our supplies back up and organized everything to travel back on Sunday. To read more about Kristin's medical mission, click here.
Honduras Kelly Schirmers, Surgical technician Clinic: 1 Volunteers: 20 Patients served: 50+ I recently went on a mission trip to Sula Honduras with John Wilson, M.D. My experience there was so great. I had the chance to meet so many great people that lived there as well as the people that I worked with. We performed surgeries Sunday-Tuesday, then we got a little break to see the country side which was so amazing. We then did some more surgeries on Thursday and by Friday we were heading back to San Pedro. I was so fortunate to be able to work with such great people and to have the chance to perform total knee replacements on so many people The people who live in Honduras were so grateful that we were there to help them and it really makes you feel good about yourself. We worked really hard and put in some long hours while we were there but I wouldn't change any of it. I only wish that I could have stayed longer. Thank you so much for all of your help. Kelli Schirmers
Lima, Peru Catherine Jons, AuD 4 clinics 3 audiologists (of a 40 member medical team) 140 patients served In fall 2007, I returned from my third medical mission trip to Lima, Peru, a trip sponsored in part, by the Fairview Foundation. The mission was organized by Grand Church in Eden Prairie and consisted of 40 medical professionals. My primary role was to provide audiologic services (i.e. hearing evaluations and hearing-aid fittings) to the citizens of Peru, specifically Flores de Villa, a shantytown 30 minute outside of Lima. I had provided these services in October 2004 and July 2005 during which time my colleague, Dale Woodard, and I fit hearing aids on 22 and 75 adults and children, respectively. To read more about Catherine's medical mission, click here.
Chimbote, Peru Murtice C. Sherek, RN 4 clinics 26 volunteers 2,611 patients served Our dream team consisted of: 4 doctors, 1 certified nurse practitioner, 1 dentist, 1 psychologist, 1 doctor of pharmacy, 1 pharmacy assistant, 11 registered nurses, 1 research scientist, 1 certified medical assist and 4 lay people. The lay people entertained the children, distributed clothing, shoes and gifts to patients, assisted in dentistry. Five people worked in the pharmacy and were assisted by those who could translate. The nurses helped with triage and treated patients when they were able. Two of our team members designed the patient care area which worked very well, giving our patients privacy. One of our staff went to the local pharmacy to purchase medications to add to those we brought. One of our staff did many blood glucose tests. To read more about Murtice's medical mission, click here.
Kisumu, Kenya Anne Zerby, surgical technician 2 days screening, 4.5 days surgery 45 volunteers 160 patients served The medical mission with Operation Smile to Kisumu, Kenya, was one of 40 missions being performed in 25 different countries in order to make the 25th anniversary of Operation Smile's international services. Operation Smile repairs cleft lips and palates for children at no charge. In addition to these repairs which take priority, the physicians also will see any patient for any reason during the screening period which lasts for two days prior to determining who will be selected and scheduled for surgery. Many people arrived for screening who had keloids and burn contractures. Some of these patients were able to be treated surgically as well. Then, there were many others who had conditions that could not be treated by Operation Smile volunteers, but who could get referrals to see physicians who would be able to help them. For some, this was their first, and perhaps only, visit to see a doctor, and many would not be able to bear the expense to make the journey to see another doctor in another hospital. To read more about Anne's medical mission, click here.
Migori, Kenya Carolyn Koehler, pediatric staff nurse 3 clinics 11 volunteers 2,500 patients served A Jeep with a bullhorn announced our free medical clinics to the community at night, and each day the crowd multiplied. It was frustrating to feel rushed, but we knew it was our duty to do the best we could for the most people possible. Our patients had walked for miles and many had waited patiently for hours. All were gracious and very grateful. At the end of three long days of clinics we were amazed to learn that we had treated 2,500 patients. To read more about Carolyn's mission trip, click here.
Bangladesh Karin Robeck, RN 3 clinics 6 volunteers (4 medical) 400+ patients served After a three day travel delay and being up for nearly 40 hours, we finally pulled up to the hospital, Lutheran Healthcare Bangladesh in Dumki. We had spent the entire day on roads that were barely drivable because of the potholes. We crossed several rivers by ferry. By the time we arrived at the hospital, it was dark outside, and we were tired and hungry after our travel. But one of the most exciting things was to see the hospital staff standing at the front gates waiting for us with flowers. This was my first medical mission trip and my first trip to Bangladesh. I was overwhelmed by the welcome we received from these people. They were excited to finally meet the foreign medical team that they had been waiting for. We were greeted by all of the hospital staff, from the medical director and physicians to the nurses and guards and housekeepers. I hoped we could live up to the expectations of the people who had been expecting us. To read more about Karin's medical mission, click here.
Haiti Nancy Hemmah, RN 4 clinics 14 volunteers More than 1,000 patients served Now I know what "hotter than Haiti" means. I think the temperature was 90 degrees but so was the humidity. We had four long days of clinic and saw a total of 1,000 people. I helped distribute vitamins and de-worming medication. I helped start IVs for a woman with a fever of 102 degrees. I did wound care and pregnancy tests. I helped the pharmacy give out medications. It was great to witness the work of the missionaries. They are delivering food to those in need and building hospitals and homes. We went to church and the Haitian sang in Creole for us. We sang some hymns for them in English. It was very inspiring to become so close to our team and share this time with the Haitian people. Thank you for your support.
Haiti Joy A Paxacopoulos, RN 4 clinics 14 volunteers 1,378 patients served I want to thank you for making my trip to Haiti possible. This was my third trip with VIMM and one of the most spiritually rewarding missions I have ever participated in. I'm not sure who received the greater blessing, the people of Haiti or me. I got back so much more than I could have imagined. Know how very blessed we are here in the United States. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti. Thank you for all your support and Good bless you.
Antigua, Guatemala Sandra S. Moore, RN 1 clinic 22 volunteers 80 patients served In October, 2007, I went to Antigua for medical missions with Common Hope. Going on a medical mission was something I had heard about and dreamed of doing someday. Thanks to Fairview Foundation and a good word from Jan Palmer, I had this opportunity to go. I believe everyone should go on a missions in a third world country. I know my eyes have been opened. I am thankful for my life style here at home. To read more about Sandra's medical mission, click here.