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INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL MISSION TRIP TO BELIZE
The Social Ministry International Team recently returned from a medical mission to Belize (October 17-27, 2008).
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Click the photo to enlarge it.
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GREETINGS FROM BELIZE- DAY 2 Yesterday we went to Xaibe, we saw more than 160 patients. The team is having a wonderful time, the patients are gracious and grateful and that makes it so much more special. The entire team is working, everyone has a job. The pharmacy is working extremely well. The nurses are doing intake, then send the patients to see the doctors. The families are large as you would expect with many children. Raj brought his portable cardiogram machine and we are taking cardiograms. It is a first for many patients. It is very poor here and the lush green is deceptive. The poverty is hidden as you view the homes from the car. Corozal has had continuous rain for more than 20 days. It is wet wet wet! When the rains come it is torrential. and the earth cannot absorb the water. The roads are flooded and may affect where we go.
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GREETINGS FROM BELIZE- DAY 3 The weather is consistently wet. The rains come at night continuously and are intermittent during the day. Areas and homes are flooded. The river is rising and we have had to change the villages we were scheduled to visit because we are unable to travel through the flooded areas. The patients also continue to come, we saw approximately 250 patients today. Yesterday 150, on Monday we saw 260 patients. The areas we are visiting are very poor as you would expect. The people are gracious and grateful. They come with multitudes of children, one 26 year old had nine children with one on the way. She didn't want to be told she is pregnant. Raj saw a 7 month old who is seriously ill and needs heart surgery. We will have to talk about how we can help her. The needs are great here. The team has worked in concert and everyone has a role and carries out a needed service. They are enjoying what they are doing. You can hear it in their discussions at the end of the day and their laughter. We are so fortunate to have put together this group of people. Tomorrow is well needed day of rest and we will go to San Pedro.
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GREETINGS FROM BELIZE- FINAL ENTRY
As
with every good author there is always an Epilogue.
So in the time honored tradition of Accuracy, Brevity, and Clarity here
is what happened since my
last
entry.
The
St. Thomas More Medical Mission arrived on Oct. 17th, 2008.
Belize was in the midst of heavy rains, as a matter of fact, most of
Belize was in a state of emergency because of the flooding. The team
actually had to adjust its schedule because we couldn't use the ferry to
get to Chunox Village.
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The International Social Ministry Commission and the Belize Medical Mission Team offers profound thanks to the St. Thomas More community for all of their support with our Belize Medical Mission campaign. Your financial support and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated. We thank you for your encouragement, prayers and support.
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The International Social Ministry Commission and the Belize Medical Mission Team would like to thank St. Rose hospital for its generous donation of supplies and St. Patrick hospital for its donation of medicine in support of Belize Medical Mission campaign. The donation of supplies and medicine are an essential component of this humanitarian project. Medical missions, such as this, rely heavily on the generosity of Hospitals and other medical entities for much needed supplies and medication that will aid in the care of hundreds of patients. The boxes were packed and shipped to Belize.
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“When we touch the sick and needy, we touch the suffering body of Christ” — Mother Teresa —
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Please click on the following links to navigate through the Social Ministry Section:
SOCIAL MINISTRY SERVICE DIRECTORY
Contact Ken at 361-3022 for more information on SOCIAL MINISTRY
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