Lost in Patanatic

If you are looking for the most recent updates from my life, I’ve transitioned into a new blog...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:27:00 -0400

If you are looking for the most recent updates from my life, I’ve transitioned into a new blog at loverescuemekc.tumblr.com in order to reserve this blog for my Guatemala adventures. Enjoy!

Day 31

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:40:07 -0400

Saturday

I’m sitting in Guatemala City packed and waiting for tomorrow. The end of this journey is unavoidable. The last week has been painfully good. We spent everyday with the team from Heart to Heart working, then I would return to Patanatic in the afternoon to try and wrap things up there.

Each day I found myself saying goodbye to another person or family. Through the tragedy of Agatha, incredible relationships and bonds were formed. On Thursday, I had a short opportunity to say farewell to Rosa and Guillermo. On Friday, Cesar invited the team of volunteers over to his house for coffee. It was incredible to have my friends sit in the house of Cesar and experience the things that I have for the last four weeks. They served us café and pan, the usual, and Cesar had the opportunity to meet the two volunteers who will be living in the house for the next seven weeks. You can follow their journey at theviewfrompatanatic.tumblr.com.

When it came time to leave, Cesar’s mother was especially moved. It was hard to let go of this family as I feel they have accepted me as their own. They all expressed hope for my safe return and for the health of my family in the US. It is hard to understand or comprehend the sense of gratitude I have found here; from people who have very little, and face great adversity. The day after Agatha ripped through the community cutting off all access to the outside world, stripping the town of electricity, water, and flooding homes with mud, the people pick up and start over again. It is very easy for me to get frustrated for the people here. Its like they can never get a foot up, they are always recovering from something. And yet, you would never get that from their demeanor.

Friday, as I was walking down to catch the bus to head back to Pana, Louis (brother of Guillermo) came running down the hill. He had talked to Dan, who had told him I was leaving. I could see the emotions built up behind is eyes. He expressed his great thanks for our help, and for our friendship. He told me he wished for my quick return and that he will see me again soon. The words were very few and simple, because he knew I still don’t know much Spanish, but the nonverbal communication worked wonders.

I returned to Patanatic again late Friday night to help the girls get settled into their new house. It was fun to see their excitement and to imagine all the experiences they will have in the next seven weeks. Jose came over to bid his farewell, and I introduced him to the new team. The last week has given me time to accept the fact that my time here is concluding. And now as I sit here in Guatemala City, I can do nothing but accept it. The last five weeks have changed me, without a doubt. Through much trauma and adventure, joy and agony, frustration and excitement, despair and hope, and I have somehow survived. I can’t begin to identify the things I have learned from my experience, and I am sure it will unfold in the coming weeks and years. I want to thank all of you for being a part of this journey with me. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and your prayers. Not only did I find a loving community here in Guatemala, I have been encouraged and inspired by the community from which I have come.

Thank you all for your support. I could not have survived without you.

Day thirty-one, and I’m still breathing.

Day 28

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 00:39:34 -0400

Wednesday

The last few days have been a blur. On Sunday, a group of volunteers arrived to spend the week with us. Their arrival was a little bittersweet. Many of my friends are part of the group, but I knew that their arrival signified the final chapter of my time here. Not entirely willing to accept this, I talked with Jorge immediately after her arrived about the possibility of staying another week. He shut me down pretty fast. He said if I didn’t leave when I was supposed to, then I never would. “Go back, and get more experience. Then you can return.”

Monday and Tuesday we spent visiting every school in the Lake area where Heart to Heart is connected. Tuesday we met with the mayor of San Antonio to get another idea of how they were managing since we met them last week. The city seemed to be in much better condition. The frenzied havoc that seemed rampant among the streets had settled, and large amounts of aid have arrived. The mayor informed us that the national government was going to help purchase the materials needed for the water pipes, and until then, they had other ways of coping.

We also made a visit to the town closest to San Antonio, Santa Catarina. Santa Catarina lost a number of homes as well as two girls to the storm. Heart to Heart was able to donate 21 water filters to the school, so that all the teachers’ classrooms could have clean water.

Today we spent the day in Patanatic. The morning we spent working the clinic, and getting hands on the supplies that we have spent the last year raising money for. It was very difficult work, but very good work. For lunch, Jorge told me the teachers had prepared a little something for us and asked if we could eat it at the house. Dan and I prepared salsa and guacamole for the group the morning before, so I said it would be perfect. By the time everyone arrived, the total of our group was around 30. The teachers prepared chuchitos, a tamale-like wrap with sauce and meat in the middle. Then, the unveiled the key to my heart, Tres Leches. One of the teachers had made the cake, lined with peaches just for the special occasion. The event turned into a goodbye celebration for me and I didn’t even realize it. Cesar, the principal, had arranged a certificate to be made for me that was signed by the mayor, himself, and leader for the community Cocode. I am deeply humbled by the gifts of the people. I can’t explained the connection that has formed with them in the last few weeks, but it is unlike any other I have had in my life.

My time is almost finished here, and yes I pains me a little to think about it. The time here has been difficult, exciting, mysterious, adventurous, fearful, and simply rich. There are still three days left here with a lot of territory to cover.

Day twenty-eight and I’m still breathing.

The wake of a mudslide in San Antonio.

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:21:00 -0400

The wake of a mudslide in San Antonio.

Jackie and the principal from San Antonio looking at the main...

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:05:30 -0400

Jackie and the principal from San Antonio looking at the main mudslide that went through San Antonio.

Day 24

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 15:53:16 -0400

Saturday

Where do I begin. Tropcial Storm Agatha. Three days no electricity, no water. A whirlwind of activity, and Heart to Heart is able to purchase the materials to replace the broken water lines. An assessment trip to San Antonio Palopo. San Antonio suffered a devastating loss; 19 dead, 2 missing, and an estimated 150 families without homes.

We returned to San Antonio on Thursday, and were lead through the town to the site of the major mudslide. An entire family of 11 was lost in one house. The scene was very difficult to take in. Rescue workers still digging through mud, after 5 days still searching for the missing bodies of two children. Standing at the site, you imagine the scenes and sounds that took place last Saturday. I will admit, that type of trauma takes a lot on your body. After a few hours of walking through the town, my head was hurting.

Our goal in San Antonio was to discover what aid was needed and see where we can join in. Heart to Heart was able to donate about $500 worth of meds to the clinic in San Antonio. The main problem is water. San Antonio is a town of 7,000 people and they have been without water since Saturday. The spring that they draw water from is about 24 kilometers away from the town, across mountains, rivers, and canyons. The town is only accessible by boat, because the road on either side of the town has been taken out by mudslides. When we were there on Thursday, it seemed like chaos. No one was working together. The government was working over here, the teachers working over there, and a community group in that place over there. And they were all angry with the other. And everyone had a different answer to what was being done about the water situation. Our team consisted of Dan, Cesar (the principal from Patanatic), and Jackie (woman we met through the Garcia family, she has been with us since Agatha and helping translate. We would be nowhere without her). I will admit, it was one of the most frustrating days I have had since arriving here. The town is a desperate situation, but they aren’t coordinating together to accomplish the things that are the most vital to survival. We left San Antonio with spirits crushed, and feeling like we accomplished nothing. That night we had a conference call with Jorge, and brainstormed what to do next. Jorge urged that we help the town work together, to empower collaboration to help restore the town. Cesar said he would make some calls, and attempt to get a meeting with the mayor of San Antonio, so we could get the real story of what was being done about the water.

Friday morning, Cesar calls and says he has a meeting with three members of the Consejo. Jackie and Dan are unable to attend, so Cesar and I head out for San Antonio. When we arrive, the mayor is there and we have the opportunity to talk with him. It turns out, they haven’t inspected the water lines yet, but they do have an estimate of the materials needed to repair the damage. Unfortunately, its 24 kilometers of work on a near-deadly trail. The list of materials is enormous. Even if we could raise the money, its not a efficient fix. Say we fix the 24 kilometers of pipe, what happens when the next storm comes? One person told us when Tropical Storm Stan hit in 2005, it was 8 months before they had water again. That is unacceptable.

We know of another organization called Mercado Global who has a donor who wants to help the town rebuild their water system, and has a team of engineers (again this is all what we hear). Jackie, Dan, Cesar, and I brainstorm the idea of building a new water system. One that pumps water from the lake, filters the water, and distributes it to the town. And apparently, the team at Mercado Global is thinking the same thing. But we have failed to connect with them. We spent all day today trying to get a hold of our contact there, but we haven’t yet. The plan now is to still try and make contact with them. Cesar has scheduled for us another meeting with the mayor on Monday, so that Jorge can be there.

Today most of our efforts went into putting together a party. Jackie had the marvelous idea of having a celebration, in honor of water and electricity. We invited the Garcia family, Cesar and his family, the members of the Agua Commuté, and the Cocodé (from what I understand, this is the main leadership group in Patanatic). It was a huge celebration. Guillermo and his family brought tables and chairs to help us fill the house. Over 40 people came over for dinner. Towards the end, we ran out of food and had to scramble to make pasta. But, buy the end of the night everyone had eaten, and Los Hermanos Garcia entertained us with music.

I can’t explain what has happened in the last week. Last Saturday, Dan and I sat in our house wondering if we would make it out alive. There is a feeling of complete helplessness as you sit there and listen to the rain pouring down. Then, to see the community pull together and accomplish the incredibly difficult task of repairing their water lines, within a few days. Then, within a matter of hours on the same day, to have electricity and water return to the community. The last week has given me the opportunity to become more intimate with the families here. It is making it so much more difficult to leave. Rosa, a member of the Garcia clan, is known in as a Healer. She has studied natural medicine her whole life. Cesar has devoted much of his time the last three days to helping San Antonio with us. Jackie has been volunteering practically full time with Heart to Heart. She has moved into the house with Dan and I, and gives the house a fresh flair. All this to say, I’m getting sucked in here. I’m becoming a little addicted.

Day twenty-four, and I’m still breathing.

Los Hermanos Garcia performing in our dining room the night...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:44:30 -0400

Los Hermanos Garcia performing in our dining room the night after Agatha struck. Simply incredible.

Lunch with the Garcia family. Even after half of their house had...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:30:36 -0400

Lunch with the Garcia family. Even after half of their house had mud come through, they still made lunch for everyone.

Mudslide that came through the Garcia house. Nickolas Garcia is...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:28:31 -0400

Mudslide that came through the Garcia house. Nickolas Garcia is the father (left) and Rolondo is in the white shirt.

Mudslide that took out the main road in Patanatic. The white...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:26:31 -0400

Mudslide that took out the main road in Patanatic. The white rock in the middle of the picture is where the road normally is.

Photo of Pacaya erupting. Mike sent me this photo. His friend...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 03:07:45 -0400

Photo of Pacaya erupting. Mike sent me this photo. His friend took it as he was flying his helicopter.

Working in the Garcia house to remove the mud.

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:53:53 -0400

Working in the Garcia house to remove the mud.

Mudslide that just missed Guillermo’s house and was about...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:51:00 -0400

Mudslide that just missed Guillermo’s house and was about 75 yards from our house.

Day 21

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:45:27 -0400

Wednesday

Hello all, sorry no updates recently. We have been without power. Here is a report I submitted to Heart to Heart of the events from the last days. Thanks for all your prayers!

To Heart to Heart, and whom it may concern:

This is a recap of the events from the last few days. Saturday morning, Dan Cool and I received word a tropical storm was headed for Central America, and Guatemala was expected to take a direct hit. We gathered together supplies and prepared for the worst. It had been raining for the past few days, and as the time passed it only picked up. Somewhere around 7 or 8 in the evening on Saturday seemed to be the worst. We had lost power and water by then, so Dan and I were simply waiting in the house. At one point, I stepped out the front door and shined my flashlight to the right of our house to see a river of mud rushing by. Our neighbors to the left of us (Guillermo Garcia Garcia) evacuated shortly after to be with the rest of their family.

By about 9, the rain appeared to stop. I noticed Guillermo had returned and was retrieving things from his house. I asked if he needed help and he said his parent’s house had been flooded with mud. Dan and I spent the next hour and a half shoveling mud out of our neighbor’s house. We returned to bed that night with spirits high, until the rain started again.

We awoke the next morning to blue skies. I walked outside our house to discover two mudslides on either side of our house. The larger one to the south of our house had narrowly missed our Guillermo’s house by only a few meters. As I walked to the north side, a family had begun to shovel the mud out of their house and we worked with them for about an hour. After, the family fed us breakfast and we headed out to assess the rest of the town. Guillermo’s father’s house had mud in another part, so Dan and I set out to helping the family again. Most of the day was spent shoveling, and assessing the damage to the community. We discovered the main road to Panajachel had extensive damage from mudslides. Luckily, no families had homes completely destroyed and no one was injured.

A friend of the Garcia family arrived on Sunday afternoon. Her name is Jackie Garrido, and she has spent the last four days helping us communicate with the community leaders. Jackie has been working with the Garcia family for the past four months forming a women’s collation working with fabric. As we talked with the Garcia brothers (Guillermo, Louis, and Rolando) we questioned them about the water problem. It appeared that Rolando was part of the Community Water Committee and said we needed to go assess the damage to the pipes tomorrow. Unfortunately, the problem laid in getting money to purchase the broken materials. They would ask the municipality of Panajachel to purchase them, but the officials take so long that it is ineffective and could take days to weeks. The next step is to ask families for donations for the materials, but they are already financially stressed as is. We made the proposal that Heart to Heart could offer to pay for part of the supplies, and it was decided that we would leave early the next morning to assess the damage.

During the afternoon, we discovered the Garica family had a band called Los Hermanos Garcia. They offered to coming sing for us so we made plans for them to come to our house in the evening. As Dan and I were preparing dinner, the band arrived. Five brothers, each with an instrument, crowded into our dining room. By the light of our candles, the Garcia brothers sang praises in harmony for us. It was an incredible scene to see these men in our house, after a day of such calamity and disaster. I don’t know if I have ever experienced such a wide variety of emotions within 24 hours. Much had occurred within the past day to crush the spirits of this community, but here was a family, offering praises through their music. It was a scene that gave me great hope for the days ahead. Dan and I offered the food we had to the Garcia family. It was barely enough for everyone and we had to share cups and plates, but we made it work.

Monday morning we set out at 7:00 AM. Patanatic receives its water from two springs in the mountains. The primary spring lies about 3 miles away across two mountains. The hike to the primary spring was incredibly treacherous and dangerous. The trail had been knocked out in a number of places by mudslides. We observed a number of breaks and headed for the second spring. The second spring had damage to it as well, but with the assessment we had made throughout the day, we were able to develop a list of materials needed to fix the problem. I had been communicating with Jorge Coromac every few hours since the storm hit, and he told me we needed a price before we could offer them anything. So we raced to Panajachel to get an estimate for the materials (the roads had been cleared on Monday by machines provided by the government). The total for the parts was 6,400 quetzales. I communicated this with Jorge, and he responded with the generous donation of Q5,000.

As we arrived back into Patanatic, Rolondo Garcia Garcia asked us to present the materials to the Agua Commuté (Community Water Committee). Dan, Jackie and I presented the materials to a very thankful and gracious leadership. They explained that in the morning, 20 volunteers would be ready to begin installation. Work was to begin at 7:00 AM.

When we arrived to work on Tuesday morning, over 60 men were gathered to work. The group, led by Rolondo Garcia Garcia, split into two groups to tackle the two separate springs. I was amazed by the response of the community. Word had spread that materials were available and help was needed, and community responded. The men spent the entire day, till six in the evening, repairing breaks in the pipe beginning at the very beginning of the springs. At the end of the day, most of the repairs had been made, and Rolondo explained that hopefully tomorrow, they would finish with the repairs.

That night, Dan, Jackie, and I had the opportunity to have coffee with Guillermo and his wife. Jackie helped translate and Guillermo again expressed his thanks on behalf of the community. He told us that their hearts were full with gratitude for the response of Heart to Heart. They had made it possible for this community to respond quickly to the disaster. The whole community is aware of what Heart to Heart has done, and all are extremely thankful for making this happen.

And now, with much adu, and I happy to announce that this afternoon (Wednesday), Patanatic received its’ first gallons of fresh water since Saturday. Patanatic is the first community to successfully respond to the water dilemma since Tropical Storm Agatha struck on Saturday, and this is due in large part to the donation by Heart to Heart. The community of Patanatic thanks you, and I thank you. This donation will not be soon forgotten by the community. Again, tonight, as we shared coffee with Rosa, another member of the Garcia family, she explained that Heart to Heart is the first organization to reside full-time in this community, and this is very meaningful to them. She expressed hope for more collaboration in the coming weeks, months, years for healthier families, and a healthier community.

If there is anything more I can add it is this: Heart to Heart is making a profound impact on this community. With your help, you have responded quickly to disaster, prevented potential health problems, and continued to build the incredible reputation of a caring organization. There is much work left to be done here in Patanatic and in the surrounding communities, and hopefully Heart to Heart can respond with swift compassion.

Sincerely,

Erik Unruh

Day twenty-one, and I’m still breathing.

The view as we walk down from our house to catch a taxi.

Sat, 29 May 2010 10:55:28 -0400

The view as we walk down from our house to catch a taxi.

The road block set up by protesters on Wednesday.

Sat, 29 May 2010 10:52:32 -0400

The road block set up by protesters on Wednesday.

Day 16

Sat, 29 May 2010 10:48:05 -0400

Friday

Two weeks of Spanish school. Done. I’m feeling as though my skills have improved a little, either that or people are talking more simply to me. As least I can manage my way around town and am able to coordinate plans with Cesar.

As I was waiting for the bus to leave this morning, the sick father that I have been visiting arrived at the bus stop on his way to work. He said he was feeling much better and his son was better as well. It was a relief to see him out of the house and headed to work.

At the end of class, Dan and I had a Skype conference with the team that is coming in June. It was great to see you all, and we are extremely excited for your arrival!

It has been raining steady for the past three days, so that slowing things down a bit. Dan and I have spent the last two afternoons in the house trying to study Spanish, and plan out what needs to be done in the next week. Here is what we have come up with:

Since health assessments are not working, I am moving to plan B. I proposed to Jorge that I travel around the lake to all the clinics and hospitals to develop an idea of what organizations we might be able to partner with in the future. This will help us develop a demographic of the services offered, and where we can possibly refer patients. Dan is determined to coordinate with the construction leaders on the clinic and offer suggestions where needed. His parents are arriving on Monday, so we will also have some guests next week.

The eruption of the volcano Pacaya has been the topic of many discussions around town. We haven’t felt any of the effects, I think primarily because of the storm system that is hovering over us right now. The rain has us a little nervous and Dan and I are developing a plan in case we lose power or water supply.

On anther note, Dan and I have decided to make the trip to Tikal. After much collaboration with Pedro, he seems to have found us the best deal that will include us picking up Dan’s parents from Guatemala City on Monday. The plan is to leave Saturday afternoon at 4:00, drive through the night and arrive at Tikal at 7:00 AM Sunday morning. We’ll leave Tikal Sunday night at 9:00 and arrive back in Guatemala City by 9:00 AM Monday morning, and wait in the city until Dan’s parents arrive at 2:00 in the afternoon.

Dan and I took our ritual trip into Panajachel for Friday night dinner and music at the Circus Bar. The rain didn’t seem to deter too many people away and the food was delicious as ever. Pedro arrived late into the evening, and it seemed he had a fair amount to drink already. He had one more offer to make us in regards to the trip: his friend would take us on a private bus the entire way, but it was more than triple what we were already paying. We respectfully declined, and he didn’t seem too offended. We had a few more drinks in honor of our friendship (well, Pedro said tonight we were not friends, we were brothers!) and headed out. Pedro handed Dan the keys to his Moped, and the three of us squeezed on and rode to Pedro’s house in the pouring rain. He wanted us to take the Moped back to Patantic, so we set out for our home.

The headlights on Pedro’s bike don’t exactly work well, so luckily I had my trusty flashlight sent by the one and only Zach Phillips. And this is no ordinary flashlight, not only will it reach from Patanatic to Panajachel, it also will double as a weapon in case of emergency. Using it as our guide, we weaved our way up the mountain. About 500 feet from Patanatic, the bike ran out of gas. This night was just not going to end. I helped Dan push the bike up to the office, and decided it would be a safe place to store it for the night.

Only a 150 ft climb to our house, and we could call it a day. The rain kept coming, and thankfully, my trash bag kept my core dry. The rest of me was not so lucky.

Day sixteen, and I’m still breathing.

Day 14

Thu, 27 May 2010 08:49:27 -0400

Wednesday

The clouds rolled away this morning and revealed the majestic volcano, San Pedro, on the other side of the lake. The view was the clearest I have seen it since I have arrived, and it was a nice view as I sipped my café.

School seemed to go very well, and quick, this morning. I went to Mike’s coffee shop on my break for a cinnamon roll. As I was snacking, a man came in and asked Mike if he was closing today. Mike said absolutely not. I thought it was a strange question, until the man explained that the prices for electricity were doubling, and all the shop owners in Panajachel were going to protest. Mike again denied, and said he would remain open. I didn’t think much of it again until it was time for me to leave Panajachel.

As we approached the edge of town in the taxi, I could see a line of cars. And they weren’t moving. We stopped at a blockade of trees and boulders that had been strewn across the road. The driver said this is as far as we go and everyone hopped out. At this time the rain began to fall. Many people were huddled under a guard shack, so I quickly made my way over to escape the rain. I got my trash bag out and put it over myself as one man explained the protest to me.

I had a choice, make my way through the debris in the road and walk back to Patanatic, or go back to Panajachel and hope that the roads would eventually open up. I opted for the first choice.

I set out for Patanatic with my pants rolled up and my trash bag covering my essentials. The rain was falling at a pretty good rate, and Patanatic was about 3 miles away. By about halfway there, I was completely drenched. But I didn’t really care. I was enjoying the adventure and singing at the top of my lungs as I walked down the middle of the road. The entire way, trees had been chopped down, and boulders rolled out into the road to prevent traffic from entering or leaving the city. Hopefully, things get settled soon.

By the time I arrived home, it was mid-afternoon and I was soaked to the bone. I didn’t think health assessments were going to take place today, so I got out of my wet clothes and took the afternoon to work on my Spanish.

Later in the afternoon, I visited the sick family. The boy said he felt better, but his lungs told a different story. They sounded very congested and wet, and I fear he has an infection. So I told his mother she needs to take him to the doctor. His mother has a serious ear infection, and his father was sick in the bedroom unable to come out. It’s a very difficult situation to see. The whole family cramped in a little house, all sick sharing each other’s germs. If anything, it is a scene that is motivation for me. For them, it’s a death trap; a slippery slope of sickness, and unable to work, and not having money to see a doctor or pay for medicine. And so the cycle goes…

Dan and I had no dinner plans ready for tonight, so we were contemplating going into town to see what we could find. I called Pedro to see if the road had opened up yet, and he said no. I wanted a second opinion, so I called Jose. He reaffirmed Pedro’s information and warned us not to go unless we absolutely had to. It wasn’t a necessity, so we decided to stay in for the evening and Jose wound up coming over to eat with us.

It was a very good time talking with Jose. He was sorry to hear about Dan’s accident. While we were talking, Cesar and his mother showed up with a melon for us. I think it was mainly for Dan, but I was still glad to see them. Now it is beginning to feel like a real house. Friends stopping by to visit, to check up on us, and even join us for a bite to eat. I could get used to this.

Jose stayed for most of the evening and shared many stories about life in Guatemala. It is hard to believe the type of lives people live here, and how little they can get by on. Jose was telling me that a typical job in Panajachel would earn, in one month, what I am going to earn in one day when I start that the hospital. And I have to wonder if that is right. I mean I wonder, how could it be that we live in such different worlds? What I can earn in 12 hours, one person will labor for a month or longer to earn. Now I don’t think I consider any one person to be at fault for this disparity. And certainly I don’t want to impose guilt on anyone. But this just doesn’t sit right with me. I don’t have the answer to what is to be done, or how to close the gap between the great divide. But I hope I never forget that scene: at least five people sleeping in the same room, three of them sick in a damp, dark house.

Day fourteen, and I’m still breathing.

Day 13

Wed, 26 May 2010 09:16:34 -0400

Tuesday

“Erik, I think I am going to need some help.”

“Okay,” I said as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I heard Dan outside my room rustling around. I opened the door to find him at the sink of the bathroom looking in the mirror and holding tissues to his face. Dan likes to get up early and ride his bike before many people get on the road. Unfortunately, this morning Dan took a bit of a spill.

I went over to Dan and took a look at his face. He had a huge gash on his upper lip right under his nose.

“It looks like you are going to need some stitches.” The gash in his lip was quite deep. It looked like the flesh of his lip had been peeled back by the road. Luckily, his teeth were okay and the cut had not gone through his lip. He had scratches all over his face and on his hands and wrists. Dan had been smart and had been wearing his helmet. Safety first!

Guillermo, our neighbor, had helped Dan up our drive and was still there in the doorway. I told him we needed stitches, and he said we could possibly get them in Panajachel, at the Center for Health. Guillermo called the emergency services for us to take us there. They arrived 15 minutes later, and the volunteer paramedic was, go figure, an American.

They took us down to Panajachel where we hoped to get Dan stitched up. The paramedic had only lived in Guatemala for the past eight months, but had been a paramedic for over twenty years in the states. He was the only one in unit that spoke English. What are the chances?

We arrived at the Center for Health, where Dan was able to get stitched up by a Guatemalan doctor who was educated in Cuba. At the end, we asked if we could pay, but it was all free. No payment necessary.

Needless to say Spanish classes for the day were shot. I sent Dan back home in a taxi, and I ran a few errands in town. When I finally made it back to the house in Patantic, I realized I had lost my cell phone. We needed some other supplies for the house, so I headed back into town. I thought I might have lost my phone in the ambulance so I headed for the station. On my way there, I ran into Pedro, and told him all about Dan’s accident. Pedro quickly offered to help and we hopped on his Moped. For the next couple hours, Pedro and I raced around town on his bike picking up necessities. The phone turned up at the fire station, and all was resolved. Pedro came up to Patanatic to check on Dan, and was sincerely sorry for him.

It is an odd way to start your day, to wake up to your roommate clutching his face asking for help. We are lucky it wasn’t any more worse, it very easily could have been. Dan still has all his teeth, and there seems to be no brain damage, yet. No just joking, he is all there.

Health assessments were waiting for me at 2 so I headed to the office. I still doubt the effectiveness of my assessments. They seem to be very futile. I have no medicine to offer, and I have very little education to offer. The communication barrier seems insurmountable. Jorge and I had a long talk this evening and decided that something needs to change. We have decided to cancel the health assessments with the families. There are problems on many levels. Language primarily. On the other had, we have asked the entire family to come; mother, father, and children. But there winds up being only one member from each family. The past two days have been very frustrating.

I am not frustrated in my knowledge as a nurse. I feel competent for the most part. What I am disappointed in is my inability to communicate. There is no doubt that I desire to serve and to help, but I don’t have the adequate capacity to just yet. We tried out something, and it didn’t work. So we need to make adjustments. I am holding on to the fact, as my father reminded me, nothing is wasted. Even though this aspect of our work is not functioning, it hasn’t been wasted. I am learning with each person.

After I left the office, I headed over to the house where I visited the sick boy yesterday. He seemed to improve a little although he sounded more congested today. Unfortunately, his whole family seems to be sick and the house is quite crowed. There is a saying here: Mayo de mal. Everyone gets sick in May. I am planning on returning again tomorrow, hopefully to find the family in a little bit better condition. If no improvement by Thursday, we will need to seek further action.

I returned home quite discouraged. It was a hard day. I began cooking dinner for Dan and I and had the chance to speak with Jorge for quite a while. We planned out the next few days and will try to adjust. If one thing doesn’t work, you try another. Jorge was very sorry to hear about Dan’s accident.

Cesar heard about the accident and came over to our house to see how he was doing. It was right as Dan and I were sitting down to eat, so we invited him to join us. I was excited to share the Guatemaloteca salsa I had made. Cesar approved of my skills and seemingly enjoyed the dinner. I was pleased with myself as I was able to understand most of what Cesar was saying, although I am sure he speaks very simply for us.

I will do assessments again tomorrow as the word has already gone out to the families. After that, we will have to figure out something different. Just another day in Guatemala, what in the world could tomorrow hold?

Day thirteen, and I’m still breathing.

Day 12

Tue, 25 May 2010 12:00:42 -0400

Monday

Spanish school. Spanish school. Spanish school. Is it bad that I loathe it? Maybe that is a strong word, but beginning to strongly dislike it. I don’t know why, I really want to learn Spanish. Maybe it is because I’m not learning as fast as I hoped to. At any rate, this is my last week so I better take advantage of my time.

Okay now the real reason I am here: health assessments. Open up the doors, let the floodgates down, I’m ready to start taking patients. So I wait, and wait a little more, and just a little bit longer, until the first man arrived. They trickled in over the next hour and a half. I was able to explain that I didn’t have any medicine available, and I was only doing basic health assessments. The challenge came in trying to decipher the questions of the people. Once that occurred, I was faced with the challenge of offering a response in Spanish, of some remedy.

It was a very frustrating day. Some complaints people had could be relieved by simple education, but I can barely do that. Half of the responsibility of a nurse lies in education. So I guess you could say I am struggling a little. I want to help, I want to offer more, but there is this barrier between us that I am struggling to tear down.

I left the office wondering if I really did anything today, and sort of grumbling to myself. I arrived home and Dan had a similar experience today after meeting with the construction managers of the clinic. He too is frustrated with the language barrier, so we commiserated for a while, until some visitors showed up.

Three little kids, peering in our window.

We invited them in and gave them some juice and salsa and guacamole (they go great together). We couldn’t get much out of them, because the girls were giggling so much. I’m sure it was weird for them to be sitting in our house. One of them asked where I slept so I showed them, then Dan’s room, then the rest of the house. They were soaking up all of our possessions, examining every inch of the house. We entertained them the best we could until another visitor arrived.

This one was another boy, only a teenager. It turns out he was looking for me. I was able to gather that he had a sick uncle and was hoping that I could come see him. Por supuesto. I grabbed my stethoscope and otoscope and we were off. The boy led me down the mountain through trees and rocky paths.

The parents greeted me with thanks and handshakes and led me back into the bedroom. The “uncle” turned out to be another boy about 11 years old. He had a fever and cough for the last day and felt miserable. I did a quick assessment and asked questions to the parents as best as I could. The boy was already taking something for his fever, so I am hoping he will be improving by tomorrow. I again tried to offer the parents some education regarding drinking tea, gargling warm salt water, rest, and drinking plenty of water and juice. I told them I would come back tomorrow to see how he was doing.

I guess the word is out. There is a nurse living in Patanatic. It was odd to say the least. Being called on by someone, then hiking to the boy’s house. Again, I wish I had more to offer these people. But my experience is so little, I am just learning as I go. I’m putting myself in an incredibly vulnerable position. I am a licensed nurse, technically. So I should be a professional resource, technically. But in reality? More or less…

All this to say, I don’t know exactly what I am offering these people, if anything. I pray it is something useful or helpful, or at least not damaging to anyone. Some very challenging times today, and there are certainly more to come. But, this is okay. I am learning many things. And I have to believe this is helping, or doing some good. I think it is.

Day twelve, and I’m still breathing.