Boston Nurse Team

Hello from Guatemala,

Sorry I have not written for a while but we have just had two back to back teams of RN's from Boston's Beth-Israel Hospital. Both teams were awesome. Some were nurses that have been doing medical care for years and some were nursing students, but they all had a great attitude and could not wait to work. We saw over 2000 patients in 10 days of clinics in remote Mayan Villages. Here are some pictures of what we did.


We woke up to this, and headed out by boat to the village of Boca Ancha which was so remote, they had never seen a white person before.	We traveled a while by boat but we finally got to the point where we had to be taken by cattle truck to the village.


The ride in had spectacular scenery.

Family waiting for medical care in a village on lake.


Village on Lago Izabal.

After the medical clinic the kids ran after us as we rode on the back of the cattle truck.


Getting ready for clinic next day out of bus.


This clinic was high in the mountains. It rained hard the night before but Ole Nelly Bell, the bus, rode like a champ.	The nurses got a chance to do almost everything. They did minor surgeries.


We had a lot of injured when the second team was there and everyone got to suture people up.	I just had to throw this picture of Deborah in. Cutie or what?


The team also got to be a part of the Jungle Kids program and feed the kids in two villages. They loved it!	Making sandwiches


The village of Los Flores and Aqua Caliente have both had to double the size of their church buildings since this program started. I think it is working!

We also had a lot of emergency calls and I sure was glad to have the help. One morning as we were getting the bus loaded and ready to go off to another clinic. We heard the truck from the Fire Dept roll in and it had a woman ready to have a baby. The fire truck is so old it could not make the trip to the hospital and our ambulance is broken beyond repair. So they brought the lady to me. I had a lot of nurses wanting to deliver a baby so I thought hey, I can sit this one out and go have breakfast and they can just call me when it's time to let the mom and baby go home. However, the baby was breech. (So much for breakfast). This meant I had to get her to the hospital 1 ½ hours away in my pick up truck.

So, we loaded her in the back seat and off we go lights and siren heading for the hospital. About 15 minutes into the trip the baby completely turns and starts coming down. One of the nurses tells me the mother is dilated and is going to deliver very soon. I calmly tell her we may have to deliver here in the truck; she says can we do that? Within a few minutes the baby is coming down the birth canal and I have no where safe to pull over. I finally found a small pull off and it is in front a small restaurant with some people eating breakfast. They look up and see us hop out of the truck and open the back door to see a half naked lady with a baby delivering. I thought, "good I am not the only one missing my breakfast."

One problem. I have delivered so many babies recently that I don't have any more OB kits to deliver them with the right equipment. We did not have the two umbilical clamps to clamp the cord. I had to use my only pair of emergency hemostats to clamp the mother's side and then use a shoe string to tie the baby's side, and then cut the cord with a knife.

Mother and baby are fine and when we left them at the hospital, I remembered there is a new MacDonalds in this town. I got a Sausage McMuffin and had my cake and ate it too huh? God is so good. And so is Mac Donald's. We ended up doing a lot of emergencies and a lot of regular clinics in the jungle and the nurses had a great experience. They got to do things here that in the States only Doctors do.

I had to get a temp on this little baby and when I told the mother I needed a rectal thermometer the baby looked at me like this.


You want to check my temperature where?	I said ok I have an ear thermometer. He said whew!
OK so I am kidding here but look at that face?

But seriously, we did have a great honor this week. One of the student nurses had given her heart to Christ many years ago and had fallen by the wayside as she grew older. She shared that she had re-dedicated her life back to serving and following Jesus and wanted to be baptized. So Riechelle and I had the honor of baptizing her and what a joy in our hearts and you could almost hear the Angels shouting, she is back, she is back!

Congratulations Janelle and welcome to the family of God.

Well I dropped the team off at the airport yesterday morning and then drove back home and it rained like the monsoons in Asia. So when I got home last night I was delirious. (So what's new huh?) Anyway, we have some great things happening here with the Jungle Kids program. Again I am spinning and ready for bed but really wanted to write to you even if it does not make since. I wanted to touch base.

Thanks again to everyone who prays and helps and keeps us in your prayers, we appreciate it.

God Bless,
In His Service,

Bryan & Riechelle and Kids

Junglemedic Missions
Rio Dulce, Izabal
Guatemala Central America

E-Mail: Bryan@JungleMedicMissions.org
Web Site: http://www.junglemedicmissions.org/

This page was last updated 09/06/07