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Last Clinic Day Full of Love

Erin Caldwell

Journal 7

The week went by so fast, but Friday arrived just as beautiful as any other day. We got ready super quick, and hit the road about 7:30. I was really happy we didn't have any bumpy road today which was a nice break. The community was small, about 200 people. La Libertad was a great way to wrap up the week.

We did the usual, examining patients, giving vitamins and medicines, and listening to the children screaming in the dental clinic. (Getting kids in there is like pulling teeth!) Today I met a young man in the deworming clinic. He was as serious as a stone, and kept demanding something. I felt pretty bad because he only wanted one thing, and I didn't have it. He stayed at my side the whole day until I finally figured out he wanted a car. I asked Skip if we had any more cars, but he said no, and I was pretty sad. Then I remembered what I had in my backpack. I had four cars. When I gave him a little yellow car, his face lit up and he called his friend over. For the rest of the day, he stuck close to the deworming station. I got one smile, and that was enough.

Today in the clinic, the doctors wrapped things up with an amazing weekly total of 982. Good job doctors! The eye clinic rocked a total of 238, and the dental clinic landed the week with a whopping total of 211 extractions! In deworming we gave 1008 vitamins to hundreds of people.

Thank you to the hard workers that pulled this off and all the donators. And to anyone who made and donated jewelry (bracelets and necklaces); that was a HUGE hit. (Trust me, you don't want to get caught between a little girl and a piece of jewelry!) seeing the smiles that emerged from the villagers when they saw their children with jewelry was an amazing experience.

The week was amazing, full of so many different sights, smells and sounds. Full of laughs and smiles, and full of bittersweet goodbyes. We met so many amazing personalities and "interesting" medical problems. I enjoyed painting the nails of all the little girls and women at the fence today, and as we left, I was giving the kids high fives, and a mom came up with a huge smile and gave me a hug. Then of course, like the necklaces, all the kids wanted hugs. That was no problem. As we left, the villagers stood in the doorways of their houses and waved. Rock on Friends of Barnabas, keep on making the world a better place, one child at a time!

Tonight's devotion was led by Dr. Judy on LOVE. Very appropriate ending for our mission work this week.

- Zora Dulaney, FOB team 2016

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