Hello everyone!!!! We have not blogged in a long while, and although we have been away from Peru for almost 3 months now it has been for good reason. Antoinette and I are in a 4 month formation program in Los Angeles, CA with Mission Doctors Association (missiondoctors.org). As we have mentioned previously this group, since 1959, has been supporting doctors on mission throughout the world including Zimbabwe, Uganda, Papa New Guinea, Thailand, and Kenya. We currently have doctors in Guatemala, Cameroon and Peru (when we head back to Santa Clotilde). Our formation program is very interesting and we are in class from Monday through Friday learning helpful skills to aid our work outside the U.S and away from the culture and way of life we are so accustomed to here at home. Our curriculum consists of several topics such as mission theology, communication, Myers-Briggs, cultural awareness, emotional health, moral theology, surviving overseas, health overseas, and enneagram to name a few. Although we were already in Peru for one year, we recognize the importance of these classes and how it will help us to communicate, avoid burn-out and not make common mistakes when working abroad. I think we are more aware of ourselves and will be able to live and work a more balanced life when back at Centro de Salud Santa Clotilde.
Speaking of Santa Clotilde, the work carries on! I would like to thank Fr Jack, Dr Juan and Dr Julio along with all the midwives, dentist and staff for continuing the good work while we are gone, as well as the volunteers and students from Mission Doctors, Loyola, UBC and U of Minnesota. Some exciting news comes back to us from Peru such as: a visit from the national Ministra of Health who sat down and had a conversation about our reality. Progress is being made on our x-ray machine slowly but surely, and another doctor from El Salvador, Cuban trained is also working on the river. Our logistics coordinator Javier and Padre Moe are working diligently to restore in working fashion the barcasa, our barge that will be able to make trips up and down the river, even all the way to Iquitos for vaccines, supplies, patient transport, and our Amazon experience for visitors.
We are in training until the end of May and then back to Chicago for a while, then back down to the selva which I think about daily. Keep us and all on the Napo river in your prayers!
Brian
April 21, 2013
