Rocky Mountain Ministries 2016 Part 1

We are home.  Our whirlwind trip to Mexico for 2016 is over :( We are both happy and sad about that at the same time.

We were honoured to serve with amazing people and reconnect so many friends from past trips and to meet new friends! What a wonderful time we had.  We are so happy about the amount of people that got help and were able to have Christ shared with them over the past 3 weeks. BUT we are sad it went so fast.

We are sorry that we were unable to connect and share with you what was happening day by day, but we were "running" quite a bit of our time there, and the internet was quite slow, which made for difficulties in communicating.  But we would like to share a little of what happened now that we are back home.

Our time with the Rocky Mountain Ministries team was once again a blessing.  They brought along a larger team this year, which gave them a little more freedom to move people around, and some were able to bring their spouses, and or families along with them, it was a joy to be able to meet them!

They arrived on Thursday, the 7th of January and the medical team was off to the races! We had the morning of the Friday to get last minute preparations done and meet with the volunteers and then it was time for the first of our 8 clinics.  

A clinic consists of many different stations for the people to pass through in order to be helped... they are as follows:

1. Sign In (Decision time - Doctor/glasses? or Glasses only?)

2. Vitals

3. Nurses

4. Doctors
(this one has all four of them plus one of the nurses but not their tents)

5. Pharmacy Tent - but not all of our Pharmacists.

6. Oral Hygiene

7. Glasses

8. Prayer and Bibles

If you decided at the beginning you only wanted glasses (which include sunglasses and reading glasses and a simple reading test) you would go from 1. to 6. and 7.  Some did not want glasses, so would go directly from pharmacy to prayer and Bible.  This was the first year we have had any oral hygiene along with the team, and she had her station open until the toothbrushes and paste ran out...

We held 8 clinics, over 1694 people went through; there were 36 on the team from Montana, and 45 volunteers from San Carlos (on different days) as well as staff from La Casa de Esperanza.

Eye Team....

We have been here for 12 days now.  I can't believe all that has happened since we have arrived!

The "Eye Team" was here for 10 days, and left this morning, (at least most of them made it on the plane), and was amazing!  The team was larger this year, as they also brought some people to work with a children's ministry.  It was wonderful to work with the team again.  Some returned, wonderful to see them and we also got to meet many new people from Village Church.  What a blessing they have been to us and the people here in Mexico.  

We are so grateful for all the people that were seen at the eye clinic and the amazing program that the children's team put on.  We can honestly say, thousands were touched by this team.

The place where this clinic is held, is one of the churches that the Centre works closely with.  The building is older, we had a few patients talk about how amazing it was 50 years ago when they used the building as a banquet hall. The upkeep has not been perfect, and there are many holes in the roof and broken windows and bathrooms.  But it was transformed into an eye clinic, this year with 9 stations.  Here are a few photos :)

Setting up

Dr. Dave working with a young lady finding her prescription.

Waiting for glasses and after receiving them talking and praying for them.

There were amazing stories from each and every day the team was here.  

Here is one that was very touching:

On Saturday a taxi driver arrived at the clinic.  He was having issues with his vision in the last little bit and he and his wife decided that he should come and have his eyes checked.  The doctors found that his retina was detached in one of his eyes.  This is a problem that has to be dealt with quickly.  The gentleman was seen by the doctor here in Guaymas (who has more technology to see exactly what was happening) on Monday.  He agreed with the prognosis, and told him the cost of the surgery.  The cost was way more than this couple could afford, so the doctor said he wasn't sure but to check back with the team and see if they could help at all.  The couple came back to the church, spoke with the team leader and one of the Pastors who was a team member this year.  Juan Carlos (one of the staff from Koenes Ministries) was able to contact a surgeon in Nogales. The couple was given the funds and sent to get the surgery this week.  The couple was overwhelmed with this expression of love from this church and wanted to hear of God's love for them! What a huge blessing for them and us to see God bringing everything together.  

The couple, Cindy and Pastor Steve, Juan Carlos and Pastor Alfredo

Our days were long, but OH SO GOOD!!

Well although there are many, many more things we can tell you, we have to get on with our next team prep.... Hope you are all well!

December 23, 2015

A year has flown by, we are ready to head south again....

We are looking froward to serving in Mexico again this winter!  This year the teams that we have been helping with are coming close together, so we are looking forward to 3 weeks of intense but exciting work. We are armed with 200 teddy bears, 200 gift bags and 78 toques to hand out to some we meet. :)

We are hoping to keep you informed of some of the highlights, but know that we won't be here every day....

We wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS!! and hope you enjoy our blog over the next few weeks!

Mat and Donna

Thursday to Sunday - Clinics and a couple extra pictures

Well, Thursday was another day for the clinic and we were at Maytorena.  It is a small village where many of the people work in the fields about 30 miles away from the town. They are bussed out at between 430 and 530 in the morning and work out there for the day.  Even though so many are working, there were still quite a few who came through to see us :)

This gentleman was our oldest patient.  He was 100 years old. I took his picture with one of doctors and a nurse that was helping move people this day... 

The glasses set up :)

Another one of the doctors coming out his tent with his translator and his patient.

Empalme - A city just south of Guaymas on the ocean as well, was our best attended clinic. 440 people came through to either have a medical consult and/or receive glasses.

The 5-6 nurses stations kept quite busy over the days of the clinics.

The line up. :) It never seemed to end this day, but was so good to see so many people be helped.

San Carlos clinic - 102 people went through the clinic in about 4 hours on Saturday morning.  The rest of the day was spent cleaning and packing up supplies as the team headed out on Sunday morning early.  This picture is another view of our busy nurses.

Two of the people that were seen by the doctors and nurses.

Our bear patrol ladies - they made sure every child that came to the clinic on Saturday received a little bear (and a big smile)  :)

On Sunday we got to sit and enjoy a wee bit of the out of doors... here is a pelican posing for his picture...

And this one diving into the water... 

We can't believe that our time is coming to a close here, it seemed like it was going to be a longer time, but it has flown by, and I'm not sure we're ready to come home ;) but we are so very grateful that we have had the opportunity to come down here and serve and love these people.  It has been a wonderful time!

Clinics :) Just the first few

Well, the clinics have begun, so sorry for not getting them posted earlier, yesterday was the day I had tried to get it done, but time ran away.

Friday was a half day, with much rain. It was a slow day because of that.  We were in the city of Guaymas, in the neighborhood called Independencia. 

Not too many pictures from Inependencia, sorry, but there were quite a few who came and were helped.

Day 2 - Vicam Pueblo 

 a small town/village on the way to Obregon, about 1.5 hours south of San Carlos.  This a Yaqui village so it was interesting to have some not be Spanish speakers and have to use two translators :) 

These 4 men came together in the morning, and seemed to be enjoying talking together.

One of the ladies that came through with her sons, they were sooooo cute! 

One of the nurses and her translator.

One of the girls at the end of the day with her bear.

Housing that seems to be quite common in Yaqui villages. Made of small sticks.

A better look at the sticks they use.

Day 3 - Potam

Set up in Potam is on a large court.  The ladies of the village were hard at work when we arrived sweeping off the court to ready it for us.  Mat and one of the men from the village starting to set up.  292 people were seen! Busy day :)

More set up, the people here just pitched in and helped. :)

One of the girls that came that was super cute. Got to talk with her and her 

Juan Carlos and Betty sharing with those in line.  Some of them didn't move up in line they tried to stay there just so they could hear what they were saying.

Some men on our way out of town.

Day 4 - Fatima

another area in Guaymas, a very, very poor area of the city. 300 people came through... about 150 of them were there for glasses, so not as busy as Monday for the doctors.

One of the homes visible from clinic.

One of our doctors, just a little break :) It was a great day.

Yesterday was a "day off" when the team was able to enjoy being here in San Carlos and area.

January 23, 2015 - Maytorena

On Friday, the 23rd (sorry we are so behind) we went to a new town to have a kids program and give some clothes away.  When we got to town, we headed out in a few groups to invite people to come...

One would think that when you are inviting people to come in 30 min to a kids program, well, in Canada, I don't know that many would arrive.  But in Mexico :) This was our first game of duck, duck, goose :)

A soccer game going on at the same time :)

One of the little guys that was watching.

Coloring after some games.

Some of the many children and parents that came...

A picture of some of the crowd that arrived... 

What a fun afternoon :) We so enjoyed meeting these people.  And look forward to going back this week to see them again.

Saturday - Sunday

Hello!

We just wanted you to know that Saturday was wonderful! We were in a small village about 1.5 hours south of San Carlos. This was the first time we had been to this village, and the need was apparent. We will share pictures later :)

About 210 people were seen on Friday.


Yesterday was a day of rest :) we wen out for lunch and enjoyed the sunshine.

Hope all is well for you all!