First Report from Nuevo Progreso

I had major misgivings in the days prior to our departure on November 1. Recruiting for the 2012 team was difficult. Mark Taylor, general surgeon from Ames and a stalwart member of the team since 2002, could not attend. Three of the four ophthalmologists from 2010 were not returning. None of the optometrists from 2010 returned. A plastic surgeon who was referred by a friend played cat-and-mouse with me through the summer and fall. In October he declared his commitment to the team and intention to join us, and cancelled 24 hours later saying he had an open house in his new office on November 7. I wasn’t mad; who hasn’t had an open house pop up at the last minute? To top it all off, our medical repair engineer cancelled the day before we were scheduled to leave USA.

The morning of departure didn’t look any better. I couldn’t find my shoes and had to sneak away in a pair of trainers I found in the bowels of the hall closet. My apologies to Kyle, Matt or Luke (they were last seen in a trash can in Coatapeque).  In Chicago I found out that one of the volunteers overslept and missed her flight from SFO.

  

After that last bit of pain the trip has gone very well. We got our twenty-one pieces of luggage checked in at Des Moines airport and they arrived intact in Guatemala. The customs people were a little confused. They had a waiver for another team and couldn’t find any of our drugs on it. Sr. Veronica saved the day and we were in the hotel by 11:30.

Enough about travel. Here’s a photo of Debbie Wise RN, Lloyd Smith MD and Amanda Poppe: all from Ontario. Amanda is studying kinesiology at Thunder Bay; Debbie and Lloyd are from Toronto. I hope no one in Iowa will tell Mark Taylor how good a surgeon, and fast, Lloyd is. Amanda is applying to medical school.

This is the view from the dining area, looking over Nuevo Progreso. On a very clear day you can see the ocean

This is a partial view of the open-air kitchen, newly remodeled since my last visit in 2010.

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Amanda is the head of the kitchen ladies. She oversees food preparation. She and Rosanne  hit it off while Rosanne was working on the Cooks' Dinner in 2008.

And these are the roasted peppers that we had for Monday lunch.