Screening Day 2

We ate a breakfast of rice, buns and my friend Regina ( nurse) brought Jif peanut butter! That was a great comfort food to have and there was even some pineapple jam.

The screening of the kids finished about noon and then we helped medical records put together charts.
A group was going to the local market so we tagged along. The girls got in some souvenir shopping and we tried this really weird fruit called durin. It is green and spiky and smells nasty. So, I did try it and it tastes like cream onions. I didn't have a second bite.

After dinner ....you guessed it ....more rice and bananas and meat. Everyone went out to the spa. There are massage spas on every corner , but this one was reported to be the best.
It was a great massage for 350 pesos...about 7 dollars---for an hour!!! Ok I'm going back.

 Emily, Wendy (students) and Regina eating our rice and peanut butter breakfast.

 This is Tajon and his Mom and Dad waiting to be screened and see the doctor.

 Davao City and view from the place we eat breakfast. Otherwise we are in the jungle and it is just lush green all around. Humid too, did I tell you my hair is the size of Texas!

 Ashelix and her mom patiently waiting. This little cutie like the rings and silly bands I gave her

 Street market, it really did smell good.

 Durian Fruit, nasty smell and kind of nasty in the inside. Liked the Jif better....

 Pamello melons, they are good and taste like really large Texas ruby red grapefruits

This is Andre from Russia one of the plastic surgeons. I think he liked the Durian, must be tough to find good fruit in Siberia...hahaha... Really nice guy and I wish Frank had taught me some Russian words.

Just how far is Davao in the Philippines?

The answer to how far the Philippines are... is FAR!

I started out in Memphis , flew to Detroit (where I did the OJ Simpson run to the plane), then on to Nagoya Japan. It was a 14 hour flight to Japan. Many movies and a nap later we landed in Japan, got off all our stuff , went through security and got back on the same plane. Another 6 hours to Manila arriving at 2 am and going to the hotel. I flopped on the bed at 2:30 and had a wake up call for 5am. We met the rest of the team and got on a flight for Davao arriving around 10:00.

But ,we are here and the screening of the patients has started. The mission is at a large compound with the hotel and hospital all in the same area. During screening there are tables set up in a circle where the patients are sent through each station with their paperwork. There is a station for dental, plastic surgery, blood work and before/after pictures. Patients and their families wait for hours and some have traveled 2 or 3 days to get to the mission site. The students and I helped entertain the kids today with all the toys we brought. It was fun watching the little boys play with the toy cars and the girls with the bracelets and rings. I was so fortunate to hold lots of babies  while the tired moms took a little break.

It looks like Hawaii in Davao. The trees are lush and green and there are tropical flowers growing on the side of the road.  It sure is humid and has been raining all day. I found out that our showers are cold water only...it was the quickest shower on earth for me! Tonight what is left of me is going out for a team dinner. So, far I've had rice and bananas and I'm looking forward to something good tonight.

We are 14 hours ahead of Jackson and a world away...that's for sure!

Packing it all up

2 suitcases 50 lbs and 20 lbs later I'm ready to go.

What in the world do you pack for 2 weeks on a mission?

I am a list person and I had lists of lists. My students and I are responsible for bringing lots of toys and crafts to entertain sick and bored kids. So, I packed the large red bag full of crafty stuff...thank you Oriental Trading magazine. The other small purple bag is full of my clothes, electronic stuff and snacks.

I found out after packing the large suitcase that I was allowed 50 lbs going from the US to Manila, but only 30 lbs from Manila to Davao. Good grief, I invested 7 bucks in the green suitcase scale and it saved my life! I repacked again ...and yet again and finally my bag is 42 lbs. Oh well, the over weight will be worth it.

Just what does Operation Smile do?

We have all seen the pictures of kids with facial deformities and wondered how to help.

 In 1982 Dr. Bill and Kathy Magee went on a mission trip to the Philippines. After seeing the profound need for facial surgery, they founded Operation Smile and now it operates in more that 50 countries. Operation Smile is a children's medical charity that treats children born with cleft lips, cleft palates, and other facial deformities.

I'm going a a typical two-week mission where approximately 300-500 patients will receive free medical evaluations and on average  100-150 kids are given free surgical treatments.
In fact, it takes about 45 minutes and costs 240 dollars to change a life and give a child a new smile.

Come with me as I cross then international date line and see what a medical misson really is all about!
Let's go....