.bmp)
woo-hoo
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Keep checking the blog
It was an amazing journey. Thank you all for answering God's call and those left behind who ptrayed for us. The Holy Spirit was with us all the way. I will continue posting random shots over these next few days.
Please keep checking back.
Please keep checking back.
Monday, February 9, 2009
No photos!!!
The internet cafe by the hotel s useless. I can not upload any of my very cool photos. Keep checking the blog even after we return. I will post many many cool pics. Today was the best day we had. I worked as a translator for Liz all day. She saw 62 patients! It was a blast getting to use my Spanish and helping these people. Afterwards I played in an old piece of construction equipment with some little children. They were so lovable and just kept hugging and kissing me. The people have been so sweet.
Off to dinner now. Everyone is safe and having a great time.
Off to dinner now. Everyone is safe and having a great time.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sunday
The team had a great day Sunday -- we went to mass at the Catholic Church, went to a cool market, visited the Roberto Clemente Stadium and then went to see the volcano. I´m trying to upload some really cool pics but the Internet connection is very sketchy tonight. I´ll try again tomorrow.
JT
JT
The Team rests after a tough Saturday
Feb 6 -- The team finished day two of medical work with a few good saves in the mountains. The first was a little boy who had suffered a massive asthma attack. He appeared listless and seemed in dire straits. The docs gave him two nebulizer treatments and some steroids and he was fine in about 40 minutes.
The other was a man who showed up with a badly crushed finger. He had been stepped on by a cow. Dr. Steve thought the man was in danger of losing his finger. He had my son -- Danny -- clean out the wound and help him set the fingers. The prognosis is good.
The same can not be said for a pair of young children seen by Liz. The children were severely malnourished and were experiencing failure to thrive. She gave them am anti-parasitic and then wrote out detailed instructions for the mother on how to add more calories to the children´s milk with vegetable oil and sugar. Not convinced however, she alerted the pastor of that church and asked him to keep an eye on the babies. In all likelihood however, they will not make it.
The team drove all the way back to Masaya exhausted and looking forward to a day off on Sunday. Keep reading and praying!
The other was a man who showed up with a badly crushed finger. He had been stepped on by a cow. Dr. Steve thought the man was in danger of losing his finger. He had my son -- Danny -- clean out the wound and help him set the fingers. The prognosis is good.
The same can not be said for a pair of young children seen by Liz. The children were severely malnourished and were experiencing failure to thrive. She gave them am anti-parasitic and then wrote out detailed instructions for the mother on how to add more calories to the children´s milk with vegetable oil and sugar. Not convinced however, she alerted the pastor of that church and asked him to keep an eye on the babies. In all likelihood however, they will not make it.
The team drove all the way back to Masaya exhausted and looking forward to a day off on Sunday. Keep reading and praying!
Saturday Update - 2-7-09
Report submitted 11:25 am 2-7-09 Nicararagua time - Yolaina – 40 minutes East Southeat of Nueva Guinea
NUEVA GUINEA – The team spent a much needed restful night at a quaint little hotel about 40 minutes from our first day’s medical work.
We went down to the lobby for a breakfast of eggs, salsa, coffee, eggs and pre-fabricated toast. Then by 8, we were on the road again.
Today’s mission is another half-hour past yesterday’s and the road is fairly inaccessible. So we parked the van at a church and sent half the team – the medical folks and translators – on up ahead. The truck will return in about 90 minutes to trudge us up the hill.
Since I am a non-essential -- just kidding – I stayed back with half the crew and what a wonderful morning we had exploring. The people are gracious and humble and kind and welcome us into their homes and yards.
Along the way we encountered a little boy way up on top of a coconut tree. I started snapping photos and nearly lost my head as a coconut bounced up over my shoulder! The men on the ground cut the coconuts up for us with machetes and we spent the morning drinking coconut water and spooning out the insides – yummy.
I’ll try and send another submission later on about the great work the team accomplished today. Everyone has been wonderful and no one complains – even if they are asked to watch the vehicles for a few hours.
We continue to ask God to watch over us AND all of you – our loved ones left behind taking care of our children, our parents, our friends and neighbors. We ask that God continue to look out for all of us, we ask that He continue to bless us and inspire us to work through some of the fatigue and we ask that He bring us safely home to you all when the time comes.
The team is tired but very inspired and we are sharing in the joy of the mission.
Thanks for reading.
NUEVA GUINEA – The team spent a much needed restful night at a quaint little hotel about 40 minutes from our first day’s medical work.
We went down to the lobby for a breakfast of eggs, salsa, coffee, eggs and pre-fabricated toast. Then by 8, we were on the road again.
Today’s mission is another half-hour past yesterday’s and the road is fairly inaccessible. So we parked the van at a church and sent half the team – the medical folks and translators – on up ahead. The truck will return in about 90 minutes to trudge us up the hill.
Since I am a non-essential -- just kidding – I stayed back with half the crew and what a wonderful morning we had exploring. The people are gracious and humble and kind and welcome us into their homes and yards.
Along the way we encountered a little boy way up on top of a coconut tree. I started snapping photos and nearly lost my head as a coconut bounced up over my shoulder! The men on the ground cut the coconuts up for us with machetes and we spent the morning drinking coconut water and spooning out the insides – yummy.
I’ll try and send another submission later on about the great work the team accomplished today. Everyone has been wonderful and no one complains – even if they are asked to watch the vehicles for a few hours.
We continue to ask God to watch over us AND all of you – our loved ones left behind taking care of our children, our parents, our friends and neighbors. We ask that God continue to look out for all of us, we ask that He continue to bless us and inspire us to work through some of the fatigue and we ask that He bring us safely home to you all when the time comes.
The team is tired but very inspired and we are sharing in the joy of the mission.
Thanks for reading.
Friday, February 6, 2009
What a Day!
The team started it´s day at about 3:30 in the morning for our 6 plus hour ride to Nueva Guinea. We made it safely, dropped off some bags at the hotel and then drove straight to the clinic.
We set up in a church in a little country village where we shared the roadway with pigs, mules, oxen and brahma bulls. There were few cars. We separated the church with bedsheets hanging from clothing lines and got started. The two docs -- Frncisco Ruiz and Stephen Badolato -- our physician´s assistant Liz Van Hemmel and our optician David Bressett all got started seeing patients immediatley.
They were able to help most with everything from stomach ailments to rashes to infections and ear aches. There were also many cases of high blood pressure. But, they also saw patients they were not able to help -- like the woman they diagnosed with pancreatic cancer or the mother in denial that her son has muscular dystrophy. The docs were moved by these situations.
Everyone chipped in: Danny played with the kids, ran errands and patrolled our belongings and the vehicles. Jerry stood guard. Joe displayed the voyager water purifier and pumped clean water for us to drink. Jennifer organized clothing distributions with Elaine, Rube took photosd and helped unload, Meredith was our pharmacist and I was on gopher duty when I wasn´t playing ball with the children.
For me it was a day of pure joy. I blew balloons, played soccer and made jokes with the numerous children who just hugged me and clammored around me most of the day. These mission trips are filled with wonderful little miraculous moments that we will cherish forever.
Of course, what´s a mission trip without laughs? I accidentally caused Joe to stand in a huge mud pile where he nearly lost his shoe. While I was busting a gut laughing, he dropped to his knees and washed his shoe in the creek!
Thganks for reading, more to come tommorrow along with some pics in a few minutes.
God bless all of you.
John
We set up in a church in a little country village where we shared the roadway with pigs, mules, oxen and brahma bulls. There were few cars. We separated the church with bedsheets hanging from clothing lines and got started. The two docs -- Frncisco Ruiz and Stephen Badolato -- our physician´s assistant Liz Van Hemmel and our optician David Bressett all got started seeing patients immediatley.
They were able to help most with everything from stomach ailments to rashes to infections and ear aches. There were also many cases of high blood pressure. But, they also saw patients they were not able to help -- like the woman they diagnosed with pancreatic cancer or the mother in denial that her son has muscular dystrophy. The docs were moved by these situations.
Everyone chipped in: Danny played with the kids, ran errands and patrolled our belongings and the vehicles. Jerry stood guard. Joe displayed the voyager water purifier and pumped clean water for us to drink. Jennifer organized clothing distributions with Elaine, Rube took photosd and helped unload, Meredith was our pharmacist and I was on gopher duty when I wasn´t playing ball with the children.
For me it was a day of pure joy. I blew balloons, played soccer and made jokes with the numerous children who just hugged me and clammored around me most of the day. These mission trips are filled with wonderful little miraculous moments that we will cherish forever.
Of course, what´s a mission trip without laughs? I accidentally caused Joe to stand in a huge mud pile where he nearly lost his shoe. While I was busting a gut laughing, he dropped to his knees and washed his shoe in the creek!
Thganks for reading, more to come tommorrow along with some pics in a few minutes.
God bless all of you.
John
Thursday, February 5, 2009
The Seats feel great...still in Miami
Feb. 5, MIAMI -- Well, as Liz Van Hemmel said, we certainly took advantage of our opportunity to get onto our plane bound for Managua and try out our seats. We sat, squirmed, stretched, slid on and strained on our "spacious" airplane seats for about an hour before we were asked to de-plane.
A problem with a switch that displays navigational information had malfunctioned -- at least that's what I think I made out over the garbled, heavily accented public address announcement.
So, 13 hours after waking to start our journey, we are ...TADAH... still in Florida.
The team is a little cranky and a little sleep deprived. I don't blame them. This also likely changes our plans. Instead of making a 6-hour drive tonight to our final destination, we will likely only go halfway and crash at a small motel for the night.
Stay tuned. Keep the positiive energy and prayers coming. Right now we need them!
A problem with a switch that displays navigational information had malfunctioned -- at least that's what I think I made out over the garbled, heavily accented public address announcement.
So, 13 hours after waking to start our journey, we are ...TADAH... still in Florida.
The team is a little cranky and a little sleep deprived. I don't blame them. This also likely changes our plans. Instead of making a 6-hour drive tonight to our final destination, we will likely only go halfway and crash at a small motel for the night.
Stay tuned. Keep the positiive energy and prayers coming. Right now we need them!
We're in Miami...waiting
Feb. 5, MIAMI -- So far, so good.
The team is now in Miami waiting for our noon flight to Managua. The morning went smoothly, though not without the usual Rubadoux hiccup.
Team members rendezvoused at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic where we received rides from two gracious volunteers. One of them is my good friend Gaylon Parker who would not even accept a dime for gasoline.
"Making me take that money will take away my joy of doing this," he said.
A few members were going to meet us at the airport. But when we were about to check in, we noticed that photographer Craig Rubadoux was not among us. I called his home phone number and much to my chagrin, he answered. Lucky I woke him up.
Anyway, he made it just fine and we took the 35 minute flight from Orlando to Miami. Now, after an $8 omelet, team members are huddled together for warmth!
We can't wait to get to the 95 degree temps of Nicaragua. The plan today is to drive from Managua -- the capital -- to Nueva Guinea -- about six hours away.
The Medical work begins tomorrow, or manana -- need to practice my Spanish now I guess.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Follow our Journey
We are just about ready to head out. Please check back here over the next few days to follow our journey. Also, log onto Norman's web site: www.tecmission.org.
Pray for us.
John
Pray for us.
John
Friday, January 30, 2009
About our T-shirts
Last year's team purchased some really cool Christian T-shirts for the Haiti mission. The shirt's message was John 3:16 -- probably the most famous or relevant bible verse there is.
For this year's mission, Norman and I had T-shirts made up for all the team members and we customized them ourselves.
For the front we wanted a bible verse that would really capture the team's mission and how we felt about answering the Lord's call.
We went back and forth from John to Romans to Acts to Psalms and then finally landed on Isaiah 6:8: "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I. Send Me!"
Here am I. Send me.
What could be more perfect than that? All of us, every single member of this team heard something, a calling, a voice crying out of the wilderness...here are we Lord, send us.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
One week before we leave
The team is very excited about our 6-day medical mission trip to Nicaragua. Just like the mission I put together last year, I made sure to include people from different churches. I like the whole Christian Unity theme.
More posts and pics to come.
Below is a stroy I wrote for the Florida Catholic about our mission. Enjoy, pray for us and keep coming back.
Christian Unity Mission readies for Nicaragua
By John A. Torres
INDIALANTIC, FL – Last year I listened to the Holy Spirit.
This year it was someone a little closer to my level. His name is Norman.
Responding to call born during Eucharistic adoration last year resulted in me leading a team of doctors and others on a very successful mission of mercy to Haiti in June.
While I knew Haiti was lacking in medical care almost all over, I realized there was another reason for doing the mission. I felt my calling was more than just lugging suitcases filled with antibiotics, medicinal creams, baby formula and clothes to the needy in a village for battered women and children outside Port-au-Prince.
No. It was more about Christian unity.
I wanted people to see Catholics in action. I wanted people to see that we weren’t a bunch of wafer-eating statue worshippers. I wanted other Christians to see how much we have in common.
In putting the group of nine together I made it a point to include born-agains, protestants and even a lapse Catholic to accompany the core of Catholics from my parish, Holy Name of Jesus in Indialantic.
I also made it a point for the mission to go and help people who weren’t necessarily Catholic.
The team was so charged up spiritually after we got back that they asked me where we were going next year. I didn’t realize this would become an annual event.
That’s when I listened to Norman.
My co-worker at Florida Today newspaper suggested we go to his native country, Nicaragua.
How could I say no? After all, Norman always lent me his bible at work when I was still too far away from the church to have my own. He was a Christian brother even before I was able to be one back. He had invited me to his church to speak about my trip to Africa and he always listened with an interested ear about the great sermons, music or programs going on at Holy Name.
I’ll always remember how he introduced me to those who came to listen to me speak at his church, First Christian Church of Cocoa Beach.
“For many years, John would come to ask me if he could look at my bible,” Norman said. “Now, I am happy to see that he has one with him all the time. He really is a changed person.”
The words may sound simple but they had a profound affect on me.
Changed.
Yes. That’s what I am: Changed -- Changed by the relentless, undying love of Christ. Things in my life changed when I started to listen – first to the Holy Spirit, then Norman.
If you had told me just a few years ago that I’d be leading mission trips to third-world countries I would have looked around for the hidden cameras.
But here we are getting ready for a five-day medical mission to a town called Nueva Guinea – a five-hour drive from Managua.
The area, I’m told, really saw a population boom in the 1980s when Nicaraguans looked to get away from the violence between the Contras and the Sandinistas. They stayed but doctors rarely make the trip from Managua – where it is profitable for them.
Even more people resettled in Nueva Guinea after the civil war ended.
“Warriors, people fighting in the jungles had no where to go,” said my friend and co-worker Norman Moody.
Like Haiti, access to adequate healthcare is extremely limited. And when care is available it is normally too expensive for people to see a doctor.
So when I put the call out to see if anyone would be interested in making the four-hour flight, five-hour drive to see hundreds of patients a day, play baseball with the children and sleep in roadside motels the response was amazing.
My group of nine grew to 15. Two doctors and a physician’s assistant from Holy Name signed on in addition to an optician from another denomination. The support staff once again includes my wife and son.
Bags are packed. Lists of medications have been sent. Team meetings have been held and really cool T-shirts handed out.
Now the only thing left is the adventure of traveling to a strange country, ministering to the sick, enjoying the fellowship and showing them God’s love.
Thanks for listening.
More posts and pics to come.
Below is a stroy I wrote for the Florida Catholic about our mission. Enjoy, pray for us and keep coming back.
Christian Unity Mission readies for Nicaragua
By John A. Torres
INDIALANTIC, FL – Last year I listened to the Holy Spirit.
This year it was someone a little closer to my level. His name is Norman.
Responding to call born during Eucharistic adoration last year resulted in me leading a team of doctors and others on a very successful mission of mercy to Haiti in June.
While I knew Haiti was lacking in medical care almost all over, I realized there was another reason for doing the mission. I felt my calling was more than just lugging suitcases filled with antibiotics, medicinal creams, baby formula and clothes to the needy in a village for battered women and children outside Port-au-Prince.
No. It was more about Christian unity.
I wanted people to see Catholics in action. I wanted people to see that we weren’t a bunch of wafer-eating statue worshippers. I wanted other Christians to see how much we have in common.
In putting the group of nine together I made it a point to include born-agains, protestants and even a lapse Catholic to accompany the core of Catholics from my parish, Holy Name of Jesus in Indialantic.
I also made it a point for the mission to go and help people who weren’t necessarily Catholic.
The team was so charged up spiritually after we got back that they asked me where we were going next year. I didn’t realize this would become an annual event.
That’s when I listened to Norman.
My co-worker at Florida Today newspaper suggested we go to his native country, Nicaragua.
How could I say no? After all, Norman always lent me his bible at work when I was still too far away from the church to have my own. He was a Christian brother even before I was able to be one back. He had invited me to his church to speak about my trip to Africa and he always listened with an interested ear about the great sermons, music or programs going on at Holy Name.
I’ll always remember how he introduced me to those who came to listen to me speak at his church, First Christian Church of Cocoa Beach.
“For many years, John would come to ask me if he could look at my bible,” Norman said. “Now, I am happy to see that he has one with him all the time. He really is a changed person.”
The words may sound simple but they had a profound affect on me.
Changed.
Yes. That’s what I am: Changed -- Changed by the relentless, undying love of Christ. Things in my life changed when I started to listen – first to the Holy Spirit, then Norman.
If you had told me just a few years ago that I’d be leading mission trips to third-world countries I would have looked around for the hidden cameras.
But here we are getting ready for a five-day medical mission to a town called Nueva Guinea – a five-hour drive from Managua.
The area, I’m told, really saw a population boom in the 1980s when Nicaraguans looked to get away from the violence between the Contras and the Sandinistas. They stayed but doctors rarely make the trip from Managua – where it is profitable for them.
Even more people resettled in Nueva Guinea after the civil war ended.
“Warriors, people fighting in the jungles had no where to go,” said my friend and co-worker Norman Moody.
Like Haiti, access to adequate healthcare is extremely limited. And when care is available it is normally too expensive for people to see a doctor.
So when I put the call out to see if anyone would be interested in making the four-hour flight, five-hour drive to see hundreds of patients a day, play baseball with the children and sleep in roadside motels the response was amazing.
My group of nine grew to 15. Two doctors and a physician’s assistant from Holy Name signed on in addition to an optician from another denomination. The support staff once again includes my wife and son.
Bags are packed. Lists of medications have been sent. Team meetings have been held and really cool T-shirts handed out.
Now the only thing left is the adventure of traveling to a strange country, ministering to the sick, enjoying the fellowship and showing them God’s love.
Thanks for listening.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)