Shared Beat Blog

A Do-Gooder's Lesson

2011-07-19T21:26:00.001-05:00

My husband & I sponsor 2 girls, Dalia & Angelica at Safe Passage, the education reinforcement center where Shared Beat works. Today I took a break from counting pills and reviewing medical charts to take them to lunch. We took a taxi from the Guatemala City dump neighborhood to the new Walmart. What an amazing contrast in realities only 10 minutes down the street.

Sometimes it's difficult being a sponsor. You see children with very little and you want to give them everything. You walk a fine line- they need things but if you gave them everything is that the right thing to do? The children living in the areas around the dump need so many things. With the help of the sponsorship coordinator,I decided to give each of the girls a certain amount of money and told them they could choose to use it for food, clothing, hygiene products or school supplies.

At first they were overwhelmed. But after the initial WOW they headed straight for the grocery section! We kept track along the way and before long both girls had spent 2/3 of their money on food for their families. We then went straight to hygiene produts. Dalia needed a backpack and Angelica needed socks and underwear and we were done. The last bit of our time together we ate lunch, got an ice cream and headed back to the school.

The girls were so pleased with themselves. They could've chosen to buy clothing, school supplies, something just for them. Both girls chose to share. They love their families and appreciate the struggles putting food on the table presents.

This happens everytime, we well meaning do gooders think we're saving the world and it turns out- they save us!

Thanks Dalia & Angelica for sharing your day and your life with me!
Feliz Dia!
Jenny

New Again

2011-07-17T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hola Friends,
This morning I headed for Guatemala again with a brand new passport. This was my first passport renewal. Much to my dismay, they replaced my simple, already memorized number with a new, much more difficult one. This may seem like no big deal but instead of dashing through my customs forms, I fumbled around for my passport & readers and LOOKED like I didn't know what I was doing. Was I ever bummed- not bad. I like to change my clothes, what I eat... just not my numbers.
I sat beside an 18 year old girl from Michigan named Kylie. She was headed to the Guatemalan coast to do medical volunteer work. This was her 2nd trip since February and she was beside herself with excitement. We talked for over 2 hours about my Guatemalan experiences and her new found passion. Upon landing I found myself rejuvinated. Don't get me wrong, I always get that twinge, like going to see a dear friend or favorite relative, this was different. Kylie's enthusiasm added new wood to my fire. Arriving at customs I handed over my "brand new" passport and got my first stamp. It was very exciting! Thanks Kylie!
Now I'm sitting on the porch of my hotel drinking wonderful Guatemalan coffee and looking at a 2 inch tall hummingbird taking a rest about 4 feet from my face. The world here is green and the rain just started. I'm not trying to make you all jealous. I wish you could all be here to share it with me.
I'm looking forward to the Shared Beat Medical Team joining me next Sunday. We have 6 seasoned volunteers (That does not necessarily mean old) and 12 first time volunteers. How wonderful it will be to share this with our "new" volunteers as they share their excitement with us.
Stay tuned, share this with your friends and remember- Everything can be new again!

Feliz Dia
Jenny

See You Tonight!

2011-04-09T09:55:00.000-05:00

Day 3: Crawfish Boil of 2010

2011-04-08T10:16:00.001-05:00

Day 2: Crawfish Boil of 2010

2011-04-07T11:37:00.000-05:00

Scroll down to today's earlier post to see another cute puppy photo.
Who can resist a puppy?

Puppy on Motorcycle- as Promised

2011-04-07T08:12:00.000-05:00

I'm finally able to share the puppy on motorcycle photo!
We do have a lab puppy in our Crawfish Boil Auction Saturday night.
She can't ride a motorcycle yet.
Hope to see you Saturday!

Crawfish Boil of 2010

2011-04-06T16:16:00.001-05:00

Shared Beat's annual Crawfish Boil fundraiser is this Saturday evening. Over the next couple of days, we will be posting photos from last year's event. The Crawfish Boil of 2010 was a wonderful success thanks to our donors, volunteers, friends and family. Shared Beat would like to thank you again for all of your help. See you Saturday!

Congratulations Marie!

2011-03-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Marie Berkenkamp, Shared Beat Board President
on receiving the Graceann Durr Humanitarian Award sponsored by
Methodist Healthcare Systems!
Thanks for all of your Hard Work!
Your Friends at Shared Beat

Shared Beat Hill Country Crawfish Boil

2011-03-08T20:31:00.003-06:00

We're getting ready for our 4th annual Crawfish Boil with live music by Zydeco Blanco, yummy crawfish, salads, gourmet cupcakes and live and silent auctions. Wanted to share a few of the items we have available at our auctions in hopes you will join us!

Live Auction
Lab Puppy
Condo in St Augustine Florida
Condo in Steamboat Springs Colorado
Tapas cocktail Party for 20
Native Texas Landscape
Chagall Print- "The Bible"

Silent Auction
Guatemalan Items
Gift Basket for all occassions
I-Touch
Camera
Personal Shredding by Ranger Shredding
Massages, Mani/Pedi, Home decor and more!

Restaurant Raffle- $10 for a chance to win $900+ restaurant gift certificates!

We always have great fun! Visit our website or e-mail us info@sharedbeat.org to join us!

Feliz Dia!
Jenny

Guatemalan Thoughts from February

2011-03-08T20:23:00.002-06:00

After a most fulfilling trip to Guatemala this February with a great team from all over the place…Maine, Texas, points East, West and North..what could be more striking in the contrasts you experience upon coming home than, for us Mainers, the 24++ inches of snow on the ground and the temps that differ dramatically from there in Antigua! Much as we like to brag about how “tough” you have to be to live in a Northern clime (or just plain crazy??), the contrasts really pale in comparison to our lives at home compared to our friends in Guatemala.

Friends at home here say to me how sad the for the folks there…the Guatemala City dump, lack of health care, malnutrition, and the list goes on. But the people you meet in Guatemala are by and large a pretty friendly bunch! They cope and they make do…they work very hard and endure much for their loved ones, and desire much of what we desire. Yes, there is sadness, but I’m not sure if you asked someone there if they’re sad if they would respond that way. There is a desire to get ahead, but a system that makes this very, very hard. Someone this trip said to me “…so much unrealized talent in Guatemala” which I thought summed it up. We can’t really impact much on the socio-political climate…but if a place like Safe Passage can raise even just a few kids to become Nurses, Doctors, Accountants..and they come back to contribute to their community, and if more and more women learn to read, in a generation or two maybe we visiting teams will have worked ourselves out of a job. I think that’s called sustainability.

Until then, I look forward working with my friend and fellow vision specialist Don Bisett, and the aspiring Nurse student Astrid (in her second year of study!) to see faces light up after many “mas major” or ‘mas menor” as we fit a new pair of glasses to a Mom who just learned to read the newspaper she fished out of the dump! Now that’s contrast!

Mark, South Freeport, Maine

Volunteers

2011-03-06T18:49:00.000-06:00

We've been home now one week in our comfy beds, without fleas or bedbugs. Our clean water comes from the tap and our healthy food does not require a clorox bath before consuming. There's so much extra time when you don't have to worry about cleanliness or safety. Who in there right mind would want to leave the security of their own environments.
I am always in awe of the volunteers who venture on these trips from the "seasoned veterans" like Wright & Marie who've been on every trip; those who are working on making it a habit like Don, Sarah, Kathy & Sonia; the few who've had a taste like Mark, Laura, Jim & Rick and then all of those first timers like Lisa, Gayle, Bev, Bunny, Nancy and Linda. It takes a special person to use vacation to serve others, to go out on a limb to make a difference.
I'd like to thank all of the volunteers who share themselves without thought of their own personal comforts. Your time, compassion and special talents are greatly appreciated!
Feliz Dia
Jenny

Lost in Translation

2011-03-03T14:23:00.000-06:00

Little late in posting, but nonetheless I'll leave a few thoughts.

2 weeks and 4 days ago I left for Guatemala...for two weeks rather than 1 week. The extra week was inserted for a long overdue Medical Spanish course at one the numerous Spanish Language schools, La Union near the Iglesia San Francisco in Antigua, Guatemala. Per Rick, Mark, and Beverly (all from the cold climes of Maine), I had more fun than they as I drew stick figures and labelled body parts on them. Beverly, I really was learning (yo hablo espanol por example). I also jogged on the cobblestones in the mornings and that presented its own unique challeges as well as dodging the chicken buses and more to the point the fumes they generate. All said though, waking surrounded by the landscape of lush green on the backdrop of 3 volcanoes is by itself a reason to make the trip.

The second week was a work week with daily trips to Guatemala City or San Miguel Milapas Alta. The kids in the dump area and more rural area are no different than other children, excepting the clothing they wear. They seem just as happy and all have plans to be nurses, teachers, doctors, accountants, chefs, or lawyers. That question was my favorite one to ask while obtaining the "social history". The week of the medical mission was busy....the oldest peron was 85, the youngest I evaluated was 3 months. We rode in a van, a bus, and the back of a pick-up truck (the latter was the most fun particularly if you stand up as its moving along less than straight, hilly Guatemalan highways/roads). All patients and their families were appreciative. I learned that even an excellent dermatologist ("Dr Nancy") can be flummoxed by skin disorders. I also learned the meaning of a firm bed(cama) is more like a box (caja). Days were long but the team gathered made the work seem fun. I'm looking forward to the next trip in July. Buenas tarde. Yo gusta Guatemala.

Home

2011-03-01T13:57:00.002-06:00

What an incredible, busy, productive week our team had in Guatemala! It's always amazing how quickly time flies and what wonderful new friends we've all made by the end of the week. Sorry we didn't post much during our trip. At the end of the day exhaustion and complete blankness took over. After they get settled in, our team members should be posting some of their weeks highlights.
It's good to be home! Back to a place where I don't worry about the whether the water or food is clean, I can put toilet paper in the toilet, healthcare is accessable and where I live, there's no pollution.
Feliz Dia!
Jenny

San Miguel

2011-02-25T06:53:00.000-06:00

What a day we all had in San Miguel Milpas Alta!
I'll have to tell you about it later my computer is runing out of power.
Feliz Dia!
Jenny

New Adventures

2011-02-23T21:59:00.000-06:00

Riding in the back of a pickup truck to San Miguel Milpas Alta this morning was the beginning of an adventurous day. We arrived with a few patients waiting and ended clinic seeing over 125 people.
Our main objective in this pueblo of 4000, is to provide school physicals for 450+ students in conjunction with Common Hope.
The morning was filled with students from 4th, 5th and 6th grades. They were amazingly well behaved. While they were waiting we sang, they did their version of the chiken dance and I did mine. We learned colors, numbers and a few nouns in English and listened to each others hearts with a stethescope. For me, it was a great morning. The docs may have a differnet version.
The afternoon was a mix of students, babies, children and everything inbetween. Two patients were sick enough for us to send to the hospital. Well we actually said they should go to the hospital but the next thing we knew, they were calling an ambulance! All-in-all a very exciting afternoon.
In the city, at Safe Passage, the rest of the team continued the weeks work finishing up physical exams and having an all day community clinic. I have to say, they were pretty beat when they got back to the hotel.
Tomorrow the whole team will head to San Miguel because of unforseen strikes in the city. This should be a new adventure for manana!
Feliz Dia
Jenny
Thanks for reading!

First Days of Clinic & Working Ourselves Out Of A Job

2011-02-23T06:46:00.000-06:00

The team arrived Sunday and we began our week with 2 days of physical & eye exams on the school children ages 2-24. So far we've seen over 350 students, with only a few bumps in the road. Most of the children are used to the routine. There are still a few who are afraid we are giving shots but all-in-all a smooth couple of days.
I love seeing the children but one of the highlights for me is having the healthcare scholarship students help in the clinic. One of the requirements is that the students volunteer for 2 hours with each clinic. Bright and early Monday morning Astrid, one of the scholarship students, was waiting on us to volunteer. Astrid has worked all day for the past 2 days and is coming back today! She's an amazing woman.
In the morning we had one of our new nursing scholarship moms, Rosaura, volunteer for 3 hours. She learned to take blood pressures, do eye exams and how to fill prescriptions. She's also coming back today to help.
In the afternoon our first student aspiring to be a doctor, Andersen, volunteered. He assisted the eye team with visual screens. When Dr Marie asked why he wanted to be a doctor he said, "there is so much need here."

We are hopefully slowly but surely working ourselves out of a job!

Stay tuned tonight for our adventures today at Safe Passage and in San Miguel!

Feliz Dia
Jenny

Perfect

2011-02-12T07:21:00.000-06:00

There is something perfect about Antigua early in the morning. Walking down the quiet cobblestone streets in the cool air, surrounded by beautiful buildings and majestic volcanoes and the smell of Guatemalan coffee from La Condesa's coffee shop! My idea of perfect. I had another perfect experience this week while visiting the Adult Literacy class at Safe Passage.

Shared Beat has been doing clinics at Safe Passage for the past 5 years. The last week of February will be our 10th community clinic! The very first clinic I remember a lady in traditional Guatemalan dress with a baby. She wouldn't look at you, and would barely speak. She has come to the clinic every year, now with 2 young children but her demeanor remained the same. Thursday when I saw her working in the women's co-op adjacent to her adult classroom, she absolutely glowed! She smiled, joked and made conversation, what could be more perfect! Education transformed her. This reinforces my committment to supporting education through health. I wish I could take that picture in my head of this woman's smile and share it with you. Guess you'll have to take my word for it- Perfect!
Feliz Dia
Jenny

Daycare Oasis

2011-02-09T20:01:00.003-06:00

Today was a wonderful day! The morning went as usual but in the afternoon, I did heights and weights on 70 daycare children, what a treat!
The daycare oasis is part of Safe Passage, right across the street from the dump. You can loose your self in the tranquil setting until the wind shifts and you remember where you are.
The drive in takes you past filth most of us couldn't image. Not to mention the bodies lying on the side of the street who've been huffing glue or spraypaint. It's all in a day for these children, 2 to 7 years of age, to step over the bodies and trash into the place they get to call home 7 hours a day, 5 days a week.
There they are fed 2 nutritious meals a day. The food is purchased and delivered by one of the board members. They receive vitamins each day donated by Shared Beat and have a full day of "Montesori like" instruction, including English and dance. This program and all of the furniture in the building were furnished by Oneness. The former Director of Oneness is now the new director of Safe Passage.
There is an amazing playground, international volunteers and teachers who adore every inch of each child. There is love oozing over the 10 foot perimeter security walls. I wish you all could vsit, you'd love it!

Feliz Dia
Jenny

Fast Food Mentality

2011-02-08T19:41:00.002-06:00

I have been working in Guatemala for 10 years and still have difficulty with everything happening "Manana" - tomorrow. There is no rush for anything.
This is good in many ways, teaches you to slow down, you always have time to rethink things ... But my "fast food" mentality still wants things to happen now.

I was thinking about this today while doing heights and weights and seeing "sick" patients inbetween. An 8 year old came in right before a group of 5 came in for heights and weights. They needed to get to sports so she let them go ahead. Instead of being upset, she helped me by calling out the numbers while I recorded. Then she got her turn.

So, the rest of the day I worked with a different attitude because of a lesson from a wise 8 year old. Manana, I will hopefully remember my lesson.

Manana
Jenny

Pint Size Hypochondriacs

2011-02-07T19:11:00.003-06:00

Todays Blog will be short. I saw over 50 people in 6 hours and am having trouble thinking in English or Spanish.
Everyday I am amazed at the resilence of the people who live here. Everyday there are things that make me a little sad and lots of things to make me laugh.

For instance, did you know that hypochondriacs come in all sizes? This one child comes to clinic almost everyday. It's like watching a Saturday Night Live skit everytime she comes in. I say, what's the problem, she says, um well I have pain in my elbow, yeah my elbow. Then I go on to ask if she hurts anywhere else, every part confirmed, even the eyelashes! Her medicine always includes a hug. In return, I always get a smile.

Hope the weather has warmed up where you are!
Feliz Dia
Jenny

Home Remedies & Blindness

2011-02-06T19:27:00.001-06:00

The last 2 weeks have flown! There were over 100 patients in the clinic the past 5 days. Most things were very minor but a few had me scratching my head and calling the states or saying, “go to the hospital!”
There are 2 viruses going around the school right now, one a cold, the other a stomach bug. I’ve been trying very hard to encourage hygiene efforts and home remedies. Working in a place where people make $3 a day you have to think about what you are teaching when you give a pill. Say you aren’t there and they get sick. Do they buy that medicine you gave them for the cold or do they feed their family? The other problem, taking medications is the culture. So when I tell the kids and parents to drink hot tea with honey (shown in many studies to be as effective as cough syrup) for cough, they just look at me like I’m nuts.
I’ve been telling all the kids to drink lots of clean water and juices, get plenty of rest and drink hot tea with honey, which I’ve been giving them to take home. So Friday, this precious 8 year old rushes into the clinic, gets right in my face and says, “I’ve been drinking clean water for 2 days just like you said, and I’m not better!” Nothing I could say would make her believe that her cold just had to run its course. She wanted a pill to fix it!
Then came an 11 year old who said he was blind in his left eye. He was completely believable until I asked when this started and he said “twenty four days ago.” OK what kid or adult for that matter would say 24 days? Most would say “three weeks”, “a little over three weeks…” So I called my husband, he explained how to examine his eyes and the kid honestly failed. But before I could do anything more he ran out to go to sports. Long story short, I requested to see his social worker but before the social worker came by, the boy comes in with yet a different problem. When I ask how his left eye is he says, “just this morning I started to see a little bit, I think it’s going to be OK.” This kid should be an actor!

Looking forward to starting again tomorrow! Have a good week!
Jenny

Hombre Dulce

2011-02-02T20:56:00.000-06:00

I heard sad news yesterday. The man who sold candy outside of the Safe Passage building in Guatemala City died last week- Hombre Dulce.
Every morning he would stand outside of the building selling “penny” candy to the neighborhood. Every morning he would clap his hands and cheerlead as the Safe Passage volunteers entered work. Some days I would drag off the bus, a little tired and less than eager. What a difference it made to round the corner and see his shining face, my day was made!
I am ashamed to say, I don’t know his name. We would swap small talk but I never told him how much his enthusiasm encouraged me. For several years I remember wanting to trade his candy for pencils or fruit, something healthy. Last Tuesday he was sitting on the corner with his head hung low. I stopped to chat and he was sad that he couldn’t sell his candy any longer. I left a little despondent not realizing what he was really selling was his passion.
I know Candy Man doesn’t literally translate as hombre dulce but to me and everyone who saw him, he was a sweet man! A loving cheerleader for life!

2011-02-02T20:46:00.006-06:00

I arrived back in Guatemala last Monday for 5 weeks. My longest trip of 30 to this country in over 10 years and I have to say, I’m pretty excited. Why am I so enthusiastic this trip? My purpose is to work in the Safe Passage school clinic for 4 weeks, and the last week to lead a medical team of 17 from Maine, Massachusetts and Texas in 2 areas of Guatemala. The latter I’ve done over 15 times but working as a school nurse I’ve only done for 1 week.
Guatemala always welcomes you with that noxious smell of diesel! Sounds a little crazy but that familiar smell is as comforting to me as the smell of pound cake coming from my grandmother’s kitchen. I know I’m back when that airplane door opens and it hits me in the face. What that smell means? Soon I’ll be surrounded by the smiling faces of 500+ children from the Guatemala City dump community. And hugs, millions of hugs! That smell feels like home.
On Tuesday the 25th, I started my 1st week of 4 working in the clinic. I saw lots of “boo boo’s”, half the school had a stomach bug and the other half had colds. Like any typical school clinic. Not so bad. Add in the children from daycare. They can’t exactly tell you what’s wrong but you know something’s wrong. It definitely takes a little extra patience and maybe a colorful sticker to finally win them over. Now throw in their parents and community members. Pregnancy, hypertension, diabetes, burns… you get the picture. They have so much going on. Many of them work in the dump, are single parents and live in makeshift homes with leaky roofs.
Did I mention the employees? You have to make them better. They cook, clean, teach and keep the place running. They get every illness the kids bring to school but they still have to keep going. And let’s not forget the volunteers! They are awesome and most of them thousands of miles from their birthplace. Many are in their late teens, seriously away from home for the 1st time. They’re in a foreign country traveling, eating strange foods, and who knows what else! If you know, please don’t tell me! Do they have traveler’s diarrhea, malaria, a hangover -Oh My! So many things to consider in this community quilt.
This is my first time to blog and I will try to keep you posted on my adventures as the weeks go by. Some days I’m just too tired to think. On those days if I decide to blog please forgive the Spanglish, run-ons and things that just don’t make sense!
Feliz Dia
Jenny

July 31, Saturday

2010-07-31T08:39:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I accedentally deleted my first post when I pasted a picture over the words (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

I have reposted my day 1 entry.

Warren

Friday, July 30

2010-07-30T12:43:00.002-05:00

Warren here, it is Friday morning now and we are wrapping up the week. Since I blogged last Monday, everyday has been more interesting and rewarding than the last.

On Wednesday we had moved most of the students in the school through the clinic already and we had opened up to the public. This proved to be the point where knowing Spanish would have really come in handy. With the students I could get by with knowing “come with me” “blue line” “right eye” and “left eye”. It was much tougher to actually discuss what the problem was so we could determine if they needed an optometrist or reading glasses. I got a break and was able to go over to the Guarderia where the pre-schoolers are to help Jack and James make playground repairs. The playground is relatively new, but 6 months of rainy season every year had rotted out some boards and railings.

Now the Guarderia is about two blocks from the dump. Standing on top of playground equipment you can see the surrounding housing leading up to the dump walls. There are no dump tours this week due to violent activity at the cemetery overlooking the dump. This is the best vantage point I will get this week. Buzzards wheel constantly through the air and dogs walk about all over the streets. Men are burning the plastic coating off of piles of copper wiring. People everywhere are sorting stuff into piles. Dump trucks rule the roads. And there is the smell. Inside our little oasis, we are sawing, drilling and varnishing in front of a happy little crowd of faces pressed against the windows of the lunch room. There are also kids watching us from just a couple of feet away – but on the other side of the Guarderia wall. These are strong images that will stay with me for a while.

The three of us go in with the Guarderia to buy some fresh wood chips for the play area. We fix up some drainage issues in the tunnel and under the tire swing. We fix broken railing and replace the floor of the play fort that had broken. Apparently, the playground had been off limits to the kids recently. There are just two Maintenance folks for all three of the Safe Passage buildings. They let us borrow tools and supplies and get us wood when we need it. This is some pretty productive work.

Shared Beat, as a group, are a pretty good bunch. My cousin Marie, sums it up pretty well for me – She doesn’t mind the work, but its gotta be fun. So at night, the fun comes out! A couple of times we have gone out and couple of times we have stayed in. Last night we went to the Sky Bar that had a great view of the city and volcano. The night before we self produced a talent show. I know, I know, I should post a few pictures. The most fun place to shop has been in a little gift store run by Safe Passage that features jewelry made by local artists out items they found at the dump.

I have had a great time talking to folks – There are 4 teenagers on this trip and several young health care professionals in training. Plus several of us who do not have a health care background but can help out regardless. When us seniors sit around and talk we are very impressed with the youths in the group for all their hard work and willingness to help and sacrifice their time during the summer. All of us are nice people to talk to and work with – a versatile and flexible mix! It would be nice to bring down a group of people who had skills in plumbing and wiring to help with maintenance projects around the buildings. I’m starting a little list for if/when my wife makes it down.

That’s it for now, Warren

July 28th, The Clinic is open to the community;

2010-07-29T08:08:00.001-05:00

If you don’t mind I’d like to tell you a little about myself before I write this blog……..my name is Jason Trull and I currently live in a small town nestled in the piedmont region of North Carolina; I am seventeen years old and will be a senior in high school this coming school year. This is my first time blogging and, to be honest, I have absolutely no idea what to write about. I think that the main
objective is to elaborate on what happened today, so that’s what I will do. Also, please excuse my not-so-great writing skills; I’ve still got quite a lot to learn.

If you’ve had the chance to read the blogs previous to this then you know that the clinic has only been available to the students and a select few others; today marked the clinic’s opening to the entire community that surrounds the Guatemalan City Dump. Unluckily, the dump also welcomed us. The wind decided that it’d be a great idea to blow in our direction, carrying the (oh so sweet) aroma of the waste that belongs to the landfill.

Today my job was to check-in the people before they went upstairs to the clinic. I had to acquire each person’s name, date of birth, age, and their reason for being there. This proved to be quite a difficult challenge, due to the fact that my Spanish conversational skills are rather atrocious. After a while I actually began to get the hang of things, the words “huh?” “repita, por favor” and “otra vez” were used less and less frequently—I would also like to throw in the fact that we had a ton of patients today, way more than days past--. The great thing about doing check-in was that I was able to interact with the people; every single one of them was amazing. They are all so grateful for what little they do have and it motivates me to truly appreciate the things that I have and the life that I am able to live (even if I think that it’s not so great).

I encountered some very……..interesting experiences with the patients today, as well. For instance, when Luis—another Shared Beat volunteer—signaled a young woman to step up to the desk she didn’t come alone, she was carrying a passenger. Right then she pulled the top of her shirt down, revealed a breast, and commenced to breast feeding the baby. It’s not that I was disgusted by it or anything like that, it just really caught me by surprise. I had never witnessed this take place before, and it was like I was watching a video in health class. I’m sure that all of you—older folks—take no alarm by this, but you have to realize that this was a big deal to me. I also had a few children that didn’t even know when their own birthday was; this came as a huge shock to me because, in the States, a person’s birthday is a very big deal. It marks many milestones that I couldn’t imagine not celebrating, let alone not knowing what day to mark as my birth.

Today I also met a woman who I now admire so much. She’s a little woman who fried chicken for a living; one day the cart that she used to fry the chicken somehow managed to tip over and spill the boiling oil all over the surface of her body. She was sent to a burn center to recover and stayed there for a few months—if I’m not mistaken--. When I met her I didn’t notice any visual abnormalities until she drew my attention to her feet. Her feet, legs, and basically the rest of her body had scar tissue bulging about an inch about the skin. It looked incredibly painful and I admire her so much for remaining a joyful and beautiful woman, despite the obstacles that she has endured. It is people like her that make this trip even more amazing for the volunteers; to see her thriving with the aid provided by Shared Beat is extremely pleasing to me.

In closing, I’d like to share with you what went on tonight when we got back to the hotel. First I went with a group to buy ice cream, I bought galleta (cookie dough) and it was delicious. Following our ice cream excursion I went shopping in the market and bought some pretty awesome things; it’s really interesting because you have to bargain your way down to a reasonable price. Needless to say, bargaining was such an adrenaline rush! I can’t wait to do it again. We made it back from the market just in time for supper—pizza and salad!—and it tasted great, as usual. Dinner was followed by a ‘talent show’ which turned out to be a very fascinating time. Jenny started it off by saying the alphabet backwards, Mi Chel said supercalifragalisticexpialadocious backwards (I’m not even sure if I spelled it correctly just now), and there were a few other miscellaneous talents shared amongst the group.

I hope that I’ve provided you with a somewhat decent blog, I am having a blast here and I will most definitely be taking back an abundance of tremendous memories.

Adios from Antigua,
Jason Trull

27 de Julio de 2010

2010-07-29T08:02:00.001-05:00

It’s 7:30pm and we have just filled our stomachs with chicken and salad at the Aurora Hotel. We are recalling today’s successful trip to a shelter in Zona 3 for Hurricane Agatha victims. Today’s group of 6 traveled to this small shelter down in the valley of Zone 3 near the Puente de Las Inscripciones. The bus dropped us off at the top a hill this morning, and we trekked down the little hillside which is only accessible by foot. A narrow cement walkway with a steep decline of 300 feet brought us to our destination. You could look over the edge towards the right where there was a ravine. We followed 3 local shelter volunteers through the neighborhood. One of them, Astrid, pointed out her house on the hill as we passed below. The structures that we passed were bare with the only indication of life inside being clothes of all sizes hanging outside to dry. The walkway is clearly only traveled by locals. We were welcomed with smiles and shouts of “Buenos dias” as we made our way down. After 15 minutes, we arrived to a cement church that consisted of a small common room with an altar in the back, no bigger than a convenience store. At one point, 14 families were sheltered here during the aftermath of the storm. The shelter volunteers had already arranged 3 curtained clinic stations with care. They had let the community know of today’s clinic in days prior. This morning a megaphone-like “horn” was used to remind everyone. The first clinic station was designed for history-taking, vital signs, and lab work. The second station received the adults in order to perform physical exams. The third station dealt entirely with the physical exams of children and adolescents. Once patients were seen at their respective stations, they were then sent to the make-shift pharmacy in the middle of the small room. The histories of present illness and treatment recommendations were documented on Shared Beat intake forms. Surprisingly, the line of patients moved efficiently with the help of the shelter workers and staff from Camino Seguro. The clinic flow was constant from the morning until we left in the afternoon. Around lunch time, we were about to take a short break for some PB&J’s when one of the shelter workers alerted us that they had already prepared a special lunch just for us. At first, the 6 of us were a little hesitant to try locally prepared food since sanitary conditions (such as purified water, clean hands, etc.) are often questionable in third world countries like Guatemala. Nonetheless, our meal of tripe and potato in tomato sauce with rice and tortillas was served piping hot and all of us felt honored to try it. After a short lunch and bathroom break, the waiting line had grown out the door and we jumped back into our stations with renewed energy. Patients of varying ages and conditions were seen throughout the day. Our youngest patient was one month old while our oldest was 102 years old. Without a scale or prior medical records, many weight and birthdate estimations were made. Upon leaving, around a hundred patients had been seen. It was difficult to turn people away, but time constraints wouldn’t allow us to stay any longer. People were grateful that we had come and allowed us to leave without much commotion. As the rain began to pour down, we quickly gathered any remaining medications and supplies and sloshed our way up the hillside back to the van in the afternoon downpour. Standing at the top of the hill, watching the rain gush down across the cement steps, we walked away with a sense of accomplishment for having helped this small community in their time of great need.

Sarah Scofield & Jared Winikor

Guatemala, July 2010, Day 2

2010-07-27T08:20:00.001-05:00

Wow, the first amazing day is complete. One of our volunteers passed out a little flyer to help us start our journey. Jack didn’t say it was all his words but what it implies sums up what is in my heart to which I paraphrase:

Today begins our trip in Guatemala City and while many of us have been on this journey before, we know that this trip will be different that those other trips we have taken! Many experiences will be new; we will meet and serve new people. It is always a true adventure in faith! God has blessed you and will lead you to bless others during this time. You may be excited. You may feel nervous. You will get to watch the Lord unfold his plans right before your eyes! He brings us all together to laugh together, and maybe even cry together too. You will learn and you will teach.

The day began with Uncle Don grabbing my leg – man did I have a good nights sleep. John, a doctor, had mysteriously filled the third bed sometime in the night without me knowing it. Both Don and John claimed I was the snorer in the group. My earplugs seemed to have worked to perfection for the first night.

I decide the coffee is really good here.

The 45 minute ride is quick as I watch out the window. Love the landscape. As we approach the school it is not too different than any other part of the city. The only reminder of the nearby dump is the constant thump of dump trucks passing by the front of the school.

As it turns out, the clinic is run kind of the way I thought it might. There are several teams that function to check the kids in from the school, check height and weight, vision test, physicals, lab and pharmaceutical distribution. Several people branch out from the clinic to help in a local nursery and a camp set up to help recent volcano victims.

I am part of the vision team. Fortunately, I am working with two vision professionals and I get to make small talk, in very limited Spanish, with elementary age kids and point to rows of letters. For me, the day is slower than I expected – there are actually times I get to look out at the street life from my second story school window - I am told the real fun will be later in the week anyway.

I am pretty amazed at the story, means and ways that people work to help other people from around the world. We are but a part of an international team that is helping this school in Guatemala thrive. I am reminded in a video that the school would be nothing without the sounds of children’s laughter in the hallways. I look forward to the rest of the week.

Warren

July 25th, Travel and first day in Guatemala.

2010-07-26T21:00:00.006-05:00

This is my first time traveling to Guatemala or serving on a mission. There seem to about 15 of us, though our numbers keep growing. We are gathered from several states across the middle and eastern seaboard of the U.S. and travel today seemed to go smoothly for all of us. I really don’t know what to expect but my wife asked me this morning on the way to the airport what I was looking forward to the most. Well, this is pretty much about reaching outside of your comfort zone and helping people. I’m also looking forward to being with good people who are doing good things. In addition to meeting new people, I will very much enjoy the time on the trip with my Uncle Don and Cousin Marie.

Many of us meet up in the Austin airport to fly to Guatemala together. My first impression of flying over Guatemala is what a beautiful country! It is very green and hilly with deep cut valleys. We are through customs quickly and on way over the mountainous terrain in a van.

We arrive in Antigua around 2:00, check into the Hotel Aurora and head out to lunch. Antigua is very much alive on this Sunday afternoon and full of tourists like me heading out to shop. I tag along with Diane and Vianca for a walk through the Market. We do a little shopping and haggling for ourselves, friends and family.

Back to the hotel to catch up with the team and eat dinner. After dinner we sort medications and Jenny briefs us on the next days activities. As a surprise mixer, we are asked to elect teams and representatives to dress up as cheerleaders for a sort of school pep rally the next day – a nice little icebreaker!

Uncle Don asked me if this is what I expected it would be – What, I say to him, is it supposed to be this much fun?

Well, the real work starts tomorrow. It’s off to see if Uncle Don really snores as loud as he says he does.

More after a real day of work.

Warren

Tomorrow Is Only A Day Away!

2010-07-24T08:18:00.011-05:00

We hope all of you are excited and ready to go to Guatemala tomorrow. It is going to be a busy and fun filled week at Safe Passage. The kids, and the staff, are looking forward to us coming and are always so appreciative to have our group serve them. Give the kids (and the 4ft. tall grandmas) lots of hugs. They love it!!

Here are a few reminders before you leave tomorrow.

Passports: Have them ready at the airport. You still have time to make a few copies to put in your luggage. No one has ever had theirs lost or stolen before, but it is best to be prepared. Do not let your dog chew it up - Vianca.

ATM Cards & Cash: The easiest way to get currency is at the ATM. There are two ATMs on the city square in Antigua. There are also two banks on the city square where you can exchange currency. However, the lines can be quite long and you must take your passport with you. Most stores take debit/credit cards too. However, you will need cash if you shop in the market and you will also need cash to purchase your lunch at the comidor by Safe Passage.

Sweaters & Jackets: The forecast next week is for highs in the low 70s and lows near 60. Pack a jacket or sweater with you to Safe Passage - it can feel a little chilly.

Water Bottles: Either bring your own (empty) from home, purchase one at the airport, or purchase one in Antigua. You will need it all week. There are water jugs at Safe Passage where you can refill your bottle. There is also a small store across the street where you can purchase bottled water. Please remember to use your bottled water to rinse off your toothbrush!!!!!

Tap Water: Do not drink the tap water or rinse your toothbrush in the tap water. Use bottled water to rinse your toothbrush.

Toilet Paper: If this is your first trip to Central America, you are in for a treat. Do Not Flush the toilet paper - their plumbing system cannot handle it. All toilet paper must be placed in provided trash cans - remember this because you do not want to go "fishing".

Pillows: Have you packed yours Calla?

Cameras: Antigua is a photographers dream. At Safe Passage, however, we are asked to not take any photos outside of the building - that includes being in the bus. Inside the school, it is best to ask the children or adults if you may take their photo. After the trip, we would love it if you would share your photos with Shared Beat!

Safety: At Safe Passage we are only allowed to leave the building to go to lunch next door. Do not leave the building at any other time - doing so puts yourself, Safe Passage and Shared Beat at risk. In Antigua, stick together in one big group at night. Do not go out by yourself at night. During the daytime, be aware of your surroundings and who is surrounding you.

We want to thank all of you for making this trip possible. Have a wonderful week of service and remember to hug the kids!

Dos Besos!
Torri

PS: Please, Please, Please be at the airport on time in the morning.

Welcome!

2010-07-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

In 2004, Jenny Hartsell RN, the founder of Shared Beat, asked Marie Berkenkamp MD, Mary Jackson, and me (Torri Wilson) to go to Spanish language school with her in Antigua, Guatemala. We all had been to Guatemala together before on a medical mission trip, but this trip was for fun. We spent our days listening to Jenny's Spanish teacher say "Jenny, Jenny, Jenny" after shaking his head in frustration. In the evenings we wandered the town, ate bruschetta at El Sabor and stopped by the Mono Loco where we tried to get Mary's professor to teach us Spanish slang.

At the end of the week, Jenny proposed that we visit a school in Guatemala City that she had read about. It was a school created by one woman, Hanley Denning, who gave up everything to help kids who have nothing. The school was Safe Passage, located next to the city dump in the poorest and most dangerous area of town. We would have to take the chicken bus from Antigua and have a local escort us to the school from the bus stop. We were told to not take photos and to walk fast and stick together. Marie and I didn't need to be told twice.

To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting much of the school after walking through the "neighborhood" but once we made it past the armed guard and into the building, it was like a little oasis next to the largest dump in Central America. The new yellow school was clean, organized, and safe. The name, Safe Passage, fit it perfectly. Kevin, a volunteer from Australia, gave us a tour and background information. Before Hanley created the school, the children would work in the dump or be left there unattended while their parents sifted through the garbage. Now they attend school daily and are given one hot meal a day. For many, that might be their only meal. There are showers and flush toilets - things I am sure not one child in the neighborhood has in their home.

Bayer Pharmaceuticals funded a small clinic upstairs and provided a full time nurse who looks after all of the 550 students and their families. Kevin said that various medical groups from the U.S. and other countries would come for a week to provide care, but it was all done as a one-time deal. There was no followup or continuity, and there was no hope of knowing when the next medical group might come. Even with the assistance from Bayer, it just wasn't enough.

I believe that was the moment Shared Beat was born. Jenny had this determined look on her face, and when we left the school, she pointed her finger at Kevin, as only a southern woman can do, and said "We will be back." Words I am sure they have heard before, but Jenny was serious. In less than one year, Shared Beat was created and the first biannual medical group travelled to Safe Passage.

That first trip was a learning experience for all involved. The school, rightly so, wanted to be present during exams and to be hospitable by providing lunch, snacks and entertainment. We, in turn, took steps to include Lucy, the school nurse, and to let the school know that we were there to serve them - not for them to serve us. We were there to work!

With the help from many dedicated Shared Beat volunteers and generous donors, each student now has a History & Physical chart documenting growth, vision and individual health issues. Medication, glasses, reading glasses and daily vitamins are being provided. An annual emergency fund has been created for the community, and three nursing scholarships have been awarded - one to a student and two to mothers in the Adult Literacy Program at Safe Passage.

There have been many challenges since that first trip, but relationships and trust have been built through Shared Beat's partnership with Safe Passage. Little by little, lives are being changed, and all of this was made possible by one dedicated woman with a pointed finger saying "We will be back."

On that note, I hope you will come back to check out our blog and Twitter updates. Our next trip to Safe Passage is 15 days from now on July 25, 2010.

Thank you for stopping by!
Dos Besos
Torri

If you need any summer reading, head over to Borders Sunday July 11th and Monday July 12th - they will donate a portion of the sales to Safe Passage. Here is a link for the coupon - just print and shop!