February 12 - Our First Challenge
Sadly our first challenge has arisen and we are not even in Nicaragua! The local, and new, Directora for the Jinotega area is not allowing medical mission teams in. In the past, we have been excluded from the Managua area and moved to focus on the mountainous areas of Jinotega. We need to new directora to change her mind in order for Team to enter Nicaragua! Please send all of your prayers, light, good thoughts, karma, what have you, so that we can help the people who need us.
Muchas Gracias y Mucho Amor
March 16 - Team Leaves for Nicaragua

Could find them anywhere, hunh?
Sue has everyone wear the same shirts so that she can find them in the airport: safety in numbers, leave no (wo)man behind!
March 16 - Daylight Savings Time
March 17 - Arrived Safely

STARS
Nicaragua has much less light pollution than we do, so it's a lot easier to see the stars: millions of them!!

New York Sate is 54,555 mi² with a population of 19.7 million (2013).

Look at how much less light there is!
Nicaragua is 49,998 mi² with a population of 6.08 million (2013).
March 17 - Leaps of Faith
In many ways, this Mission trip is a leap of faith. We try to remember that God is the Team Leader, He is organizing this effort for His glory.
Respiratory illnesses abound here in Nicaragua so we give out inhalers of breathing medicines. We usually bring a very heavy electric drill and a special drill bit to make aerochambers (spacers) for the inhalers we give out. (It helps the patient receive the dose efficiently)
We forgot the drill and bit.
But God had a plan! Other medical teams before us left bags of aerochambers! God is good!
~Sue L.



March 18 - Spotty Internet - Day 1 of Clinics
~Sue L.

March 19 - Hot, Dusty, and Windy - Day 2 of Clinics
~Sue L.





Way to go Rob, Corey and Nick!
~Sue L.
Guy weighed 100lbs soaking wet. We were left to wonder; he did he get on his horse and how will he get off?
~Rob W.
Bottom left of the picture you can see the trunks we pack everything in for the mission!
March 20 - Day 3 of Clinics




James (left) and Jason (right), our pharmacists.


Rob is entertaining the children. The little girl in pink had a lilting song of a laugh that made us all smile!
March 21 - Dressed in their Sunday Best - Day 4 of Clinics



March 22 - Clinic Day 5

We started an IV and gave her a liter of saline. We also tried to get her to drink a bottle of water and eat cookies but she kept giving them to her neighbors who had come to clinic.
Her pressure improved and she told us she wanted to go, she was suppose to be keeping score for a baseball game. Sure enough, some guys came back for her!
~Sue L.
You forgot to mention she had fainted twice prior to arrival and was brought in dizziness via motorcycle! Then wanted to know why we didn't have a photo ready when she wanted to leave!
~Sue S.

In the hour or so that it took to get an ambulance to clinic, the baby had dropped and Mamacita's pains were less than 8 minutes apart. The lady riding in the 'ambulance' (aka small pickup truck) with her (not sure if she had any credentials) had her change into a skirt before traveling, just in case. The hour plus ride on bumpy rough roads must have been a struggle for her.
It was an exciting but a bit tense experience. We don't know if we can ever find out how she did.
March 24 - Fun Day!
Today was our first fun day! We crammed all we could in to today.
First, we went to Masaya Volcano. For many of us, it was the first time we had ever looked down into the mouth of an active volcano.
We had a great lunch in a restaurant overlooking a beautiful volcanic lake.
We spent the rest of the day shopping at a pottery shop and Masaya Market.


We enjoyed delicious fresh fruit smoothies, only $2 each!
Photo Credit: Sue Labarre

March 25 - Last Night in Nicaragua


March 26 - Home Safe in the USA
The sun has set on Central New York's Medical Mission to Nicaragua. The Team is home, safe and sound. We provided medicines, vitamins and good will to 614 patients in five and a half clinic days!
Thank you to our families, prayer partners, and everyone who supported this effort with donations, encouragement and support!