Clinica de Taj Mahal

Verse of the day: “God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what praises him.” Philippians 2:13

Taj Mahal PT Room!!

Today was the last day for the clinic and we stayed put in the camp to serve the people of the surrounding village including many people that work here at the camp.  Today was the busiest day yet and it was great because I didn’t have to rush to get people seen before the taxi came to pick us up.  I treated clear till dinner and everyone got seen.  All orthopedic today with everything from a second opinion on old fractures to kids needing animal moves like bear crawls and crab walks to improve their proximal stability.  It was nice to have some different things today like one woman who brought her x-rays of her scoliosis which were crudely taken and her doctor’s notes from here which were very short.  The documentation here is minimal so I literally got to treat all day which is what I love to do!  MMI travels to all parts of Ecuador during various parts of the year, but I was told this is the first time a PT has been to these villages and areas, at least in the 16 years Susana has been the director.

Sarah, Paul, & Jim

To end the two weeks, today I got the Taj Mahal for a treatment room! It was the nurse’s office when the camp is in full swing.  It had a bed with a mattress, space to move, and a counter!!  And as an added bonus, some nice artwork on the walls J There were some times I only had a small bench with sheet over it! 

What a blessing it has been to serve these people.  I have been trying to do in 30 minutes what I would typically do in 6-8 weeks and with no follow-up but these people are very grateful for any time spent with them.  Many have lived with some very chronic pain and less than optimal care for old injuries.  For some it is due to poor finances and others inaccessibility to proper healthcare.  For whatever the reason I am glad that we crossed paths and I have been able to meet so many wonderful people!  Thank you to all who have supported with donations and/or prayer!  It has all been incredibly helpful and is what has truly made this trip a success.  For that you have been very much a part of this team and any good that has been done—so thank you!!

Cotopaxi is still at it!

Checking the volcano evacuation map

So we thought the party was over—nope, just a 2 day siesta.  The town is back at it again with parades, music, dancing, and fireworks!  We went back again for 1 last hoorah!  There we also saw they hung more evacuation plan signs for if and when Cotopaxi erupts.  It has still been smoking daily varying between black and white, but mostly white.  White is the more dangerous signal of sulfuric smoke closer to full eruption.  The maps outline the time each area has to evacuate from 1 to 9 hours, the direction to travel, and where the volcano alarms are.  We have heard some in the closer areas have been attempting to dig holes to at least slow the lava’s approach to people.  There are 500,000 people living in the 1 hour evacuation zone.  The last time this volcano erupted in 1832 there were only 1,000 people in the area, and they all died--there is now over 1 million living in Quito. 

Party Hearty!

Tomorrow is our tourist day where we will travel to the capital of Quito and do fun touristy things.  The top of my list is standing on the equator! Stay tuned!