Clinica Santa Maria, Navy Commanders and more 1-24-10

Last night after a LONG day in the jungle we went to visit a medical clinic, Clinica Santa Maria of Iquitos, that we hoped would partner with us. Around the table was the MD who was the director of the clinic, another doctor and two ladies who are administors there.

Kizzy started to explain all the things going on there and we brought up the idea that my wife, Raechelle, had of training midwives from the villages to reduce infections for the mothers and infant mortality. He informed us that he is also a professor at the local university and that he could do the actual training there and he would also certify the midwives. He also owns a hotel and he said the midives could stay there for free while they are going to school. All the clinic personell listened as Kizzy spoke in spanish telling them why our group was different, we were about SUSTAINABILITY and ´teaching the people to fish´instead of giving them fish like every other charity has done for decades. They were so happy to hear that we were going to work WITH the clinic. American charities are donating MRI machines but they have holes in their ceilings and are short on basic supplies. These charities never ask what they want, they just ask if they have an MRI machine and go looking to get donations to ship one. One of the female administrators started to cry on the clinic tour, asking if we could come to her home country of Columbia. They all saw how our plans would really work.

He showed us through his clinic, including a delivery room. The above the table was what looked like a chinup bar. In a difficult labor the mother lifts herself up with the bar to aid the birth and pain. We plan to have volunteers come down and help fix up their clinic, as it is in need of repair.

We also were contacted by today the local military base here, they had been looking all over Iquitos for 2 days for us. After our meeting with the Peruvian government in Lima, they called the commander of the base and told him to give us whatever support we need. So in addition to our staff, 2 very large river gunboats and their personell will accompany us to see how they can help for the rest of the villages we visit!!

The Navy commander of the military (equivelant to a US colnel) came to dine with us tonight to discuss the plans for the rest of the week. A doctor from another clinic, the pastor of a church, and the coordinator for Centura health charities were attending as well as the entire group of 7 people that currently represent the whole of our foundation. Tomorrow we need to be at the navy base at 7.40 am to board the ships.
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As an aside, for the first time we tried a different boat company to take us to the Santa Maria de Fatima yesterday because the better company wouldn´t negotiate with our local guy Fernando. On the way back to Iquitos the boat engine wouldn´t run right which caused the rear of the boat to ride low in the water and we were taking on water. I QUICKLY passed out everyones life jackets that we had forgot to put on for the return trip.

Thinking that maybe the actual Pirhana risk had been overblown, I asked what the chances of us being able to swim to the shore about 300 yards away. The boat driver looked at me like I was crazy and told me the Pirhana actually would kill us before we reached shore. The second crewman of the boat bailed out the water with as much urgancy as you could expect.

I felt this was as much as an appropriate time for us to say a prayer as any in recent memory. While the crewman worked to keep the boat above water, Richelle said a prayer while Kizzy and I bowed our heads. After the prayer, I got the distinct feeling that everything was going to be just fine. I became as relaxed as if I was on fishing boat in Lake Pactola back home.


2 minutes later they shut down the motor to look at it, I was afraid they had water in the carb and they would never get it restarted again. The motor was brand new and it turned out to be just a loose plug wire, they started the motor easily and it ran fine. We were off again to Iquitos, 20 km distant.

At the dock when we landed was the boat owner of the new boat who had refused to negotiate with Fernando. His boat had been at the dock all day and now he was Kizzy´s best friend. Kizzy again told him to talk to Fernando and I think if we don´t use the navy boats, we will get a fine deal on his better boats =)

Miracles happen all the time, they just do not usually happen to me several times a day for several days in a row. I haven´t even told you everything yet.

Casey