Belize Mission Video

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A few final posts to come...

Check back in over the next few days for final posts, pictures and possibly a video.

Headed home tomorrow

Today was mostly a day to relax and pack for our return home tomorrow. Here's a summary of the work that took place in our few days here.

61 people from Horizon Community Church and River Hills Christian Church traveled and served in some capacity
2 new homes built for 2 families
1 church re-roofed and painted
200+ homes screened and/or repaired
63 surgeries performed
200+ dermatology patients treated
700+ patients seen and/or treated in 4 villages

Thanks to all of you who kept up with us on this blog and for all of your prayers and notes! This trip has been an incredible experience. The people of Belize, especially those living in extreme poverty, are very kind and loving. There is so much need here as you have likely seen in the stories and pictures we've shared. When we pool our resources and work together, amazing things can happen for so much good.

If you are interested in learning about opportunities to participate next year, please email John Kirby at jkirby@horizoncc.com.

Our accommodations

Someone asked about our accommodations in Belize. We're staying at Tony's Inn in Corozal Town, northern Belize. It's about 2 hours north of Belize City and is closer to the villages and hospital where we are serving. It's one of the few places in Corozal that can house most of our entire group. Because we used up all of the rooms here, a few of us are staying at an inn next door called Corozal Bay.

We have a nice view overlooking the bay and ocean. There's not much of a beach here at Tony's Inn as the bay water is somewhat brackish and cloudy.

Home life in small villages

I wanted to share a sense of what home life is like for most of the villages we've visited. Most homes are only about 14ft by 18ft and are divided into 3 rooms by drapes or thin paneling. Typically, one room is a living area and two small rooms are just big enough for a bed (which many share) and some walking area. The floor is concrete.

Walls are made from various materials. Some are made from small trees and branches standing vertically and have cracks/openings all around. Others are made of lumber. And some houses have concrete block walls.

Windows are either open or have louvered wooden slats. Roofs are typically sheets of corrugated metal or thatch. Some have doors and some just door openings.

Kitchens are commonly a few feet away from the home to minimize the risk of home fires and to keep smoke out of the house. They have only 3 walls. Food is cooked in pots above burning wood on a small wooden or concrete table. The wood smolders for most of the day.

Some homes have running water spigots for drinking and filling wash buckets. Out-houses are standard. Some homes have electricity for basic needs like a radio or small refrigerator. Clothes are hung to dry on lines outside the home.

Children entertain themselves by either kicking a ball, riding a bike or playing a game or two.

Dermatology Clinic sees 37 in San Pedro

Dr. Wayne and Mary Louise traveled to San Pedro on Monday morning by plane for a 2-day dermatology clinic. The poor that work in local hotels and restaurants and live in hidden shanty villages on the island have little or no access to dermatology. To reach a dermatologist, they would have to take a 2-hour boat trip to Belize City, pay for a dermatologist visit which most cannot afford, and probably not be able to travel back home in the same day.

On Monday, they saw 37 patients. A translator worked with them to provide communications assistance. The cases coming in are much different than why we might go to a dermatologist. These are extreme cases of serious and typically large skin problems. In the U.S., these are usually caught well in advance. They will continue their work today and return tomorrow.

Seen and unseen

It really hit us yesterday that although we focus a great deal on the logistics of the trip (vans, people, food, materials) that we really are terribly naive about all of the politics and battles that go on unseen. We've had misplaced anesthesia medicine, broken down vans, and a drunken bus driver who stranded us in a remote village at nightfall. And we have learned of battles at the hospital to allow us to help the poor and battles out in the Progresso village where a politician stopped by and didn't want us there. We have been told that some local doctors are offended by our presence and will deny service to their patients if they mention having visited us. Those who help us navigate the local challenges are aware of these issues. They know that the poor of the country really do need assistance.

In Ephesians, the Bible talks about putting on spiritual armor to fight spiritual battles taking place. It became so clear yesterday that the prayers of people back home, the prayers of people here and the advocacy of our local friends are critical for each of our teams.

Patients recovering quickly

On Monday, Chad H, John K and Dr. Jay met with the chief administrator of the hospital in Orange Walk. She thanked us profusely for coming and said we were having a huge impact on the area. She took a great risk in inviting us to the hospital for the first time last year but feels the town is in great need for this kind of help. She said her staff was amazed that most of the surgeries that Dr. Jay completed were recovering much faster than normal. Patients were leaving within a few hours instead of having to stay overnight. She asked Dr. Jay if he would do a brief seminar with the local staff on techniques to enable fast recovery (special use of ice packs and incision techniques).

Four children in Chunox swabbed for genetic testing

Today, Tyler, Chelisa, Raphael and I revisited a mother and four children living in a very small and worn home in Chunox. Doctors Kathy and Doug had visited this home yesterday on request. Three of the four children (ages 4-14) have some apparent genetic disorder. The oldest, a girl, is severely deformed and completely immobile. She is not expected to live much longer. The middle two children are also becoming immobile and show signs similar to the oldest.

There is little immediate medical help that we can provide. However, on our return trip we swabbed the inner cheeks of each child to take back to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for genetic testing. We hope to be able to identify their disorder and determine if any additional medical treatment can be provided. The mother (8 months pregnant with her 5th child) was very appreciative. It was a very emotional experience.

Tuesday morning...

It's Tuesday morning. Teams are preparing to leave for the day. The construction team will continue working in San Victor. The surgical team will return to Orange Walk. Today, the village clinic medical team and the screening team will go to a small village named Copper Bank.

Over 200 visit village clinic in Progresso

Monday was another very successful day. It was long. The village clinic medical team traveled to a small, remote village named Progresso (crossing another river using the hand-cranked ferry). We setup a medical clinic in a small Catholic church building. Over 200 villagers met with nurses and doctors. Most had their vitals checked and were provided vitamins and worm medication. Many were given prescription medication for various needs. We've found a number of people with very high glucose levels (some with readings near 400), an indication of diabetes.

The construction team continued working on the two houses being built in the small village named San Victor. One of the local villagers is a young man name Ishmael. Ishmael is about 28 and has cerebral palsy. He has no family and lives with a few families in the area. To earn enough money to live, he uses a 3-wheel bike to make various deliveries throughout the village. His bike is very old and worn. In past years, some of our team members (including Michael Bell and Jim Pustinger) have fixed various parts of his bike so he can continue to work. This year the team kept telling him that they would work on his bike. However, up until yesterday they hadn't done anything with it. The team kept telling Ishmael they were "working on it." Then yesterday, they took his bike, rode it around the block and switched it. When they came back in the next few minutes, Ishmael was completely surprised to see a BRAND NEW bike!

Monday morning

It's about 7:15am. We're just about to head out for the day.

The surgery team finally arrived last night around 10:30pm. They completed 17 procedures including a few lipoma's, a thyroid cyst and many tonsillectomies (most on children or babies). Our team is becoming very close with the local Belizean team.

The village clinic medical team and the screen team are headed to a small, remote village named Progresso. When I asked Jenni P where it is, she said "it's just far. Hit the road and keep on going."

The construction team is headed back to San Victor to begin work on the second home for a local family of 3. The father was in an accident a few years ago and lost his arm. Since then, he has lost his job working in the cane fields.

Remote Village Poses Interesting Logistics

It was a very interesting day today traveling with the Village Clinic medical team and the screen team. This morning (Sunday) we left around 7:30am for a very small, remote village named Chunox. We were traveling in an old school bus and 2 passenger vans. While the village is only about 20 miles southwest from where we're staying, it took about almost 90 minutes to get there. The roads are unpaved, dirt/rock roads and are extremely rough.

We had to cross 2 rivers, each about 200ft across, to get there. The catch--there are no bridges! Each had a small, floating ferry to get you (and your car or van) across. Even more interesting, you have to crank a pully by hand to move the ferry which is attached to a cable secured on each side.

In between the two ferries, one of the vans broke down! So we had to rig a tow cable from the other van so we could all make it to the village.

In the village, we setup a medical clinic in a small building and saw 165 patients. One needed surgery on his face so we drove him to the hospital (about 1 hour away) where the surgical team met with him.

It is now 10pm in Belize. We've finished dinner and have shared events of the day. The surgical team has not yet returned. They should arrive any minute after a very long day. Look for another update shortly with details about their day.

Construction has nearly finished church roof

The construction team is nearing completion of installing a new tin roof and painting at Raphael's church. The former roof was damaged from the recent hurricane. Here's a picture of the roof team from yesterday (That's Marc Michaelson on the top beam!) and a picture of their painting from today.

Village Clinic team update

All teams were back in action today. First, here's more detail from the Village Clinic work yesterday. Saturday, the team worked in a village called Louisville. This small village is just west of the main road running north and south through Belize.

They saw 175 patients throughout the day, mostly women and children. The clinic was setup in a concrete school building which has 3 rooms approximately 20ft by 20ft each. Generally, they have a 3 step process. First, a patient signs in and has vitals checked (pulse, blood pressure, temperature and glucose). The nurses provide vitamins and discuss any relevant medical history. Next, if necessary, they visit a doctor. The doctor will check any specific conditions and write any needed prescriptions. Finally, the patient will step into a 3rd room and have the pharmacist fill the prescription if the medicines are available.

Check back late tonight for an update on today's village clinic in Chunox. You DON'T want to miss this one!

14 year-old girl ear surgery

Nikita, a 14 year-old girl, burned her ears badly when she was younger. The resulting scars grew in a deformed manner. Dr. Devinder and Dr. Lucy performed plastic surgery to return her ears to a much more normal state. Simply amazing.

Here are Nikiti's ears just before surgery...

and after...

Dermatology Clinic sees 42 patients

The dermatology clinic team saw 42 patients yesterday. They worked from the hospital in Orange Walk. Here's a few of the people they helped to diagnose and treat.
-- a 30 year-old man with a rare deep fungal infection covering his hands
-- a 14 year-old boy from Belize City who had been sick for 4 weeks was brought in by his grandmother. He body was covered in sores. Dr. Baumann believes the boy has bullouspemphigoid (you might need to look that one up), a type of skin disease. Biopsies will be conducted.
-- a young brother and sister with icthyosis, a skin condition

Most of these people have very limited or no access to healthcare. Therefore, many have had these skin conditions or diseases for years.

Construction and surgeries began today

The construction team got an early start today and headed out at 7:00am. They worked on building one of two new houses. Another construction team installed a new roof for a local church.

The surgical team performed 12 surgeries. One of the early patients was a 4 month old boy named Jason. Jason was born with a cleft lip.

Here's his picture before surgery...

and after...


Another little 1 year-old Mennonite girl was in need of cleft palate repair. The Belizean government had wanted to take the girl from her parents to ensure she could be raised and fed properly. Her repair surgery was completed yesterday and her parents will now more easily be able to feed and take care of her.

We'd like to hear from you! Yes, you!

Please share any thoughts, questions or notes with the team. All you have to do is click the area below any blog post where it says "0 Comments". Then type your note and follow the instructions on the right side of the page. You don't need to register for anything. Just use the "anonymous" button.

If you'd like to know more about a particular part of our work or a specific person on the trip, all you have to do is ask.

Quick update from the surgical team

It's 6:50am here Saturday morning. We're heading out now for all sites--surgical team to the hospital in Orange Walk; construction teams to 2 villages; and village medical clinic to various sites.

Here's a quick update from the surgical team. Yesterday they met with 127 patients. All were screened and some treated. 42 surgeries are already scheduled for the next four days. There will likely be more. Those being operated on include a patient with facial cancer. Many with tonsillitis. Many in need of cleft palate and cleft lip repair. And a few hernias.

Look for another post around lunch time.

For all the kids

This post if for all kids out there watching the blog. Here's a little background on Belize, the country we're in.

Belize is a country in Central America (south of Mexico) with a population of about 290,000 people. It's capital is Belmopan. The country is about the size of the state of New Hampshire. Belize is divided into 6 districts. Corozal and Orange Walk, the districts where most of our work is taking place, are in the northern part of the country.

Formerly a British colony, Belize gained independence in 1981. It's considered a parliamentary democracy. The Belizeans elect a prime minister who leads the government. English is the official language, however, most people here speak Spanish.

Unfortunately, Belize is a very poor country. About 50% of the people here do not have access to doctors, nurses or hospitals. Two-thirds earn less than US$4500 each year. And most children suffer from malnutrition. Our objective while we're here is to help as many Belizeans as we can. For some that may be rescreening windows to keep out bugs and mosquitos. We'll be building 2 houses while we're here for a few families who need a place to live. And for many others, we'll be providing needed medical help including checkups, vitamins, medications and surgeries.

Additional team members arrive

About 30 additional team members on the American Airlines and Continental Airlines flights are here in Corozal. Fortunately, the 9 missing bags from Thursday's flight arrived as well. We're now getting ready to eat dinner. Look for a more detailed posting tonight of today's activities from the hospital.

Surgery team begins their work

Additional team members arrive today at 11:30am and 3:30pm. This morning the surgical team arrived at the hospital around 8:30am. Their focus today is to visit and screen patients for possible surgeries. We already have a list of over 100 patients who are identified as candidates. Over 50 were already lined up this morning when we arrived. Many more are expected to arrive after lunch. Needs range from skin infections to cleft palate repair.

While most surgeries will begin tomorrow, Dr. Jay has already performed 2 gall bladder surgeries. Additional pictures are in the photo section to the right. If you'd like to enlarge the pictures, simply click on any picture.

Thanks Jill for the note! We'd love to hear from others. Tonight at dinner we'll share your notes with the team.

Good morning!

Friday morning. We woke at 6am for breakfast (Belize is on U.S. Central Time). Right now, teams are loading 4 vans to travel to sites. The hospital is in Orange Walk Town, about 40 miles south from Corozal. Construction team members will travel to San Victor which is about 25 miles south-southwest from Corozal.

Today is mostly about preparations--picking up the remaining 30 members of the team at the airport; getting constructions materials sorted; organizing surgical and medical equipment.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Second advance team arrived today

Another 16 of our 61 person team arrived safely in Belize this afternoon, most from Cincinnati. Our plane landed in Belize City which is on the coast of Belize. Unfortunately, some of our luggage, including medical and construction supplies, didn't make the flight! The airline has assured us it will arrive tomorrow.

After clearing customs, we began the 2 hour drive in passenger vans to Corozal Town where we'll be staying. The drive is very interesting. The main road which leads to Corozal is a narrow, two-lane, paved road without any markings or lines. While the posted speed limit is 55, you have to watch closely for pot holes and speed bumps. The houses speckled along the way are mostly simple, concrete homes with tin roofs, many in need of repair. The landscape is quite green with unique trees and various shrubs including sugar cane, one of the area's main crops. From time to time, children were playing along the road or riding bikes.

As the sun went down, we made a stop in Orange Walk Town (about 70 miles north of Belize City) to tour the hospital where our surgical team will be operating. Orange Walk is one of the larger towns in the area. Keep in mind the total population of Belize is only around 270,000. The hospital is a simple one story structure mostly built from concrete. Certainly nothing elaborate relative to what we are accustomed to, however, it's sufficient for the job.

Soon after arriving at the inn in Corozal, we met for dinner outside under a thatched roof hut just off the ocean. Even though we've just arrived, one thing is very clear to me -- most of us probably don't realize how convenient and comfortable our life is in the U.S.A. I now have a whole new appreciation for these conveniences.

First advance team arrives in Belize

Our first advance team arrived today in Belize! They'll ensure many logistical plans are set and they will visit work sites including the hospital surgical facilities and the area where our village medical tent will be setup.
The second advance team is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. The final team will arrive Friday.

A day of packing

Only a few days before we arrive! Today the team worked for hours sorting medical and construction supplies and packing them in nearly 50 suitcases. Vitamins, medications, surgical equipment, tubing, syringes, gloves and much more. For construction--saws, staples, drills, caulk, hammers and nails.