An Atol Fiesta

Darren writes: 

Anyone who has ever served on a mission will testify to the remarkable humbleness, kindness and graciousness of the Salvadoran patients and volunteers at our missions.  One of the best parts of working for PazSalud in El Salvador is getting to continually interact with all those incredible people, many of whom I see on regular basis. 

During our recent eye surgery mission in Cojutepeque we performed a successful pterygium surgery on Maria Cruz (shown in the photo above).  One day she called me up to invite me to her house to drink atol, a typical, seasonal Salvadoran drink made from corn.  Because it's in season we also enjoyed some fresh ears of boiled corn-on-the-cob.  I made the trip to Maria's house with Yesenia - the indispensable local coordinator from both of PazSalud's missions this year - and her daughter Alison (shown below with the bowls of atol and fresh corn on the table).

Maria is poor and could not have afforded the surgery she received from PazSalud.  This was her way of saying 'thank you' for all PazSalud did to help her.  Here she is with family in the portal of her home, the place where company is always received in rural Salvadoran homes.

Adios, Doña Maria de la Paz

We've just learned that Marvin Hernandez' grandmother, Maria de la Paz Hernandez, has passed away.  We feel a special closeness to her because she was first one of our patients in the Estanzuelas Medical Mission in 2013 and then a cataract surgery patient in the National Hospital at Santiago de Maria in May, 2013.  Her grandson, Marvin, was our superb community leader for Estanzuelas, in charge of organizing the volunteers, outreach to the community, and local logistics. 

Here's a photo of Doña Maria de la Paz that Darren sent:

We're glad that Doña Maria de la Paz was able to see her children and grandchildren better during this last year, and we're very grateful that we were able to meet this beautiful woman.

¡Fiesta!

Darren writes:

Recently the Center for Interchange and Solidarity (CIS - Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad) invited me to their Christmas party and gift exchange where we shared great food, fun conversation and holiday cheer.  CIS has been a trusted and valued partner to PazSalud for many years and they continue to provide us with the indispensable local volunteer networks we rely on to bring medical missions to El Salvador.  In addition to working with us, the CIS is a multi-faceted organization, with many programs supporting education, organizing, and social justice.

Thanks to some of our favorite guys

Darren writes:

On a recent trip to the Pacific Northwest I took the opportunity to pick up a few gifts for some great guys PazSalud works with in El Salvador.  And just in time for the Ducks Alamo Bowl win too!

Marvin Hernandez

Marvin was our coordinator for all three missions in Estanzuelas and Jose Manual helps navigate us through the byzantine process of obtaining government permission to hold a mission in El Salvador.  Two of the many valuable people PazSalud is proud to work with to bring health care to Salvadorans in need.

 José Manuel González

New Year thanks to our favorite Salvadoran volunteers

Darren writes:

On New Year's Eve I wanted to take a moment to recognize a few of the amazing Salvadorans who make PazSalud's work easier and more effective.  Without these great women we would not be able to impact the lives we do in this incredible country.

Carmen Aviles (pictured with some of her children) has enabled us to help Gloribel go to school and continue the process of overcoming her disabilities in order to lead a happy, healthy and productive life.  As Gloribel's neighbor and godmother, she monitors her progress, addresses issues as they arise and serves as a vital conduit between Gloribel and PazSalud.

Rosa Aguiar has volunteered with PazSalud since our medical mission in her hometown, Comasagua, in 2009.  She volunteers on PazSalud's medical missions by working with patients diagnosed with cataracts and pterygiums and explaining how PazSalud can assist them in our eye surgery mission.  She plays a critical role in enrolling people and assisting us on-site with the patients during the eye surgery mission, providing local continuity and helping patients throughout the process.

Rosy Melara, a retired surgery nurse, volunteers on PazSalud's eye surgery missions as a scrub nurse.  She has also helped us build strong connections with our host hospitals.  In addition, Rosy tirelessly works with Sandra Lopez to connect her with the local resources she needs to prevail over her physical limitations.  Rosy was Sandra's first teacher and worked with her over six months to give her the basic skills and education to enter first grade.  

A Chili con Carne Thank You

We've had wonderful community volunteers helping us with our three Estanzuelas missions this year - the general medical mission in February, the eye surgery mission in April, and the Bellingham Lions' Eye Clinic in September - and Darren wanted to say "Thank you!"  So he invited a bunch of them to San Salvador where they enjoyed his homemade chili (something that's not part of the Salvadoran cuisine) and a happy evening, extending the fellowship that we have had with these excellent helpers.  Here, left to right, Eric, Marvin, Darren, Delmy, Lea and Fredy.

Delmy and Lea are Marvin's classmates in his English major at the Occidental University, and volunteered as interpreters for the March and September missions - they helped us a lot, they learned a lot, and we all ended up feeling like good friends.  Fredy teaches English at Occidental University and helped with interpretation during the September Lions' Club mission.  Marvin has been our rock throughout the year, always making things work smoothly for PazSalud.