Dominican Mission Part 3 Day 6 +

They were a muddy success when they came back.

 Day 6 began with a rain during the night that made all the men in our group climb a steep hill outside the mission compound to push the loaded equipment truck until it was clear. They were prepared to do the same to our bus.

Then we ran into roadblock 2.  The workers at the electric plant were getting ready to strike, and one of the ways they announce this is by leaving big rocks and other debris in the middle of the road for the government staff to discover on their way to work.

It must take a lot of anger to make this much work for themselves!!

This day we were allowed to use the operating room of a local hospital.  This was much nicer than any of our other working conditions.

Even though some of the wiring might make you think the electricians were about to go on strike!! 

The head urse was very welcoming and helpful to us....

and we all were grateful to have more space!

Conditions here were more like home....

and the patients were wonderful!! 

This little lady was praying for us.  

This is where babies are born.  Can you imagine being about to give birth and having to climb those metal steps??  Or putting your baby in the metal crib?

The next day we visited another hospital on our way to a hotel/resort for our last day.   Matt looks very happy about that after working so hard!

And his parents (dad was the founder of these trips and one of our optometrists extraordinaire...)  enjoyed  de-stressing too in the fresh air!

But none more than these two buddies who kept us laughing the whole time, and that's the best medicine!

My favorite moment of the trip was when one of our elderly patients was leaving and gave us nurses a hug.  He kept mumbling something.  Dr. Parker said "Do you know what he said?"  I said , "no..." He said  the man repeated to us all "You've changed my life."  I think we all had a teary eye over that.

Chris, my co-worker and roommate for the week...leaving her own footprints in the sand.  I think I speak for the whole group when I say that we all had an extraordinary experience that none of us can quite describe nor will ever forget!!