What you may not be aware of is how it went.
To supplement the video, Let me give you a brief breakdown of the overall trip:
11 Days (9 on the River)14 Villages (1 first visit) (Don't ask how many miles traveled - I have no clue.) [Route on right]
1 Doctor
1 Optometrist
2 Nurses
1 PA
14 College Students (+ 2 Leaders)
3 Missionaries
3 Translators
1194 Patients
2446 Prescriptions Given
393 Pairs of Glasses Given
2 Conversions
3 Sermons
3 Skits
4 Testimonies
Now, if you're satisfied, read no further, but, if you're like me, those numbers don't say a thing. For the sake of the unsatisfied, let me give you a trip highlights reel (Richmond to Richmond):
Day 0 (13 May) - Travel via bus to Centreville, VA (closer to DC than R/mond - and an excuse to visit a friend)
Day 1 (14 May) - Meet at Dulles Int. Airport (IAD) at 6:33am (hence my pitstop previously) Fly to Panama City (Tocumen Int. Airport - PTY). Fly to Manaus (Eduardo Gomes Int. Airp. - MAO). Met some of the missionaries there along with two of our translators. Got on a bus to Itacoatiara.
Day 2 (15 May) - Arrived at the missionaries' house outside of Itacoatiara (aka the Last Homely House, to continue the The Hobbit mimicry) at 1 am. Boarded our boat and turned in for the night. Travel then began at 6am for the rest of the day to reach our first village [Name to be given later, sorry]. We didn't set up as it was ~ 6:30pm. During the trip, we also divided vitamins, tums, & ibuprofen)
Day 3 (16 May) - Went in to the first village in the morning, then worked in the second village, [name], in the afternoon. Worked with kids in both sessions - singing songs, playing sports, flannelgraph stories, & gospel presentations (a la evangicubes)
Day 4 (17 May) - Again, visited two villages: [name} in the morning and [name] in the afternoon. In these villages I worked with the medical team, assisting one of our nurses. We also visited a casa de farinha and watched manioc being processed into farinha.
Day 5 (18 May) - Two more villages: [name] & [name]. This time, working in the pharmacy under our other nurse. We also did a skit & sermon in the morning village.
Day 6 (19 May) - [name] in the morning and [name] in the evening. Worked in the medical clinic again, incidentally under a doctor who's also a paediatrician (awesome!). We had a house call, too, which we had to reach by boat - pretty awesome. We also made a quick splint and sling for one man whose arm had been broken.
Day 7 (20 May) - Last day working in the medical clinics - worked with our PA in São Pedro and Vila Nova. We had a boat call in the first (kinda like a house call, 'cept on a boat) and testimonies, a skit, and a sermon in the second
Day 8 (21 May) - Back with the kids! playing soccer, painting faces, spreading the Gospel, and having fun. [name] in the morning and [name] in the afternoon. We also did a service (testimonies, skit, & sermon) in the evening village.
Day 9 (22 May) - Only one village today. We traveled to Nossa Senhora de Fatima. The Parkers (our missionaries) had never been allowed in that village until now. This was the first trip into this village, so we were opening a door for them. I was working with our optometry clinic. We then traveled to, but did not set up in, Monte Cristo, our last village
Day 10 (23 May) - Monte Cristo was another optometry trip. We then traveled back to Itacoatiara, bought a few souvenirs (or, some did), and stopped back through the Last Homely House for our first hot shower in ages. Bus ride back to Manaus, then taking off from MAO late in the night.
Day 11 (24 May) - 12 Hr layover in PTY before flying on to IAD.
Day 12 (25 May) - Arrive at IAD at midnight (woohoo). Head to the DC bus station to catch my 6:20 bus back to richmond. Then, Laundry Time!
For the whole collection of trip pics, click here: 1, 2, 3, 5, & 6 (I have no clue what happened to 4)
Or find more videos here: 1
Thank you all for your support and prayers! God bless and please keep the Parkers and their ministry in your prayers!
Tchau!
