Medical Mission to El Salvador- Day one

It has taken over a year to plan and a lot of hard work but we are here! We made it to El Salvador safe and sound with all of our medicine intact and all of our team members :) We are so excited to have a group from Bellaire United Methodist Church and six students from University of North Texas Health Science Center at Forth Worth Texas volunteering with us on this trip.

                                                (Don't we all look pretty at 5:30am?)

After a day of getting adjusted, and the group getting to know each other, we did some sight seeing. First, the team went to see the location for the clinic and also the school so we could plan activities. After we drove around Alta Mira Flores and learned a little bit about the community, we visited the tomb of Oscar Romero. The civil war started after Romero was shot at the alter in 1980. (for more information see https://www.un.org/en/events/righttotruthday/romero.shtml). After visiting the tomb of Romero, the team met with Bishop Gomez, an amazing man who despite all odds survived the civil war. Bishop Gomez received numerous death threats from the government as he opened his church to all citizens that were in danger. His most interesting story is that of his cross. During the war, he asked the community to write the sins of the government on the cross, they wrote things like 'hunger', 'death', 'persecution'. When the government came to arrest Gomez he was in hiding but they found his cross and arrested the cross and 'put it in jail'. It remained 'in jail' until the end of the war when the bishop came out of hiding and asked the government to give it back. It now hangs in his church beside the alter and is a reminder that good always overcomes evil. The Bishop inspired us all, and really showed us why we are here. 

(The team with the x convict- the cross)

The rest of the evening was spent doing some serious team bonding.....by sorting supplies :) After two hours, all the medicines and school supplies were ready to go. The team worked extremely hard and had a well deserved late dinner.  Everyone is pumped for tomorrow and can't wait to see what it brings but for now..buneas noches. 

(Sorting medicine brings such joy)