These last few weeks have been one of the most interesting parts of my time here in Paraguay. Shastin and I had the opportunity to help with a mission trip that ADRA is directing twice a year. The trip began with a flight in an old troop plane that took us from the military air base in Asuncion to Fuerte Olimpo, a small provincial capital in the north of Paraguay that is located directly on the “Rio Paraguay.” The Paraguay River transects Paraguay and also forms a part of the border with Brazil. Our mission consisted of going up and down the river carrying out a sort of roving clinic. We had with us five doctors (many of which were still doing their internship or residency), two dentists, and a variety of other people that served as nurses, translators, or assistants (that’s where I fit in). The original plan was to fly farther north to a town called Bahia Negra (Black Bay) but rain made it impossible to land on the airstrip. So, after attending to hundreds of people in Fuerte Olimpo (Fort Olimpo) we headed upstream to Bahia Negra, doing clinics as we went. Bahia Negra is only about 15 miles from the Bolivian border to the North and the other (eastern) side of the river is Brazilian territory. From there we went south again, passing Fuerte Olimpo and heading towards Concepcion, where we took a bus back to Asuncion.

The clinics themselves and the time on the boat just getting to know the 20 or so other volunteers were amazing. It was truly like entering another world. There is a complete lack of hygiene in most of the native population. A good number have lice in their hair and almost all of them suffer from some kind of intestinal parasite. We also saw parasites that enter the skin and lay their eggs, which later hatch and cause all kinds of problems. The dentists were always running full tilt, as it seems that the toothbrush is a little-known novelty in these areas. I don’t think I’ve seen so many rotten teeth in my life! I helped a good friend of mine, Julio Portilla, with his consultations for part of the time and the last few days helped a radiologist who had somehow ended working with a branch of the World Health Organization to do AIDS and Sifilis testing in that region. Fortunately there was only one person that tested positive for AIDS. It depended on the village, but the people were usually really thankful for the care that they received and the free medications that we offered as well. The kids were the ones that really got me. They were all so cheerful and inquisitive. Whenever I would take my camera they would mob me to see what the picture looked like and if they were in it.

I also learned a lot from the doctors that volunteered for the trip: Julio P., Julio Lopez, Eggy (a nickname) and Miguel. They would all take the opportunity to explain different illnesses and there pathologies to us. The two Julio’s in particular were really good at starting to hammer some of the common infections, their symptoms, and medications into our heads. Overall we all had a blast and worked really hard as well. I don’t think I’ve experienced such hot and humid weather in my life! We would be sitting on the boat doing nothing, and I’d be sweating like a pig! One of the biggest things for us was to jump off of the top of the boat into the water when we docked (I guess “beached” would be a better word). You have no idea how good that water felt.

This Saturday we went to a little church about an hour and a half out of Asuncion to play our instruments for church. It was really nice to get out of the city and spend time in the country again. I think that’s one of the big things that I miss; the open air and ability to roam around if I want to. We spent the afternoon there and attended their Pathfinder meeting as well. We’re just about to head out today to the little hill that overlooks Asuncion. We’ve never been there and a friend that is about to leave for Argentina is going to take us. God bless all of you and keep Shastin and I in your prayers!