How in the world do you set up a mobile medical clinic, you might ask. That’s a great question.

We had 8 days of clinics in 6 different villages, there were two villages that we came twice to.

There was one doctor, one nurse acting as a doctor, one pharmacist, three medical students scripting or working in the pharmacy. There was one other American nurse working at triage, one Romanian nurse doing triage and helping translate, 2 translators, one CNA acting as an optometrist, and there were about 8 people that were not medically inclined that were either a) acting as a medical person or b) helping in the logistics and admin of the clinic. There were also other translators that changed each day and people who acted as crowd control, trust me that was an important job!

The Medical Team

It takes a lot of people to help run a successful clinic!

The clinic requires bags and bags and bags of drugs. Lots of drugs, we have a miniature pharmacy station at every clinic. We had lots of supplies that were needed or were there for “just in case” since you just never know what you might see in the villages.

At the start of the clinic, someone goes around the village to announce that the medical team is coming and that they should bring their whole family to such and such place. We pull up in our two vans and a trailer and quickly set up.

A half full trailer

Every location is different, sometimes it was just one giant hall and people rotated around the room to the different stations. Sometimes there were different rooms that they had to float between, it just depends on the place.

They got a pulse!

Checking blood pressure

Waiting to be seen

The different stations start with a waiting area. Every member of a family gets a number. Next is triage. This is where they take blood pressure, pulse, name, age, and write down the major complaints. Then they wait some more for the doctor stations. They take the little slip of paper they got at triage to the doctor, he reads it, asks some more questions, maybe the doctor asks to have an EKG done on their mobile EKG machine. (There’s a separate station for that.) The doctors generally always look into their ears, listen to their hearts and breathing, check throats, maybe freeze a wart and then prescribe some medicine.

The doctor stations

Say “Ahhh”

The major complaints were headaches and back pain. Many of the people we saw were very, very poor. Many of them were gypsies whom are never treated well in the hospitals. There were more than one instance of someone having had a heart attack a week ago and was sent home from the hospital with only a few pills. Nothing else. Most gypsies are afraid of the hospitals because of how they are treated there and therefore have many health problems.

Waiting again

There is also the optometry station. Triage may prescribe them to go and get some glasses. Lots of people needed reading glasses. We had a bunch of glasses donated and so simply needed to find the right fit for each person. I was amazed at how many people desperately needed glasses but did not have them. Quite a few people cried when they could read for the first time.

Reading numbers

Waiting some more

After seeing the doctor, the next station is the pharmacy. Everybody gets vitamins, many people receive Tylenol or something similar, there are many people who received high blood pressure medicine, lots of people had worms and so got medicine for that. We had many instances of scabies and ears that needed to be cleaned out. We actually cleaned out a piece of wood from someones ear and saw a dead fly in someone’s ear. (They didn’t believe us when we said that and didn’t want their ears cleaned.) There were several ulcers that needed to be dressed and other various wounds that needed cleaning. Sometimes we gave out canes to the those that needed it.

All ready to deal drugs!

At the pharmacy

Cleanin those ears out!

The goody bags

We did a few house calls to some that could not come. Once to a man who was dying of cancer and once to a lady with diabetes and was not able to walk very well.

The last official station was a prayer station. There was almost always someone who stopped people on their way out the door to pray for them. There were several people who gave their life to Christ and wanted to know more about God. This is a very important station.

As weird as it may sound, I think I’m picking up an Irish accent in Romania. I really don’t know how that all works out but it’s true. I’m here in Laslea, Romania working with a bunch of Irish (Northern Irish to be exact) and English. Yesterday I caught myself speaking in Ukrainian… with an Irish accent! What is going on?!

Here are a few things that I’ve learned about Northern Irish English:

-“That’s a funny crack” has nothing to do with a crack in the ground or someone’s rear end, a crack=a joke.

-“That’s good crack.” is not talking about the drug or a joke, they’re sayin it’s good fun.

-The hob is the stove.

-“We’re having mince tonight” means we’re having ground beef.

-“Sufferin ducks” is just a funny phrase that makes me laugh every time.

-Power is pronounced ‘paaar’

-Pants are not pants, they’re underwear. I got some weird looks when I was at the table at lunch wearing capris and I said “I think I’ll put my pants on.” It was a little chilly, what should I have said?

-Vests are undershirts.

-“Clean boggin” has nothing to do with something being clean, it is actually the opposite. It means something is really dirty.

-“That’s class” means that’s awesome.

-A brew is not alcohol, it’s coffee or tea.

-“It’s tapping down.” means it’s raining.

-“Dear” means expensive

-Buns are not rolls or bread really, they are cookie like things maybe more like bars or squares of something. So we ate rice krispie buns.

-Fringe = bangs

-“It’s half 5” is 5:30

-“I’m goin to the big smoke” means “I’m going to the city.”

-“She’s in a bit of a warbler” means “She’s having a tantrum or a rant”

-“You’re a minger” is “you’re gross.”

-Bonnet = engine & boot = trunk “I’m just gonna look under the bonnet” or “I’ll just throw this in the boot.”

-Wee really does mean small or little and ‘me’ can be used in place of ‘my’

-Our dear UK friends sang the common Christian kids song “Oh you can’t get to heaven on roller skates” with a new verse, “Oh you can’t get to heaven in a biscuit tin, cause God don’t let those crumbies in” Hahahaha, only in the British Isles…

Yes, the Irish really do talk like they do in the movies, I still can’t over that Hollywood was actually right on that one! I’ve learned it might be useful to have a translator from English to English when working here!

I know I missed other differences, there were just too many to keep track of!

A week before I left Ukraine, my dear friends threw me a bridal shower. I had originally planned to just have a party to spend some time with all the girls before I left, but they insisted I had to have a bridal shower. So a bridal shower I did have.

The girls planned a few games, naturally there was some toilet paper involved. Yes, toilet paper, they tried to recreate my dress using toilet paper. I had to pick the winners, it was tough but one seemed to stand out more than the other.

Tada!

They took advantage of my love for tea and created a game about guessing what ingredients are in the tea just by smelling it. It was kind of fun to see what everyone thought was in the tea, we had a lot of grass guesses.

We played a version of hot potato/musical chairs. Instead of a potato we used a bouquet of fake flowers and passed it around until the music stopped. When it stopped, whoever was holding it was out. It all came down to Marilyn and I. It was an intense game that almost turned into ping pong with flowers. Marilyn won.

No, no, no, I don’t want it!

Gifts were given much to my surprise. I had not expected any gifts but the girls brought gifts. It was fun to get things for our new home… when I get back. One little tradition here is that the bride should receive something for a baby before she gets married. So I already have my first baby bottle!

Look, dish towels!

I’m all ready for… wait a second.

The best part of the night was receiving blessings from everyone. Everyone shared different blessings or memories that involved me. I was surprised at the different things that people mentioned. Little things that I didn’t think mattered or was a big deal but to someone else it made an impression.

Blessings

Since part of my job here in Ukraine is to manage staff vacations I can see when people have not taken enough vacation. When our English school ended I caught myself up with some personnel duties and made the realization that Joanne and I had not had a vacation in over a year! Yikes!

We promptly remedied that.

Staff member Marichka and my former roommate, has been on sabbatical since April and we have missed her terribly.

So we also remedied that.

This involved a train trip to Lviv, her hometown. I won’t tell the whole story of how we actually got there. Let’s just say that we thought Marichka said to stay on the bus for 14 min and that she will be at the bus station. In reality, she said 40 min at when she said bus station she meant bus stop. It was truly a miracle that we found each other!

Driving a flying car!

View of the city, can you spot the flying car?

Enjoying some dessert together

What do a couple of girls do when they get together? Well, we went into the center for dinner and tea. Walked about in the beautiful city and enjoyed the great weather. We stayed up late and watched a girly movie. Next day we slept in, ate a late breakfast and then went for a walk before we had to head back to the train station. It was just a quick getaway but so worth it.

In front of the theatre

July means retreat. Retreat means staying in the village and stayin in the village means relaxation.

Group shot

Every July we have our annual staff retreat. It’s a time to get away, to hide from the busyness of ministry and rest together.

Everyone comes prepared to camp out in tents for two nights/three days. The дача (country cottage) is reserved for fixing food and for a few people to sleep in. We take time to just chat, eat, pray, eat, play games, eat, worship, eat, take walks, and eat some more. There is always good food, always.

Setting up home

Like flies to meat…

Roasting bread on a stick

Sometimes we have some kind of agenda or program. This year, our only agenda was to pray for each other and have some time of devotions. It was simple but refilling.

Worshiping together

Playing Dutch Blitz

Every retreat needs a hammock

Every time I come out to the дача I feel like I’m back at home in the country. You never know what you miss until it’s gone.

Highlights from this year are having four new staff with us at staff retreat, having a hammock, playing with a slack line, having a few bikes, making bread over the fire, and having Lance there was a huge personal highlight!

Resting together

Watching the sunset