Mission memories

In April a group of volunteers from the area made its fifth medical mission trip to Jamaica. The team is made up of doctors, dentists, an eye specialist, nurses and volunteers from Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Sikeston, Oak Ridge, one from Tennessee and a few from Southern Illinois.

The team goes to the same location each trip and sets up a clinic at the church. They stay with people of the congregation and at a children's home run by the church. The cooks at the local school prepare meals for them.

The group began making these trips in 1999, and have gone every other year since, according to volunteer Rhonda Sievers. What follows is an edited account from Sievers about the trip.

Members of the Jamaican medical mission trip posed for a photo. They were Melissa Leimer, Kathy Leimer, Brittany Spencer, the Rev. Grant Gillard, Mary Koeberl, Debbie Bottoms, Emily Collins, Jennifer Brave, Christian Johnson, the Rev. Loren Boettcher, Darlene Petzoldt, Rhonda Sievers, Debbie Fox, Christine Fadler, Shelby Fadler, Carol Bland, LaRue McAllister, Patti McCallister, Jane Hull, Angela Price, Duane Foster, Pat Abernathy, Hope Botwinski, Becky Price, Cindy Morrison, Lisa Elfrink, Larry Vandergrif, Dr. Dale Foster, Ann Albrecht, Jean Radliff, Cathy Hemmann, Melissa Massey, Jennifer Tindall, Dr. T. Wayne Lewis, Jerry Collins, Dr. Scott Gibbs, Gwen Maloney, Todd Williams, David "Mac" McAllister and Dr. Pat Ruopp. Not pictured was Jonathan Fritzler. (Submitted photo)

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We left St. Louis at 8 a.m. Monday, April 9, and arrived at Montego Bay at 3:20 that afternoon. It took until after 5:30 to get all 41 people and our 90-plus pieces of luggage through customs and immigration.

We were met at the airport by the Rev. Davis, the minister of the church at Carron Hall, Herman Grant, an elder of the church and our right-hand man in Jamaica, and several other men from the church. They had a box truck for our luggage and supplies and two buses for us to make the trip up the mountain.

About an hour into our trip the truck had a flat tire, so we had to wait until the tire was changed. About halfway up the mountain, we stopped at a "jerk chicken shack" for a bite to eat and something to drink. We tried a lot of the local food, such as jerk chicken, jerk pork, fried codfish, bammy bread and some other items.

We finally reached Carron Hall about 12:30 Tuesday morning. After unpacking the truck and greeting all of our old friends who came to welcome us, we all made it to where we would stay for the next week. It was a pretty short night for everyone.

Tuesday morning after breakfast we walked to the church to set up the clinic and get all of our supplies and medicines unpacked. The courtyard of the church was packed with people who had been waiting since early morning to be seen by the doctor. Some of the people were lucky enough to know someone who could drive them, some took cabs, but a lot of the people walked -- some up to eight or nine miles. Some of the people who were there could not be seen that day, so they would have to return the next day. That was heartbreaking having to tell them. The physicians and the specialist saw patients at the church in exam rooms constructed by the locals. We just came in and did our work. The dentist worked out of a new health clinic that was recently finished.

We saw patients Tuesday through Saturday. Dr. Scott Gibbs saw former patients we had operated on years before. They were so proud to show him how well they were doing and how much they appreciated what he did for them.

Each time we make the trip, certain patients seem to stand out. Dr. Gibbs saw a hard-working farmer this trip. The farmer's hands indicated years and years of hard work. It was difficult for him to use his right hand because of the condition of his thumb. His feet were also bothering him. They had him remove his shoes. When they tried to get them back on, they realized his shoes were too small. Dr. Gibbs had a pair of slip-on Crocs that fit the man, so he gave the patient his shoes. Another volunteer gave Dr. Gibbs a pair of slides to wear home.

We had a little girl of about 6 who was having seizures. She would have many seizures each day, resulting in lacerations on her forehead when she would fall. Dr. Gibbs made her a helmet out of a foam boot. We will get a helmet made and send it to her. She came back a day after we started her on medication and has not had a seizure since starting the medication.

Another person we are trying to find help for is Martino, a 16-year-old boy who weighs 50 pounds. He has severe scoliosis, and it is difficult for him to walk. It is also difficult for him to eat. Our hope is to bring Martino to the United States for surgery and make a difference in his life.

For some in our group this was the first trip; others have gone two, three or four times. Each trip is different, but it is also so neat to see old friends year after year. We receive much more than we give during our time there. The people are so appreciative of our being there, and they are so patient as they wait to be seen. Nothing could be accomplished without everyone working together for the same goal.

Our next trip will be in 2009. Please pray that we will again be able to raise the money to make the trip.

Anyone who would like more information about the group or would like to take part in the next trip, contact Rhonda Sievers at 335-8613 or Gwen Maloney at 243-4307.