Farewell Mexico

Firstly, I´d like to share that I´ve thoroughly enjoyed almost everything about this week. It actually started last Saturday evening when I went to a soccer game-- wearing my new Tigres jersey-- with Michael Lee and Mauricio, a friend I´ve made down here. Though I missed the one goal the Tigres scored when I got distracted by a bird, I really enjoyed the game. During halftime, Powerade sponsored what can only be called a Most Extreme Elimination Challenge Obstacle Course (ok, I suppose it could be called something else), in which volunteers would try to run across spinning logs and almost always bust, then proceed to a series of ascending spinning cylinders, bust again, then run to an eight-foot platform-- if they made it that far, which they usually didn´t, grab a gigantic baloon, and jump off of the platform and try to bounce off the balloon onto the ground. Only one contestant managed this part successfully, and many missed their balloon completely and landed on their face, no doubt sustaining minor injuries. If they survived this, they were rewarded with the privilege of kicking a penalty kick. The game was good too.

That night, I moved into the hotel, and proceeded Sunday morning to meet the group of about 25-- 4 doctors, some nurses, a physician assistant, a physical therapist, a medical techologist, and some ¨normal¨ people. Monday, we went to a nice Christian nursing home and cared for the residents there until about 2 o´clock, the usual quittin´time this week. That night, two 18-year old guys who are on the trip and I played a pick-up game of soccer until about 11:30, which we have done every day this week except Thursday (we stayed at a restaurant until 11:30 and it was raining). On Tuesday, some of the group went to a different nursing home, while the rest of us stayed at the hotel to give a clinic to some of the Federales who have been staying there. The rest of the week, we were at Bethel Presbyterian Church (where I´ve been for two other weeks) running a clinic with our doctors, an optometrist, and a dentist from the area. We´ve also traveled to the hill with the gigantic Mexican flag in the middle of the city (Asta Bandera), as well as to Chipinque, where I went with Robert Bristol my first week here.

The doctors on this trip (a Navy flight surgeon, an internist, a pathologist, and a doctor of emergency medicine) were all incredible examples to me of what it looks like to be a Christian man and a Christian doctor. I learned a lot from them, and feel much more prepared and at peace as I enter med school in just over a week from now. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and support! I´ll post here a few more times in the coming week or two, then will probably let it r.i.p. See you all soon!