Thursday July 2, 2009

Final Clinic Day: Today was our final clinic day and Dana asked me (David) to write the day's blog. Iasked my family to join in, but my sister's were exhausted and went to bed. So I sit in the hallway with my mom and dad (the only place we get internet) to write this long after we should be asleep! The day started with torrential downpours, but that didn't stop it from being our busiest day of the week. We served over 1600 patients. From start to finish the clinic was packed. The lightning strikes were dangerously close and threatened to shut down our power, but fortunately we remained dry and all systems go!
It was amazing how smoothly the day went despite the record crowd and the adverse weather. The team really pulled together and the local volunteers were an important part of the day's success. Throughout the week I was able to work every station which was a goal for the team leaders. I know I learned a lot in this process and from what I saw the other team members had the same experience.
Because it was the last day, we were asked to bring gifts to share with the local volunteers. This was very rewarding because we became very close with them throughout the week. The last hour of the clinic was cleaning, packing up equipment and saying goodbye to our new Panama friends. We participated in the traditional final day team building exercise called "cleaning the chord". I hope this tradition will continue in future clinics.
Although it was very sad to finish our mission work, I am looking forward to some much needed rest and spending the next two days touring and experiencing this great country!
Leona has worked diligently behind the scenes making sure that we are well fed and well cared for. Tonight, she arranged a beautiful boat ride down the Canal under the "Bridge of the Americas". With the Panama City skyline as the backdrop, it was a great way to celebrate our successes at Clinic.
We will spend tomorrow with the Lions Club visiting the Canal and participating in the final celebration dinner. Our family really appreciates the warm welcome of the OneSight volunteers and I know that we have grown through this experience while making new friends along the way. I encourage everyone to pursue this opportunity for it is one you will not soon forget! Look for more updates tomorrow!