Day 2 - Full day in Kien Giang

If any of you saw our schedule the first thought has always been, "Are you crazy?!" For us that are here and "living" the schedule, I can guarantee you that we're still thinking that! The team has to be up by 5 a.m., on the bus to go to breakfast by 6:15 a.m. and at the work site by 7:30 a.m. But motivation is high (as long as we provide the proper amount of cafe sua den (black coffee with sweetened condensed milk!). So here's another recap of our very long hard working day - and it was 38'C today - that's about 100'F....no rain relief, 200% humidity!

1. Medical team saw about 275 people today - all living at the garbage dump in Rach Gia. As you can imagine they have many health problems that include parasites, skin infections, and we've found a lot of cases of "female" problems. Each patient checks in at registration - our Catalyst staff has already informed these people to come so they were on our list. After check in they go to stations - height, weight, eyes, dental. Our dentist has been very surprised to see that the adults have had a lot of dental work already - crowns & fillings. The children need a lot but mostly extractions - which we are not allowed to do in Kien Giang because they are afraid of infection and pain for the children after we leave. After their stations they then go on to the next room filled with nurses and doctors. We have a questionaire that not only gives us some basic health information but we are also trying to collect data to write (and win) some grants for safe water - obviously not possible if you live in a garbage dump. Our patients have walked up to 2 hours today today in the hot sun to come see our medical team so we are tyring to give them all the attention that they deserve.

2. Distribution Team - The 24 "Catalyst Kids" are on this great team along with 8 adults and 2 amazing teens. The morning was spent with about 100 kids from the garbage dump that came to the school/library to play. We had group activities organized so that all of the kids could play together. There was a big twister game, an even larger soccer game and a big drawing/art area. Our goal was to just have fun. We tried to get all the kids to wash their hands (with soap which they had probably never used before!) and then each child got a Polaroid picture! We shared some watermelon and grapefruit then the Catalyst Kids gave each child some beanie babies....the kids couldn't get enough and were trying to stuff them down their pants and shirt so that they could get another one! This would be cute for a kid but their parents were trying to get in on it too.

After a 2 hour break and some down time the Distribution team came back to distribute 5 kg of beans (much needed protein), sugar, 10 kg of rice....and a BIKE! The children came in dressed in their best clothes, hair combed neatly back and standing tall as if they knew that these gifts would be the gift of a lifetime. Our Catalyst Kids had the honor of giving each of the 75 children what they needed and tehn the bigger "kids" on the team had to help them move it. It's quite heavy when you're so little. Of course we got some great pictures and we were all so happy that even if the bike was too big the kids really appreciated it. Every child in our scholarship program and going to our school got a bike!


3. Home Constrcution team has renamed themselves the "weight reduction team"...their jobs are the most labor intensive in the worst conditions. Our initial goal was to FINISH the construction of two new houses. The revised goal was that we would give it a really great start. The first house is about 6 feet wide by 11 feet long with the back 3 feet over the river. They have prepared the ground to lay a cement foundation, prepared the columns and started the brick walls. They are working side by side with the local contractors as well as the new homeowners including the 8 year old girl who was raped a couple of years ago by a neighbor boy. Getting there is 1/2 the battle for our volunteers as well as our supplies! The "alleys" are no wider than shoulder width and the bridges are tiny.

At our second home it's about twice the size and it will be for a single mom with five kids - one who was raped when she was 9 years old. This cheerful mom has been working alongside our volunteers carrying bricks, sand and whatever else it takes to be a part of the team. Here also the team has prepared the ground for the foundation, and will be working on the brick walls. They have a very busy day tomorrow to see how much they can all get done by 2:00.

Our team is really great - but what's even greater is the disposition of the people we are here to serve, they always have a smile and are so grateful. Poverty and this extreme is heartbreaking and sometimes infuriating - but the little steps we are doing - sending the child to a real school, providing rice for a couple of months, giving them shelter from all the elements - is life changing. The Aid Expedition is an extension of our work - things we could never afford to do otherwise.

Remember to check out the pictures we're posting hundreds of them today....