Training Promotores de Buena Salud

Muchos saludos de Puno! The sunny skies are returning marking the end of our rainy season. Nights are chilly, but the days are getting up to 65-70 degrees.....in the sun.









We had a lively household this week during the first training of "Promotores de Buena Salud" from both Peru and Bolivia. We were fortunate to have Moises with us, a young bilingual teacher from the Methodist Church's Instituto Americano in La Paz. He was a tremendous help with translation, education, and music.







Ta-dah! A little hike around Sillustani, an old pre-Inca and Inca site known for its funeraries. The huge rock in front of Moises has knobs they would wedge into another huge rock with matching indentations to construct the walls of the burial funeraries.

Part of our training facilities at the Juliaca Methodist Church. Yesirree....behind the white curtain is a toilet which we tried not to use....pretty scarey!

The promotores in training were excited to discover where their lungs and hearts were, and even more excited to listen to them work. We were all alive and well! The initial shyness and modesty did not last long.

They acted out scenarios of different illnesses demonstrating basic questions and exams to decide what to do. Send them to the local Puesto de Salud? Poor Felipe in the chair has a case of the flu....in Spanish, gripe. No.....that is "greeeepay", although he did complain a little about it as well.

They also are learning how to take pulses and temperatures. It is all new! We are preparing them to volunteer with mission teams and their local Puestos de Salud.

The focus of the course is on education and prevention, allowing them to take more responsibility for the health of themselves and others in their communities.

Isidro and Victor planning their presentation! It was fun to see how creative they were. Most of our instruction is based on the basic healthcare presented in the "Healthwise Handbook."

We also learned how many of us we could cram into the restaurant down the street!

Our promotores in training from both Bolivia and Peru. What a crew! The fellowship shared during the exchange and training was heartwarming.

What a month!

We have had a very busy February, traveling to meetings with church leadership of both Peru and Bolivia in Copacabana and Lima; the general assembly in Lima; and two 1/2 weeks traveling and working with the first team from Boise FUMC, Cathedral of the Rockies. It was wonderful to reconnect with old friends, as well as make new ones.


















A lot of our work is about relationships and experiences shared. This last team, including Karen Hintz from Boise, got into the spirit of things very easily!


One of our projects in Cusco was in response to the horrible flooding they have had, contaminating their water sources. This is Wilbur, who works for our friends Eliana and Willy in Cusco at their hostal, Kay Pacha Lodge. His community is a 5-6 hour walk high into the hills and their water source which was totally destroyed will not be repaired until June or July. Many are ill, yet only have the contaminated water to drink; so we trained him as a trainer to share a basic chlorine water purification system, as well as the proper administration of worming meds. The team prepared the purification containers and all necessary supplies seen here with a very appreciative young man. He has promised Scott and me a hike to his village before we leave.





This Quechua woman outside of Cusco (and her assistant!) is showing us her cuy (guinea pig) production project started by our Oregon/Idaho conference to generate sustainable funds for community members and the local churches. It has been a very successful model here. Yes, we have eaten cuy quite a few times here.....I try not to remember pets, and think of it as a special meal generously given!













Working with Victoria, a local nurse from La Paz, during one of our health education sessions. We often have translations needed from Spanish to Aymara, so working with locals is a must. We also involve local medical professionals as much as possible. Our focus is on education and prevention; and the areas we have focused on are dental care, eyecare, disease prevention, and nutrition. Many people have never brushed their teeth, so they need a little hands on assistance!





Cammeo and Charlie help a woman who is learning to brush her teeth. We tinted teeth with blue mouthwash to helped them see the areas they needed to brush. Cammeo did a wonderful job presenting, as did Charlie who earned quite a reputation as a great spitter in his demos.














At this altitude certain eye problems (like pterygiums, dry eyes) are frequently seen due to the intensity of sun, the wind, and dust. Prevention is key...hats, sunglasses, learning to keep their eyes lubricated through blinking and closing their eyes.

In Copacabana, Bolivia we are able to refer to a Cuban eye mission for free treatment. We have enoyed getting to know their doctors, one of whom is a Methodist!



We explored the Sacred Valley, including a little hike in the Incan site of Ollantaytambo. All teams start with a few days in Cusco to acclimate to the altitude and to learn more about the Incan culture and rich history of the people they will meet and work with.










Our first team from Boise First United Methodist Church, Cathedral of the Rockies. (minus Steve and Vicki who were in Lima) What an amazing job they did at adjusting to a number of unforeseen events: flooding which closed Machu Picchu, flights that were cancelled, schedules and activities that had to change. We all decided we had grown and learned a lot together.

Our thanks to each and every one of you!