Day one of clinic

Salama-Tuk!! (Hello) Anaraku Erika (this is Erika). Vita (the end). That's all the Malagasy I got for now. Whoever said there was French influence in Madagascar...well I'm glad I didn't practice French!  Thank you all for the donations and prayers. We all made it here barely... Carrying a carry-on and three 50 lbs bags will do it to ya!  Also waiting in an hour line for customs with bats flying over your head and big identified bugs flying into your hair was quite the welcome treat. 

But Madagascar is beautiful. I'm not the best at setting the scene but I will try my best. It's currently dry season so there is a lot of dust. Dr. Harrison, who both the Malagasy and the Americans agree drives like a mad man, is like pig pen from Charlie Brown with all the dust he kicks up speeding down the roads. The main crop of Madagascar is rice so there are rice fields everywhere. From what we have drove through so far there are mountains all around us with terraces built into them where families split up the land and grow different crops. Then at the bottom is usually a swampy looking irrigation system that has the rice growing in it.  Farmers and little kids are in the rice fields moving water with buckets or rowing and harvesting the rice.  I can't get my pics to post so you'll have to deal with my poor explaining. 

Today was our first day of clinic. We were estimated to see 150 patients and ended up seeing double so I'd say it was quite successful!! Leigh and Ryan were in intake taking vital signs and directing people. I did a class on hand hygiene and dental hygiene with the kids outside. All of us at some point ended up wheeling and dealing in the pharmacy as that was the hot spot. It was the first time a team has done health teaching at a clinic so I was a little bit nervous on how things would flow. Every clinic I've participated in tends to be organized choas with a line of 100 people forming in about 10 minutes. Yet it always seems to work out. Anyway I was very impressed by how well the kids listened. With choas comes many distractions and They were able to answer all of my questions at the end of the class!! Special thanks to dominoa my translator!! Anyway the pastor of the church thanked us for our service at the end and did ask for us to pray for the means to finish their roof before the rainy season comes. To finish the roof it will cost about $250 so we have all put together the money and will be buying the roof for them to finish the construction. So please keep them in your prayers! The rainy season starts in the beginning of October so there is not much time. Tomorrow we are expected to see about 600 people so I'm gonna go get some shut eye!

Valooma (goodbye/wish you well) and God bless!!  Thanks for the prayers!!

Erika