A message from Colette - Jitotol

March 3, 2023

A New Day and a New Adventure!
We are in Jitotol for clinic today. We arrived yesterday and walked around the Town Square and through a few outdoor shops. Carnival rides were up and a large concert stage was being prepared. After a little exercise, we headed to the Franciscan Convent for a delicious supper prepared by them and their staff. They are assisted by girls boarding at the Convent to attend school in Jitotol.
After supper, the nuns gave us a tour of the grounds of the convent. They opened  the standalone, octagonal brick chapel for us to enjoy. It was built 50 years ago and has beautiful Stainglass windows and beautiful  woodwork. It is truly a restful place of quiet in peace.
The next morning the nuns and staff prepared a  wonderful breakfast before we headed to a different building for Clinic.
As usual, there are people waiting, and we feel rushed to get exam rooms, pharmacy, and  Nurses Station, set up. Pharmacy had an actual  Pharmacy they set up in. Two of the exam rooms were perfect – a door to shut for privacy and  a bed for an exam if needed.

The nurses were in a covered courtyard with “pre-checked” patients on one side of the small courtyard and “ready to be seen” on the other side.
We saw all ages of both male and female, young, and old. Some had come from villages an hour away by car and some a three hour walk to get to the clinic. There definitely was a need here for our medical team. We all worked like a well oiled machine, especially with our new lab test that can now be done in clinic. We did seven Hemoglobin A1c’s, seven urine tests, a few glucose tests, hemoglobin checks, pregnancy tests and H pylori tests. We also had an ear wash for good measure.
It was truly a good day. We were blessed to have Vicente, our driver, who suggested we come to this community. He had met the nuns in Tuxla where their man in convent is. He frequently volunteers to help them.
Blessings flowed through the day…
Colette Meidinger