Home Stretch

(July 19-July 22, 2012)
The last few days in the DR were certainly busy!  On our last night in the campo we had a farewell party, called a despedida planned.  Before we even got to the party, I had a rather eventful night.  As I was getting ready for the party, a few men carried my padre in and set him down on the bed.  Everyone was freaking out and saying that he was very sick.  I was trying to figure out what was wrong, but my Spanish was not near good enough to decipher everything they were saying.  I asked if they wanted a doctor, and they said yes, so I started running through the campo (in a skirt and sandals) to find my coordinator Rachel to translate and a doctor.  Unfortunately, our physician was not at her house at that time, so a man on a motorcycle offered to go get one of our medical students, Sam.  Next thing I know, Sam is flying by us on a motorcycle on the way to my house.  After we all arrived (we collected half of the campo on the way), Sam tried to figure out what the problem was.  He eventually decided that it was dehydration, so we gave my padre some oral re-hydration solution and told him to monitor himself.  I was happy that was I able to help my family out, even if the situation was a little scary (he's 83, so I didn't know at first if it was something more serious).  What a way to send out a medical team!

We cleared that situation up and then headed off to dinner and our goodbye party.  It was a fun night of dancing with the community and celebrating our time there.  It was great to see everyone we had encountered one last time and share this night with them.  They also baked us a couple of delicious cakes!

Friday morning it was time to leave the campo.  It was a very bittersweet moment because although I was looking forward to returning home, it was difficult to leave not knowing if I would be able to return.  My Spanish may not have been very good, but I had made friendships in the campo that I was sad to leave behind.  Some of the people we interacted with on a daily basis were there to see us off, and many of them cried as we were leaving, which was heartbreaking to watch.  I know that during our time in El Rodeo we were able to affect the lives of many people, but they were also able to affect us in ways not as tangible as healthcare.  The people in the DR opened my mind to a different way of life.  They taught me what it means to be hospitable and how to love someone you barely know.  They made me realize what things that are important in life and how to focus on these things.  As I looked out the bus window for one last glimpse of the campo, I felt a sense of loss leaving the place that I called home for a month.

One last picture in the campo

Upon returning to ILAC we organized and packed up supplies.  I went down to the market one last time to pick up a few things for myself and my family.  That night we went to dinner as a group again (I had my first hamburger in 5 weeks, yum!) and then downtown, ending at Ahi dance one more time.

On Saturday we had a farewell mass.  Each campo had six guests come to ILAC that had been vital to the stay in their campo.  We had our 2 cooperadoras and 4 clinic helpers come celebrate the mass with us.  It was strange seeing everyone outside of the campo setting, but nice to have one last chance to say goodbye.  During the mass each group shared something that represented their campo; we presented a mango as a symbol of our stay because of its central role in our meals but also as a symbol of the willingness to give and share that we experienced in the campo.

And then it was Sunday morning and time to leave!  I took a 2 hour bus ride to Santo Domingo and then hopped on a plane for a long day of flying, finally landing in Omaha at almost 11 pm.