MISSION COMPLETED

By now everyone is back home from our incredible adventure in Peru. The only team member I have not verified is Nicole, and she was scheduled to do a lot of travelling after the mission.
There is a link to my photos, which I have combined with some from the January Scout Mission. The first 70 or so photos are from January, the rest of the 210 are from October. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed being there to take them.

http://picasaweb.google.com/Pooka711/20101110?authkey=Gv1sRgCIP2--23yNrZCA#

The mission was a great success, in spite of the changes of schedule for the two weeks we were there. The workload increased dramatically over what we expected. The members of the team took the extra load in stride and performed extraordinarily well. Instead of the three villages originally planned, we visited eight rural river villages and also worked two full days at Juanjui Institute where we saw 350 patients in two days. We saw a total of over 850 patients during the two weeks. Many just wanted to talk about their daily back and leg pains and other minor ailments.

Many others had significant health problems and were referred to specialists or hospitals or treated on the spot. Many will never followup because of the difficulty of transportation and the expense. However, a few could possibly be seen by surgeons travelling to Peru in January or with our medical team next Spring.

We found many problems that The Luz Fund will seek to address in future visits. One is water quality and the presence of parasites in the population. First Aid, CPR, and other education forums were held in each village we visited. Participation of the villagers gave us hope that the information will be retained.

There are many people and organizations to thank for our success. Of particular note is the Catholic Medical Mission Board in New York City, and Brother's Brother Foundation in Pittsburg, PA. Although hard pressed because of so many crises around the world this year, both combined with enough meds and supplies, carried in by our team members, to restock many shelves in the clinics with anti-biotics and other needed meds. For this we are truly thankful to both organizations.

Enjoy the photos. Signup for the next mission, hopefully in Spring, is already underway.

Update - Vitamins for Kids in Peru

Many thanks for the great response to our request for childrens vitamins. As you can see from the article at the right, we have received 41 bottles thus far. Please continue to send, if you can. We can always use them and will take them again in April when we return.
The Luz Fund
512 White Oak Ave
Brandon, FL 33510
We will list them on the right as they are received.
We'll post photos when we return in November.

Meds & Supplies

Good News from CMMB. They have found some Vitamins and other supplies and will ship several cartons to The Luz Fund. Also, an excellent contact has been made with Karen Dempsey and Chris Cramer of Brother's Brother Foundation in Pittsburg, PA. They were able, on short notice, to put together a fast shipment of antibiotics and other needs for the mission. Many thanks to both organizations for their compassionate work at a time when so many different locations throughout the world are in need of assistance. We can still use more Vitamins and Analgesics. If you have a connection let us know.

Update - Air Travel

All flight arrangements have been made. One week from today most of us will be in Lima or on our way. Thanks to all who are travelling with us for comitting their time and talents to help people in need.
If you wanted to join us, but missed out this time, remember we will return to Juanjui in April, 2011. Contact us now and let us know of your interest. It takes six months to properly organize a trip. Get your name in now, to: TheLuzFund@verizon.net

Sept 4, 2010 - Update

Thanks to all for your continued interest in our Medical Mission to Peru.
On Wednesday, Nancy and I loaded up all the items we have been collecting, sorting and packing, into a large rental truck and drove to Miami. We met Scott Winokur, our BMET for the mission, and his wife Adriana on Wednesday evening. Thursday we drove to E-Cargo to unload, palletize, and wrap everything with shrink wrap. Enrique Chauca had his four strongest guys help us and between all of us we had the truck empty, palletized and stored in three hours ready for the container, a big accomplishment in the heat and humidity of Miami.

The best part of the day was meeting with Noemi Datorre, a Peruvian resident of South Beach and her husband Tomasito. Then lunch at a local Peruvian restaurant. Although it was South Beach, we did not get chance to put our feet in the sand or water. Adriana put a leash on Scott and Nancy made me wear my darkest sunglasses, so bikini watching was not part of the day.

Everything considered, the three day trip to Miami made big strides for The Luz Fund. Some great contacts were made. Scott’s work has resulted in some very good friends, including Chaplain Ty Reyes, Harry Montalvo, The Knights of Columbus Council #14415, and many others too numerous to mention here. We have much for which to be thankful. I am quite confident we are headed to a very successful mission in October.

One big item remains to be found. CMMB, New York, which has formerly provided many cases of medicines, drugs, and other supplies, has been hit very hard by the needs in Haiti and other places in the world, and their supplies are drained. So we can not expect the normal donations. If anyone has contacts which would help with antibiotics, anti parasiticals, immunizations, such as MMR or DTAP, we would certainly appreciate the help. Letters of donation for tax records are available. Keep us in mind.

MISSION TO PERU - UPDATE 8/13

PLAN OF ACTION FOR JUANJUI, PERU
Although we are still accepting applications for our Mission to Peru, our positions available for the October mission, with few exceptions, have been filled. I encourage you to contact us if you wish your name to go on a list for the April 2011 mission. Dates for April are tentative at April 2 thru April 16, though still not set and likely will not be until after completion of our October mission. The April mission will require a few different type specialties. It is highly likely we will be working at the two hospitals in Juanjui, the social security El Salud Hospital and the Juanjui Hospital for the Poor. With few exceptions we will choose the first qualified candidates whose applications we receive. We will be looking for a Pediatric Surgeon and a General Surgeon. We will need OR Nurses for each as well as recovery and stepdown. Each of these will likely be shadowed by local nurses so we will be looking for nurses with the ability to educate and pass on their skills to local staff. For this reason, if you are bi-lingual you would be a valuable part of the team, providing you qualify in other areas.
STILL NEEDED
We are still looking for a Dentist who would be interested in working in a fully furnished dental office at the Technical Institute in Juanjui. We prefer a commitment of two weeks, but one week could be accepted, especially if he brings his/her assistant or tech. The Technical Institute is within easy distance of the motel in Juanjui and some of Juanjui’s best restaurants are located nearby as well as the club district.
CONTAINER SHIPMENT
The shipping container for the October mission is at about ½ capacity at present. There is still a lot of sorting, inventory, and packing to do. Our BMET has been busy checking equipment and those in the Tampa area have been busy sorting through the many donations from area hospitals. If you are near Tampa and have some time, stop by, or give a call to 813-215-0071. Let us know in advance so we don’t get too crowded and have enough cold drinks on hand for all.
RAFFLE
To raise funds for shipping the container in August, we are holding a raffle. There are only 500 tickets printed, so be sure to get yours. Donation asked is $20.00. A book of six(6) is $100.00. Thanks to all who have donated thus far.
FIRST PRIZE: One week vacation, including RT air, at The Almond Tree Villa. Donated by Joe & Sue Polak. Look online for villa information at: http://www.axabwi.com/
SECOND PRIZE: $250.00 Cash Prize
THIRD PRIZE: $100.00 Cash Prize.
Drawing for the winning donor will be held at a special Spaghetti Night Dinner, November 12. A special slide show and video of the work accomplished in Juanjui, Peru, during the October mission will be presented. You will have the opportunity to see how your donations were used and the people who were helped, as a result of your thoughtfulness and compassion.
Contact us for ticket and donor information at 813-215-0071. Also make reservations for the special Spaghetti Night Dinner.
COMMUNICATION NEEDS IN PERU
How to solve the communications problems for the upriver clinics of Dos de Mayo, Santa Ines, and Pizarro, is of prime importance in October. If you have a contact in the communications industry, let them know we can use their services.
OTHER THINGS
Remember you can send comments or suggestions regarding the missions or any other information on this site, ask questions and receive answers, by going to COMMENTS at the end of each post. Allow 24 hours for an answer. Team members are also free to post comments and even contact each other this way.
Remember also, the link on the right, “WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE” For a more comprehensive look at the issues in Juanjui and how we hope to help.

MEDICAL MISSION TO PERU

PROJECT JUANJUI,
A two week medical mission

All volunteers will be responsible for their round trip flight cost from departure port in the US to Tarapoto in Peru. Depending on your departure port, RT fare should be around $1000.00.(70,000 frequent flier miles American Airlines)
Acopagro, Inc., and the city of Juanjui will pay the cost of ground transportation from Tarapoto to Juanjui(2 ½ hours) and return and hotel expense. The hotel includes one meal per day, breakfast.

Seasons in Peru are opposite of the US. Our Winter is their Summer. When our team visited in January, temperatures were in the 90’s with similar humidity. Rainy season usually starts in January and lasts around 4 to 6 months. Suggestion is to read CDC reports on immunizations needed for travel in Peru including Dengue Fever, Malaria, and typical Hepatitis vaccines. Rabies is always a possibility in the village areas.

Help Wanted

Not too often do you see that sign today. However, The Luz Fund is looking for help. Please refer to the positions listed at the right of this post. If you are a professional who can fill one of those positions and are interested in travelling to Peru on this mission of mercy, drop us a line. As of this writing, all positions are available. If you have not travelled with a medical mission previously, I can promise you memories that will last a lifetime, as well as that warm feeling you get when you realize what you have accomplished. You will meet like-minded professionals as well as make many new friends, some who do not speak your language, but will be forever grateful for your help.
If you can not travel, but live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, you can help us locally prepare for this important venture. No offer of help is ever refused.

Q & A

For answers to any questions, or comments, please use the Comment link at the end of this post.