Latest Entry
Sep 14, 2011 Faith
As I sit here at 8:00 PM Tuesday night, I have had a lot of time to reflect on the past ten days. You see, when you are on these trips, you go because you have a purpose that needs to be done. Which is why I go, because I have a job, and I try to do that as efficiently as possible. But when you are so focused on working, vision can become narrowed. To really be able to feel the impact that you made by going on these missions, and the impact that going has made on you, often times it take you coming home. This time is no different. When I came back Saturday morning, I was still almost in that Dominican work mode, where everything was go-go-go, and to come to a halt and realize that I had nowhere to be, and could rest was almost like hitting the breaks at 100 mph. It took me a few days to get back on track. And now that I’m back to my norm, it has hit me just how big of a blessing this trip truly was.
Whether it’s the community development in Las Pajas, or the NEST project in Batey Aleman, every time we go I see such impressive growth in the communities we go to. In Las Pajas, the once absolute desolate nature of this village was insurmountable. The first time I went there, you could feel the depression, and read the hopelessness on those people’s faces. I guarantee we are the first people to tell them that there is a way out, and that there is hope for them. They are not forgotten. And this time, I can firmly say I think they are getting it. Families have left Las Pajas for the city, as a last-ditch effort to escape the confines of poverty by getting out and staying out. The ones who stayed in the batey have been getting out and trying to find jobs. A once predominately voodoo community is now attending the Christian church and enrolling their children in the Compassion program. The community of Las Pajas is everyday growing more stronger as a whole, working together, and growing in the strength of the Lord. Everyday they come together to break the handcuffs of poverty, and are slowly on the verge of developing into a community that will be open for opportunities. I may be speaking too soon, but I can honestly see Las Pajas being a wonderful satellite site for our next NEST project or possibly even Batey Baseball due to the progress and the need of the village.
As always, Batey Aleman continues to surprise me. I can’t tell you how many people on the medical team that have been with us in the Dominican before, told me how impressed they were with this community. Looking at the before and after picture of Batey Aleman is like looking at night and day. Aleman is thriving with the NEST project, and instead of just bags, the women are now starting to make jewelry that will soon be available through the Pujols Family Foundation website. As they expand their business through NEST, they continue to expand their sewing skills, which will open up job opportunities in the future, even after NEST. Because of this skill set, these women will have a much better chance of finding work, and will now have a marketable trade that they will possess for a lifetime. Batey Baseball continues to be in full swing [literally and figuratively ha-ha] as these boys continue to learn new baseball skills, and continue to thrive in the word of God. Even talking to the boys, their respect level is unbelievable. They have such poise and honor about them, and I have no doubt that this is what I could’ve only dreamt for these boys–that is the realization that they are worth more than to go around trashing their reputations. They are worth more than a few drinks at the bar or a few women. They are worth enough to succeed, and to have a real family, and to live life knowing that they are meant for something other than going through the motions. The entire community of Aleman is strong, and has pulled together to give their next generation the best education possible, the best spirituality possible that they can instill in them, and the best chance to succeed that they can give. I am SO immensely proud of this village and the work they continue to do to create stability, promise, success, and futures for themselves.
The last of the three batey’s that we visited was Bienvendio. This more urbanized batey has been almost forgotten by its own city of Santo Domingo. No medical care has gone through Bienvendio for over 7 years. While working with them, this was obvious by their desperation for medical care and wanting any service by Doctors possible. While working with these people however, another thing become clear…these folks were some of the most genuine and nice that I’ve ever met. Everyone was intensely grateful for what we gave them, and everyone was all smiles all day. It was so refreshing to see such joy when looking at the conditions of how they were living. To have so much joy, and to have so little, it’s unreal for me to imagine. It goes to show that happiness isn’t having the best of everything, but making the best out of everything you have. That’s exactly what these people have done. The beauty of this community was refreshing as well. The way they came together and cared for one another was amazing to witness. Although this was only the team’s first time visiting Batey Bienvendio, I can definitely foresee us returning. There is so much that needs to be done, but so much promise for them to succeed.
Our overall work this past week was so blessed. I can’t tell you how many moments touched my heart, or begin to tell you how many times I laughed until I cried, and smiled so much that it hurt to smile anymore. But I also can’t tell you how many moments broke my heart. In Las Pajas, they have a water treatment center for purified water to prevent the hundreds of water related illnesses the village faces every year, but the villagers don’t like the taste of the water after it runs through the purification system. They choose not to drink it and continue drinking their contaminated water, and continue to let the illness occur. In Aleman the health of the children and adults is an underlying concern, due to the lack of medical care. In Aleman, Dr Brian Bennett treated a man with leprosy, (which he had no problem expressing that he had never seen anything like it in his practice before). We also fitted a woman for a prosthetic leg, after years of being confined to her house due to her inefficiency to walk. In Bienvendios, because of again another lack of medical access and care, there is an extreme number of people that we couldn’t reach while we were there due to the demand.
Although we do so much while we are there, there is still always so much that needs to be done. Please keep these people in your prayers. I always say this to people, but I will say it again. You don’t know just how blessed we are here in the States to have the medical access and the opportunities that we do. The crazy thing is how much we take for granted everyday, when there are people who do without. I am so blessed, and sometimes it takes me a few days in the bateys to realize that. I hope in everyway possible I can turn around and bless them. There truly is something special about falling in love with a complete stranger. There’s something special about looking into someone’s eyes and feeling the pain they are going through, yet realizing how you’ve been there too. There’s something special about giving a child a chance to see, or giving someone the medicine they need but can’t afford. There’s something special about helping and giving to someone that you know can never pay you back.
I can’t thank the medical team enough for taking their time and coming to serve these people alongside us. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for the amazing work you have done this week. I could not have imagined working with a more professional, kind, and compassionate team. You all were so incredible, and the chemistry between everyone was so strong. The joy I had watching you all do what you do and the power of selflessly giving of your skills, money, time, and equipment was incredibly humbling. I can’t possibly put into words how honored I was to be a part of your team, and how incredibly excited I am at the thought of going on another medical trip with each and every one of you next year.
Special Thank you to the following for being a part of our medical trip:
Dental Team: Dr Mark Fernandez, Dr Homer Sedeghi, Dr Mike Nobel, Asst. Ibana Hasenfratz.
Eye Team: Dr Kathy Doan, Dr Mike Rohde.
General Medical Team: Dr Rob Hanson, Dr Jan Mueller, and Dr Brian Bennett.
Dominican Dental Team: muchas gracias a Dra Niove Franciso and her entire staff and time that accompanied us. Les appreceo mucho.
Pharmacist: Milly Gomez.
Director: Todd Perry.
Translators: Carlos Zorrilla, Kristen Perry, Edd Anderson, Milka Ruiz.
Thank you again to EVERYONE involved with this trip. And to all of our supporters in St. Louis. I thank you for all of your support, because without you all none of what we do would be possible. Thank you for everything you do for this organization and in turn for these people. From donations, to support, to prayers, everything you do for us is what drives the heart of this organization, and I cannot show my appreciation enough.
While there is so much that we have accomplished, there is still so much to do. Each time when I look back I realize just how much we leave untouched every time. There is so much to do all at once, that we often times have to choose what we feel is most important. But there is still so much that has potential to grow. Some moments down there still get to me. Some moment have me on my knees in front of God, asking “Why? How can you let your people live like this?” And it is at my weakest moments, broken in front of Him, that I realize just how strong I am. These people aren’t trapped by this. They have hope to get out. And I believe God has planted, in me, a desire for me to do something about it. He challenges me everyday to pay my blessing forward, and everyday I am challenged to do so. I can’t wait to see what the next step for these villages will be, and how the Foundation can be a part of their journey.
Thanks again for all of your support, and continue to keep these communities and their needs in your prayers. Thank you so much. As I’ve said, without your support, we couldn’t do what we are doing.
Benediciones,
Kristen Perry
Recent Entries
Sep 9, 2011 Faith
Day four of work, we gear up for the hotel with our two bus entourage of native translators to be paired with the doctors, our team of Dominican dentists and dental assistants, our pharmacist, and of course our American team. For the first time ever, I can say that I think we had a hard struggle to fight through the day…
A short 45 minute drive from the hotel is Batey Bienvendio. Bienvendio is in the far west corner of Santo Domingo. This site which I scouted last time I was here, is a way overly populated batey which mirrors an urban area very closely from first look. The very street front of the village looks urban-esque, with small street stands, motor repair, and cambios all up and open for business. However once you walk past the store front and the Compassion facility, the terrain drops,then dumps you literally into a dried river-bottom where people now have built their homes. The river still exists, however areas have dried up, and now the river only runs through a small section of the village. But when the river floods, it washes trash and sewage into the village that literally litters the area in such a way that sometimes it appears that there are literal trails made of garbage. Needless to say, in such an overly crowded and littered area, infection is high, and so is medical need. I think I can speak for every doctor and every assistant they had that there were more infections in one day in that village than some have seen in an entire year. The last time ANY medical service was brought to Bienvenido was over seven years ago. As you can imagine, these people were desperate for any type of medical attention, especially highly professional attention. Needless to say, we were a pretty hot commodity.
Going from 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM for the last three days had everyone a little on edge. Most of our team works through lunch, so the team hasn’t eaten, we have barely slept, and I’m not sure about the dental team, but I know that my eye care crew and the team of doctors and pharmacists were in rooms with no A/C. The electricity conveniently was also out in my eye care circuit, leaving us with no fan and no circulation either. Little by little, the team all had some health issues. I know all of us at some point were not only thankful for a breeze but a break. With all given factors in place, health is a big concern for the doctors at the moment, and I am so proud of everyone for staying strong and continuing to hit our regular work schedule, and with laughter, smile and God’s presence radiating from everyone.
While I am continuously blown away by the work and intensity of these medical professionals, I am just as blown away with our behind the scenes crew. Jen Halski and Joe Mazzola are accompanying the Foundation as our media reps. Joe is a constant staple of our humanity and medical trips, and I can’t imagine working with anyone better. Joe (in his later fifties) has more energy than I do as a college student, which to me is unfathomable. Joe is an ESPN and Fox Sports producer and videographer, and goes to document all video footage of our trip. Joe is a constant joy to work with, and will do anything for a good shot, and I mean anything. This trip, I’ve seen Joe in more life threatening situations than I can count on two hands. Whether it’s Joe hanging out the window of our bus during the middle of Dominican rush hour traffic, walking down into the sugar cane fields and getting within inches of men’s faces as they hold guns and machetes, or standing on the very very veryyy ledge of a 30 foot drop into a bright green river, Joe is right there for the shot. Whether it’s pouring, sunny, humid, or 120 degrees, Joe is always down to get anything on tape that needs to be captured. He is also known to be a God send when it comes to anything we as a team need. He is always first to offer help in anyway he can, no matter what he’s doing, or if he’s in the middle of a shot. Joe is a team player, and is always hilarious and awesome to work with. His partner in crime on this tip was Jen Halski, a photographer, who with her husband Mark, manage and own Halski Design. Jen was in charge of all the still shots. Many of you all know Gina, my usual roommate on these trips and our wonderful photographer. Gina Kelly does all of the foundations events, including the Dominican trips. Due to Gina’s inability to go with us this week, Jen was chosen to go as our photographer instead. I wasn’t sure what to expect because I was accustomed to Gina and her work. However working with Jen on our team has been awesome. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life. Jen is constantly documenting every and all aspect of the trip, and in a way that is gentle and uniquely her own. Today in Batey Bienvendio, Jen met a little girl while taking photos, and sat down to talk with her. The little girl was asking Jen questions, and they hit it off immediately. Jen asked the little girl if she wanted to be sponsored. The girl just looked at Jen as if she’d just been given everything in the world and just ran, grabbed and embraced her. As they continued to talk, Jen asked about her family, and started showing her pictures of her own two kids, Claudia and Lucas on her phone. The girl just stopped for a second, and then looked at Jen with a smile and said “that means now I have a brother and a sister.”
Although these trips are a lot of work, a lot of tears, a lot of blood, and a lot of dire conditions, the moments of joy are worth it all. That moment where you see these smiling kids and the absolute light they radiate, when right behind them are houses that we wouldn’t even let our pets sleep in, absolutely boggles me. It’s these moments where you realize how close you are to them. The way you catch that imagine of two kids laughing or a fight between mother and daughter. It’s these moments and mental pictures that make me realize that they are just like me. I can’t tell you why we were born thousands of miles apart, or why I have a house, a sidewalk, and street signs that they could only relate to in movies. And it makes me wonder why I complain about getting up for an eleven AM class, when some of these kids have to get up at six AM to work, and would literally kill for a college education. I believe we’re not lucky, we’re blessed. We all can relate to them. We all have common ground, we are all people who just want to make it. The images Joe and Jen capture take my breath away. They literally put my right back in those Bateys. They show the work that needs to be done, the work that has been done, and the work that can be done. Their media shows emotion, situations, and experiences I could never put into words on here. Their images remind me that sometimes our world is a little bit bigger than you I.
As we continue our work in Bienvenido, I ask again for prayers for the teams safety and ability to efficiently do their job. And also pray for my dad Todd Perry, who was unable to join the team today due to a bug that has him knocked off his feet for the day.
Keep following the blog, and thank you for supporting the team!
Kristen Perry
Sep 9, 2011 Faith
Today was planed perfectly. Once again I was working with the eye team Dr Rohde and Dr Doan. We were to treat people until around 12:30pm, pack up for a 1:00 lunch break, then regroup for a 2:00 NEST meeting and then a 3:00 exhibition game, presented by our Batey Baseball program. Living the life, right?! Ehhh not so much.
The first half of the day was pretty much to script. We had a regular flow of patients and it appeared that we would easily shut things down by noon…. Then it happened. I don’t know where they can from, but all of the sudden our waiting room was flooded with people who needed immediate eye care. We had time for nothing. We skipped lunch and needless to say, we missed both the NEST presentation and the baseball game as we treated one person after the other. All-in-all, our eye care team saw over 180 patients today.
Our dental team was just as busy. It seems that Dr. Mark Fernandez, Dr. Homer Sedighi, Ivana Hasenfratz and Dr. Mike Noble all where not able to attend the NEST meeting, and only Dr. Noble could break away to hit grounders to the boys in pre game warmups at the Batey Baseball game.
Although the eye doctors have it rough, I must say that some of my favorite team members are on the dental team. Seeing the gentle nature of Dr Sedighi, the joy and charisma of Dr Fernandez, and the steadiness and intellect of Dr Nobel, is a blessing to watch. Homer’s assistant Ivana was his perfect compliment on this trip, providing a more fiery personality and a sense of laughter and humor that is absolutely unparalleled. They all work in sync with each other, while at the same time, being able to coordinate with the Dominican dental team as well. Each dentist had the grueling task of breaking barriers with their Dominican counterparts, and learning to join their two systems of working, while at the same time, providing the best possible care for their patients. The American team has different letters and numbers for teeth and molar placement than the Dominican team. This doesn’t seem like a huge deal, but when it comes to extractions, having two different numberings becomes confusing and promotes problems. Despite having to work out kinks, the dentists are also the ones using constant local anesthetics, syringes, and autoclaves, providing a difficult and daunting working environment, which is nothing compared to the screaming kids during the procedure. Being next to the dental room, I can assure you, it’s not somewhere you would want to hang around. But our team if dentists pushed through and always emerged with smiles, today I saw a boy who screamed his whole procedure, but when he was done, he couldn’t stop smiling, because his infected tooth was removed and therefore, so was his chronic pain.
For some of these kids have never seen a dentist in their lives. And although some can be extremely painful and hard to hear and watch, these simple procedures make all the difference for the children. But the children aren’t the only ones blessed. One of our Dominican dentists, Neovi, told me that because of her experience with our team, she hopes to be able to do work with us anytime we come down. She even went as far to say that it didn’t matter if she was doing dental work or not, she wants to simply help, in any way and form she can. She then went on to tell me that after seeing these kids, one day she now has a dream of constructing her own dental missions, to once a month provide different areas of relief to the most deprived areas of her country.
Once again I can’t thank oral surgeon Mike Nobel, and dentists Mark Fernandez and Homer Sedighi, Ivana Hasenfratz and our Dominican team. Thank you all so much for taking time out of your practices to do work with us.
As we continue to push through the trip, continue to pray for the well being and safety of the time. With everyone working over 12 hour days, and running on little sleep, health is quite in jeopardy. Throw in the wild card of working around only sick patients, and you have a recipe for a possible disaster. So please continue to keeps in your prayers and continue to follow the blog. Thank you for supporting this team, because it is with the help of you all, that our medical team can do what we do.
Kristen Perry
Sep 7, 2011 Faith
Even though the lines are out the door, and our doctors are treating hundreds of people. I am beginning to believe that the sickest people are out in the village. Yesterday, in Batey Las Pajas, my dad went on a field visit to follow up on some of the ‘operation sound asleep’ bed recipients. During his first home visit, he discovered a young mother ( on one of the aforementioned beds) who was showing pre- miscarriage symptoms. He ran to the camp and retrieved Dr. Bennett who examined her. “The baby was fine, but based on her symptoms, she will need complete bed rest, and then it’s still a 50/50 chance of loosing the baby.” said Dr. Bennett. Today we experienced two such experiences.
The team traveled today to one of my favorite places in the Dominican Republic; Batey Aleman. If you follow the Foundation’s Dominican work, you will recognize this name. Aleman is our project site of NEST, Batey Baseball, and previous medical missions, in our attempt to outreach to this community.
On a break from seeing patients with the eye care team, I started translating for our medical team of Dr. Jan Mueller (pediatrician), Dr. Rob Hanson, and Dr. Brian Bennett. I would bring kids from the eye care unit that had visible medical related problems and get them in to see Dr. Bennett, especially if the problem was urgent. On one of these breaks I was walking by the church, when one of the village’s pastors approached me. She told me of the town’s other pastor, whom our team was actually quite familiar with. Every trip he greets our team with a smile, always making sure our team gets the supplies we need, and always praising the Lord for the blessings he has received. She told me that the Pastor was struggling quite badly and his house was not in ideal condition. I took around and told her straightforward “Nani, none of these houses are ‘ideal’ and we can’t help everyone. But if you think it is important, I will definitely go see.” Needless to I have never been more glad in my life that God put me in front of church at the right time. When I enter this man’s house, I am informed that be has 8 children, himself, and his wife. However, as of January, an earthquake destroyed the home of his family, so he moved the other four into his home as well. There are 14 people living in a house smaller than the size of the average kitchen in the United States. The man’s wife then explains to me that they have two very small bed frames with pads on top. The pastor and his wife sleep on one. The other four extended family members sleep on the other. And as for the children, they have one mattress and it was outside when I arrived to the residence. When I asked why they kept the children’s mattress outside, without missing a beat, the woman replied, “Oh. We keep it out the during the day so it doesn’t smell up the house, and there are bugs crawling out of the foam. So during the day we take it out, and at night we bring it back in for the children to sleep on.” as if I wasn’t already shaken, the woman then proceeds to tell me that only a few kids fit, so the rest sleep on the dirt floor of the bedroom, or in the kitchen. It is here where I found Yasari.
Last week, Yasari was sleeping in the kitchen when her mother spilled scalding water all over the little girls arm/elbow. When I tried to talk to the mother, she insisted the baby needed no medical help, and they would do just fine. Meanwhile, the child’s elbow is bloody, black, and clearly burned to the third degree. For some reason I could just not wrap my head around the fact that this little baby’s arm could be saved by American doctors that traveled 3,000 miles to do free services just like the one Yasari needed, yet her mother literally refused service. I broke down. I told her, “if you don’t bring this baby right now to the medics, I will personally take her there myself. The mother still insisted that she had the situation under control, and the baby can tough it out. The mother must have thought I was kidding. I took her arm and start crying, when this woman just looks at me. I tell her that this was no joke, that I’m taking the baby or she will lose her arm, and I didn’t come down here to let that happen. So start dragging the mother and eventually have to take the baby there myself, to have surgery done on the arm, which leads me to wonder…are the sickest people really still in the village? In a culture where there’s little room for weakness, are people not visiting the clinic simply because they just want to tough it out? After that our team has made a few special house calls, to check on villagers and provide service to those so I’ll they can’t get to the clinic. We hope to continue doing this in the Bateys the duration on the trip.
Our team is doing great things. Continue to keep our health and safety this week and God bless you.
Kristen Perry.
Sep 5, 2011 Faith
Mission Blog: September 4, 2011
Eye care.
6am wake-up call. Bus leaves at 7.
For an already sleep deprived team, I was expecting 13 cranky Americans, and a long day. But day one of our medical mission was nothing short of amazing. The team woke up in great spirits. As we met in the lobby, we were accompanied by 5 Dominican dentists and a Dominican pharmacist from the area we are staying in Santo Domingo. This addition to our team was imperative in order to easily and efficiently not only communicate with patients, but to provide knowledge on the Dominican local medications and anesthetics that are made available to the doctors and dentists on our staff.
Today our first stop of the trip was Las Pajas. Las Pajas is a Batey in one of the most rural and remote areas in the Dominican Republic. In this town of 6,000 people built around the sugar cane industry like most Bateys, the average family income is less than $1.50 US a day. Of all the Bateys we frequent, this is one of the most in dire communities.
I had the privilege of working today alongside Kathy Doan and Mike Rhode, two optometrists from Saint Louis. As their translator, it soon became clear the difference between those who needed glasses, and who simply wanted glasses. For some of these kids, the idea of being given something, whether the need for it was justified or not, was one of amazement. Most of these kids have never been given anything in their lives, so the want for glasses was great, simply so that they could have something new. Because of this adamant desire, it was extremely difficult to say no, even if lenses were not needed. However we figured out a clever way around this obstacle by handing out sunglasses to the majority of these children. This way they could leave from our clinic with something, and not to mention that it would be extremely beneficial, especially at a young age when it comes to protection against UV rays and sun damage. The ones who truly did have vision problems or various corneal abrasions and other infections were carefully and accurately prescribed lenses or prescription medications. In the days time we were there, we treated over 90 patients in our eye care station, and plan on treating an even greater magnitude in Aleman tomorrow.
Unlike the last blog, I plan on taking a day to cover every part of our team. With such a large mission group it’s so hard to talk about all the blessings, tragedies, and miracles that we see on a daily basis. Because of this, I plan on everyday writing about a different branch of our medical team, in order to accurately portray and tell the stories of the work they do,and the experiences they encounter on the way.
A big thanks to Dr Doan and Dr Rhode for their time and the work they are putting in for these communities. Even 3,000 miles from home, God is enough. His grace, mercy and compassion, are shown through these doctors, our work, and the miracles happening for these people and their development and opening opportunities in these communities.
Remember to keep the myself, Todd Perry, and the other members of our medical mission in your prayers. I pray that we may do God’s work, and that we may have safe travels, safety when it comes to the team’s health, and safe working environments for the doctors and the patients as well. Continue to follow e daily blog and thank you for all of your support!
Dios bendiga,
Kristen Perry
Sep 4, 2011 Faith
Mission Blog: September 3, 2011
Feeling much more rested than the three hour of sleep I got last night, we depart for Santo Domingo at 6:25am. Our amazing mission team consists of Dentists Dr. Homer Sedighi and Dr. Mark Fernandez. Oral surgeon, Dr. Mike Noble. Medical Doctors, Dr. Jan Mueller, Dr. Rob Hanson and Dr. Brian Bennett. Optometrists Dr. Kathy Doan and Dr. Mike Rohde. Medical assistant Ivana Hasenfratz. Photographer Jen Halski, videographer Joe Mazzola, translator Kristen Perry and me.
Most of the team are PFF mission veterans, however this will be the first mission trip ever for Jen and Doctor Bennett. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences with you very soon. As the plane taxis down the runway, our spirits are high and our confidence is unshaken. There is still a tremendous amount of preparation ahead of us once we arrive in the DR this afternoon.
We will check in tomorrow. Keep praying for the team.
Blessings,
Todd
Aug 31, 2011 Faith
Catch our field reports and updates each day, while the PFF medical mission team travels to the Dominican Republic, September 3-9, 2011. Our team of doctors, dentists and optometrists will visit three different bateys or villages over the course of the week, treating the poorest of the poor in these areas. We anticipated bringing medical services to over 1,000 children during this trip.
Please visit our blog regularly during this time as we share our work, experiences and stories with you. And please keep us in your prayers.
Blessings,
Todd
Mar 24, 2011 Faith
Although it was just four months ago since the last time I was in the Dominican Republic, it seemed too long. Something moves in your heart when you are touched by the people down there and their stories, something that can’t be explained but has to simply be done.
This trip was dedicated to the evaluation of existing projects, and to evaluate medical sites for our big multi-dimensional medical mission in late August/early September. What was meant to be a quick “in and out” trip, turned into a jam-packed three days of more than just an evaluation, but an opportunity. More prayers were answered on these three days, than I’ve seen answered in some of the other trips I’ve been on to the Dominican. However, among those answers and those joys, there were more problems and more realizations that arose as well. What started as an evaluation of field projects, sparked a wire of more work that needs to be done, and the sitting realization that there always will be problems in the Bateys, but it’s what you do with those problems and how you handle them that will directly impact and change someone’s life.
The first day on the ground started with a prayer by our liason and dear friend, Bernard Okeke. After his words were given, we started the hour trek from Santo Domingo, past San Pedro, and into the rural area behind it where Batey Aleman is located. Batey Aleman is familiar to many of those who have been to the Dominican with the Foundation, or for those who follow our work, because it is the site for almost all of our projects and services. Batey Aleman holds the first Dominican site for Nest, a NGO providing woman micro-lending services in which they are giving sewing machines and make product as payment for those machines. After their production debt is payed off, the women keep those machines and are taught the vocation and services to use and create successful businesses and products of their own. It is also the site for our medical missions, and more recently Batey Baseball was launched in Batey Aleman, giving young men a Christian foundation of what it means to be a man, father, brother, and son, while they are learning baseball and playing against other communities. Plus, having Albert Pujols himself as a hitting instructor doesn’t hurt either!
Upon arriving in Aleman, we evaluated existing projects, and found that they have been more than successful. Women who before couldn’t even sign their name have learned a profession through Nest. They now have their own business fully functioning, providing services and bought products through the Foundation, and through Nest. It is a very near hope that by next year, they will be able to take their skills and start doing things locally as well, expanding their work force and making a sustainable income for their families, and thriving on the independence and success that comes with being a skilled woman. And as for Batey Baseball, we are pleased to report that the program is working phenomenally. Batey Baseball in Aleman has become a model for the same program we will implement in future communities. The Batey Aleman team is fully functional. It practices twice a day on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and they play games against other teams all day Saturday and sometimes Sunday. Every age group is involved and gets to play, creating a balance and an acceptance and importance of every age, young and old. It was also reported to us that while traveling to other cities, the other teams and coaches will say to them “Can our players join your team?” or “This must be a church sponsored team, I have never seen such disciplined players”. Even though the team is focused on baseball, at every practice, time is set aside to learn the fundamentals of a life with God. Scriptures are shared and read, and the Coaches and team of local staff share what it means to be a man, and to lead a family. What it means to work hard and succeed; all things that kids in the Dominican don’t get implemented or told. The devotion of the community and these players to the program is an absolute inspiration. I can’t wait to see the work that continues to be done in this community and others through Batey Baseball!
Among the good that is being down in the Batey, there are still real needs to be met, especially health wise. The baby we blogged about from the last trip, who Deidre went to the hospital to get her help, passed away. He suffered from Hydro-Cyphilis, which causes water to fill the brain and spinal cavity. Eventually the swelling took the baby’s life. It breaks my heart every time I go down there to see the condition of some of the children. I ask myself “what if we got their sooner…there was something I could’ve done”. But you realize at the end of the day, you can’t save everyone. You can try, but you just can’t. You have to focus on who you can save. We may not have been able to save the baby from the last trip, but on our future medical mission we will address the needs of thousands through eye care, dentistry, general medicine, and pediatric assistance. Medical services in the Dominican are in extreme need, and we may not be able to touch every person, but the one’s we do touch will have been worth it. Every life changed touches me, and whether it’s one person saved or ten..it doesn’t matter. Life isn’t about a statistic or a number. It’s about taking the time to do the right thing, and saving everyone you can save, and helping everyone you can get to. Every life is worth the time to reach out to; every life deserves a chance.
After setting down and talking to a group of community leaders, we went to Las Pajas. Las Pajas is another site of extreme change, but a despiration of need. The church and Compassion center in Las Pajas was extremely renovated, and emitted a light of hope and change of what happens when a light shine through and people take the initiative to think highly of themselves and their community. The work the Foundation provides, especially in medical care gives the community a sense of self worth. They realize that people DO care about them, and that people DO want to help them. They have worth. And with every Foundation visit, this is implemented. You see, Las Pajas is an extremely rural area. Once a sugar cane plantation, the plantation owners and others took Haitian workers from their homes promising better pay in the fields in the Dominican, harvesting cane. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians were bused from the borderline to work camp like circumstances. Crowded together, they had to live working for pennies a day, and enough food to barely get by. When plantation season was over, they are out of work, out of pay, and out of care, living on government land, not even their own. When crops need to be harvested, the people are of worth, and if there’s not, they stop caring. These people struggle for their lives day to day, and struggle with generations of people telling them they aren’t worth their time or effort. The Foundation thinks otherwise however. No one is too poor, no area too bad down there to reach out to. Las Pajas used to be an extremely crime ridden, dark community, and now progress is being made. The church has become a major institution, people are trying to work, and community leaders are striving for change. However, progress is a process. Problems with medical care is a huge need. There exists a clinic down there for the poorest of the poor people, that is supposed to always have a doctor staffed at it for the needs of the people in the Batey, provided by government grant. The stipulation is that the clinic is there, the doctor isn’t. The doctor is payed to come there everyday, and simply doesn’t come, and the government does nothing about it. The doctor hasn’t been there in over two years, not once. The government frankly doesn’t care. Walking around we saw hernias, broken bones, burns, etc. One little girl who Deidre sponsors through Compassion found herself in a dire situation also. Nakowi has Down Syndrome. She lives in Las Pajas with her mother, and two siblings. Down Syndrome there is misunderstood and not accepted. Nakowi is suffering from a stomach tumor/ulser as well as a staff infection. Help is going to be provided for her. For the rest of the people, we ask prayers to be sent out, as our medical team will be addressing their needs this summer. We also ask for prayers for the development of their community, that God will continue to bless their needs for a better system and a sense of worth, and a long with that, I anticipate change.
The following day came and went just as busy as the first. Tuesday we evaluated a brand new Batey, Bienvendio. Batey Bienvendio is an extremely large slum area in the Capital of Santo Domingo. Outwardly Bienvendio is thriving. There are store fronts, beauty shops, and businesses. It looks extremely prosperous. There is a church, a equipped school, an office space for Compassion, and a town center. But behind the urban façade, no more than 50 yards into the Batey, the hill drops into a river basin, where stacked on top of each other is shack after shack of tin and metal, all in the backdrop of a garbage dump, cow pasture, and stagnant water. It was unreal. From the outside the Batey looked thriving, the inside, I couldn’t even believe. It was extremely populated and the conditions were to the point of heartbreaking. Houses were founded on dirt floors. One woman had nothing to feed her children for the week. You realize the devastation behind the exterior by listening to and connecting to these people. But the other thing you realize is how open and happy these people are. Those who have nothing smile as if they have the world. I heard not one complaint, I heard not one sob, but thousands of “Hola! Americana!” or “Buen dia, Linda!”. Everyone was joyous just to be alive, which is something I can greatly learn from. Those who have the least were content. It was sobering. A little of the way into the Batey however I met an eight year old boy. He was limping down the street with one foot propped up. I stopped to talk to him when his mom came outside, and it was at that point I looked down at his foot. There was a gashing open wound surrounded by the foot covered in a third degree burn. This hand was badly burned, and there was a gaping voltage burn on his leg. His mother explained to me that he was playing with a toy on the electrical wires. The voltage of electricity went through his hand, shot out his leg, and went back into his foot. Down there, you don’t survive electric shock. If you survive, there’s no clinic or a way to get there, so if the volts don’t kill you, the infection that sets in it will. Here the amount of electricity that hit this little boy would’ve killed a full grown man on contact. Yet before me, his wounds are healing, painfully, but healing. He’s baring weight on his foot, an indication he doesn’t have any damage necessarily in his foot that would involve an amputation. The fact this little boy was alive was unreal. And the pain he is feeling as his wounds heal I can’t imagine, but what I can imagine is sitting here in St Louis as I write this was his face. Nothing but smiles, and the look on his face is not only is he lucky to be alive, he deserves to be. God has a plan for this little guy. Our liason Bernard explained to his mother this boy has a plan, and God has saved him, and she replied “If God can save him, he can save me.” Right there she accepted Jesus, with her son, in the middle of the Batey. Thousands of miles away, in our culture or theirs, Jesus is powerful enough to save, and does, and will continue to. Through our evaluation, it was evident that this site is perfect to work in. Hearts and minds are open to change in this village, the people are ready to progress. Medical work will now take place in this village on the summer trip, and Batey Baseball may also be implemented if a baseball field is integrateable. I can’t wait to see the molding and progress in store for that Batey and those people. Great things are going to be done.
After that we made a bee line to the Santo Domingo mall in order to grab some food to bus off to our next destination in the heart of the city of Santo Domingo, Cure. The Cure hospital staffs a team of Dominican doctors and nurses that provide services to mostly children with orthopedic or developmental problems. Because of malnutrition and wear and tear on bones starting at an early age, developmental problems are not rare there. This organization takes patients regardless of a means to pay or not, and provides them life changing treatments and services. The hospital was absolutely incredible. It was as clean and well staffed as any in the U.S. There was an OR, a physical therapy unit, a devotional unit, and other units open for service to all peoples. This was the answer to prayer we’ve been waiting for. All developmental problems and hernias we encountered are easily reversible for Compassion kids especially who can be sent to this Cure hospital. Cure will work with us in the future, providing needs for those in the Dominican who need medical and developmental attention.
After the wrap up of our hospital tour, we met with a team of Dominican dentists for dinner. These dentists have volunteered to work alongside out team on the August mission. They will provide reconstruction, extraction, sterilization, and other services upon request. They will also have their own chair set up to provide services to patients. With an understanding of common problems and without a language barrier these women will be able to work efficiently and with care addressing the dental problems of children and adults in need of service. They will work independently and also assist our dental team upon arrival in Bateys such as Aleman, Las Pajas, and Bienvendio.
Seeing first hand what needs to be done and what can be solved, drives me even further to be a soldier of service for these communities. Change and opportunity is ever present and directly linked. With change is opportunity, and with opportunity is change. As I have said before, my goal and I know the Foundation’s goal isn’t to solve every problem we encounter, but to solve what we can. Every life changed is pivotal. Every person we touch touches the heart of this organization. The change made in villages down there and the lives saved in just five years is unparalleled. We will continue to provide service to these people, and if the past is indicative of the future, the things that are to come will be absolutely phenomenal and life changing, not only for them, but for us. These trips open my heart and I know they open the other volunteers hearts involved. Because just as God is sure to answer our prayers for change, he brings to light more things that need changing. I don’t know his plan for these people and what’s next, but what I do know is that he has a plan. I am so proud of these communities and the initiative they give and the willingness of their hearts to be open to improvement. What started as an evaluation, ended up as something a little more. It evaluated the community but it put into perspective the value of my life and of every life. Everyone deserves a chance, and I am so lucky to be as blessed as I am. I am no different than the 17,18,19, and 20 year olds I meet every time I’m down there. 3,000 miles apart, and yet we’re exactly the same. The difference is where we live and the opportunities we have. I believe God has put me where I am and blessed me so that I can turn around and bless them. I have been blessed, and so will they.
Continue to pray for our teams, and lift up our service in the Summer for the medical trip. It’s going to impact so many people, and I think every supporter for their contributions, because whether you realize it or not, everyone of you makes a difference in someone’s life, and I thank you for it. The 60 Minutes special from last trip will be airing upcoming in the first or second week of April, and that will give a further insight into the Batey Baseball program. Thanks for checking in with us, and following our blog.
Continue to follow for further updates, and keep the Pujols Family Foundation, Compassion, Cure, Nest, and other projects and organizations in your prayers for their upcoming work and involvement in the Dominican.
Dios Bendiga,
(God Bless,)
Kristen Perry.
Feb 28, 2011 Faith
Over the past five months Kyle Muse has been working with us at the Pujols Family Foundation. He is a recent graduate from the University of Missouri with a business administration degree. While seeking full-time employment in his chosen field, Kyle has been spending his free time serving the needs of the Foundation as a volunteer intern.
One of Kyle’s primary roles has been to manage our Twitter account and serve as the ‘official tweeter’ of the PFF. At the end of January we only had 50 followers on Twitter. In less than one month, Kyle has been able to grow that number to over 600 followers!
We wanted to take this time to recognize Kyle and thank him for his service. If you are currently following our tweets, thank you! If not, you can find us at Pujolsfound on Twitter. And when you receive a tweet from us… now you will know who sent it.
Feb 4, 2011 Faith
Don’t miss the latest issue of Cardinals Game Day Magazine featuring Albert and his off-season work with the Pujols Family Foundation. The article features the Autumn Prom as well as our recent trip to the Dominican Republic with CBS and 60 Minutes.
