Warning: LOOOOONG entry! But mostly pictures  My FIRST medical mission trip! The mission trip to Dominican Republic was more than what I could have ever ask for! I'm definitely going to do rotations there in the future. I was able to serve in ways that I could never do in the States. I learned so much! Not just medically, but also personally and spiritually. Although it wasn't a Christianity based missions, as I was doing my QT's, I was also able to reach out to my classmates as they were interested in what I was doing every morning. It was JUST what I asked and prayed for before I left. (Special thanks to Dr. Cacippo and Mitch for praying for me ) It doesn't matter where you are, what group you belong to or what you are doing. The power of God is always there. Our group excitedly left early Saturday morning for Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  Part of our group at the Greensboro airport. I forgot what made them laughing so much... 
Punta Cana Airport 
Our greeters 
We had VIP service so we got to skip all this. Thank God... 
Where we stayed: Research Center: La Universidad 
Palm Tree Garden outside of the research center Saturday and Sunday were our free/meeting days.So we went to the beach at the Punta Cana Resort and soaked up some sun  
Punta Cana Resort entrance Outside of the resort gate  
On our way to the beach The BEACH!!! 
Laguna 
Joey says the water is freezing unlike the ocean Traditional Dominican dance 
The finale Monday:Door to door malaria screening/prophylaxis and polio vaccine for babies at Veron village Sorry... No pictures... I'll upload as I get them from my classmates Tuesday: Cuchillas Clinic Our group split up into 3 smaller groups and each went to the Veron Clinic, Veron middle/high school, or the Cuchillas Clinic. I was privileged to go to the Cuchilla clinic (the most vigorous one, but the place where you are most exposed to various diseases and illnesses) On the way to the clinic 
Basilika 
Mmmm~ Yummy 
My future ride 
3 hours of gravel and dirt road does a number on your back and head... 
Random donkey tied to a tree 
Hokies...? 
Cuchillas Clinic 
My team: From left to right: Christopher (translator), LB (4th year), me, Joey (1st year), Monica (translator) So when we got to the clinic no one was there. The doctor there told us that everyone thought we were coming the next day. I immediately started praying for patients because I didn't want to have traveled 3 hours to do nothing and go back another 3 hours. Within 5 minutes, people started trickling in and eventually, as we were treating patients, numbers starting rising from 20 to 50 to 90 to 120 (in a village said to only have around 100 people...)!!! So by the end of the day, we saw ~150 patients and we had to send some home because we had to leave... Man... God works so miraculously! I personally saw around 20 people that day. Patient visits varied from physical injuries, various infections, scabies, pregnancy, parasites and many, many more. Man... Such a need... Wednesday: Cuchillas Clinic again This day I worked double time in the pharmacy room and seeing patients. I LOVED IT!!! 
Last shot at the clinic While as the Cuchillas Clinic, I noticed that not a single person came by him or herself. Somebody was always there with the patient. This got me thinking. I’m not simply helping the ones in need, but also everyone around those who are hurting. I learned how important it is to protect what is important; the smiles, joy, hope, and relationships between people. It really wasn’t about us going to another country to simply heal the body, but to protect everything that these individuals stood for. From the old to the young, fathers and mothers to the children and siblings, from workers to employers, from the village to the villagers. The relationships that each individual had with one another, as well as with interaction between the entire village was what we were there to heal and protect. Thursday: Veron Clinic and fly back home No pictures here either... I will post later. Some highlights though... I got to do surgery here!!! A guy accidentally shot his foot with his shot gun (.... ). His 2 middle toes were dangling from his right foot, so we had to surgically remove it. Craziness. Also saw a diabetes patient who came into the clinic with a packet of pixie sticks ( ) with a blood sugar level of 520 (geez...). She also had Erysipelas, lesions running up her leg, and a HUGE infection on the bottom of her right foot filled with pus that we had to remove. On our way back to the States, a bunch of us almost missed our flight because we took too much of our time indulging on Burger King... This past week has been the greatest weeks as a medical student. I realized that I REALLY WAS made to do missions. It opened my eyes to something more than simple career or lifestyle. It revealed the relationships and the unity in community that far exceeds the individualistic goals and efforts. Our group left as 13 medical students individually ready to heal, but came back having been taught of the importance of kinship, support and teamwork. I also realized the power of the words, "Thank you." Such a simple phrase, yet it carries so much depth when it is the heart that speaks those words. I think the most memorable moment of the trip was when an elderly grandpa that I treated with OMM held my hand and thanked me over and over. With a huge smile on his face he told me that he will never forget me. Wow... At that instant, I knew I could do this for the rest of my life. Money, prestige or success do not mean a thing. At the end, what does it all matter? If I can see my patients smiling and excited to live their lives, that’s all I really need. | 
