The life of a volunteer

Let's step through the life of someone who is one of the (approx) 60 volunteers on the Brigade to the NPH Ranch and One World Surgery Center in Honduras:

You will awaken in your assigned room, at the conference center, where everyone stays during the duration of this mission trip. Your room is one of many, similar to the set-up of a one-story hotel with all the room doors facing inward, towards the courtyard. The courtyard is filled with various seating options and plenty of hammocks (which you will enjoy later after your work is completed). In your room are 4 twin beds (some with 5 beds) with your assigned roommates, which are of the same gender as you. If you came with a spouse, you most likely will stay in separate rooms, unless you 1) got lucky to get a room of your own, or 2) vocalized the need to room only with your spouse whereby "special" arrangements would need to be made. There's only so many rooms in which to split everyone up in, and they do the very best they can to accommodate everyone. In your room, there is also a shower and bathroom facilities. Don't drink the water, or open your mouth in the shower, or brush your teeth with the tap water. Don't flush toilette paper down the toilette, as you are to put the TP in the trash next to the toilette. They will kindly lend you gloves to dig for the TP if you do decide to flush it down. Just FYI. Then, you realize what a habit it is that you do this, and you'll mess up several times and toss the TP in......and reach down to grab it. Yep, you'll do that a time or two.

So as you get up, some of your roommates will continue to sleep as everyone goes to their "jobs" at different times each day. Some are early, and some are later depending on what you will be doing that day. Clinical volunteers walk to the Surgery Center, while the General volunteers do a myriad of things at various places on the Ranch. As you are getting ready in your room for the day, you might not have slept well because of a snoring roommate. That will be your destiny every night. You try to make your bed, in the dark, so as to not have your roommates judge you on your cleanliness. You were given sheets and a pillow (and one towel), but the blanket on your bed is the one you brought with you from home. You appreciate the luxury of having a bathroom/shower in your room, and it's a nice one. Tile, clean, pretty and right at your fingertips. Your in Honduras, and the accommodations are fantastic.

Now your ready for your day, and head out through the courtyard to the volunteer's designated kitchen area. It is filled with fruit, snacks and plenty of fresh drinking water that never will run out, the whole time your there. What will run out is the electricity. But that's life in Honduras, it happens several times every day. Off and on. Off and on. No biggie, as there are generators in designated areas - esp the Surgery Center - so your told to "Count to 5" and the generator will kick in and wall-laaa, the electricity is back on again. You get used to this quite quickly. You grab a cup of coffee in the cup you brought with you (along with your plate and own silverware to use at every meal) and there's dry creamer and sugar right there for you as well. There are extra cups, plates, bowls, etc in this kitchen just in case you don't have yours with you. And as always, you are to wash every dish you use after you use it. Peer pressure makes sure you do. You can eat now, or head out to your designated work place for the morning/day. Another luxury is that breakfast is cooked (by some of the volunteers and paid workers who supervise you) and is usually ready around 9 am (Honduran-Time) just in case you prefer to eat a little later. This breakfast is also taken to the surgery center for those to eat, when they get a break. You walk to your designated job, and so-you-know you walk everywhere (which is wonderful because Honduras is SO beautiful!), and you have your flashlight with you in the dark, early morning hours. There's security all over on the Ranch, with guards with guns on their hips. They are there so you can be there safely. They most likely do not speak english, but they do smile at you, knowing what you are there for. You know not to be out after dark, you've been told this. But, the guards know you will be out and about in the early mornings heading to your appropriate place.
You arrive at your appointed job for the day. It's the reason you are here - and you love helping, doing, working, listening, and just being there. You are a Pre-Op Nurse, a OR Nurse, a Scrub Tech, a Sterile Processor, a translator, a farm hand, a cook, the cleanup crew, a tortilla maker, a trash person, gardner, compost specialist, and anything and everything. You do what needs to be done, and enjoy doing so. Matter of fact, you relish in the privilege of being there to assist the Honduran people. They are so very grateful, patient, kind and gracious. Most have beautiful dark skin and brown eyes that look at you with certainty - and uncertainty. They know you are there to help them, but it's not always easy for them to trust you. The translators are the gateway to the success of it all. You can try to help all day, but communication is key, esp when your in the healthcare aspect of it. So you "thank" the translator each and every time they assist you, because in order to give first class health care to the Honduran people, you must be able to talk to them. You quickly realize that many do not understand health care, what their birth year really is, why it matters, or have the ability to sign their name. Okay, a fingerprint will do on a Surgery Consent Form. And you realize that EVERYONE states they have no allergies to drugs. NKDA (No Known Drug Allergy) in the healthcare world. What?! That's because they likely don't have access to medication and health care, therefore they have no idea if they have any medication allergies. You find these discoveries fascinating.

Lunch is normally around 1pm, and that's a estimation. You have lunch whenever you can get it. It's available at the conference center and at the surgery center, depending on your duties on any given day. Your glad to have it. And once again, it's made by the volunteers, with staff members directing the flow of it. You chop an onion, in the same time they chop 5. You slice a loaf of bread, they slice 7 during that same time. They don't mess around. Your instructed to slice each loaf into 35 slices. They are mindful of their food allotments, and what any given food item can render. And did I mention, they are fast at preparing it. You are left in their dust, as they scamper around like kitchen fairies making everything look easy.

You work at your appointed job anywhere from 8 - 12 hours each day. You never think about the "getting paid" part. You are working because you want to, and it has absolutely nothing to do with any monetary benefit. You feel the benefit inside you, and it feeds your soul. Your connection to these people fills up every bucket inside you. Some of the people you are helping you just want to put in your pocket and take back home. They are all special people with strong spirits who just want to live a whole-hearted life. Unfortunately, that's a hard thing to do in this country. Yet, you know you are doing the best you can to contribute a small piece of their puzzle towards improving their life. However small or large it might be.

After each work day is completed, it's time to walk back to the conference center. There, you may take a little personal time to call your family, go for a walk/run, go see the children in the nearby homes and say Hello, play soccer with them, or shower and get ready for dinner. You, and all the other volunteers, are leading their own journey this week. We are all together, yet separate in our thoughts and desires. Our experiences will be different as we walk the same walk together this week. Every one around you is helping in their own way.

Dinner is served at 7 pm each night in the dining area at the conference center. It is cooked by volunteers as well as paid staff. Before dinner is served, you listen to announcements and shout-outs (praise for your fellow volunteers) and visit with the people around you about their day. You are hungry, and usually have no idea what will be served for dinner unless you were part of the cooking duties that day. Not to worry, as your backup is always peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, which is available 24/7. Dinner is served buffet style, kind of like going to Luby's cafeteria. You go down the line, and volunteers have volunteered to serve food. It just happens, like being at a family function. People just do things automatically. People are innately good and kind. And clean. This is a good thing when you are at a place with 60 people you most likely do not know.

After dinner, there is always a presentation. This usually consist of someone on the Ranch telling their story. Dr Merlin (Physician/Surgeon and Medical Director of the Surgery Center) told of his growing up as a child on the Ranch, having the privilege of an education, and becoming a Dr himself. He then decided to come back to the Ranch to work and help the children and people there. There are many stories like his. Those of struggle and success. Those who were brave when they were afraid, and stayed strong through their struggles. He's an excellant example of what you can do and be in Honduras. And his sense of humor is unlike others. He's just plain funny! He's one of your favorite people there. Night after night you listen to these stories. You are touched every time.

After the dinner and presentation, you go back to you designated room. Your tired, but it's a good tired. You've been busy all day. And you'll do it again tomorrow, happily. Who will you help tomorrow, you wonder? What will the day hold? Your still adjusting to the people around you, the culture, the dos and don'ts, and the person in the bed next to yours. The wifi is weak, but the coffee is strong. You stay focused on the good things around you.......and look forward to helping more people tomorrow. You lay down on a pillow that your most grateful for. You lay heavy in the bed from your day, all while reflecting on the events. Then sleep finds you, to rejuvenate you so you can rejuvenate others.
Here's to another day,
Cyndi