Have you heard the saying “teamwork makes the dream work”? Some people find this saying cheesy, but I find a great deal of truth in the statement. The Oxford dictionary defines teamwork as “the combined action of a group, especially when effective and efficient.” To me, surgical weeks are beautiful examples of teamwork. In the OR you need a surgeon, anesthesia provider, surgical tech, and circulating nurse who work very closely together to care for each patient. And of course there is the pre-op staff that helps get the patient ready for surgery, and the post-op staff who cares for the patients when they come out of surgery. Every person is vital and needs to work together to provide safe, efficient care. When we have surgical teams serving in the clinic we have to take teamwork even a few steps farther. We have our North American surgical team working alongside the clinic’s Dominican staff and the SRI ministry assistants being the bridge between the two. I have had the privilege of seeing this beautiful example of teamwork several times over the past two months and, honestly, it sometimes brings tears to my eyes. Everyone is working together with the same goal: to provide our patients with the highest level of care and love them well throughout the process. So yes, teamwork does make the dream work!

The first week of November we had an ENT surgical team from Fort Wayne, Indiana. This was the team’s first trip with Solid Rock but you never would have known it! You can tell this team works together on a daily basis which allowed them to fit in a lot of cases into their week. It was a privilege to serve alongside this team and I loved getting to hear the impact the trip had on each person.

Last week we had a GYN surgical team with members from Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The week started off a little rocky when several bags were confiscated in customs, but things always work out in the end. In my last blog I mentioned that our first GYN surgical team wasn’t able to complete their anticipated number of cases due to hurricane Fiona. Well, the unused supplies they left behind definitely came in handy! This is another perfect example of how God has a plan in and through everything. That week we also had a construction team from Northwoods Church in Peoria, Illinois. They did an awesome job cleaning up the landscaping around the guesthouse!

This past weekend the US missionary staff traveled to Santo Domingo together and Kamanda, Nicole, and I were able to attend a women’s conference at Iglesia Bautista Internacional. The theme of the conference was “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength.” It was really encouraging to be surrounded by a large group of women from multiple countries to worship together and be reminded that our joy comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus, not from things of this world. I enjoyed the extra time with Nicole and Kamanda, and for the opportunity for the missionary staff to spend some time together outside of our normal daily ministry.

I have spent a good portion of this week catching up on computer work and communication with upcoming medical/surgical teams. Surgical weeks mean some very long days for me so it feels really good to be caught back up on the things! On Monday I leave for the US for two weeks. I am glad things worked out so that I can be home for Thanksgiving…I am looking forward to spending some time with family and friends!

Prayer requests:

• Spanish
• Safe, smooth travels to and from the US
• Health and safety