Hello from Linda Ochterbeck

Greetings from Belize. Thought I'd write to tell you all about the incredible experiences we are having here in Belize at the Roaring Creek mission in Belmopan, Belize.

My first impression of Belize is that we have no poverty in the U.S. as compared to Belize. There is massive unemployment opportunity, lack of medical care, poor sanitation, drugs, alcohol abuse, dog fighting, abuse of women and children, and I could go on. The people we have met, however, have been wonderful, grateful, kind and sincere.

This is a very matriarchal society---in clinic we have seen many families, usually consisting of grandmother, mother, and usually several children. We have seen very few men in the clinic.
Most of the mothers in Belize breast feed--which is a good thing, because most people don't have enough money for formula, and the water would most likely be contaminated. The mothers of Belize would make excellent lactation consultants.

Today was our second day in the clinic---people do not make appointments--they just show up.
Many of the cases we have seen have included pregnant women, we've done lots of ultrasounds and listened to fetal heart tones and seen baby's miraculous heart beating on the ultrasound. One thing I've noticed about the mothers of Belize is how universal a mother's love is for a child.
We have requested our patients to allow us to take pictures, and they always have responded with an enthusiastic "yes"--and they proceed to straighten the baby's clothes, smooth his hair, and wipe his face. The children of Belize are absolutely beautiful, also very kind, polite, and well-mannered.

Other cases we have treated include intestinal parasites, rashes, fungal infections, urinary tract infections, cellulitis of an abscessed leg wound, impetigo, diabetes, and miscellaneous "cough due to cold", well baby checks, and much more. The people we have seen have been profoundly grateful for the care they are given.

Our UAMS students here in Belize have been absolutely INCREDIBLE. The faculty here, including Susan Ritchie, Dona Dorman, and myself have been so proud of all of them. The rest of the UAMS faculty should also be proud--they have shown initiative, done excellent assessments, made many recommendations re: treatment, presented their patients to the faculty for our supervision, and handled the challenges of providing medical care in a third world country with professionalism and grace.

Have I told you it's hot here? And it's not a "dry heat?" All of us are doing amazing well with the heat, and staying well hydrated.

We have also had many incredible "off duty" adventures, which I'm sure you've read about in the student blogs....horseback riding in the Belizean rainforest, a visit to a beautiful Mennonite settlement, and had ice cream there at a store which was AIR CONDITIONED, we all thought we had died and went to heaven. Today we went to a local outdoor marked, where we shopped for vegetables, which we are craving, and also bought some clothes and toys for the children. Many of the children here do not have shoes, and thus develop intestinal parasites, such as pinworms. The mothers of Belize routinely "worm their children" once every six months.

We are experiencing culture shock, but every day gets easier and better in every way.

God bless all of you, and a huge thanks to UAMS for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students, and our faculty.