As I start another mission this is just a reminder that this blog serves as my journal so while this "pre-departure" blog entry and is truly just the "backstory" it is my story I want to remember.
Tonight I leave for Porto Velho Brazil & since this is my "Mission journal" here is "the backstory" On Feb 13th while we were up in Utah I received an email from the Operation Smile volunteer coordinator with the following message: I just received a program request for you specifically and I wanted to share. Here’s the information: Location: Porto Velho, Brazil Arrival/Departure Dates: April 2 – 8, 2024 (does not include travel time) Program: Champion – with a 4 table, 40 patient objective Role: PACU Nurse. followed with - let me know your thoughts and if you are interested/available!
I looked at my calendar which at times can be a lil crazy, contacted my boss at CHOC to see if she would approve the time off and less than an hour later replied YES I can absolutely go- please put me down as a PACU nurse & Thank You for this opportunity! 30 min later I was "officially confirmed" and honestly had no idea where exactly I was going. I started looking at flights which seemed a bit rough as getting into Porto Velho which is in the northern part of Brazil near the Amazon is a one flight a day option but figured it would all get sorted out & soon I started getting flight info from Op Smile that was not ideal but I figured I would "make it work". I would sort it out. About a week later I went back to those emails & sent another email reply to the one that said they requested me specifically - asking if it was me for this mission, me as an educator or me Nancy Kraus specifically cause this was a new approach that I was curious about :) The coordinator replied - it was the Champions Team & it was you specifically...when she said that I thought Awww that makes me feel like I am really meant to be on this team. Mind you I didn't read the details that it was a "Champion Mission" meaning that we do a lot of training I was just glad the dates "fit in" with my work & family life. The next day I searched flight options on Google flights & other sites & they all looked like 32 hour flights both ways unless I changed airports in Brazil? & that I had to "overfly" Porto Velho by about 3 hours & then fly back into that airport. In my mind it was like flying to NYC to then backtrack to Texas the next day. The next day the Op Smile Travel team sent me flight options & none were ideal but I picked the one they selected that got me in when I needed. Unfortunately it had a 16 hour layover in the BSB airport but I was determined I would be okay.
March 16th (2 weeks ago) I sent an email to some friends & family letting them know I would be going on my next mission leaving on Easter Sunday morning. I had also already reached out to the local church leaders there letting them know I was coming & hoping I could connect with them while I was there to help local families with needs. Clearly I sent WAY TOO LONG of an email and didn't translate it to Portuguese & the reply I got was probably as confusing as the email I sent because Pres. Rocha the local church leader thought I was already in the country, that I personally was coming to do surgeries & he very quickly was was going to set up the church, get me resources & even said "Please call & we will even pick you up at the airport and if it is expensive you can stay at our house it will be a good experience. Thank you for your willingness to help the people in this part of the Lord's vineyard" My heart melted & I quickly sent a clarifying reply in Portuguese using Google translate.
Last Saturday March 23rd I received the 1st team packet & noticed 2 things. First on the team list the "Op Smile Champion Program Director" is Ambra who is an amazing young lady I have been on a few missions with & that made sense as to "who would have requested me" I am excited to work with her again The 2nd thing I noticed was that the "mission" education & training didn't actually start until April 3rd so now I had a 6 hour layover, another 6 hour layover, and a full day before the mission. So while I could maybe take a local tour in Porto Velho it seemed like a lot of time "pre mission" I had a very sleepless night with a lot of anxiety about all of this which is not my norm. So on Sunday I looked at other flight options & sent an email to the Op Smile Travel Dept. & this missions team leaders saying I noticed the new schedule & I accepted the flights I was given thinking I needed to be there by April 2nd but now it looked like it was April 3rd & I was wondering about perhaps changing my flights & sent them a few options that had me leaving today Mon April 1st mid day thru Houston or tonight more direct LAX to Lima Peru. I understood that there may be a flight change expense. I just prayed that something would work out to alleviate my intense anxiety.
Last Monday morning I awoke to an email saying that they would change my flights to either of those & asking which flight I preferred. Yet again it was a reminder that God is in the details of our lives - even travel details! And the flight changes were approved by Op Smile Brazil with no flight change fees to me. My anxiety was immediately relieved - I am taking a more direct flight leaving tonight LAX to Lima - 90 min between flights then Lima to Sao Paulo- a 6 hour layover there to exchange money eat & then get on my last flight to Porto Velho arriving at 1 am & the hotel is 15 min away & the education day starts at 9 am - very workable!!! SO last Monday flights were changed! Plus I was home and off work from Good Friday thru Easter Sunday, and able to get packed, go out to dinner with Doug, go to church celebrate Easter with friends & facetime family and enjoy Holy Week.
I am tying up a few loose ends at work for a few hours and a dear friend is taking me to LAX tonight (because Doug was already scheduled for a couple days in Utah since I was supposed to be gone!) I have had more email & WhatsApp communication with Pres. Rocha & sent him my schedule so I am looking forward to meeting him & helping with humanitarian needs in Porto Velho. I an excited to be to teaching nurses in Brazil & helping them learn the international recovery room standards in order to be self sustaining in doing small missions without the needs for international volunteers. I am looking forward to meeting this team. Since it is a "Champion Mission: there are only 5-6 international volunteers - myself & an OR nurse from the USA, one from Canada & some physicians from other parts of South America. I know it will be a wonderful experience & my focus is always on the children's lives we will change with these surgeries & their sweet parents & families. I am READY and I always feel that I end up going where I am supposed to be on these missions & there are no coincidences in where I am sent or who I interact with. Looking forward to seeing how the next 9 days unfold! I am immensely GRATEFUL for the kindness, generosity, prayers & support from family and friends. I feel that support and take it with me on each mission as we "do good together " & I am just the one who does the travel :)
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