A special day ~ 11.22.15

Aloha friends and family,

I hope this finds you well.

Stephanie and I have some exciting news to share...  we just got married, 11.22.15 on Kauai!

It has been quite a journey to this point.  As some of you may know we originally planned to get married Spring of 2014 but the timing ended up not being right for us.  We postponed, took on intern year together, survived and grew much closer through our tribulations, and felt the time was right.   We decided to get married on one of the Hawaiian islands as Stephanie's family has a rich history of traveling there each summer of her youth to spend time as a family.  We came here just the two of us to both have an intimate celebration of our vows as well as ample time to relax.  Due to the rigorous schedule of residency the idea of planning a larger gathering was quite daunting.  We do plan to have a celebration in Idaho after residency and appreciate all of the love, support, hugs, and kind words.  They have meant more than you realize.

Each one of you has a special place in our hearts, thank you.

Please see a few of our own phone pics below from our day (more photos to come in the next few weeks).

Much love,
Michael and Stephanie

Moments after "I do"

Just after dinner

What a smile:)  Stephanie rocking her Haku Hawaiian flower crown.

Wearing a ti leaf lei and my trusty luna sandles, yup, the same ones I ran my Timor marathon in!

Relaxing in Idaho this past summer.

A hike in the Sawtooth mountains in Idaho.

And, PS, we adopted a pug fall 2014, a rescue we named Chloe who has been a blessing in our lives.  She even goes mountain biking with us!

.

Winter/Spring 2014

Hi Dear friends and family,

It has been some time since I last wrote and in that time I spent 6 weeks in a rural village in Senegal, ran a trail 1/2 marathon with my mom, ventured down to the southwest USA, made it back to Wisconsin to attend medical school graduation, and most recently moved to Boise to where Stephanie and I will be starting our next adventure.  What follows are stories and pictures I thought worth sharing, I hope you enjoy!

Senegal:

Due to fortuitous circumstances I was able to visit my brother Patrick in Senegal for 6 weeks this past winter where he is an agro-forestry PeaceCorps volunteer in his second year.  We lived in his small hut in a rural village 28 km from the nearest road with no electricity and worked on building a mud brick house and farming when not adventuring out on foot or bike.  Our other brother Matthew was also able to join us from 2 weeks from Australia where he is living and working and it was the first time we had all been reunited in over a year and a half.  The time with both of them was amazing and I feel most grateful for it.  Pics and a story follow:

Sunrise in rural Senegal seen on a morning run.

Green mango sauce made from, you guessed it, green mangos:)  Extra special as with no knife I bit off each little chunk then spit it in the jar before we cooked it.  A lot of sugar and little salt and voila!  It was in fact, despite appearance, quite good.

Patrick's cob oven he built about to be filled with banana bread.  His village LOVES the banana bread and Patrick doles out small amounts to all his "family" (a wide network of people only loosely tied by blood).

Story:

In order to get water for cooking and bathing we had to carry buckets to either the well or, much easier, Patrick's family had recently been installed with a water tap.  One fiery hot afternoon (average afternoon temps were 100-110) we went to get water and two young girls (maybe 7-9 years old) helped us carry some of the heavy buckets back (another story, the women are so strong with such incredible balance!).  As we entered Patrick's yard a gaggle of 5 or 6 more kids joined in the parade (privacy is different, people walk into anyone's house pretty much whenever).  We had planned to give our two helpers a jolly rancher like candy in thanks but did not have enough for all the kids.  we handed one each to the two girls who promptly opened the candies, cracked them with their teeth in roughly equal pieces, and handed out the shards to all the children present.  I was astonished.  However, as I spent more time in Senegal I came to see that very different principles operate and one of these is that whatever you have, you share.  If you are about to sit down to a delicious meal you spent hours preparing and a person walks by, well, you invite them over and give them half.  And if a third person comes by, yup, they get some too.  While this seems to make it tough for any one person to rise above and get rich I also didn't see a single person I thought was homeless during my time in Senegal (in further discussion with Patrick this principle is most pronounced in the rural areas and less functional in the bigger cities).

Delicious pizza from the same oven.

Patrick and loaded bike ready to go.  We went most everywhere by bike and the 28 km from his village to the nearest sizable town took us about 2 hours at a decent pace.

Cashew fruit!  I had never seen these before despite eating many cashews.  The cashew is located in the gray/green structure on one end and needs to roasted then cracked open.  The fruit itself is delicious and we feasted on them almost daily.

With Patrick (left) and Matthew (right) heading into the local forest for a day exploring.  We found several huge african mahogany trees, saw a wild boar, and got chased by swarms of blood sucking flies.  A great day!

An interesting spike tree we found on our ride!

This is a sunset from Patrick's hut.  Apparently I failed to include any photos of myself in this section but I swear I really was there and didn't just have Patrick send me a bunch of photos. Really.

1/2 Marathon:

My mom used to walk a fair bit but had never run over 6 miles when she decided to run a half marathon with me!  We chose an event that, in retrospect, was not a great starter course (over 3000 ft of climbing on rough trails and roads) but she power hiked the ups and ran the downs like a champ.  Our whole family was and is very proud of what she is accomplishing.  Way to go mom!  The run was a blast on my end and I hope to do it again in the future.

Left - at the finish together (the mustache was an Africa-inspired edition after my beard growing adventure failed) and right - cruising down the path.

Southwest:

A dream of both mine and Stephanie's for some time had been to journey to the southwest USA to hike, camp, and explore.  This spring we were able to do so.  I ventured down first in my little truck.  My dependable little truck that never ever has problems and always... wait, what is going on, why am I losing power?!  Long story after never getting towed in my life I was towed twice in 3 days before a rough and tumble man named, I kid you not, "Biggie" in rural Utah fixed me up for good.  Car troubles aside I proceeded to hike up mountains and down slot canyons before picking up Stephanie for the second leg of the journey and checking out Zion and Grand Canyon national parks.  Epic is all I can say.  I definitely plan to return.  One fav hike was hiking up the "narrows" in Zion, the main valley narrows into a canyon where you then walk up the river in 1-2 feet of water, the walls close in to just 30-40 feet across and then shoot up 1500 plus feet.  Pics are nice but you really have to be there to fully appreciate it.  Would love to share more pics and stories on this one but time is short.  If you're planning on going I would love to share what I learned and any tips.

Wisconsin:

After initially not thinking I would be able to make it back for the official medical school graduation ceremony our plans changed, and boy was I glad they did!  Stephanie and I first stopped in Milwaukee where we had spent 6 months together and were able to visit with my grandfather George as well as Stephanie's former work colleagues from Core El Centro and many wonderful medical school fellow students and instructors.  From there we headed to Madison where we spent time with Don and Joanne Schalch, met up with more classmates, friends, and mentors and attended graduation.  I was very grateful for a chance to provide a proper closure and thank the many amazing individuals who made my time at the UWSMPH such a remarkable experience.  Thank you!

Stephanie and I at graduation!

Boise:

For those I may not have told I matched at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho located in Boise, ID.  And, in fact, I start tomorrow!  Stephanie and I are thrilled to be in Boise and were fortunate to find a great little apartment in the north close the the clinical sites I will be at as well as job opportunities for Stephanie, near the downtown, just 1.5 blocks from a co-op food store, and within a mile of a huge trail network (140 plus miles and over 4000 feet vertical right out the door!).  We are excited to have people come visit so if you are in the area or would like to come let us know!  

Our apartment is the front and center door.  We are part of a 6 unit building from the 1930's or 40's which has been renovated into apartments (and one studio).  While I would like to take credit for the functional + beautiful set up inside our home it really came from Stephanie.  Behind the building there is a communal space where we have already been able to plant a small garden with flowers, kale, tomatoes, peppers, and cabbage.

Getting up in the foothills in the early morning, Boise in the distance.

A test

When I agreed to come house/dog/cat sit for my parents while they visited my brother in Senegal I imagined cooking big feasts, long trail runs, and plenty of time to reflect on life (something in short supply for me these past 5 years).  I did not imagine that within 48 hours of beginning my duties I would find myself outside in the 37 degree weather, buck-naked, and smeared with manure.

But, before I describe how I arrived in such a pitiful state let me provide a little key background information.

(Note: Mom and dad, as of this writing everything is back to normal, the house is clean, and no serious harm has befallen any pets.)

You should know that my parents currently have two dogs, one, Lucy, is a slightly neurotic but lovable pitbull who has the nasty habit of eating cat poop.  The other, Arnold, is a massive orange mutt who smells like a dead animal and loves to rub against you whenever possible.  If you even so much as pat his head once, just once!, you will need to wash your hands.  Immediately.  Arnold is also an escape artist.  Despite an electric fence turned on full he will at times bolt through it and disappear for hours until we find him trotting along a road far from home or a neighbor calls, "umm, we have your dog."  Thus, we have had to keep him chained up during the day except for morning and evening walks.  Prior to leaving, my dad had informed me that if I kept Lucy and Arnold in a certain area of the property during their daily walk Arnold shouldn't run away.  Ample use of dog biscuits was also key to maintaining proper behaviour.

This morning dawned foggy but not raining.  Nice!  I decided to take the dogs out for their morning walk/bowel evacuation.  After a couple successful dog walks with Arnold on a leash and last night's walk without a leash I decided I had this thing figured out amd chose not to use the leash.  The dogs bounded out into the grass, frolicking, sniffing, peeing, you know, dog stuff.  Lucy went for a stick and I grabbed the other end, "snap" so much for that game.

When I turned around from playing with Lucy I realized I could not see Arnold.  No worries I told myself, I know the path he takes, down past the pond, poop in the field, up around by the garden, and back to the house.  I headed out after him with Lucy in tow.  He wasn't in his favorite poop spot, he wasn't by the pond, and he wasn't by the spot my dad had warned me that he likes to run through the fence...  Excrement!  I had been fooled by a shaggy smelly dog!  He let me think he would play by the rules the night prior while he was really just plotting his morning escape the following day!  Blast!

I changed into warmer clothes, locked Lucy in the house so she wouldn't run off too, grabbed my bike, and headed out in pursuit.  In the distance I could heard screeching chickens... I circumnavigated our property on the roads and also went down side streets in the zone I thought him most likely to have left.  Nothing.  Over by the chickens, also no sign, it appears the chickens were just screeching because, well, I actually have no idea, maybe they like doing it.

Heading home, dejected, I could imagine Arnold run over by a car somewhere, gasping his last breaths on the side of the road.  And my father's disapointed look, "son, you shouldn't have let him out of your sight."  These thoughts bouncing around my head I entered the side door of the house and immediately noticed something amiss.  Lucy was coming down the stairs from my room.  She was not sitting in her little bed by the door where she is supposed to be at all times when inside.  Uh oh.  Lucy gave me a guilty look and padded down the hall back to her bed.  That's when I noticed it.  I had left the laundry room door open more than 6 inches.  Normally just open a slit for the cats to get in/out in order to eat/drink/use the cat litter box I had left it open after getting dog biscuits prior to the walk and forgot to close it before heading out after Arnold.  I entered with trepidation...  To find disaster: cat litter covered the floor, along with bits of missed cat poop that Lucy had failed to eat.  She had also torn open the bag of poop I had collected the day prior, eaten most of the contents before leaving it flayed open on the floor.  To cap it off, the cat's food bowls were empty.  I was devastated.  As I cleaned up poop and cat litter dark thoughts of harming dogs floated through my head.  However, after plenty of time cleaning to calm down some, I came to the conclusion that dogs are like young children and any punishment at this point would not be linked back to the original misdeed.

Then it came time to wait.  Arnold could be anywhere on the island by now but from past exploits he was probably within a few miles.  The question though was which direction.  Usually, in the past, he would tire of his freedom eventually and show up on someone's doorstep acting all cute (but still smelly) and they would see his tags and call our house.  Thus, though I wanted to hunt him down, I knew I had to play it cool and let him decide to call it quits.  Sure enough, 5 hours later the phone rang, "hi, this is Linda, I think I have your dog...  and he kind of smells."

When I pulled into Linda's yard off Taylor avenue there was Arnold, with a huge grin on his face.  "I bet you're loving this," I muttered under my breath as I popped out of the truck, leash in hand.  "He's really smelly" Linda commented, "I think he might have rolled in something..."
"Yup, he's a smelly one all right, that smell is actually normal for him."
And then it hit me, a tidal wave of foul odor above and beyond even Arnold's normal pungent concoction.  "Dear Lord, that is foul, Arnold what did you do?!"
"I think it might be horse manure," Linda added.  Now that she mentioned it, that might be it, horse manure combined with natural Arnold scent for a toxic ultimate knock-out scent.  I apologized profusely for the entire incident, got Arnold in the back of the truck, and headed for home.

During the ride home I debated my next course of action.  I didn't want anything more to do with Arnold but with a stench that strong even chained up he would infect the entire garage.  Slowly, the realization dawned on me...  he needed a bath.  And I was the person who had to give said bath.  The temperature being in the mid-30s I debated how best to go about this.  In the end I decided my best course of action, though risky, was to quickly get him into the shower above the garage and wash him naked.  If I did it outside any clothes I had on would be destroyed.  I stripped naked inside, then headed back out to do battle.  "Alright Arnold, no more funny business, it's bath time - bring it!"  I let him out of the truck, smear, a combination of manure and dirt was rubbed onto arm and leg.  Somehow, naked and barefoot, I managed to hold onto his collar and get him out of the truck, through the garage, and into the shower with the glass door shut without him shaking liquid around or smearing anything except me.  As I directed the shower's spray into his thick fur, streams of dark green/brown water poured off his body and a holy stench rose up.  I fought back with gobs of Bali Mango shampoo until I was able to once again breath through my nose without gagging.

Bath finished I realized my rookie error.  I had left the towel outside and not hung on the top.  I tried to slip out of the shower door quickly to get it but Arnold fought past me and got in one huge shake - water flew everywhere - before I lunged and tackled him with the towel.  The big hurdle accomplished  and flush with success I then washed Lucy for good measure.  She was not pleased.

Lessons learned:
1) Arnold is not to be trusted.  No matter how much he gives me the big old deer eyes of innocence.
2) Horse manure + mud + Arnold scent + unknown compounds = possible terrorism weapon.  Avoid if at all possible.
3) If you cannot avoid #2 apply liberal hot water and Bali mango shampoo and hope for the best.
4) Never, never, never! leave the laundry door open, no matter what.  Even if you think you'll be right back in, well, you just might not.
5) Despite all the challenges of the day, well, I still do love these two dogs.  I even gave them dinner after promising myself they would not eat for 3 days.  I wonder if the whole experience was a lesson to prepare me for kids one day?  These dogs made me want to tear my hair out today but after it was all over, when they made their happy dog faces at me, well, the anger just melted away.  Any thoughts parents?

Ok, until next time!
michael

2013 - Thoughts

At Crater Lake November 2013 

Since returning from Timor life has been busy.  Both Stephanie and I think often of Timor and miss the people we grew to care for there.  One exciting recent piece of news came from Lourenco (Lorenzo), the young Timorese man who took over the community health project upon our departure.  Lourenco informed me via email that the team recently held a community health worker training.  This is something that we had hoped to achieve but had run out of time and in all honesty I had my doubts as to whether it would come to fruition, but it has!

Our final days in Timor were a whirlwind.  Spending time with friends, training Lourenco to take over the project, and then the day before we were to leave Stephanie and I each ran a ½ marathon and marathon respectively.  The Timorese government had taken over the organization of the event in the final month and unfortunately they did not have much time to prepare.  Thus, there was little water to be had on the course and no food.  I ran in my thin Luna sandals which had been fine on the trails I regularly ran on but over 26.2 miles of flat pavement my legs and feet got very beat up.  Oh, and it also poured the majority of the race!  This led to increased friction with my clothing and for the first time in my life I experienced severe nipple and inner thigh chaffage – ouch!

Home stretch!  Most of the second lap they had let traffic back on the streets - nice!

Despite these challenges both Stephanie and I finished – nice!  Our post-race high was briefly deflated after we sat with sore legs for 3 hours in the Dili airport only to learn our flight to Bali had been canceled due to the rain. Doh!  Fortunately our amazing landlady Rosalia allowed us to return for one more night and made us some amazing food to bootJ  Our second go the next day was successful but meant we had only 1.5 hours to make our connecting flight in Bali.  This required us to literally run through the airport to make it, as in Bali they make you check out and then check back in with each arrival.  Being a day after our race this was quite painful on the legs but the fear of missing our trans-pacific connection spurred us onwards.  We made it:)

Stephanie and I with the race director.  They seemed very keen on taking a photo with us after the race.  I think they just wanted a photo with some sweaty malae (foreigners) for future publicity but who knows:)
 

Eventually we made it back to the good ‘ol USA and had several days to spend with each of our families before heading out to Wisconsin.  From July 4^th – November 15^th we lived and worked in Milwaukee, me finishing up medical school and Stephanie working at Core/El Centro, a not for profit, bilingual (Spanish and English) wellness center in Southside Milwaukee.  Stephanie was the children’s wellness coordinator and was in charge of educating and caring for children of parents who came to participate in the center’s various classes (yoga, zumba, etc.) all offered on a sliding scale and taught bilingually thus allowing lower income families to enhance their wellbeing with modalities normally not available to them due to financial, linguistic, and child care barriers.  A highlight for me was attending the Wisconsin Bicycle Summit in Madison with my bike project promotion teammates Tatiana, Alejandro and Dr. Waters and seeing their excitement about the future possibilities for how bicycles can impact the health and wellness of the people of Southside Milwaukee!

Stephanie with some of the kids she worked with at Core/El Centro.  I volunteered a couple of times and was very impressed with Stephanie's control of the group!  Key activity?  Freeze tag until the kids dropped from exhaustion:)

Southside Bicycle Team in Madison at the Summit.  L-R: Tatiana, Dr. Waters, myself, and Alejandro

On November 15^th Stephanie and I finished packing our possessions into my 87 Mazda truck and began our journey driving across the country.  

On the road in the Mazda!  Fully loaded we did ok on the flats but on a few mountain passes we got down to 35 MPH or so - worse than the semi-trucks!

Wide open lands in Dakota.

I had started my medical school journey by driving out to the midwest and the return journey back west was a beautiful and grounding way to draw my experience to a close.  We do not know the paths we do not take but I could not be more pleased with the education I received over the past 4.5 years at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.  The gut feeling I had before starting in Wisconsin, that the UWSMPH would be a place filled with people who would help me to become a compassionate and well-rounded physician, proved true.  I am extremely grateful to many individuals associated with the UWSMPH.  Thank you.  I am also grateful to my parents Dick and Julia Wauters and the numerous other family, friends, and mentors who have supported me along the way - thank you!!!

Arriving back on the west coast I did have one final month’s rotation in Klamath Falls Oregon in order to check out their program as a possibility for residency.  The month was a blast and I would be happy to end up in Kfalls!

Atop Moore Mountain in Kfalls during a trail run.  27 miles of uninterrupted single-track just minutes from town!

On December 20^th 2013 I officially completed my medical school education – woohoo!

Currently Stephanie and I are in Portland for the holidays with Stephanie’s family.  We have several residency interviews to complete over the next couple of weeks and then must decide how to rank our choices.  The programs also rank the applicants they have interviewed and then both parties submit their rank lists to a central computer that uses an algorithm to match applicants with programs.  We will find out where we are going on March 21^st  (Match Day) when results are released across the nation.  I got myself quite worked up about where to go for medical school and I am thus endeavoring to take a more relaxed approach in this next stepJ

I read several books in 2013 that impacted me in a big way and would like to share:

1) Born to Run (Christopher McDougal) – Convinced me to switch to a different foot strike and to use more minimal shoes (and sometimes run barefoot!).  In the past I would have knee pain running anything over an hour but now can run for close to 4 hours and I am training to do a 50-mile trail ultramarathon!  The feeling I sometimes get out on the trails, completely in the moment and alive, body moving fluidly and swiftly through beautiful terrain, gives me chills and has me going back time after time.  Today was one of those days.

On an 11 mile trail run today with the sun beaming down between massive trees.   Amazing!

2) The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle) – A very interesting book focusing more on the spiritual aspects of life that has me attempting my utmost to live in, and enjoy, the present moment.  Huge impact and my go-to reading now when I am struggling.

3) Eat to Live (Joel Fuhrman) and In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan) – Both rocked my world.  I am not sure how this information is not emphasized in medical school but I am glad to be finding it now.  I think if the ideas found within these books were followed we would see perhaps only 5% of the current hospital admissions.  I have personally been endeavoring to incorporate more vegetables, fruit, beans and whole grains in my diet and have never felt better!

Well, that’s all that comes to mind for now, thanks for reading and please do write!

Happy New Year,

Michael and Stephanie

Finish Line

Hello!

At a party to celebrate Stephanie's family visiting in May and
our engagement!

It has been months since we last wrote about our work here.  This is not because we had nothing to write about, quite the contrary in fact!  We were just too busy to make a decent post.  The following will attempt to fill in the gaps but we look forward to catching up soon in person or by phone when we are back stateside.

Speaking of which, tomorrow we wake at 5am to run the Dili marathon then immediately board a plane heading home.  Thank you to all of you who have supported us and kept us in your thoughts during this journey!

Community Health Project

Now, back to the project followed by several other stories.  As you have probably long forgotten by now our main project while in Timor was to reformat, improve, and expand Bairo Pite’s mobile clinic program.  What follows is a summary of the work we have been engaged in that I wrote for a different purpose:

Community visit in Osolia, a remote community in the interior
of Timor Leste.

“The Bairo Pite Hospital Community Health Program has undergone significant change over the past 6 months.  For many years it operated as a pure mobile clinic, visiting 11 sites spread throughout Dili and Bobonaro Districts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with a team consisting of a driver, Timorese nurse (who provides consultations), Timorese volunteer (to register patients and hand out medications), a foreign doctor or medical student, and a Timorese volunteer translator.  Patient volume depended on site and season but averaged 10-30 people.  Very ill individuals would be brought back to Bairo Pite for more definitive management.  In three communities Bairo Pite employed Tuberculosis monitors to facilitate detection and treatment compliance concerning this disease.  While the mobile clinics were held in high regard by participating communities it was felt the program could be improved upon.

The new program was instigated in order to re-focus the visits in a more prevention-oriented direction and to empower communities to take charge of their own wellbeing.  The first major change was to create a program coordinator position.  The prior mobile clinics were managed by a number of clinic staff with other responsibilities while the new position is dedicated entirely to the community health program.   

Each site visit now commences with community education on topics such as hygiene, nutrition, diarrhea/dehydration, tuberculosis, malaria and more.  Education is delivered by three program staff each teaching a separate small group and is designed in this manner to maximize community participation.  With the focus now on prevention the team now visits communities only once per month instead of weekly but will send an emergency vehicle when the need arises.  After education, consults are carried out as normal with the one change being that visiting medical student are no longer allowed to conduct consults on their own and may only assist the Timorese clinical nurse or visiting doctors.

Several changes have evolved from the intent to build a stronger partnership between Bairo Pite and participating communities.  Key contacts were identified early on and include village leaders, teachers, as well as other community members.  Coordinating with these individuals has been invaluable in organizing one of the more exciting aspects of the new program, identification and training of community health workers and lay midwives at each site.  The curriculum is currently being finalized and communities have been guided through how to choose individuals for training.  The CHWs and midwives will provide community education, deal with minor health issues, help identify and triage ill patients (for example malnutrition and TB), conduct home deliveries (midwives), and coordinate with both Bairo Pite and local government health facilities to meet the needs of their respective communities.  This aspect of the program is in the initial stages of implementation but holds great promise for the improvement of community wellbeing.

Lastly, in the overall evaluation of sites visited several communities were determined to have quite good access to health services.  The goal of the Bairo Pite Hospital community health program is to serve those communities most remote, most in need, and most willing to engage in a productive partnership.  Thus, so far, one site has been discontinued and one new site in the Bobonaro District has been opened.  The current total of communities visited by the program stands again at 11 but will likely drop to 9 or 10 in the coming months.”

In addition to the above work we also traveled to and evaluated two remote communities in the interior of the country for potential collaboration.  These sites were indeed remote; one being over 8 hours from Dili much over atrocious roads that at times become impassable due to heavy rains causing flooding.  These communities were also facing many health challenges.  For example, in one site in a population of 1,300 they lost 9 children to diarrhea/dehydration in 2012 and 11 women to child-birth complications over the two year span of 2011-2012.  We determined that the most useful contribution we could make being so far away was to empower the communities and assist in the prevention of disease by assisting the communities to vote on community health workers and lay midwives who we would then train. 

We returned to both sites and helped facilitate the selection process (for choosing the midwife students only women were allowed to vote but men kept trying to butt in – we had to eventually tell the men to sit down and shut it or they would have to leave!)  The first two lay midwives have almost completed their intensive 3-month training course at Bairo Pite (one week left as I write this!) where they will have participated in close to 300 deliveries by the end of their training. 

Voting for the community health worker trainees in Osolia.

Training CHWs in Osolia with good old chalk and chalkboard!

Adese with Professor Marcelo the community
leader who petitioned for assistance
to improve the health of his people.

For the training of the community health workers we developed a curriculum based off the book “Where There Is No Doctor,” work by Partners In Health, and other sources.  I traveled to one of the sites with a Timorese colleague, Adese, to conduct a 4 day training for two health workers in late May.  The road had become impassable due to heavy rains causing small land slides to deposit boulders in the road and we thus had to hike in the final 6km with our gear.  And of course it rained:)  Future trainings are being planned as additional communities select individuals for training.

While sad to depart we leave the program in good hands as our dear friend and colleague Lourenco (previously misspelled as Lorenzo) has been selected as the new coordinator of the program – we are very proud and excited for him!

Professor Marcelo and his wife in their home
with a breakfast they got up at 2am to spend
2 hours preparing so we could eat at 4am and
start walking out at 5am in order to catch the bus
in the distant town.  Thank you.

           

Yoga!

Stephanie’s yoga truly blossomed in Timor.  She taught a total of 42 classes, creating a new theme each week complete with quotes and moves to reflect the topic.  Her classes were extremely well attended and a few times people had to be turned away!  I was able to attend as well on an almost weekly basis and know it helped keep me centered and rejuvenated my stores of empathy.

Perhaps even more exciting, a goal since coming to Timor, was Stephanie teaching yoga to Bairo Pite Clinic staff!  She taught 5 classes with 3-6 students per time and after each class the students emerged refreshed and glowing.  Stephanie was grateful to share the power of yoga and see how it affected their lives – many students espoused the desire to continue practicing in the future as it made them breathe easier and feel better.

Stephanie teaching yoga at the clinic!

Community

Timor has astounding natural beauty but the true riches as we came to see lie in its people.  The warmth and kindness we experienced from our Timorese friends and colleagues was unlike anything either of us had previously encountered.

Stephanie leading a yoga session at the home of a good friend
from the clinic.  Yolanda's (our friend) kids got a hold of the
yoga magazine stephanie had brought for Yolanda and started
flipping through imitating the poses as best they could.  Stephanie
eventually joined in to provide some guidance:)

My "host mom" during my week in Osolia making a Tais.

Close up view.  I later purchased a completed tais from her and she
gave me a different one at no charge for  helping the community.

Walk with kids

We took numerous walks and hikes all around our community.  One of our favorite destinations was an old semi-abandoned road leading up into the mountains.  We hiked it so many times that the local children came to know us well and would accompany us on our adventures.  On our final hike we attracted a group that numbered 20-30 strong and at several points they all burst into song in unison.  It was moving and beautiful experience.  They joy of children and their ability to be fully present in each moment is remarkable and something we are working on incorporating more into our own lives.

Walking up the hill, hand in hand with singing children.  They seem to like Stephanie more:)

Mana Lou

During our final week we finally made a long awaited trip up into the mountains surrounding Dili to meet Sister Lourdes, aka Mana Lou.  Called a modern day Mother Teresa for her work in Timor she strives to improve the lives of those with less.  From healthcare (she was an original and continues to be an avid supporter of Bairo Pite), to farming, to business she works to empower her fellow country-women and men.  All are welcome to join her cause and her popularity among the common people for a time engendered fear amongst the ruling elite that she had politicial aim.  She told them this was ludicrous and since that time has formed working relationships with the president and prime minister.  When the Ministry of Health (MOH) wanted to shut Bairo Pite Clinic in 2007 she met with both the president and prime minister, explained her side, and in the end the an agreement was made where the MOH would provide the clinic with a $15,000 per month operating budget that continues to this day!

Us with Mana Lou in her flower garden, one of many small businesses she has started.

We expected to see Mana Lou briefly and thank her but were pleasantly surprised to find Lourenco (a former student of hers) had told her about our work at Bairo Pite and Mana Lou took over an hour on two occasions during our stay to talk with us, ask us about our lives, and explain her work.  An inspiring woman indeed, we hope to support her cause in the future.

Goodbye

The day before we left we received certificates of appreciation as well as hand-woven “tais,” traditional weavings of great cultural significance. Saying goodbye was difficult but this reflected to us just how important our new friendships had become.  The question everyone posed to us was, "when will you return?"  We do not yet know what the next few years will bring but we most definitely plan to return.  Our experience in Timor has been pivotal for us professionally but just as importantly, if not more importantly, it has helped create the foundation of our partnership together.

Receiving Tais with our friend Lourenco.  

Timor Fun

Hi folks.  We, that being Stephanie and I, realized we have been sending out mostly intense medical/project oriented blogs.  This is a big part of our time here to be sure but there have been countless magical moments that don’t fit into that category.  This blog (and perhaps a few more soon to come) will try to fill that gap.  We hope you enjoy:)

Relaxing with friends at Bairo Pite Clinic.

Children!

Hanging out in Dili.  Umbrella not for rain.

There are lots of children around in Timor and they delight in informing us of our status as foreigners.  Or maybe it’s just their way of saying hi.  Shouts of “malae” (roughly translated as foreigner) accompany us virtually wherever we go.  Even children small enough to be barely walking seem to have figured out this charming game and squeak out, “malae-malae-malae-malae” with machine-gun rapidity as we pass.

1-2-3 Jump!  Stephanie gets some sick vertical!

We often visit the local park where I like to do pull-ups on the monkey bars and the kids like to attempt them or count for me.  We also chase the kids all over the play structure (their favorite game).  Sometimes things get rough and we have to lay down the law.  “Stop hitting each other in the head or we will go home” usually does the trick. 

Swinging around after a big rain!

up...

...and down, jumping "rope" with a rope made entirely of
rubber bands!

The local neighborhood girls have taken to Stephanie like white on rice and whenever we show up they flock to her.  She has taught them a few basic yoga moves which was a huge hit and quite a sight to see - kids wobbling into kids, smiles all over:)  When sometimes I go alone to the park the first words I hear are usually, “Stephanie, iha nebee?” – “Where is Stephanie?”  Her “fan club” has grown to such proportions that now when we go for neighborhood walks we invariably hear shouts of “Stephanie” (pronounced Stefan-yah) from all directions.  It’s great:)

Running

Stephanie running up a dry riverbed near our home.

Prior to traveling to Timor I read the book “Born to Run” which Stephanie also read soon after our arrival.  We were both inspired.  I consider it one of the most inspiring and life-changing books I have ever read.  It combines an adventure tale with very plausible argument that humans were designed to run – and to do so bare-foot or in very minimal footwear.  At the time of reading I had been suffering a nagging knee pain whenever I ran more than 30 minutes or so.  Switching to minimal footwear has been a slow road but in Timor, after months of building up previously neglected muscles in my feet and lower legs, I have been able to run for over 2 hours straight, up and down mountains, with no pain.  None.  It’s amazing!  To say I am a convert is a massive understatement:)

Stephanie and I go running several times per week currently.  Usually we choose early morning (6-7am range) to beat the heat.  It’s early but we’ve seen more amazing sunrises here than I think I’ve seen in all my life prior!

Running with a group of local kids on the same riverbed -
kids here just love to run!

At present we are training for the Dili ½ and full marathon, which is scheduled for June 22^nd – the day we fly out!  We had been planning on doing the event for months and when we found out they had scheduled the race later than ever and on our departure date we were heart-broken.  Examining event and flight times though we realized we could still fit it in, barely.  The plan is to pass the finish line and keep going, have our place already cleaned and stuff packed and go straight for the airport!  Hopefully our legs don’t cramp too bad being stuck on the plane:)

Look at that smile:)

On a morning run looking at the sunrise over the mountains
east of Dili.

Sunrise from a run along the coast - it never gets old I tell you!

Beach Escapes

A conch shell I found and later gave to the local co-op that
ran the huts we stayed in.  The water's clarity was unreal
around Jaco Island.

Twice now we have had the opportunity to escape the scorching, humid confines of Dili for idyllic ocean-side escapes.  Our first adventure took place a couple months back but we never managed to post anything about it.  We traveled to Jaco Island, located on the easternmost tip of Timor.  The beaches are pristine and the snorkeling (or scuba diving if you do it) is phenomenal.  The area is part of what is known as the coral triangle, a zone known to contain arguably the worlds most diverse coral reef system in the world.

Boats on the beach at Atauro island. 

Our second trip was more recent and out to an island called Atauro 3 hours north of Dili by boat.  We hiked, snorkeled, swam, ate, read and recharged our batteries as much as possible before heading back to Dili.

Stephanie by a mangrove tree wearing a traditional sarong skirt.  Such a nice smile:)

A cave we were guided to near Jaco Island (but on the mainland).
This and other similar caves were reportedly used as hideouts
for Timorese resistance fighters during the Indonesian occupation.

Stephanie in the hut we stayed at while
visiting Jaco Island.

Sunrise from a sea cave near Jaco Island.

Lidia

One of the roles Stephanie has taken on at the clinic is assisting in the pediatric malnutrition ward by helping to engage the children in play.  Malnutrition causes children to become listless and apathetic and encouraging play is an important part of their treatment plan.  

Stephanie and Lidia at the park

The main staff member of the ward is a young woman named Lidia.  Essentially a volunteer herself, she is paid a minimal wage (to cover transportation costs), but despite this her dedication and care is superb.  Lidia and Stephanie hit it off from the beginning and when Lidia informed us she is studying English with the hope of earning a scholarship to study abroad and hopefully become a doctor one day Stephanie began to work with her to improve her English.  Their friendship has blossomed and Lidia recently invited us to visit her family at their home and share a meal! 

At Lidia's home with her parents and a feast of traditional
Timorese foods!

Rosalia

Stephanie and Rosalia in the courtyard outside
our apartment.

Our land-lady is a Timorese woman named Rosalia.  However, the word land-lady does not do the relationship justice as she has essentially become a second mother to us both.  From bringing us little treats (fried tempe, bean soup, bananas), to sweeping our little porch, to greeting us with excitement and smile, to offering to teach Stephanie how to cook regional food she has been a true blessing in our lives here.

Super Shopper!

Yesterday, Saturday here in Timor, was our shopping adventure day.  We had a long list of items both for an upcoming overnight community health trip (bedding, pads, mosquito nets etc.) and a future community health worker training (more on both of those in a future project related blog).  We managed to find all our items after roughly 5 hours of searching but then realized, “how the heck are we going to get all this home on our bikes?”  The answer, in part, can be seen below:)

I am not sure whether it was the mosquito nets
strapped to my back or the fact that we generally
stick out like sore thumbs but it felt to me like
there were an awful lot of people staring at us as
we rode home from the store. 

Lorenzo’s Birthday

Lorenzo, for those who may not remember, is the Timorese young man who has been invaluable in helping move our project forward.  We attended a triple birthday (including his) last weekend.  Through Lorenzo we have come to know most of the members of his house and it was exciting to be a part of their special day.  After singing happy birthday in portuguese (birthdays have little meaning in traditional Timorese culture and there is no song for them) we all feasted on fish, rice, local greens, banana juice and pumpkin flan - yum! 

Party time!