Puerto Rico San Juan

On September 14, 2013 I received my call to serve as a Mission Nurse Specialist in the Puerto Rico San Juan Mission for a period of 18 months. I am always up for a new adventure and look forward to sharing my journey with you.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Medical Missionary Training - 3 days down.....1 to go!

   Taking time to catch up...was chastised by a friend for not keeping up :o)  First of all, our lunches this week are not provided by BYU.....rather, it has been Zupas, Cafe Rio, etc.  A different menu each day....show up at class, place the order and eat yummy food at lunch!
    On Sunday, the 19th, our Relief Society speaker was Sister Rosemary M. Wixom, General Primary President.  She highlighted 3 points: Trust in Him (Let go of our will and seek to do His), Jesus Christ is our strength and our song, and Our salvation is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ (When we do the will of Jesus Christ, we have access to the atonement).  After lunch, we came back to our rooms and returned later to the MTC for dinner and the Devotional.  Sister Sheri Dew was our speaker.  She encouraged us to think about this time of focus in our lives.  We have one purpose - to change the world.  
    Monday was the beginning of the Medical phase of our training which concludes tomorrow.  We have had training on the Missionary Medical website which is, truly, nursing school in a box and on steroids.  It is an amazing resource. Six of us ventured out to Outback for dinner in the evening.
    Yesterday was focused on Disease Prevention and Management.  Today was additional computer training as well as Nurse Specialist training.  Tomorrow will finish up with Mental Health issues and Magnifying our missionary callings.  I am so impressed with the great efforts of the Church to keep the missionaries safe and healthy.  We have many resources available to teach re: safe drinking water and food as well as management of illness/injuries.  There are numerous power point presentations prepared to be presented at Zone Conferences, etc.       Nurses have Area Medical Advisors (MD's) and Area Mental Health Advisors readily available and there are physicians of numerous specialties available on-call in SLC.  Additionally, there is technology which allows transmission of CT, MRI, etc for consultation from the mission to SLC.  Eventually, many outlying areas will be provided with smart phones and/or I Pads so photos may be taken of injuries, rashes, etc. for evaluation by medical professionals miles away.
   I am so blessed with this opportunity for growth and adventure.  Since we will finish up early tomorrow, Sister Steadman and I plan to see the movie Saratov Approach.  Then, it will be a short night for me as the shuttle will pick me up at 2:30am on Friday to catch a 6:15am flight to San Juan - arriving at 7:15 pm.  I will try to update y'all over the weekend from sunny Puerto Rico - a vast temperature change from the teens and 20's in Provo....no new snow though!

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