Wednesday-Friday. Reflections on Work.

Work-wise, there's very little to report between the arrival of the wheelchairs on Tuesday and the subsequent 3 days of building. Being able to go along on the pre-evaluations was a new and eye-opening experience. Having no medical background myself, I had the opportunity not only to visit our potential wheelchair recipients, but also to sit back and watch Lisa and Staci and Irina do what *they* knew how to do.

The girls took time to explain things that they were noticing and what those things meant to the recipient up to this point, and moving forward in regard to their ability to use a wheelchair. There was one girl- 14 with Cerebral Palsy- whose whole body was tense and arched backward in what I've learned to be termed "extensor posturing". Think of a really good stretch, arch your back and drop your head to extend your neck. Pushing your shoulders back to feel a stretch in your ribs and chest and neck muscles.

Then imagine being like that all the time.

Lisa knew the right places to hold her on the back, the neck, and under the knees to cradle her and relax all of those muscles. The girl just melted down into a sitting position. It was amazing.

There is a whole additional level to the work done by FWM- things we can do to be of additional help. Things that, even if we aren't around to do them, will improve the lives of many just by bearing in mind that the facts exist and are true.

I am glad to be learning- but by Tuesday, I was also ready for the chairs to arrive. Then I would get to do what *I* was good at. Make my contribution by teaching and building and troubleshooting...

By day 2 or 3 of assembly, though, I was ready to shoot more than trouble.

Let. Me. Tell. You.

(Below left, that's me in the hat-- not many pictures during assembly. I was on the computer a lot, writing to the home office and sending photos.)













Won't go into the specifics of the manufacturing issues that we encountered. Publicly over the internet is *not* the wisest place to post those initial disappointments or to recount that mild chaos.

Suffice it to say that - by the way, everyone - I am staying here in Peru until November 1st.

My trip has been extended and additional week in order to be available to the staff as they FINALLY get the project underway, now that all of the urgent issues have been resolved and addressed.

The Operation Blessing/ Camino de Vida team has been... beyond extraordinary. Beyond patient. Surpassing any humanly possible demonstration of graciousness and diligence and humor to make this work for everyone. Wheelchairs are just one aspect of the work done by the Logistics staff of Operation Blessing and that all of these people have many other jobs that they are doing in addition to giving us so much of their time.

  
We're on the right track, thanks to the support of everyone here in Peru as well as the FWM staff at home. I've changed my Cuzco itinerary and will be taking my vacation days at the end of next week so, for now, I am still in Lima and having a spectacular time. New parts arrived for the wheelchairs. They are built. They are great. There are design elements that can be improved before we more forward to mass distribution, but there is also no reason for our team to feel less than confident and proud of what is being given away these next few weeks.

Tired. Excited. Anxious. Thankful.