La Maternidad

Here we are (Elizabeth and Betsy) after assisting Natalia with the delivery of her second baby. She is 17 years old which is older than a lot of the patients giving birth here. Some mothers are only 12 years old that give birth here. The youngest we have cared for was 15 years old. The word epidural is non-existent down here and the only anesthetic given is for C-sections. It's amazing how tough these women are down here.

We thought it would be fun to take pictures of the moms and babies for them to take home. They were pretty excited for the pictures...for some it is the only one they'll have. -BL & EF

Los Hosteleros

Here is Melissa with some of the great staff here at the Posta del Viajero Hostel where we are staying. We are having a great time getting to know them. They truely have opened the doors and made us feel very welcome. We are very grateful for the great service that they have given us-PJ

Pictures from San Javier

More Photos From Tafi de Valle

Tafi de Valle

In Tafi de Valle, we went horseback riding through the mountains. Don't worry parents, we wore our seatbelts. The road was a little rocky and steep, but we all made it down safely. The view was green and misty, and we could even hear the sound of a local futbol (that means soccer in Spanish) game wafting up the hill.

Remember the last time you went to Rodizio Grill? This here is Rodizio grill gaucho style. They call it asado--barbecue.

They cooked at least half a cow, and like we always do, we ate up. Some say the barbecue is so good, we'll never be satisfied with meat again, and, I'll be honest, it's pretty good. Hopefully my life isn't all downhill from here. (meatwise that is?)

LM

Maternity Hospital

The new labor and delivery unit.....I guess you could say it's sterile? They just remodeled the unit last year, so it is ALOT better than it was....and a million times better than the rest of the hospital. Don't worry.....you have to bring your own sheets if you want them, otherwise you......get to deliver on plastic.

KR

Imput from Michelle

Today (June 12) we went to this mountain that is not far from Tucuman, and hiked up to a Christus statue. It was an eight-mile hike, which I didn't know until we started walking up the mountain and saw the sign. So...it was quite the walk! But it was a beautiful area with green hills and little houses on the countryside. When we got to the top it was 3:00 and we thought the next bus leaving was at 6:30, so we went and waited in the Restaurant, but then at 5:00 we found out there was a bus down at 4:00!!! A Classic foreign country predicament. Anyway, we were so tired that we just sat in the warm restaurant and waited. When we were walking to the bus I somehow stepped in dogpoop, shortly after I grabbed my foot for some reason and it got on my hand! ewwwwww!

We've been to the hospital twice now, and Monday is our first day of Clinical. I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to communicate very well. I know it will be a good experience, and probably I'll be fine after a little while, but it's scary to me now. We've had class a few times and I'm excited about what we'll be doing. We'll be working on the Postpartum floor, Labor and Delivery, and the NICU. Then in the Community we'll be working with Children and with the Elderly. We're starting up a new program about "healthy aging" because the doctors here have started to realize that the older people are getting ignored. All the charity groups want to help the children, but they feel the older people have a need as well. So we'll be starting up a new program for the older people. It should be a really good experience.

People here are great. My Spanish is pretty much non-existent, but I am learning new words every day. I'm frequently making a fool of myself...oh well! Last night we went out to dinner Argentine style, they make it a big deal! We ate yummy bread, salad, five cuts of meat, french fries, and ice cream for dessert, all for 25 pesos! That equals about eight dollars. We also got serenaded by these two argentines that were amazing singers! It was awesome! -Michelle

Argentina Food

The food has definitely been a cultural learning experience! For those of us that have been here before the food brings back a lot of wonderful memories and even some new experiences. We have found that even those things that we thought were a given turned out to be whole new world - Just check out the hotdog! (Down here it is called a "Pancho") The hot dog place had a bar where you could put one of over 20 different sauces and toppings, or any combination thereof. I chose to go for some mustard, mayo, salsa (tomatoes and onions in vinegar), along with black beans, peppers, etc. Don't choke just yet - it was actually quite tasty! Andres (in the middle of the hot dog picture wearing a brown sweat shirt) is a local college student and has been a great guide and is helping us enjoy this experience to the max. Some of the favorite foods so far have been Empanadas, Ice Cream, Pizza (once again not what you would expect but very tasty), and the king of them all - ASADO (Argentine Barbecue)!!!! Every day new flavorful experiences await! -PM

Estamos Aqui!

So, we have made it to Tucuman. After 13 hours of flights and 16 hours of bus rides we made it here at about 3 AM on Wednesday the 9th. We have gotten pretty well settled into our hostel and have started clinicals this week. It certainly has been a new experience for all of us. The hospital is very run down and very busy. We were pleased to find out they will be able to add an additional wing to the hospital within the next couple of years. We have enjoyed getting used to the food by eating out a lot and having our friend, Lito, come and make our lunches for us. The ice cream is great! Our first week has been great, and we look forward to 5 more great weeks! Bienvenidos a Argentina!

Hola, me llamo Alicia!

Hola, I am a 4th semester student and I love being a part of BYU's nursing program. I enjoy the outdoors, camping, playing and watching sports (especially basketball), and I love scrapbooking. I'm already planning to scrapbook this trip to Argentina. Waterfalls are one of my favorite things, so I am thrilled to be able to see the falls at Iguazu! My future plans are to graduate in April '08 and apply for the pediatric residency program at Primary Children's Hospital. I am excited for the experience I'll have in Argentina.

- Aren't these falls amazing, simply breathtaking!

Weighing In

Due to international flight regulations each of us will only be allowed 2 pieces of checked luggage. Each bag must be less than 50 lbs or there will be an extra $100 fee. To make sure this doesn't happen, we weighed each bag after packing it. Good Times :) -PM

Sheets

One of the needs of the public maternity hospital in Tucuman is sheets. Currently there are NO sheets for the laboring women. In addition to the scrubs (see below) were were able to get several bags full of various sheets. We are very grateful to IHC for this generous donation. -PM

Scrubs

Well, things are starting to come together. This morning we gathered together at our instructors house to pack all of the supplies that we are taking with us. We contacted a local hospital and were able to get several garbage bags full of used scrubs donated to take with us. After sorting through the scrubs and choosing those in the best condition, we packed as many as possible into our luggage. We will be using some of the scrubs ourselves while we are there and then leaving them all in Tucuman for the nurses there. -PM

About me: Kelli

Hey everyone!
I'm Kelli Arnesen, also a 4th semester student. I am so excited to have this opportunity to go and help the people of Argentina. I know this will be an amazing and memorable experience. While preparing to leave for this trip, I have had fun getting to know more about the culture through class and talking with my sister who served her mission in Neuquen, Argentina. I am excited to take off on Monday! :)
-KA

About Me - PJ

I am a fourth semester nursing student here at BYU. This program that carries a great deal of personal significance to me. In October, 2002 I returned home having completed a LDS mission to Argentina. During my two-year service as a missionary I experienced firsthand the difficulties brought upon the people as a result of severe financial crisis. The economy in Argentina at the time declined rapidly, the resulting poverty was truly heart-wrenching to behold. As missionaries there was little that we could do to relieve the physical hunger experienced by overwhelming number of persons in poverty. I am excited to be returning to Argentina this Spring with the College of Nursing to perform services that were previously unavailable to me as a missionary. -PM

Our Purpose

The scope of our work in Argentina this spring is two-fold. First we will be taking much needed medical supplies and services to a maternity hospital in Tucuman, Argentina. One of the items that I have been arranging to take with us is sheets – being that there are no sheets on the beds for the mothers in labor at this time. The second service that we will be performing while in Argentina involves evaluating the growth of children receiving meals through government funded centers. Both of these services will provide not only physical support but will also provide opportunities to share the love and gospel of Jesus Christ to many people. -PM