Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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On March 16, 2024, a group of ten volunteers waited at the Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix, Ariz., for their van to pick them up and take them across the border, through the desert and to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, Mexico, for a week of missionary work. The group was a mash-up of five EMT's, three missionaries, one pastor leading the group and a solitary Whitman County Gazette journalist graciously invited to document the experience. The mission trip was organized by Well Child International and aime...
After a five hour drive from Phoenix, Ariz., across the U.S.- Mexico border and through the Sonoran desert, our group arrived at the coastal city of Puerto Peñasco. Nestled in the heart of the city is the mission building that serves as the home-base for Well Child International's Peñasco trips, Mission Villa Granada. The building was originally built in 1963 as a hotel. From 1963-1978 the hotel was a local hot spot for politicians, local celebrities and international celebrities like Rock H...
Mexican citizens have their medical expenses covered through the national socialized health care system. Despite many of the financial burdens that are lifted from citizens with this system, many are left in a position where seeking and/or acquiring medical services in a timely manner is very tough. Many of the non-affluent denizens of Puerto Peñasco do not have reliable vehicles. For people such as single working mothers, being able to get off work, walk with children to the closest medical facility, get an appointment and attempt to arrange...
On our second and third day in Puerto Peñasco, our group traveled from the center of town about 3km (1.8 miles) to a section of town called Nuevo Peñasco, splitting into two teams for home canvasing the neighborhoods' medical needs for several hours each day. Nuevo has a stark conditional contrast to other parts of Peñasco. Cracked pavement turned to dirt as we entered. While there was litter strewn through Peñasco, it is common to see piles of garbage all around, with a noticeably larger str...
Over the course of several days, two members of our group, Beverly Yates and Dixie Netsby, led sewing classes for local women who might need to learn foundational techniques. Yates, who has been sewing her entire life, was eager to help teach some of the young women some basics like how to thread and knot a needle, take in fabric and stitch designs. Netsby has a different style of sewing than Yates, both in materials used and in technique, but together they were able to act as a reservoir of...
In Mexico, the medical emergency service that responds for any emergency call is a Cruz Roja Mexicana - Mexican Red Cross - ambulance team. This is also the case if a person needed to walk in for urgent emergency services. During our trip, our group split into two. One group would go with the Red Cross one day, the other to work with the firemen - bomberos. Our group would alternate on the following day so both could experience the local medical services. A paramedic named Alex, explained to...
During our trip, our group split into two. One group would go with the Red Cross one day, the other to work with the firemen - bomberos. Our group would alternate on the following day so both could experience the local medical services. When my group arrived at the Central Fire Station in Puerto Peñasco, we were greeted by Captain Jose Cruz, who had worked in the department for over 43 years. He explained that in Peñasco there were three stations, each with five working EMTs working 24-hour s...
One need that Well Child International also helps fill is basic construction projects for single mothers and families in need. During our trip to Puerto Peñasco, I worked alongside our Canadian member Percy David in a couple projects to help increase the quality of life for a local family. Guyo, 75, and his wife Vicenta, 72, have lived in Nuevo Peñasco for about 10 years. While walking home one evening from work recently, Guyo was struck by a car. He had broken multiple ribs and his leg, l...
While in Peñasco, our group orchestrated two days of neighborhood clinics setup in a local church, proving our home visits days prior worthwhile. During the clinics, those in need of medical attention were able to get services quicker than they would normally through the public medical system. Our team of EMTs worked with local physician and former Director of Municipal Heath Dr. Eliel Lopez Uriel. Those needing to be seen would be greeted and called over to the EMT groups individually or by...
While our group worked hard most days that we were in Puerto Peñasco, our trip organizers made sure that every day there was something new to experience. Most evenings, our group would go out to dinner at local restaurants. These ranged from the local mom and pop shops (with arguably the best food in the city) to much higher scale restaurants overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Our first dining experience was at La Casa Del Capitan, built next to the only lighthouse in Puerto Peñasco, overlooking t...
Our group would gather together to depart back to the United State on Friday, March 22. As we loaded back up in the van and headed off, many talked and reflected on the time spent in Peñasco. While many of the group experienced some minor culture shocks like the available amenities, the cultural issue of litter in the street, extreme poverty; the amount of thanks, experiences, sights and new friends seemed to extinguish any of the negatives that were found on the trip. The smiles from the...
