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TIPS FROM VETERAN MISSION MEMBERS
***These are suggestions, not requirements in no particular order and are fun to read! Above all, bring a sense of humor and a smile ***
From Susan Lomax, a Los Terreros veteran and nurse -
Insect repellent: Cutter Advance makes a 2 oz pump spray with a Deet alternative I have used successfully for a couple of years. Consumer Reports rates it highly. The 2 oz can be problematic to find. My supply was purchased at Home Depot. I spray my clothing with 100% Deet before I go (available at hunting stores and your local, ammo-heavy K-Mart), it lasts for three or four washings.
Toilet paper: those of us who go to LT don't really need it, but it makes a lovely gift for the host family. We rely on the body wipes for all purposes. Instead of a couple of rolls of your supermarket paper with the cores removed as I found in my original instructions, take one roll of Scott tp. It's twice as much, no more room.
Backpacks are nice if you already have one, but small duffel bags which can be slung over the shoulder work great too. If you go to LT you can never unpack. I found it cumbersome to try to locate items in 10 different compartments of a backpack while crouching on the floor of someone's home at 8 pm in pitch black darkness. Top zip duffel, with a side-to-side packing plan and all small items located in ziplock bags were easy to locate and replace.
Baby Magic wash will do for soap and shampoo, if you're trying to save space and it won't sting if you get it in your eyes while washing at the pump beside the road.
Head lamp is indispensable, I never needed my small maglite since the tiny bright LED of my headlamp, carried as a hand torch, worked great and you can stick it in your pocket when you don't need it. Ask Susan Griffin about the flashlight which could signal the space station. She gave me one and I will bring it back, only to use for any minor surgery we perform. It's the brightest light you've ever seen, no kidding.
Women who wear nylon underwear need to rethink that: nylon washed on a concrete washboard comes back looking and feeling like a small furry animal.
For folks like me who can't do wheat, having a baggie in your lap during the pancake breakfasts makes it less difficult to offend your host by not eating. Snacks: good quality trailmix without chocolate, a few slim jims and buy the plantain chips in Honduras. Don't let your patients or hosts see you eat them.
From Stephanie Scarce, a Los Terreros and El Corpus veteran and translator -
Food. If I had known that the house I stayed at was going to give us a bologna sandwich every night after
a long day of hot work, I would have brought SNACKS!
PS from Ann - If you bring food, keep it out of sight. We do not want to offend out hosts. Some people can cook and some cannot...
From Sally Hunsucker, a Los Terreros gofer and huge help in the pharmacy -
I really wish I had brought something larger than a fanny pack and smaller than the backpack. Maybe a small backpack or bag that the water bottles, camera, toilet paper, hand wipes, etc. could all fit in. It would have been much easier than carrying the water bottle and camera separately. Also (and VERY important when arriving at your host family's house at night in Los Terreros), the outhouse is "el servicio." "El bano" will only get you the bathing area!
From Nancy Titus, a Madrigales veteran and nurse -
(Know) how to pack a backpack and (there is a) need for T paper as well as baby wipes.
From Nancy Fajman, a Madrigales veteran and doctor -
Bring sturdy, comfortable shoes.
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