A Week in the Life of a Mission
Usually, a one-week mission begins months in advance with the credentialing of personnel and authorization of the mission through local authorities and the Ecuadorian government. Our Ecuadorian hosting organizations (Rotary Club of Latacunga, Fundacion Solidaria de Orellana in Coca, and Fundacion Tierra Nueva in Quito) are involved at this point, working with local officials and hospitals to clear our trip and secure an institution where we can effectively complete our work. They also manage patient recruitment and triage, mostly via print and radio advertising, as well as notices in the local hospitals and health centers.
Back in the States, we work on requisition of supplies, some salvaged and recycled or re-sterilized, others donated or purchased. This goes into high gear two months before we depart.
