Guerrero Clinic

The Fall 2006 clinic took place from October 19th thru the 22nd. (Please send me your experiences for inclusion. Send no more than 600 words, along with your name, when you were at the clinic and contact information (in case I have questions) to Robert Yudkin at ryudkin@guerreroclinic.org)
My name is Rae Sinor and I am a Deer Park Rotarian. I was blessed to have gone to the Fall 2006 clinic. In looking at the recent pictures from the Fall 2007 clinic, I cried like a baby and all of the feelings of being there came rushing back. For me, it was truly a life changing experience. I had been invited many times by my good friend, Dr. Merlyn Harger…and more recently encouraged to come from my friend Bobby Pennington who had began going and also loved it. Of course I am easily moved to tears, so I pretty much cried the entire first day….That is in between massaging the patients hands and temples, giving them suckers and getting them ready to go into their eye surgeries….Well that and there was the dancing (CLICK ON DANCING - 3 MEG VIDEO DOWNLOAD - PLAYS FOR 6 SECONDS) and the Michael Jackson dance impersonations that we did to make the patients laugh….. I went without my husband and was a little home sick at first, but then found myself surrounded by people that I quickly counted as family. I stood witness to so many people working so hard, giving of themselves several hours a day for several days in a row….and everyone was smiling, and laughing and loving each other. The patients were incredible. They came from so far away, on buses, in the back of trucks…all at a chance of being seen by the doctors. Waiting for possibly 2-3 days, hours a day, and NEVER once complaining. It made me ashamed of my short lived patience in my own life. We don’t want to wait for an hour and we are home to the best medical care in the world!!! We just take it for granted. I was in a room when a man came back the day after his surgery and when they took the bandages off of his eyes, he saw for the first time in almost 20 years!!! He held his hand in front of his face and cried and thanked God and all of the doctors…. We all cried as he just kept looking up to heaven thanking God with tears streaming down his face! It was the most beautiful thing that I had every witnessed!! There were people seen by the dentists that had bad teeth removed that they had lived with for weeks, months or even years. Can you imagine their pain and having no way to be properly treated!!!! The Guerrero Clinic makes a difference in the lives of so many people and it can make a difference in yours. Everyone should go at least once, but you must financially support it. It takes so little, collectively to make a difference in the life of these wonderful and so grateful society of people. God will definitely bless you for it!!! PLEASE support this clinic in your time and your money! I’ve included some of the faces of the people…these are the faces that I can never, ever forget. Rae Sinor
This was without a doubt a life altering highlight. When we decided to go to Guerrero Mexico, we were filled with anticipation. Would we get sick? Would we get robbed? What will we eat? How can we help? All the typical questions first timers have going to a strange part of the world where people speak a different language. What we didn’t realize was that these people already knew that we had given up our families/friends to come there to help them and that they already held us in high esteem. We arrived and immediately went to work. We organized supplies. My wife, Sharon, organized 1,000 blank eye lenses by their different strengths. I built shelves for the medical drugs/supplies. Dr. Tom Pruett asked me to organize the pharmaceuticals by different needs/types of diseases/problems. I told him “I’m not a pharmacist…How can I do this? He said..You can read..you are smart. Here is a physician's drug reference book..priotize by need. I did it. I cooked breakfast along with other people. Other jobs included carpentry, chauffer, errand and runner. My best job was handing out candy to kids & adults in the waiting room as I got to see the smiles on their faces, young & old, when I gave them candy. Sharon evolved into a caregiver whose main job was to prep patients for surgery and eye exams. The experiences we enjoyed helping these people will last with us for the rest of our lives! It truly is a life changing event! Only through experience will you understand. The bible tells us that life's primary joy is helping others. This is so true for us. Johnny/Sharon White
I've been a Rotarian for 16 years but never did anything like this before. After hearing a presentation at my club, I thought that this would be a great experience for me and my older son, Josh (a high school junior), to do together. He agreed with surprising enthusiasm and our adventure began. Bad weather impacted our ability to depart Houston for the clinic Wednesday night. After a little rest, better weather and hooking up with new friends (Natalie, Xuan, and Teresa), our adventure continued in the morning on the early flight to’ Chihuahua City. We cleared immigration in Mexico and piled into a van with the luggage that made it for everyone who did not. We were packed to the brim. Natalie chauffeured and I was relieved when I found out she spoke Spanish. With our hand drawn map, verbal instructions, just enough Mexican money to pay the toll and a cell phone; I began to wonder if this trip was a good idea. I looked back at Josh who was taking everything in and decided it was a good idea. I was unskilled labor which meant I cooked, schlepped, shopped, chauffeured, and did whatever else asked of me. I met some amazing people with great attitudes. We were all there to help. I’m so proud of Josh. He got up early to cook breakfast and then became a semi-skilled laborer who worked pre-op. In his third year of Spanish, he easily communicated with the patients and Mexican volunteers. He never complained, always smiled and worked his fair share. I was most proud of him when I asked about his day and he told me about watching a surgery through the microscope rather than being pissed on by a patient during surgery. To be fair, he was unhappy with me when I would not let him go to a night club in foreign country to a city 45 minutes away with locals who were a number of years older than him. I had a great time spending four tiring days working with great people I never met before and helping people who I could not talk with. Most importantly I had a great time with my son and hope that we can come back and share another wonderful experience together. Robert Yudkin Dallas, TX
I look forward to the trips. Of all the medical mission trips I've been on, this one is the most organized and helps the greatest number of people in the short time we are there. Besides that, this is my way to pay my rent for living on earth. Can't live for free. Dr Francisco Javier Morales, OD:
When I made my first trip to Mexico in 1980, I had no idea that this first little eye clinic at a mission in Juarez would take on a life of its own. People try to give me credit, but I can assure you that I just went along for the ride as God & Rotarians took control and brought us to where we are today. After completing over fifty trips in the ensuing years, and thinking that I was all used up, Walter convinced me that I could do just one more for him. That was about five clinics ago, each one being larger and more productive than the one before, and here I am getting geared up for the next one. I have no idea when it will end, but I thank God that He continues to bring in wonderful people so that this good work will endure long after I am gone. For any old retired people like me who may be reading this, let me assure you that you are not too old to be of assistance. We all have talents and gifts that we can share and God will see to it that yours are properly directed, just step out in faith and reap the blessing of service to others. Dr. Tom Pruett OD, Houston, TX

The Fall 2006 clinic took place from October 19th thru the 22nd.

(Please send me your experiences for inclusion. Send no more than 600 words, along with your name, when you were at the clinic and contact information (in case I have questions) to Robert Yudkin at ryudkin@guerreroclinic.org)

My name is Rae Sinor and I am a Deer Park Rotarian. I was blessed to have gone to the Fall 2006 clinic. In looking at the recent pictures from the Fall 2007 clinic, I cried like a baby and all of the feelings of being there came rushing back. For me, it was truly a life changing experience. I had been invited many times by my good friend, Dr. Merlyn Harger…and more recently encouraged to come from my friend Bobby Pennington who had began going and also loved it. Of course I am easily moved to tears, so I pretty much cried the entire first day….That is in between massaging the patients hands and temples, giving them suckers and getting them ready to go into their eye surgeries….Well that and there was the dancing (CLICK ON DANCING - 3 MEG VIDEO DOWNLOAD - PLAYS FOR 6 SECONDS) and the Michael Jackson dance impersonations that we did to make the patients laugh…..

I went without my husband and was a little home sick at first, but then found myself surrounded by people that I quickly counted as family. I stood witness to so many people working so hard, giving of themselves several hours a day for several days in a row….and everyone was smiling, and laughing and loving each other. The patients were incredible. They came from so far away, on buses, in the back of trucks…all at a chance of being seen by the doctors. Waiting for possibly 2-3 days, hours a day, and NEVER once complaining. It made me ashamed of my short lived patience in my own life. We don’t want to wait for an hour and we are home to the best medical care in the world!!! We just take it for granted.

I was in a room when a man came back the day after his surgery and when they took the bandages off of his eyes, he saw for the first time in almost 20 years!!! He held his hand in front of his face and cried and thanked God and all of the doctors…. We all cried as he just kept looking up to heaven thanking God with tears streaming down his face! It was the most beautiful thing that I had every witnessed!!

There were people seen by the dentists that had bad teeth removed that they had lived with for weeks, months or even years. Can you imagine their pain and having no way to be properly treated!!!!

The Guerrero Clinic makes a difference in the lives of so many people and it can make a difference in yours. Everyone should go at least once, but you must financially support it. It takes so little, collectively to make a difference in the life of these wonderful and so grateful society of people. God will definitely bless you for it!!!

PLEASE support this clinic in your time and your money! I’ve included some of the faces of the people…these are the faces that I can never, ever forget.

Rae Sinor

This was without a doubt a life altering highlight. When we decided to go to Guerrero Mexico, we were filled with anticipation. Would we get sick? Would we get robbed? What will we eat? How can we help? All the typical questions first timers have going to a strange part of the world where people speak a different language.

What we didn’t realize was that these people already knew that we had given up our families/friends to come there to help them and that they already held us in high esteem.

We arrived and immediately went to work. We organized supplies. My wife, Sharon, organized 1,000 blank eye lenses by their different strengths. I built shelves for the medical drugs/supplies. Dr. Tom Pruett asked me to organize the pharmaceuticals by different needs/types of diseases/problems. I told him “I’m not a pharmacist…How can I do this? He said..You can read..you are smart. Here is a physician's drug reference book..priotize by need. I did it. I cooked breakfast along with other people. Other jobs included carpentry, chauffer, errand and runner.

My best job was handing out candy to kids & adults in the waiting room as I got to see the smiles on their faces, young & old, when I gave them candy. Sharon evolved into a caregiver whose main job was to prep patients for surgery and eye exams.

The experiences we enjoyed helping these people will last with us for the rest of our lives! It truly is a life changing event! Only through experience will you understand. The bible tells us that life's primary joy is helping others. This is so true for us.

Johnny/Sharon White

I've been a Rotarian for 16 years but never did anything like this before. After hearing a presentation at my club, I thought that this would be a great experience for me and my older son, Josh (a high school junior), to do together. He agreed with surprising enthusiasm and our adventure began.

Bad weather impacted our ability to depart Houston for the clinic Wednesday night. After a little rest, better weather and hooking up with new friends (Natalie, Xuan, and Teresa), our adventure continued in the morning on the early flight to’ Chihuahua City.

We cleared immigration in Mexico and piled into a van with the luggage that made it for everyone who did not. We were packed to the brim. Natalie chauffeured and I was relieved when I found out she spoke Spanish. With our hand drawn map, verbal instructions, just enough Mexican money to pay the toll and a cell phone; I began to wonder if this trip was a good idea. I looked back at Josh who was taking everything in and decided it was a good idea.

I was unskilled labor which meant I cooked, schlepped, shopped, chauffeured, and did whatever else asked of me. I met some amazing people with great attitudes. We were all there to help. I’m so proud of Josh. He got up early to cook breakfast and then became a semi-skilled laborer who worked pre-op. In his third year of Spanish, he easily communicated with the patients and Mexican volunteers. He never complained, always smiled and worked his fair share. I was most proud of him when I asked about his day and he told me about watching a surgery through the microscope rather than being pissed on by a patient during surgery. To be fair, he was unhappy with me when I would not let him go to a night club in foreign country to a city 45 minutes away with locals who were a number of years older than him.

I had a great time spending four tiring days working with great people I never met before and helping people who I could not talk with. Most importantly I had a great time with my son and hope that we can come back and share another wonderful experience together.

Robert Yudkin
Dallas, TX

I look forward to the trips. Of all the medical mission trips I've been on, this one is the most organized and helps the greatest number of people in the short time we are there.

Besides that, this is my way to pay my rent for living on earth. Can't live for free.

Dr Francisco Javier Morales, OD:

When I made my first trip to Mexico in 1980, I had no idea that this first little eye clinic at a mission in Juarez would take on a life of its own. People try to give me credit, but I can assure you that I just went along for the ride as God & Rotarians took control and brought us to where we are today.

After completing over fifty trips in the ensuing years, and thinking that I was all used up, Walter convinced me that I could do just one more for him. That was about five clinics ago, each one being larger and more productive than the one before, and here I am getting geared up for the next one. I have no idea when it will end, but I thank God that He continues to bring in wonderful people so that this good work will endure long after I am gone.

For any old retired people like me who may be reading this, let me assure you that you are not too old to be of assistance. We all have talents and gifts that we can share and God will see to it that yours are properly directed, just step out in faith and reap the blessing of service to others.

Dr. Tom Pruett OD, Houston, TX