United Hearts for Health

Spring 2015

United Hearts for Health

SPRING 2015
A health partnership linking Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to Rosita, Nicaragua

In this issue
Our latest mission trip this past February was a great success, and three of our veteran missionaries and
one first timer will give readers a glimpse of their experiences and impressions. We also want to bring
our readers up to date on some changes regarding United Hearts for Health.

LESSONS LEARNED
The year 2015 was my 8th
consecutive trip to Rosita. My
first trip happened more or
less by luck. I was at a point in
my life where I had the
"freedom" to break away
from family and work, and at
the same time, Dr. Bob
Helminiak approached me
about the need for another
doctor for the 2008 mission. I
loved it, to say the least. I was
a bit concerned, at first, about
my perception that I wasn't
exactly performing any medical miracles for the people in
Rosita but was educated/
consoled that our true
mission was our compassion
Mission Members 2015: Front (l-r): Elaina Vossekuil, Hailey Wisner, Jodi
in being there for those
Doell, Linda Dockel, Barb Zink. Back (l-r): Nikki Steinhart, Bill Trager, Tom
wonderful people. We do
Ries, Kirsten Kroll, Kayla Costello, and Katie Herzog.
these trips to try to help those
in greater need than we are,
but as most people say, the missionary gets at least, or more, out of the trip, than the people they
hope to serve. By my second or third trip, if someone asked me why I was going again, I would say that
God lives in Rosita, and I want to go visit again.
The experience is never what one expects. Many things don't happen as planned: sometimes supplies
don't make it there, third-world government red tape seems way more complex than in the States, and
of course - errors happen. Usually, when one goes on a trip like this, things are planned out more
precisely than our regular lives at home. And yet these trips were so much ad lib, (and stressful for the
leaders, which Barb Zink and I were for the last three years) but never bad. Therapy for OCD.

United Hearts for Health

Spring 2015

And yet, it all seemed so simple. Take care of one patient at a time, then on to the next. We all saw
some incredibly heartbreaking cases, and knowing we weren't going to make a huge medical impact
was humbling. But the people of Rosita knew that we took the time from our lives to offer our support
and love, and their appreciation of that makes us realize our role to play. Over the last several years of
this mission, the Prayer of Romero became our guide. We can't possibly understand the big picture, but
we can do the tasks that lay before us.
The 2015 trip was interesting even before we left. Out of twelve going, we had six rookies. The group
gelled immediately, and everyone functioned like a veteran by the first full clinic day. We all worked
hard and quickly learned to understand the needs of the people there.
Before we left, we were made aware that this would be the last medical mission to Rosita by UHH. The
group accepted that, but that thought became a bit more difficult to realize while we were there doing
our work. We needed to make plans to dispose of all the supplies and equipment that had accumulated
over the years. On our last day in clinic, Carol, my interpreter for many years, asked me if we would ever
see each other again. That's one of those things that brings on sadness and guilt.
I can't write about these trips without mentioning Sr Marise Meis, who has spent most of her life there.
Her understanding of everything in Rosita has helped us
immensely. The first couple of years, she was also my
interpreter. She seems always busy, responsible for
many things at once, and yet has an incredibly easygoing attitude. She sees only the good in everything
around her and keeps everything simple. That must be
why she never seems stressed, even knowing where she
lives and what she does. She has taught me so much.
She truly embodies the Prayer of Romero.
Sr. Marise Meis, on the left, overseeing the
unpacking of barrels by the mission team in
February.

Finally, I want to say thank you to UHH for giving me the

incredible opportunity to be part of this mission
experience. I will never forget the people of UHH and
Rosita and hope that I am better for having gone.
~ Dr. Tom Ries

THE ROMERO PRAYER

In honor of Archbishop Oscar Romero, murdered Mar. 24, 1980

A Future Not Our Own

By Bishop Ken Untener
It helps now and then to step back and take a long view.
The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of
saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession
brings perfection, no pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one

day will grow. We water the seeds already planted
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of
liberation in realizing this.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning,
a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's
grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the
difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not
messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.

United Hearts for Health

Spring 2015

THE NICARAGUAN WAY

Wasa King, Risco de Oro, Fruita de Pan, Banacruz, Susun,
Santa Maria, Okonwas Central, El Zopilote and of course
Rosita. These are all the different villages and towns of
Mina Rosita that I had the privilege of serving over the
past three years. Each clinic visit was a unique experience
in and of itself. The beauty of the Bambana river coursing through Santa Maria and Wasa King was a favorite of
all the providers. The anticipation in the morning of the
adventurous drive over bumpy roads (extremely wet last
year and very dry this year) to the clinics had us all wonDr. Bill Trager is shown with patients on his recent
dering what would be in store for the day. In the early
mission trip to Rosita.
evening with the reverse drive back to Rosita, I tended to
reflect pensively on what was generally a whirlwind day, seeing up to 50 beautiful children in clinic.
For me, the jury rigging (I call it the Nicaraguan Way) we had to do each morning at the outlying
clinics was the best. My first day this year upon arriving in Okonwas Central, the clinic building was
literally empty, no patients. No problem! Daniel, my interpreter, and I hopped in the truck, drove a
few miles down the road and worked our way back knocking on doors to drum up business. No
worries! Plenty of business by late morning.
On our last clinic day, a group of us took the short drive out of Rosita to El
Zopilote. The clinic is actually set up in the villages two-room open-air
school house. Upon our arrival, the two classrooms were fully occupied
with the children in class. Meanwhile outside on the school grounds, the
local men from the village were fumigating to kill grass and using machetes
to trim palm fronds. Again, apparently word did not get out that we were
coming. No problem! The teachers gave the kids the rest of the morning
off. Needless to say, the kids were thrilled! We set up shop using the
teachers desk and students chairs and had a wonderful clinic.

Dr. Trager tries out a

machete.

PS: Somebody used a machete for the first time to trim palm fronds. Ah, the Nicaraguan Way.
~ Dr. Bill Trager

OUR 2015 MISSION TRIP TO ROSITA

This is my 8th year as a medical missionary to Rosita, Nicaragua, with United Hearts for Health, and it
will be my last. Tom Ries, MD, and I have been honored and blessed to be leaders for the last three
years. Every year is different, and this year was a great experience as we had six rookies with us who
did an excellent job all week, becoming veterans after just one day of clinics. Our Nurse Practitioners
who were first timers, Linda Doeckel and Nikki Steinhart, did a fine job of seeing adults and a few
children. Our rookie nurses, Kayla Costello, Hailey Wisner, Jodi Doell, and Elaina Vossekuil did terrific
work keeping up with the multiple Rxs that we sent them. The veterans, Dr. Bill Trager and nurses Katie
Herzog and Kirstin Kroll, also worked diligently, and Flavio Araa was invaluable as our translator and
babysitter when we needed it.
The good news is the roads were the best ever this year. The road grader did a good job, so the pot
holes from years past are gone for a while, and the Rosita Airport is open so the trip to town was short.
Our Sunday Mass was highlighted by the people of Rosita presenting us with wooden plaques hand
carved in Rosita out of mahogany from the area. This was very special and meant a lot to all of us.

United Hearts for Health

Spring 2015

Rosita has many more permanent doctors now than when I started these trips, so our clinics were not
as full as some years. This is a good thing because it means that the people of Rosita and surrounding
areas are much better served medically now than when Barbara and John Lent started these trips.
I have learned so much from my years in Rosita such as going back to basics in telling parents how to
take care of seizures until they can get help.
I also learned that even though we have everything in the United States medically, there are
many medical conditions in Nicaragua that are
not treated.
The good-byes this year were hard from
telling my interpreter Julie, whom I have
worked with for eight years, that I was not
coming back next year to telling Wendy Ortiz
and her mom that I was giving them albuterol
for at least two years. Maylings children, who
The presentation of plaques for the missionaries at Sunday
run the Martinez restaurant, were very upset.
Mass. Pictured left to right are Fr. Emilio Rivas; Dr. Zink; Dr.
But it is true that we have left Rosita in a
Ries, holding a plaque; and Flavio Araa, interpreter.
better place than when the Lents and
Freemans started UHH. Marcie Janz and Gail Tomkowiak have done a great deal of work organizing
these trips, along with all the medical missionaries over the years who have worked so hard for the
Nicaraguan people.
~ Barb Zink , MD

TRULY LIFE CHANGING

I inquired about the United Hearts for Health mission trip after a friend of mine, Hailey Wisner, had
signed up and told me about it - we had always talked about doing one together. This trip to Rosita,
Nicaragua, was my first mission trip, and Im so happy I chose to do it because it was a life-changing
experience. It was more amazing and rewarding than I could have imagined.
We arrived in Rosita on February 7th and were met by a group of the locals with the warmest greeting
Ive ever received, a great way to be welcomed into their community. The first day there was spent
sorting through supplies stored at the bodega and then organizing
them for the upcoming clinics. I was astonished by the large amount
of school supplies, clothing, medical goods, toys, and items for moms
and babies that had been donated and sent to Rosita. It was uplifting
to see how generous people can be. We also got settled into Casa
Schlaefer and arranged the entire common area with clinic supplies.

Jodi Doell and Kayla Costello,

RNs, with local women and their
babies.

On Sunday we went to church to meet the community where we

were welcomed with open arms. They also surprised us each with a
hand-carved mahogany plaque as a Thank You. We then toured
their local hospital and saw how different their facilities are compared
to American hospitals. They seemed to have similar departments
throughout the hospital; however, it was interesting to see the differences. The emergency department was very small with limited
resources, no CT or MRI scans readily available. In many instances,
patients are sent out to larger hospitals that have more resources
which can be a minimum of a three- to four-hour drive.

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Spring 2015

As the week went on, we traveled to more remote communities to set up clinics. It became apparent
very quickly how difficult it could be for the rural areas to have access to health care. The roads were in
rough shape, and many people didnt have a vehicle available to travel into Rosita. They were very
happy to see us and thankful for everything we provided. We gave out vitamins, Tylenol, antibiotics,
anti-worm medication, hygiene products, and toys for the children. It was extremely rewarding to see
the smiles on their faces as they left the clinics. What we gave them seemed so simple and yet to them
it meant now having medications available at home that would have taken them great effort to obtain.
Throughout our time in Rosita and the rural areas, we worked closely with many locals who opened
their hearts to us and taught us about their way of life in Nicaragua. The interpreters who traveled with
us were beyond helpful and loved being able to assist their fellow Nicaraguans receive health care. We
all shared stories of how our lifestyles were differentand in some ways very similar. Life there seems
simpler and less chaotic, which was refreshing. It was truly eye opening.
Our mission group reminisced about the trip and everything we had to be thankful for as we traveled
back to Milwaukee. When we returned, it was 100 degrees colder than when we left Rosita. This was
somewhat of a shock, but we all felt grateful for having had such a wonderful experience and warm
homes to return to. I cant wait for another opportunity to be a part of a medical mission trip; this trip
was truly life changing.
~ Kayla Costello, RN

SOME CHANGES TAKING PLACE FOR UNITED HEARTS FOR HEALTH

As the reader has gathered from some of the preceding articles, UHH has made the difficult decision to
cease the annual mission trips. This does not mean that we will no longer supply aid to the poor of
Rosita. Quite the contrary. We plan on continuing our ongoing year-round initiatives for clean water
and emergency help for those in need. Since UHH has been working with
the Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) for many years, we deemed it wise to align
our group with them more fully. As of May 2015 we will be funneling our
UHH mission work through Hazotte Ministries, an arm of CSA, aimed
particularly at ministering to the poor in Nicaragua. While under their
umbrella, we will be able to continue to direct our funds to the abovementioned ministries we have been funding over the years, namely, the
Filtron clay pot program for clean drinking water and the Emergency Fund
administered by Sr. Marise Meis, which supplies medicines, transportation funds and other necessities to those in need. She will be in
charge of finances in Rosita, and a Nicaraguan woman, Arely Garcia, will
continue to supervise and expand the Filtron clay pot program. We hope
Proud owners of a
that you will continue to support UHH through these changes.
Filtron pot
United Hearts for Health
Mission Statement
We propose to join the faith journey with Santa Rosa Parish by
facilitating a Fond du Lac community effort to assist in raising
the standard of healthcare and promoting a more healthy
environment in Rosita, Nicaragua, and the surrounding rural
areas.
This long-term relationship will seek to work in partnership
with the people of Rosita, its healthcare and church community and Nicaraguan government, while recognizing the dignity and the many talents of the people we hope to serve.

Hazotte Ministries/ United Hearts for Health

320 County Road K
Fond du Lac, WI 54937
Contact Numbers: (920) 923-0155 M. Cappellari
(920) 923-2446 M. Janz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UnitedHeartsforHealthFdL
Website: www.fdlunitedheartsforhealth.org/
To receive your newsletter electronically, or to offer input,
please e-mail jcappellari@charter.net

United Hearts for Health

Spring 2015

SUPER SPIN 2015

Youd never have known it was January inside the Fond du Lac YMCA* gym where Super Spin brought
together scores of cyclists who spin to a combination of colorful videos from PAINCAVE and the
pounding beat of special music designed to keep participants energized.
This was the scene on January 24, 2015, for the 11th Annual Super Spin fundraiser, nine of those years a
collaboration between United Hearts for Health and the Fond du Lac Family YMCA and the second
year of a shared partnership. Both the Y and United Hearts will use the funds raised to help children.
The Y aims to increase wellness awareness for the youth it serves in the area, while United Hearts is
dedicated to providing clean drinking water for children and their families in Rosita in order to lessen
the illness caused by unsafe water. UHH also provides medication and supplies to those in need.
As the cyclists were put through their paces by Jacob Mueller, managing director of PAINCAVE, the
spinners were inspired by actual footage of cyclists from several prominent bike races such as Tour
California and Tour Colorado. The two 45-minute segments left the indoor racers feeling as if they had
actually taken part in a real race. To make sure the spinners needs for food and drink were satisfied,
they were provided with nourishing choices. At the end of the event, the cyclists reported that they
had an enjoyable and invigorating time with thanks for the snacks. Many door prizes and a silent
auction added to the excitement of the event.
To make the event run smoothly also took a great deal of help from Dave Haase of Attitude Sports,
volunteers from St Marys Springs High School, and a diligent group of workers. Major sponsors were
key in making the event a success:
* Attitude Sports * Consultants Laboratory * Fox Valley Savings
Bank * Graphic Center * Grande Cheese Company *
* Michels Corporation * Pro Motorsports of Fond du Lac *
* PAINCAVE * record|entertainment *
Other generous donors of cash or in-kind were Faris Gourmet
Popcorn, Fond du Lac Family YMCA, Horicon Bank-Blue Goose
Coffee House, 96.1 TCX, No Knots Therapeutic Massage, Sargento
Cheese, and Timex.

Dave Haase, instrumental in

making Super Spin a success

All of us at United Hearts for Health and the Fond du Lac YMCA
wish to thank the sponsors and other donors, the cyclists, and the
many volunteers who made this event possible. The children of
Fond du Lac and Rosita are the beneficiaries of your generosity.
~Mary Cappellari and Anne Kaestner

As we at UHH change our focus for the poor of Rosita to our year-round initiatives, we hope that
you will continue to support those in need. Thank You.
Please make your check payable to Hazotte Ministries/UHH
Send to: 320 County Road K,
Fond du Lac, WI 54937

Name____________________________
Address__________________________
___________________________

A happy boy after the

Rosita Run put on by
UHH.