AEDC employee on a mission in Panama

  • Published
  • By Raquel March
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  It doesn't matter for one Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) team member that there are approximately 1,800 miles between AEDC and Panama because he has the capacity to contribute his work ethic to the AEDC mission as well as a medical evangelism mission in Panama.

Steve Macon, an AEDC fire department crew chief and emergency medical technician, recently returned from Valle del Risco in the Bocas Del Toro Province of Central America where he and 38 others assisted with the Latin American Missions (LAM).

"LAM is part of Forrest Park Church of Christ out of Valdosta, Ga.," Macon said. "People went from the Church of Christ from all over the United States. I went to serve others and to assist with a medical clinic in the remote area."

The main reason we go is [based on] Mark 16:15. It says 'go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.'"

You're not going to listen to the gospel if you're hungry, if you're cold, you don't have a place to sleep or have a need."

In the bible you can see where the physical needs were taken care of before the spiritual needs. I can tell you how much I care, but you don't know how much I care until I show you."

Macon and three other members who represented the Owl Hollow Church of Christ in Winchester, Tenn., began their extended travels on a Saturday morning, from Nashville to Miami then to Panama by plane.

Then they journeyed by bus overnight from Panama City to Valle del Risco and arrived there at approximately 10 a.m. Sunday morning through mountainous terrain and narrow roads.

Dr. Meagan Green, also a member of the Owl Hollow Church of Christ, joined the LAM group in Valle del Risco after attending another mission in Honduras. With her attendance, there were four individuals from Macon's church.

The mission group remained in Valle del Risco for five days. Three and half of those days they operated a medical clinic for those in need.

The first and last days there were used to set up the clinic and to break down the clinic.

The clinic provided free medicine, medical exams, eye exams and glasses.

They treated 844 patients, filled 3,277 prescriptions and performed 250 eye exams during their time at the clinic.

"We have a house in Panama next to a preaching school and children's home where we store all of our medical equipment and supplies which were shipped ahead of us. It will be available for the next mission group that arrives in that location," Macon said.

The mission group loaded a truck with the needed medical supplies for the bus trip to Valle del Risco.

Macon also carried a 50 pound bag of medical supplies with him separate from the truck. The medical supplies contain items like antibiotics, ibuprofen and Tylenol.

He experienced caring for many patients in extremely long lines where interpreters were available to assist.

"I was responsible for registration of patients and filling prescriptions," Macon said. "I would give the patients prescriptions to the pharmacist and he would check it to make sure what I chose was correct."

An interpreter would instruct each patient after the pharmacist's checks were complete.

"One family traveled three days to get there [to the clinic] to get medical attention," Macon said.

Macon remembered that a pregnant woman with labor pains walked two hours through the mountains to the clinic for care, although there was a hospital approximately two blocks away from the clinic.

"The local people were very appreciative of the clinic," Macon said. "They didn't have the money to buy medicine or to see a doctor."

The coordinator of the program chooses the mission locations based on the economic status of the region and need.

Many of the residents in Valle del Risco aren't able to receive treatments they need to stay healthy.

Although electricity wasn't available in many parts of the clinic, the mission group was able to provide care and received meals - one prepared over lava rocks.

"They cooked spaghetti on top of lava rocks that had a fire built around it," Macon said. "I believe they cooked 13 pounds of spaghetti for us to eat that day and you waste nothing. If you have leftovers, it is made into something for the next meal."

Macon also recalled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and oatmeal being offered for the meals.

The climate, consisting of high temperatures and rain, was at times uncomfortable for the LAM group. Air conditioning wasn't available and when it rained the facilities became very dark.

The conditions never deterred the volunteers. Their mission of spreading the gospel was provided to approximately 50 homes each day.

The LAM group's long days began with breakfast and a mission briefing and devotion then mission work. Their days ended with a gospel meeting for all to attend.

Macon said they would have the morning devotion meeting spoken in Spanish and there would be an English translator for the mission workers.

Macon plans to continue his mission participation in the upcoming year, possibly in Alabama.

Funding is a consideration when participating in a mission trip. Macon funded his trip with donations from his church congregation and by cleaning gutters and cutting grass and asking for the payments to be made to his church toward "Steve's mission trip."

He said he was able to help someone with their work and in-turn they would help someone in need with their donation, "Individuals can make a difference in people's lives by doing the same as I did."

Macon added, "Once you go on a mission trip like this you will never be the same."

The Owl Hollow Church of Christ Mission Fund also assisted with funding.

Macon has worked at AEDC for 26 years and resides in Winchester.