Travel, Serve, and Learn in Mexico

ISL is a wonderful organization from the pre-trip planning to the post-trip follow-ups. There are trips offered for every interested from health to sports to education. I went on a Global Health trip to Mexico. Preparing for the trip was painless as ISL has the requirements listed very clearly on the trip website, and any questions are answered promptly. They also provide a large list of fundraising ideas to offset the cost.

In country we felt very safe with our locally based team leader, paid friendly, security staff, and wonderful chef. The translators were very patient and knowledgeable.

As far as medical experience, we assisted with vitals in a local health clinic, performed community health surveys with abbreviated triage including taking blood glucose, held a free clinic with a doctor, nurse, and pharmacy, and shadowed in a local hospital. In the hospital I was able to assist in the beginning of a live birth, and watch the delivery! The best part of the program is that, rather than setting up a clinic once a year or once ever, ISL strives to maintain clinics so that communities have regular access to medical care.

Beyond service, we had so many opportunities for recreation, exploring the local community, and eating exquisite food. After the trip, ISL reached out to find out what was good about the program and what to do to improve it. They also offer incentive to continue in the ISL family, and help it grow.

In January, I took five students to Puerto Penasco, Mexico for a Global Health Medical Service Learning Experience. This experience was educational and very rewarding for all that attended. While reviews of other programs (not ISL) said they spent more time vacationing than volunteering, this was not the case with ISL. While yes, we did have free time, the majority of our time was dedicated to service work as I had hoped for. The first two days, we spent learning how to take vital signs and learning the medical culture of Mexico. We spent three days walking the streets of Mexico performing in home visits, taking vitals and inviting people to our free clinic we held on the last two days. We also visited a phase one and phase two hospital, which was extremely educational, comparing the Mexico medical system to that of America. This was a great, eye-widening experience for all and I was very grateful to have this opportunity. The overall experience also helped remove fears and stereotypes of the Mexico society.

The whole experience was wonderful! It made us reach beyond ourselves and our comfort zone, to help those that were truly in need. In one of our home visits, we reached out to a lady who had suffered a fractured hand and was also dealing with the death of numerous family members and having to live by herself. She was very grateful for anything that we did . . . starting with praying with her and providing her a rosary. We interacted with her several times and she was so much happier by the time we left. What a wonderful gift and blessing it is to be able to make a difference in someone's life!

Going into my ISL trip, I was unsure what the experience was going to be like. I only really knew that I was going to Mexico with likeminded people to do medical work in the local community. Little did I know that, that was only the surface. What I found in the ISL experience was not only incredible hands on work, but also great immersion into the Mexican culture. The staff was wonderful and the accommodations were far beyond than my expectations. Everything about this opportunity was exceptional. If you want to do real hands on medical work and see the difference you can make in others' lives than this is the program for you. I only wish I could have stayed longer. Thank you ISL!

Our team of college nursing and pre-med students experienced a fabulous holistic healthcare and community service immersion! We had busy days working in the community by building gardens, painting schools, visiting a prison, playing soccer with the children, and attending church. Our healthcare work spanned community and home visits, a free neighborhood clinic, completing health assessments in the primary care clinic and providing patient care in the hospital. The leaders kept us highly engaged in serving the Baja population while improving our Spanish speaking and professional nursing skills. We had ample free time to enjoy the beach and do some tourist activities. We all returned to Iowa with a broader appreciation of diverse community needs.