Argentina Team Update #9
Day Eight
One final push for training today! We met at Feeney’s guest house, where three of us are staying, and had a home cooked scramble egg breakfast made by Segundo. I found some oatmeal at the store and got back onto an eating plan that at least somewhat resembled normal for me. Then, we headed out to the local fire department here in San Nicolas.
As we arrived, a firefighter named Emeliano greeted me with a big hug. I hoped he was here! He was at the station when I first visited in 2019 and showed me their fire truck, which had no equipment in any of the compartments. When I returned in 2023, Emeliano showed me how he had fabricated the many different tools and equipment that filled the shelves. This guy was making all the equipment that they couldn’t afford with scrap metal that he found. One of the tools he made was a Haligan to force doors open. It was rough looking but I’m sure it got the job done. Boy did I have a surprise for him this time! I had saved one of the donated Haligan tools and presented it to him. All smiles from a 38-year-old fire fighter with 25+ years of experience! What a privilege to present him with something that costs approximately half of his monthly wage. I relayed my own personal story to the group and dedicated the equipment by telling the fire fighters to remember my story and how God pulled me from crushing depression and unhealthy response to trauma. I think it was eye-opening to the four new fire fighters [4 with less than 2 years’ experience] how the work can affect mental health so heavily. All the other team members shared their stories throughout the day as well. To be so explicit about God and throw your pride to the wind is an awesome experience.
We only had one day instead of three, so the training was fast and furious. We did stop for lunch but otherwise were lecturing inside and teaching drags, size ups, and forcible entry outside. At the end, we had sweaty handshakes and hugs before retreating from the heat and humidity back to tom Feeney’s house. Later, Tom and Colleen made tacos for use and we all shared a nice family dinner. Classes are done, so we are looking forward to sleeping in a little and having a slow morning. We went to the grocery store and bought enough coffee to bathe in if we wanted.
