In preparation for our medical mission trip to Guatemala, there was so much organizing and planning involved. Our group started months in advance meeting to figure out how to go about putting the trip together. Since this was only the 2nd year that a group went, there were a lot of holes that needed to be filled from the previous year. Thank goodness for so many caring people who wanted to support this medical mission trip. The prayers and support made everything go so smoothly. One week before the departure date, we began to pack all of the donations (toys, clothes, medical supplies, scrubs, candy, and orthotic equipment). Little by little our tubs were filling and before we knew it….. all the tubs were full. And the funny thing is after we filled our tubs we still received a sewing machine and had more supplies on the way. I would have never thought we had more supplies than we could have brought down.
Going to Guatemala was such an enriching experience. Everyone at the hospital was extremely welcoming and warm to our arrival. When we arrived to the hospital on the first day, I was amazed at the limited resources that the hospital was working with. Being in Guatemala day after day, made me appreciate my own culture and blessing we take advantage of in the U.S. Throughout the week, we would ask what supplies would be appreciated for next year and the only response was for us to return. That meant more to them than any supplies they could have received.
Many memorable experiences were made throughout the week. There was a brother and sister who had a rare disease that was unknown of how to treat. And another set of twins with an unknown condition that affected both of the girls the same. I was lucky enough to perform an evaluation of these two young girls. And at the end of the eval, they taught us how to do the “moto” dance. We all danced the cool new dance to Guatemalan music. Both of these experiences were a once in a lifetime chance that I was lucky enough to witness and will always remember.
The most valuable lesson I learned was to appreciate what you have as little as it may be because that, in and of itself, is a blessing. On Wednesday, our group went to church and the service was on perspective. The pastor and his wife shared that no matter how big your problem may seem at that time, someone else would love to switch spots with you and change problems. The church service summed up the whole experience in Guatemala. I felt so lucky to get the chance to take this trip and even though I had a million things (problems) on my mind at the time, someone would have loved to switch places with me. It is all about perspective. What an appropriate church service.
To tie our experiences together, we had nightly devotionals to reflect our own perspective and experience. Every person in the group brought their own personal reflection and enlightenment to share with everyone. I hope this medical mission team grows every year and I hope that our follower’s experiences are as enriching as mine were. I hope to return next year and visit the friends that I made and hope to keep in touch with.
~Emily