Mission: Guatemala 2007
As a pilot trip, this mission was more a seed planting than anything. Though at times we did not feel we were making much of a difference, we were investing in people’s lives. For Belmont School of Physical Therapy, it was planting seeds of potential. Potential future trips to help others through PT in Guatemala or elsewhere. For the children we saw in therapy and for their parents, we planted seeds of hope and love. A hope renewed because their child was important enough to merit the attention of people from the United States. A love given to every child we touched and reflected in their hugs and bright smiles. For the therapists we worked with, seeds of innovation and new ways of thinking. New treatment ideas and techniques we brought to them that may help them with a child’s therapy or encourage them to expand their knowledge. For the children we spoke with at the school, seeds of inspiration for a bright future. A future they may not have thought possible before our words and touch. And for myself, seeds of reminder and renewal. A reminder of the wide world that exists outside of my small bubble, and of the great God who created and loves us all. A reminder of how I can use my education and my gifts to better serve people. And a renewal of a love for my chosen profession and for people of all cultures.
I would like to echo my teammates in thanking those who were involved in seeing this idea of a physical therapy mission trip come to fruition in a way that was nothing short of miraculous. Thank you to all who supported this trip financially and spiritually. Thank you to the Guatemalan people who welcomed us with opened arms. And thank you to God, who used this week to take me out of my comfort zone in many ways. I pray that I will be permanently stretched and changed into a new and better person, and that I will remember this trip as a milestone of change in my life. I also pray that the seeds that we planted will be watered and tended so that they can grow into beacons of life that shine the love of God and of his Son, Jesus.
Rebekah

Mission: Guatemala 2007
Good news to everyone: no one was swallowed by a sinkhole.
First I wanted to say thanks to all of the people who supported me. I would not have been able to go had it not been for your generous support. This was my first opportunity to go on a medical missions trip that was related to physical therapy. I have always wanted to be a part of medical mission and I thank the Shalom Foundation and Belmont for helping us put this together. For the first time I saw poverty in a third world country. The people at the Shalom Foundation are true heroes and I thank them for letting us be a part of their ministry. Whether it was finally being able to communicate in Spanish, looking into the face of a pediatric patient, or helping to ease a lady’s neck pain, the experiences of this trip have left an indelible mark on me. Thank you to all of the students who went, and to the chaperones. It was a tremendous trip. May God bless both you and me and the people of Guatemala.

Matthew 25:34-40 Then the king will say to those on His right hand: Come, blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him saying, Lord when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.

David

Mission: Guatemala 2007
Every time I go out of the country I come back with a renewed spirit and blessed in so many ways. This trip to Guatemala has been no different. It is hard to put into words the many things God showed me throughout the week. It never fails that God is going to humble me every time I go on a mission trip. When we began planning this trip I was a little nervous for a couple of reasons: 1) We weren’t real sure what we would be doing and 2) because I am a 1st year I am still lacking a lot of knowlegde on how to treat a patient and am not very confident yet in what I do know. However, once we got down there God took care of the nerves and reminded me that He chose us to go for a reason and would use us in a mighty way (even me, a 1st year).
Walking through neighborhoods of extreme poverty, hearing stories of abuse and murders, and seeing patients in the hospital who had been abandoned by their family brings tears to my eyes. But when I see the joy in the smiling faces of the children and am mobbed by hugs from children excited because I came to their country to visit them, it brings JOY to my heart!
Through this trip I realized that even though I may not have the skills of the 2nd and 3rd years, God can still use me to love on the the children and families of Guatemala, all I have to do is simply show up and He will do the rest!
“Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope for.”
Thank you to all who made this trip possible through leadership, donations, or prayer.
Emily

Mission: Guatemala 2007
I will be honest and admit that I was a little hesitant to go on this trip because I knew that it would be my only time off from school and I did not know what exactly I would be doing in Guatemala and if I could really make much of an impact in just one week. However, I decided that this would be a good opportunity for me and so I took a leap of faith and commited to going. Now looking back, I cannot think of a better way to have spent my spring break. I learned so much by going down to Guatemala and seeing the daily routines of the Guatemalan people. It gave me such a different kind of joy than I have ever experienced when I saw the most humble and grateful look in the eyes of the children as we just gave them love and attention. Even though I could not take away all of their troubles and take care of all of their needs, I still feel like I made an impact in the short time I was down there because I let a child know that they were loved.