Mission to Guatemala
from Darcy King
A team of students, faculty and partners from Belmont University’s School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy are ministering in Guatemala during Belmont’s spring break, the seventh year a team has traveled there.
In order to beat rush hour traffic our group got an early start with breakfast at 7:00a.m. Even though we thought we had an early start, we know that the Shalom Foundation staff were hard at work long before we got out of bed. Today was the first day we experienced the weather we had been anticipating. The sun was out in full force and many of us got a little more than our fair share. Our first destination for the day was a children’s rehab hospital. The hospital staff gave us a tour of the facility and then we broke up into our respective professions to participate in therapy sessions. We had the unique opportunity to collaborate with the OTs and PTs at this rehab center in order to exchange ideas and share information. This was a humbling learning experience for clinicians and students alike. During the OT sessions we observed how they conducted group therapy sessions, learned about how they taught families to make piñatas to be sold as a source of income, and had the opportunity to work one on one with many of the children.
During the first PT session, we mostly observed the Guatemalan PTs and students and learned from them. The therapists were very knowledgeable and skilled, especially with manual therapy. The second session was a little different in a good way, because during the break, some of our leaders collaborated with some of the Guatemalan PTs and thought it would be a better experience if we were more involved with treating the children. This way it enhanced our learning and also provided opportunities for us to share some of our ideas with them. It also allowed some of us who hadn’t felt spasticity and a combination of spasticity and flaccidity to be able to feel it. Overall, it was a great experience.
After lunch today our team split up and went to two different sites. The first group went to the Nutrition Center. This organization cares for extremely malnourished children. They currently house 38 children ranging in ages from one to seven years old. They are funded solely by donations that are, unfortunately, not given on a consistent basis. They spoke of how they rely on God to provide for what they lack in donations. God’s provision and power is demonstrated and displayed through the staff as they are able to do so much with so little. The students and clinicians were asked specifically to evaluate and provide recommendations for a little girl named Emily. The Nutrition Center staff observed that she had difficulty when walking and that her legs looked different than those of the other children. OTs and PTs collaborated to provide several recommendations on how the staff could individualize her care. We also brought crafts, games, and toys that we shared with the children, and we relished the opportunity to interact and play with them. One of the things we have learned while on this trip, that was emphasized today, is that laughter, joy, pain, and play transcends communication and cultural barriers.
The second group went to Hope for Tomorrow, an orphanage that serves 12 adorable children, some of which have special needs. One of those children was Carlos. It was awesome to see him and how far he has come since last year at this time when he couldn’t yet walk. When we saw him today, he was able to walk, Praise God, however it was hard for him to walk around and he felt unsafe. We were blessed to have a walker happily donated from a child who outgrew it in the United States. It was a perfect fit for Carlos, and he lit up with joy as soon as he saw it! He immediately wanted to try it out and began walking all around the home. It made us so happy! Additionally, Carlos really needed a new pair of braces. So, Lisa, a DPT, and a couple of PT students tried to find one of the donated braces that would be a good fit for him. Since none of the ones we had were a great fit, we plan to return tomorrow and are praying that we will be able to fit him for new orthotics. We also brought out our inner child when we played with the rest of the children there. Riding on scooter boards and making balloon animals, among other things, made for a fun afternoon! Lastly, we gave the leaders there suggestions to help improve the attention span of the children during their studies and exercises for Carlos to do to improve his walking. During our visit, we could definitely feel the love in this home and know that these children are being blessed by the way the “parents” of the orphanage are pouring into their lives.
Buenas noches from all of us here in Guatemala! We are definitely feeling your prayers and encourage you to keep them coming. Dios te bendiga (God bless you)!