Who wouldn’t love starting your day with this sight!?

Today was day four! We have made it to the middle of our trip… boy how things have truly fallen into place. Every day it feels as though we grow more familiar and aware of our surroundings, but I don’t know if we will ever get use to this view!!!! [The picture doesn’t do this scenery justice!]

Team of social work student, pharmacy student, nursing student, and interpreter working with patient to day at San Miguel.

More great care from nursing students, social work student, and interpreter.

For the first time all week, the whole team was at the same clinic site. We returned to San Miguel to see around 87 more patients. Also, a few patients who were originally seen yesterday were able to return to be assessed by our PT and OT students. We came into the day a little worried about how we were going to be able to fit all 22 members of the team, interpreters, community facilitators, and patients all in a small town hall type building… but man, today was practically flawless. We were all separated into groups of about four with a team member from each of the disciplines (nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, social work) to assess the patients in a truly interdisciplinary way. Meredith, our physical therapy student, floated around the groups based on the specific needs of the patients. It was even better than we could have imagined. As with all of the other days, much of our success had to do with the community involvement. For without the Mayor allowing us to come into his community, we would not be able to serve the patients. If Pablo, our gracious host and coordinator, had not put in the extensive work required to make necessary arrangements, we would not be able to make the trip possible in the first place. That does not account for all of the time and efforts that were spent through the long days by our very patient interpreters. We would also not be able to be in the place we all are now if not for those of you at home keeping up with us, praying for us, and supporting us in all that we have been able to do here in Guatemala. The help we have received alongside our health care practices has been an incredibly valuable portion of our success throughout today and the previous days. Today was honestly what healthcare professionals dream of, an interdisciplinary team working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

Meredith (PT), and team members assess patient’s shoulder.

As of today, we have seen 250+ patients between two towns and Keramion. With the hard work of Pablo and the Belmont family, this trip has happened annually for the past five years. In that time Belmont students have been able to see more than 2,000 individuals. Wow, God is truly at work here! He has guided both us team members and the members of the community to the same place, and it is a powerful thing to see and reflect on. In our daily debrief and discussion we expanded on the ways in which we have been spoken to personally by God’s love and the ways in which we have been able to share that love with the patients we have seen. It is astonishing how the smile on a patient’s face can warm your soul when the best treatment you were able to give consisted of either a short supply of ibuprofen, encouraging them to drink more water, discussing diet changes or simple mechanisms for easing pains through posture or stretching exercises or even just be someone to listen.

Group leaders from left to right: Denis (team interpreter), community member, Dr. Jamie Adam (nursing professor), and Pablo Castaneda (mission coordinator).

Patients in San Miguel with be with us forever.

We have always been taught to “love thy neighbor as thy self” and I feel as if that statement has come to life for our group this week. It has been a true blessing to serve our neighbors in these communities.  So tonight I challenge you… be open, be selfless, be a hope for others, be a guiding light in a room of darkness.

With all our love,

Kaitlyn Kerley and Brittany Collins — Pharmacy student.

From left to right: Caleb Darensbourg (P2), Kaitlyn Kerley (P1), and Brittany Collins (P4).