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