We begin our reflections on Friday morning In keeping with the book Gentle and Lowly, which examines how Christ shoulders our burdens. Some discussion points included:
- By showing up and listening to our patient’s complaints we are shouldering their burdens, even if for a brief moment, and even if we feel inadequate to make a difference or carry the load.
- The people of Guatemala teach all of us and encourage us in our faith. We see Christ in them, even if for a brief moment.
- We are not God. We can’t fix everything and should not feel we fail. Sharing and receiving love with one another causes us to share in our sufferings. In that space, Christ is present.
- This is why we return as often as possible with Faith in Practice. We have experienced Christ’s presence among us this week. The challenge is returning to our daily lives with the memory of the experience. It is both a gift and a burden. Now that we know about life for the people of Guatemala, what do we do next?
After 3 years of Covid, things seem to be returning to “normal.” But we all are still dealing with emotional and, in some cases, physical burdens. Our weekly totals reflect this. In November 2022 our team saw 949 patients and made 167 referrals. This week we saw 1430 patients and made 305 referrals. Six women had precancerous lesions removed.
We were in a different town and were supposed to see more patients, and we did. We also took time to share the burdens of others and realize that Jesus loves us all and was there to meet us.
Thank you for reading our blog, and thank you to all who also prayed for our week and contributed to Faith in Practice!
