Day three of the clinic is complete! Today was a day full of interesting stories, fun interactions, and new experiences.
We started the day early, like every other day, with breakfast at 6AM; bus departure at 6:45AM; and a 7:45AM arrival at the clinic. The local Faith in Practice team had arrived at 7AM and had already met with the patients who were lined up and waiting for them, and the team spent the time from 7-8AM meeting with the 100+ or so patients collecting their information. Wendy, Andrew, and others triaged the patients to get them ready to be seen by the doctors, so that clinic could begin as shortly after 8AM as possible. The morning saw a steady stream of families, people needing wheelchairs and walkers, and others from the community with medical needs that ranged from basic care to ailments requiring immediate care and surgery.
The recurring theme of today’s clinic was solidarity. We wrapped up our day with a devotional from Dr. Grady, in which he described what the term solidarity means to him, and how he applies that meaning to our trips in Guatemala. Dr. Grady identified solidarity as an extremely important theme to focus in on in the midst of political rhetoric that encourages an “us vs. them” narrative. He used a medical analogy to describe his experiences with Faith in Practice, telling us that our service here gives the local community (and us) a type of “immunity” from hate and separation, with each year we come back serving as our “booster”. After Dr. Grady’s devotional, Tagni encouraged us to share moments from today where we experienced the type of solidarity described. Wendy had a really special story to share.
Today, a twenty-two-year-old woman came into the clinic with her two younger sisters. Her mother died during childbirth of her youngest sister, and her dad had left to work in the United States. This left her to take care of her sisters on her own. On top of this responsibility, she decided to take on nursing school. Inspired by her grit, strength, and compassion, the local Faith in Practice team decided to put together a gift basket for her, including a stethoscope, headlamp, and other tools she will find useful in her career in nursing. When she was given this gift, she was completely speechless, overwhelmed by gratitude. Moments like these embody the solidarity Dr. Grady described.
We’re excited for our final day in the clinic tomorrow!
-Megan Gerwe
To support the Mesen Team visit: https://donate.faithinpractice.org/team/455483
