Under dark skies this morning, we were greeted at the airport by a sea of blue. As is always our team practice, we travel wearing our Faith In Practice shirts. This year’s robin egg blue shirts are a welcome sight on this dreary Portland day. We all arrive with a sense of relief knowing that we have done everything we can to ensure a successful week for those we leave behind and for the patients we will meet on Sunday.
In many ways, our connection with our patients has already begun as we are all making the journey to arrive in Antigua, Guatemala tomorrow. Our journey consists of two flights that bring us through Houston to Guatemala City and a chartered bus that brings us to our home for the next week. Our patient’s journey will often consist of several long, crowded rides on what are commonly known in Guatemala as chicken buses (so called because passengers would often travel with their live animals).
I am always grateful for the time it takes to reach our destination as it allows me the opportunity to reflect on what this trip means not only to me, but to my family. We learn so much from our patients, their families and the Guatemalan staff who shepherd us throughout the week. They greet us with hope, trust, strength, warmth, grace, kindness and resiliency. What a welcome reminder of what is truly important in our world today.
I look forward to capturing the stories that will give you a glimpse into our experiences this week.
