Roughly nine months after the Stempel Surgery team embarked on a new journey to Hilario Galindo in San Felipe, Las Obras is back! The Faith in Practice veterans and newcomers traveled to Guatemala yesterday, Friday the 10th of March. A recognizable team travel arrangement of Portland to Houston was capped with arrival in Guatemala City around 7:30 Central Standard Time. We spent the first night of our mission in the beautiful Barcelo Hotel. Faith in Practice provided a wonderful dinner buffet for the team after an extended day of travel.
After breakfast at the Barcelo, several chartered buses escorted us from Guatemala City to our home for the week in Antigua. The travel day provided many great opportunities for storytelling and reminiscing about past trips to the Hotel Quinta de Las Flores. Upon arrival, there was an obvious sense of “home away from home” for returning team members. Following some free time and relaxation, we had our first official team meeting by the pool. The team meeting began with a devotional from John Hubbard which instilled a reminder for what it means to be a part of this mission and how the Guatemalans are healing our hearts as we embark on this surgical week. As volunteers, we are learning from our patients and the people of Guatemala. Their trust and kindness provide our team with inspiration, joy, and perspective on the true importance of this medical mission.
After introductions and discussion regarding triage day, the evening was capped with a delightful dinner prepared by the Quinta de Las Flores kitchen staff. Returning members became acquainted with newcomers and the team went to bed with a sense of excitement for the triage day to come.
-Spencer Kang
To support this team and their commitment to our patient’s visit:
