Preparation Day: Puzzle Pieces coming Together
The original name of Guatemala was Cuauhtēmallān, a Mayan word for ‘place of many trees.’ Imagine a landscape with a Jurassic Park vibe, with Fuego, the active volcano, and some terraced farming. This is what we observed on our bus ride to our clinic site Poxtoca, at an altitude of over nine-thousand feet. We literally were in the clouds for part of the journey—a foretaste of the heavenly day in store for us.
The Faith in Practice staff has much to do before the U.S. team arrives. Clinics are sent only to villages to which they have been invited. Staff scouts the site and imagines how the clinic will best be arranged for maximum efficiency. The local volunteers, known as red hats, pre-screen potential patients and assign appointment time frames to maximize efficiency. They know the drill even if the new-bees do not!
When our bus arrived, the excitement was palpable! Many of the town had gathered to pray with us in Ecclesia de Dios church and, unexpectantly, proudly treated us to lunch. Pictures of the Chapines dressed in their brightly colored embroidered dresses let you feel the beams of pride they had as they finished preparing the chimol for the chicken and stirred the brewing rosa jamaica tea. A meal prepared in love is shared abundantly and received graciously.
How do people grow in hope? “When they realize that each one of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved. Each one of us is necessary.” (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) The camaraderie was easily established today as all the pieces of the well-planned puzzle fell into place. Language barriers were softened with handshakes and broad smiles. The cadence of conversation demonstrated what it means to be part of the body of Christ.
Day two, and it was good.
-Suzanne
Pictures:
1) Drive to clinic site.
2) A very warm welcome: prayer, praise and smiles.
3) Unloading of supplies, many hands made light work.
4) The unpacking of wheel chair parts.
5) Enjoying lunch with Team Estes.
6) Red Hats break time!
7) Satisfied smile after eating.
8) The cooks get a well deserved rest.
9) View back at the hotel.
To support this team and their commitment to our patient’s visit:
