Today the team safely arrived in the beautiful colonial town of Antigua. Our arrival was marked by flight delays and rain showers, but we gave God thanks for bringing us together safely to carry out our mission this week.
Our team is now called “AGO”, an acronym of the last names of our new leaders Austin, Garcia, and O’Brien. Pronounced “AH-go”, these leaders inherited the week ably led for many years by the beloved couple John and Wilma Tysse (you can read of if previous Tysse trips in this blog). Team AGO seeks to continue the dedication and commitment to healing of the people of Guatamala that the Tysses demonstrated and inspired.
The team is smaller than typical years, consisting of the following who heeded the call to serve:
- Kathryn, an RN from Montgomery, AL
- Fernando, an MD from Savannah, GA
- Jennifer, a pharmacist from Seattle, WA
- Margaret, an MD from near Santa Rosa, CA
- Eileen, an OBGYN from southwestern Florida
- team leader Joe Austin from Seattle, WA
- and me, Pastor Jason, a pastor from Savannah, GA (and this week’s blogger)
Gathering to eat on Sunday night in the restaurant in the beautiful hotel of Quinta Las Flores, in Antigua the team reflected on the events of last year, how our lives and work have changed since we last served in February of 2020.
That night we discussed why we decided to go on this trip to Guatemala. Many expressed the desire to help those who are far worse off than the those in the United States. Others talked about wanting a break from the grind that has been the pandemic in the United States. Helping others in this place gives many on the team a sense of humanity and purpose. Alleviating suffering is part of the call of medical professionals and Christians.
The Faith and Practice staff informally briefed us of the state of the pandemic in Guatemala, and to American ears it sounds like going back to May of 2020. Government mandates state that everyone needs to wear a mask at all times. Less than 1% of Guatemalans are immunized. Faith In Practice has employed measures to keep everyone safe: the volunteers, the healers, and the patients.
We bid each other an early goodnight after a full day of travel, lulled to sleep by a gentle rain, looking forward to starting the week after a good night’s rest.
