This morning started with a devotional from Bob Wells. Dr. Wells has been leading teams yearly since 2003 (minus COVID). Plus he led four more teams through Providence. When asked by he continues to return as a servant leader, there was no hesitancy. For Dr. Wells it’s the people we serve and interacting with the team. He’s especially delighted and inspired when new volunteers join and they get excited about serving, about being part of this mission.
Dr. Wells read two poems for the devotional.
First was Hero’s by Theodore Roosevelt:
“Here and there, and now and then, God
makes a giant among men. . . It is not the critic
who counts, nor the man who points out how
the strong man stumbled or where the doer of
deeds could have done better. The credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the
arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat
and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and
comes short again and again. . . who, at the
best knows in the end the triumph of high
achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails,
at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid
souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
Then Keep Adding by St. Augustine
“If you would attain to what you are not yet, you
must always be displeased by what you are.
For where you were pleased with yourself
there you have remained. But once you have
said, “It is enough” you are lost.
Keep adding,
keep walking,
keep advancing.
Do not stop, do not turn back, do not turn from
The straight road.”
These words guided the team as we started the day, leaving Guatemala City, and driving by bus for about two hours through lush green countryside, plump with fruit trees.
We set up the clinic in a community center in Las Cabezas. The clinic contains general medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, mobility, laboratory, pharmacy, and a kitchen. An empty center, the size of a dance hall, was converted to a clinic in a handful of hours, by dedicated volunteers (31 total) both local and from the states. All hands emptied the carefully loaded and full, full, full box truck. Everyone carried tables and chairs, exam tables, bins packed with supplies; boxes of wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches. The entire team is happily anticipating meeting patients tomorrow, having the community center brimming with people receiving care.
-Annie Gudger
To support this team and their commitment to our patients visit https://donate.faithinpractice.org/team/373440
