The team made their first trek to the Obras today, where new and old members were treated to a tour of the facilities, led by our friend Xiomara. Even for some of us “old-timers” it was great to hear “the rest of the story” before setting up the operating rooms for the week and visiting with patients at the clinic.
Everyone was happy to see us in the waiting area, and we watched a full house dwindle down to none as the surgeons and their teams met with over 150 patients throughout the day.
Anyone not needed in the clinic areas handed out stickers and coloring books to antsy children to help them pass the time, as we kept spirits up and unpacked the stories behind the faces who greeted us with hopeful eyes. For many, the tears from their discomfort as they waited turned to tears of gratitude as the surgeons assured them they could help, explained their procedures, and filled out their schedules.
A handful of us were fortunate enough to get a tour of the Hogar Virgen del Soccoro in the afternoon, where nearly 300 children, women, and men are cared for in a facility that was a dream and now a reality of Obras-founder Father Jose. His path to becoming an architect that became his path to helping Guatemalans for decades was clear in the design and attention to providing a special place for special people to be together and be cared for by more special people who dedicate their lives to its purpose.
With the number of patients met at the Obras added to the number we met at the Virgen del Soccoro, our hearts were both full and broken at the same time, further reinforcing why we come here.
Erin Joseph Machac, Blogger
