Today we met at 6:00am for a Team Meeting and wise words from John before we began our first day of surgery. He shared a verse from 1 Corinthians, 12:12, “The body is a unit, though it is comprised of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.”
The surgeries that take place throughout this week will require the touch of many hands, and yet, we operate as one body. This is never more apparent than it is in the pre-op, operating and post-op rooms. From 7:00am – 6:00pm each day, four to six surgeries will be performed in each of our four operating rooms. A coordinated dance of communciations both spoken and unspoken will guide the nurses, pharmacist, anesthiosologists, surgeons, surgical techs and circulating nurses. Should a complication arise, the team will shift plans and schedules to accommodate the needs and safety of the patient. As an outsider looking in, I can attest to the beauty of these efforts.
While the majority of our team works diligently at Las Obras, another team will be working as hard behind the scenes. Our Kitchen Crew is the backbone of our team. Food is not only the sustenance needed to endure long days of surgery, but for this team, it is how we build community. This group will wake up at 4:00am to brew the coffee and prepare breakfast. They will clean all the dishes, plan for the next meal, shop at the three or four markets to purchase all the food, go to inordinate efforts to prep the food so no one gets sick, provide appetizers and cook an amazing dinner. Thanks to their efforts, tonight we will get to experience the traditional Guatemalan dish, Pepián!
As is always the case with Team Stempel, this unit is comprised of many parts, but operates as one body. It takes a village to bring this week to life and we are grateful for the unique qualities that each team member brings with them to Guatemala.
