“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” ~ 1 Peter 4:10
We started our morning today with a devotional about being a gift to our patients, a gift to one another, and the gift of being with the people we serve here in Guatemala.
And shortly after spending a moment thinking about the gift of this Faith in Practice clinic week, I found myself with Dr. Stephanie, who shared a story about her local interpreter, 17-year-old Javier. I learned that nearly all our Spanish to English interpreters here at the clinic are local high schoolers who attend the Colegio Bilingüe ABC here in Puerto Barrios. As the name implies, the school is completely bilingual.
Dr. Stephanie shared with me that Javier is applying to attend college and would like to go to a school in the United States. He’s hoping to study either mechanical or electrical engineering. He told her that he has his eyes set on a certain university and wants to apply for early decision, but his SAT scores aren’t high enough and he’s planning to retake the exam. He does have some backup colleges in mind, but he’s really excited about this one specific university. When Dr. Stephanie asked Javier what his first choice would be, he replied with the name of her alma mater! What is the chance that a high school student who is volunteering to interpret in a medical clinic here in Puerto Barrios would be hoping to attend the same under graduate university of the doctor whom he’s assisting? She went on to tell me that she has many generousFIP donors who are alumni of her university, and she sent some messages to her friends about the amazing coincidence of this high school student’s aspirations.
It made me think about all the gifts of this week. While it may appear that the volunteer team is a gift to the people of Puerto Barrios, it goes beyond just that. The high schoolers helping us do our jobs effectively are an immense gift to us. The translation knowledge and the shared volunteer experience between Javier and Dr. Stephanie is a gift. All our donors are a gift to Faith in Practice and make it possible for us to bring medical services to Guatemala. Being able to spend time in a different culture is a gift. The list goes on and on.
Today’s gift for our team is that we were able to serve about 300 patients in our various medical clinics: Gynecology, Pediatrics, General Medicine, Education and Mobility. We’re now halfway through our time here. There’s so much more work to do, and so many more gifts to give and receive.
Ruth Lacey
Team Blogger & Photographer
