Team Johnson 843 – Day 4: The Clinics Ramp Up
Hello again readers!
This is Josie joined again by Mark. We’re writing from the end of another long but fruitful and fulfilling day at the clinics in Totonicapán. We rose early for another energizing Morning Devotional by pastor Azariah, who invited us to consider what it means to give compassionately. His description, of becoming a vessel for light and sacred service, came to life in the clinics today, as patients and caregivers, local volunteers, FIP staff, and visiting volunteers came together to give something of themselves to one another.
We are also reminded daily of the strong Mayan presence in this region. Besides the stunning array of “traje,” (traditional clothing worn mostly by women today), we drive past a large statue of the Mayan leader Tecun Uman in a roundabout close to our hotel. We had a few patients today who needed Quechi translators, but most were able to communicate easily with the help of a bilingual family member. More often, we can hear this Mayan language spoken around the clinics between family members and friends.
First-time participant Dr. Emily Leong in pediatrics has had several older patients who turned out to be mostly healthy but needed help understanding their experiences and past medical advice they had received. The pediatric clinic started out busier than they day before, but the general adult clinic once again was at the heart of the action.
Orthopedic specialist Dr. Mark Woolf recalled a patient with two acutely arthritic hips. The man, wearing an “I love Jesus” cap, recounted that local medical service had told him there was simply nothing that could be done to relieve his pain and mobility problems, all the while maintaining a gregarious spirit in the face of adversity.
“We told him we could get his hips fixed,” said Mark, who scheduled the patient for future treatment. “He was so happy he wanted to give me his hat.”
Triage worker and team co-leader Linda Johnson said another patient, a woman in her mid-30s who had suffered chronic arthritis since her teens that had left her with curled, painful hands, also refused to let her predicament darken her attitude.
“Her spirit was so happy and joyful, and she shared that with me,” Linda said.
The day ended with the team having served more patients than the day before but in slightly less time, as everyone found themselves in a better rhythm and able to handle the load more efficiently, allowing the buses to ply the road back to Quetzaltenango in daylight carrying filled hearts.
Tune back in tomorrow to hear about our third day of work, and thank you for keeping our patients in your thoughts!
Josie Johnson, Team Blogger/Photographer
