Second Day of Surgery
We started the day with morning devotions and the chaplain, Joanie, always has a critical thought to carry us through the day. Today, she talked about how we want the “outcome” to be good and our success-driven goals. What if we can’t make that happen? What if we can’t change the outcome at all? Her suggestion? “Let’s just take that moment and make it good.” Let’s live in that moment and let God do the rest. That is all we have, this moment and only right now.
That is what I saw happening at Hospital Hilario Galindo. Yesterday a team of medical professionals gathered together, met for the first time in an operating room, and made the best of every moment to complete 15 surgeries. They learned new processes, understood how their surgical team interacted with each other, and “worked out all the kinks.” Each consecutive surgery went smoother because they worked together in the moment; they developed their routine and rhythm. And at the end of the day, they were all exhausted, but all was well.
This morning, after a night of rest, they are ready to get back to the job at hand: Performing 15 more surgeries and changing the lives of 15 patients.
There was a gentleman works as a sacristan for the church. He is so grateful for this opportunity. He will be able to return to work and help others as well.
Another woman, Lisbeth, lives about 21/2 hrs away. She works at a taqueria and is very grateful for this opportunity. She is an evangelical Christian who loves to pray, as evidenced by her beautiful shining spirit.
Julio is a house painter living with his mother. She also had surgery with FIP, so Julio is confident he is in good hands. His birthday is Sunday, and he said this was the best birthday present ever. He doesn’t need a cake, card or presents. He got the most significant gift of all from God. He is grateful and wants to follow God and make his life better.
I met with the patients yesterday, and they are ready to go home. I saw smiling faces and excitement. I received prayers and thank you’s abundantly from them. Can we change their situation? NO! But we can make a difference because of those moments spent here at Hospital Hilario Galindo. They can resume their jobs without pain. Faith in Practice provided the opportunity, and Team Raymer committed. This team has the love, commitment, and compassion to change the lives of a small number of Guatemalan people and offer them hope. This reminds me of a quote from Maya Angelou. “Love recognizes no barriers, jumps hurdles, leaps fences, and penetrates walls to reach its destination full of hope.” This week our team has been jumping hurdles and recognizes there are no boundaries for taking care of people. They are a fantastic group of professionals giving up their time to provide hope and make a difference. We cannot fix everything, but we can give from the heart, care about others and make each moment count because all we have is that moment. Once that moment is gone, we can never get it back. And God wants us to make the most of every moment.
