No surgeries today, only final rounds in the ward before getting our chance to enjoy Antigua and its people outside the walls of the Obras. No early day, either, as the team emerged from their rooms in the daylight today, grabbing some breakfast before the morning devotional.
This morning, we all got a chance to tell our impressions of the week, the things we saw, the things we did, the emotions we felt. The testimonials from first year team members, to those with 20 trips, were similar, appreciative of the opportunity to serve, and the friendships made.
The disparities between the have’s and the have not’s were discussed throughout the day, including how “here” compares to “there” (home…which is now relative at this point, as we all feel a deeper connection to Antigua).
We said hello again and goodbye to a 68 old flower farmer this morning in the ward, who had travelled two hours to see us on Sunday, patiently waiting in town several days to have a his surgery. Among him, more men, women, and children eager to give their thanks with too many smiles to capture in a few photos.
We grabbed a quick lunch after a mid day excursion to a facility nearer to Vulcan de Fuego, although it’s eruptions were not visible due to the fog and rain. Many enjoyed some shopping and exploring in town, followed by another team dinner, as it seemed (given the chance to break away from each other and explore), we only wanted more time with each other.
Tomorrow, we head home, but today, we enjoy each other as much as we can, taking in more of the town, the country, and it’s people. Pretty certain we’ll all be back again, hopefully with this same core group and a few more…maybe with a fifth surgeon, we could top our 107 surgeries in 4 days !?!?
-Erin Joseph Machac
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