Buenos Dias, amigos! Before I begin today’s story, I’d like to add a few things that happened yesterday. While I was frantically trying to recover Tuesday’s lost blog (with the help of Steve, Steven, Ed, even my son in NJ!), Ed came racing into the breakroom (my office), “Cindy, you have to come, bring your notebook!”. Outside the Dental Clinic, Ed had met 90 ½ year old Ciriaco, his daughter, and grandson both of whom had seen Cary and Rafael and had new toothbrushes and paste. Ciriaco is now retired from farming corn and peas and lives in “nearby” Chiquimulilla which is 4 hours away (again, imagine having to drive 4 hours to see your dentist?). Ciriaco has a face with a million stories, rugged, proud and humble at the same time. His brown cowboy hat sits low on his head, seemingly held up by his ears! He is happy to pose for pictures, dressed in his best clothes for this trip. Ed starts to ask Ciriaco’s daughter questions. She does her best to mumble a response and Ed realizes her lip is still numb from her dental procedure! At 90 and ½, Ciriaco is sharp as a tack, funny and happy to visit with us. Ed summed it up when he said everyone should be so lucky to have a grandpa like this. We said our good-byes and exchanged hugs with our new friends. Just before leaving, Ciriaco’s daughter handed Ed something wrapped in a cloth encouraging him to take this gift. This was her thanks for coming and helping and for taking an interest in who they are, from where they come. Ed opened the cloth and inside were 6 precious tortillas…no doubt this family’s lunch. All they had to give, they did. Moments like these are why we come back.
Steve was leaving the Obras to visit and pray with the families staying at Casa de Fe and invited me along. We knocked on the tremendous wooden door and were greeted with a smile and allowed entry. Sun shone down on the courtyard and we saw folks who were strangers only days ago, sitting together and visiting, some with bundles ready to travel home. Like our team, the Casa de Fe folks have become a family. 6 mos. old Liliana had just arrived with her mama, Rosana. I offered Liliana a knitted hat made by my church Knitting Guild in NJ and a blanket made by mom in GA. Rosana was at first confused, but soon understood these were gifts for her precious baby. With tears in her eyes she thanked us and said, “Never have I known such kindness. Please thank these women and may God always bless them.” It was time for Liliana’s dinner so Steve and I moved on…We were invited to sit with 16-year-old Amy and her mama. Amy was so relieved to have her tonsils out—no more being tired, so sick, missing school. Her grateful mother nodded in agreement and speaks to us in English, “This is an incredible gift from you and from God. Please thank all the doctors and nurses for changing my daughter’s life”. It is now we realize Amy also speaks English! When she grows up, she would like to be a surgeon like those who helped her here so she can help others in Guatemala. News spreads from group to group that Steve and I are here. We see Juana and her daughter Roxana, no longer in their Sunday best, but dressed more informally ready to climb into the truck that will take them to their mountain home. “Look, I am walking with no more pain! God and you have answered my prayers. I can go home now to work without pain, God bless you!”. Juana reminded us that we are always welcome in her home and we pray we will meet again. Remember 11-year-old Dafne who bravely fought tears as she waited for her ENT procedure Monday? She came racing from upstairs to hug us both! I checked in on her yesterday in the recovery ward, but she was sleeping, next visit she was eating, 3rd visit she was gone, having been released. How incredible to see her one more time before she boarded a bus for the 12-hour ride home to Petén. She loved her time here, staying at Casa de Fe was comfortable and she knew her mama would be cared for when she was not by Dafne’s bed. She looks forward to getting back to school, seeing her friends and catching up on missed work. She studies very hard because she would like to be a pediatrician when she grows up and practice near home so children do not have to travel so far when they are sick. Maybe she will also volunteer at the Obras to repay the kindnesses she has experienced. As her mother was reminding Dafne it is time to go, Dafne presented me with a friendship bracelet hoping I like pink. “This is to remember me”, she says with a shy smile, and puts it on my wrist. How could I ever forget this bright, precious girl? I hope to still be an FIP journalist when Dr. Dafne returns to the Obras to share her blessings. Our Medical Team is so good at what they do and how they do it, they are healing and inspiring the next generation of doctors.
At dinner we surprised the Cooking Team! Usually, after shopping, preparing, cooking, setting up, serving all of us (phew!) Pat, Carol, Vicki, Dianne and Art finally sit for their meal before clean-up begins. Tom, Mission Coordinator and Team Dad, announced the Cooking Team was to relax, be served first while other members manned the serving table and started the clean-up. Only with MUCH encouragement (we were not taking no for an answer), our Fabulous Five agreed and enjoyed the dinner they had prepared of Fresh Grilled Fish with choice of Lemon or Dill sauce, Cucumber Salad, Cheese Grits and Freshly Cut Fruit, ending with Delectable Banana Pudding. It is always said, without these dedicated 5 the rest of our Team 651 could not complete our part of God’s Mission. Our Cinderellas and Cinderfella are the source of our strength, energy, and well-being. By sharing their talents, using their hands to lovingly prepare nutritious and safe food they fuel us, comfort us, and are the source of love that greets us each early morning and tucks us in each night cheering us on, comforting us, reminding us why we are here and how appreciated we are. Muchas Gracias! God Bless you Cooking Team!
Our special dinner guest last night was Linda McCarty, CEO of Faith In Practice, here from Houston. She thanked all of us for our service. Whether here on our first mission or 22nd mission (like Tom!) we have all heard God and have come for the same purpose. The mission is always the same, the spirit of God runs through our hands and hearts to help make this place heaven on earth. We thank Linda for her kind and encouraging words. We thank all those in charge, Linda, Tom, Carol, Sue, the Faith In Practice Staff for spending endless hours making all the arrangements so that we can all be here, closer to God.
Thursday is here! Steve started morning devotional with Gloria Gaynor, “I Will Survive!”. Thank goodness ours is a medical mission and we are not here to give dance lessons! We are 3 members down and pray for their recovery. This week is challenging, we are pushing ourselves to help as many as we can and sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. Steve quoted Isaiah:
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
While we sang, “On Eagle’s Wings” our group stood close to one another, no longer afraid to sing aloud, weary but determined, and Stuart kissed his wife Dianne tenderly on her cheek.
And he will raise you up
On eagle’s wings
There you are
The breath of dawn
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of his hand
This, our last day of surgery, has us thinking about home. Soon our mission here will be done and We need to look deep within ourselves to find the strength to finish this mission. Being in good physical shape is not enough—it is our spiritual strength that will allow us to push just a little bit further. That is important for us to remember as we are thinking about returning home. A love spark has been lit, we need to continue fueling that fire when we return to our “real” lives. May God give us this strength, bless and protect us, and bring us together again.
At the Obras I shadowed Fred and Jenna (Recovery Room Nurse and Interpreter) as they made rounds checking on yesterday’s ENT patients. In the first bed is Dacelly, 23 years, her smile is broad and eyes bright when she sees Fred. Jenna takes her hand and Fred settles on the edge of her bed. As Fred directs his questions to be translated, it is clear Dacelly understands English. “I am well, yes!” It is hard to believe less than 24 hours ago, Fred removed this young lady’s adenoids and tonsils—she shows no sign of pain or discomfort. She is so grateful and so relieved she will no longer suffer from chronic sore throats. She is thrilled when asked if she’d like a picture with Fred and Jenna, whom she remembers caring for her in the Recovery Room. The next ENT patient is Mirna, 22, recovering quickly and happily from the removal of an unusual cyst on her neck Tuesday that caused years of embarrassing drainage and scarring. Fred knew both the cyst and part of the bone had to be removed to prevent cyst from growing back. Mirna’s new scar will be very slight and right where her chin and neck meet, making it almost invisible. Our Team is ever mindful of how anything “different” is not accepted here and do their best to minimize or hide what might make our patients self-conscious. Her drain is carefully removed, she is told she will be going home today and her smile grows. As lovely as their stay has been, the thought of going home is appealing to all. Mirna thanks Fred and Jenna, this procedure will positively affect this young woman’s life. She can go forward without the fear of being different. Bed after bed I see Fred and Jenna interact with their patients as if they are family. They are gentle and professional and share equally in the joy of each happy patient.
Without an interpreter I head to a ward where three friendly folks are already out of bed, sitting up in chairs. I introduce myself and they do the same, “Mucho Gusto”, Pleasure to Meet You! I explain my job (I think) and Ramiro, 52, asks in halting English where is my home? “New Jersey?! I lived 5 years in Trenton! he exclaims!” In Guatemala this makes us practically neighbors! Ramiro is so grateful that BreAnn and her team repaired a large, excruciating hernia. Gloria, 73, encourages me to practice my Spanish. She is an excellent teacher, speaking slowly, correcting me gently and asks me repeat what I have learned. Both she and Ramiro speak for the 3rd patient, Aura, 39, who is still feeling a little uncomfortable. Both ladies had their gall bladders removed yesterday by David and his team. It is wonderful to see how, like our team becoming a family, patients in the Obras become family. They will help each other to be understood, they care for and support one another. Aura smiles when I ask her to pick a “pequeno regalo”, small gift, from the bag I hold out. She hesitates and I encourage her. Gloria offers, “Ella tiene 4 ninas”. Ahhh, how can Aura choose 1 gift if she has 4 little girls? Aura would never ask to have 4 little prizes! Once I understand I pull 4 Minnie Mouse rings (very popular this week!) and place them in her warm hand. With wet eyes, she thanks me and says these will remind her and her girls of all the kindnesses she has been given here. We talked more about lack of medical care here—Ramiro suffered with his hernia for 2 years and says, praise God, he is so lucky he did not have to wait long to be healed (2 years!). He was fortunate to be so close (2 hours) and that there was room in the back of the pick-up truck that brought him here. When I asked if that was not uncomfortable, he replied, “Difficult yes, but for good. God has blessed me.” There is so much for us to learn here. These three are happy to be going home today. They miss their families and look forward to telling them all about this trip. It was time to move on, I thanked Ramiro, Gloria, and Aura for making my job easier. Your words will help those at home understand the need that is here. All nodded, “De nada”, it is nothing, thank you for listening and caring and for helping our people, Dios de bendiga! God bless you. Trying not to cry, I explained in Spanish, “Your photo is in my camera, your story is in my notebook, and you are in my heart.” May God bring us together again!
Behind the OR doors, things are bustling as a few cases are added. Again, Ed and I have the opportunity to see the patients (ages 3 to 79) loved from Pre-Op to OR to Recovery Room, to Ward. Hands are held, fears are addressed, heads are stroked, blankets are tucked because this is what one does for family. This is how we show our love and God’s love. At least 22 people will be healed by our OR Team today. That will make about 100 cases for the 4 days. The GI Clinic has been averaging 20 procedures a day equaling about 80 folks helped. Our Dental Clinic has seen about 15 patients a day, so 60? I still need a number for our Audiology clinic, but can safely say we have been blessed to have helped at least 240 patients this week. Each patient will go home to a happy family, they will be able to contribute to their community, and they will have a story to tell. They will tell of a place where they were loved and respected, they were healed and promises were kept, and forever they will thank God for answering their prayers and giving them this love to spread.
Tired, sore, maybe sleep deprived (but well fed) we also smile at the thought of home and having our Dear Ones in our arms. We will have a story to tell of a mountain top where there is a big house where we were welcomed, loved and respected, where we were healed and promises were kept, and forever we will thank God for answering our prayers and giving us this love to spread. If we start to forget what we have learned here, respire profundo! Take a deep breath, close your eyes and remember Fuego’s fire as the spark of love that was lit here. God will bring us together again.
