At our Celebration Dinner to honor the Guatemalan staff we shared an observation that Dr. Robert Wright made. He noted that there are many groups offering week-long mission opportunities. Faith In Practice is different because of the continuous cycle of care that is made possible through the efforts of the FIP in-country staff. Our service as volunteers is important but it is just one part of the full cycle of care. The in-country staff provides the full circle of care by remaining in contact with the patients, providing their transition to the care of an FIP surgery team, facilitating the post-surgery care and returning the patients to their village homes. It is so much more than treating illnesses during a week-long trip and it is the staff that adds this value to our efforts. The staff has continued their work during the pandemic and pivoted established processes carefully to accommodate patient and volunteer safety needs.
A big thanks to Felipe and Tamalyn Gutiérrez, Tagni Moncada, Iris Perez, Jessica Stevens, Hugo Leonel Hernandez, Hector and Julissa Ortiz, and our fearless bus driver, Estuarto Valenzuela. Josue Greenman also helped out the first two days.
ODDS AND ENDS discovered this week:
-We were surprised at the high number of surgical referrals we made for hernias, gallbladder surgery and hysterectomies this year. Due to Covid, the average waiting time for these surgeries at the National Hospital in each Guatemalan department (state) is 3 years.
-I saw another patient with advanced cancer. A 38-year-old single mother of three noticed a breast mass at the start of the Covid pandemic. It took her a year to have a mastectomy which revealed her greatest fear, adenocarcinoma. She raised $1,000 for the surgery from her neighbors. Three months ago, she noticed new masses in her chest. Further surgery at a private hospital would cost another $600. She said INCAN was not taking charity cases during Covid. In praying for her we learned she had just accepted Christ and her congregation is praying for her. There are no easy answers here, only faith that God would answer all of the prayers.
-One elderly gentleman presented with a sore left arm and muscle aches. Twenty years before he had a stroke which resulted in left hemiparesis. He recovered completely, but was worried that it was coming back. Turns out his sore arm is from his first Covid vaccine which he received in that arm the day before!
-A young patient had a big smile for Dr. Jordan Buckley who was treating her rash. The girl said her doctor looked like Elsa in Frozen. From then on we referred to Jordan as Doctora Elsa.
-Our team, including previous team members, raised over $62,000 for Faith in Practice. Thank you to our donors and thank you for your prayers. You have been with us this week.
Our last devotion together discussed showing faith by language. There are a lot of communication barriers with Covid. With a mask, a face shield, Plexiglass and PPE it is harder to communicate. Body language is one way to get around the barriers. Frequently at the end of a patient encounter, our patients will say, “May God bless you.” (they will put their hands together in a prayer position) and “May God give you knowledge (pointing to their temple). This is a tremendous affirmation! It is always hard to return to the U.S. So much happens in a week. These memories keep us coming back.
