A Summer in Guatemala

As I prepared to leave for my summer internship in Guatemala, I had many people say to me, "Have fun on your mission trip!" or "I'll be praying that your mission trip goes well!" While I am touched by the thoughts and prayers offered on my behalf, I always found these phrases slightly troubling, and after a lot of thinking and reflecting, I finally am able to put into words my discomfort. First, I do not define this summer experience as a mission trip in the traditional sense. Let me explain.  Every time someone tells me, "I hope God uses you to touch the lives of many people in Guatemala" or "I hope you are blessing during your time there," somehow implies that the people of Guatemala need me in some way. Don't get me wrong, there definitely are deep needs here: financially, medically, and spiritually. However, I don't necessarily think that I am in the position to offer to the people of Guatemala what they are in need of. I am...

A few weeks have passed since I last updated the blog, but so much as happened in that time! The days are beginning to blur together as I settle more and more into the routine of clinic life here in Guatemala. I enjoy sitting in the exam rooms with the doctors, listening to the patients share their stories and pains. It fascinates me that you can learn so much about someone in such a short time by simply listening and asking the right questions. The doctors (and nurses) I work with are absolutely wonderful, and they set excellent examples of what it means to treat each and every patient with the love of Christ. Thankfully, my understanding of Spanish has improved tremendously, and I rarely need people to explain things to me multiple times. Praise the Lord for answered prayers!  As I've mentioned previously, some of the problems we encounter carry extra burdens that weigh on my mind even after the patients have left. However, I am beginning to realize that the problems peo...

I have been in Guatemala for a little over three weeks, and it's hard to believe how fast the time has gone by.  Most of my days look pretty similar, so I thought I'd share a few of the fun activities and highlights of my summer so far: Learning new medical techniques. From cleaning wounds, to putting in IVs, to suturing; my medical knowledge is expanding along with my Spanish vocabulary. We don't have any specialists working at the hospital, so we do a lot of referrals for any serious medical problems.  Playing our weekly soccer game. Every week a few of the doctors and nurses get together along with some friends from church to play some lighthearted soccer. It's always one of the highlights of my week! A nurse and one of the doctors that organize our weekly games.  Families from the church and nurses from the hospital often invite me to join their families for activities. Last week Sunday we hiked to where the Maya used to perform their worship and ...

Another week of working in the hospital has come to an end, and looking back I am amazed at how much I've learned in such a short time. The doctors and nurses are wonderful to work with, as they are always willing to take time to teach me new things or explain a patient's diagnosis. I am truly excited to spend a whole summer learning from them and also having fun with them! To provide an idea of what my my average day looks like, I thought that it would be helpful to provide some context for the area and people I work with daily. Cubulco is a relatively large town surrounded by beautiful mountains (or hills, depending on what part of the states you are from). The lush mountains are home to many individuals of Achi Maya origins, and so Spanish is often their second language. While we regularly see patients that live within the city, oftentimes we have patients who have walked for hours to receive treatment at the clinic. What would be a 20-30 minute car ride becomes severa...

I have arrived safely in Guatemala and have survived two days of working in the hospital! So far the experience has been wonderful, but there are a few things that I had to get adjusted to. When I arrived, I was told that it is currently winter in Guatemala. I had to ask again to make sure that I understood because it is at least 85 degrees everyday and very humid! However, this does mean that the sun rises at 5:30 and sets at 6:30, so I have had to adjust my sleep hours. The hospital in which I will be volunteering for the next two months is located in Cubulco, Guatemala. The hospital is not large, but employs six doctors who take various shifts. Thankfully, there is one doctor and one nurse who speak English! On Thursday, Julio, the hospital director, picked me up and drove me to the hospital. He does not speak any English, so it made for an interesting car ride! During our conversation, he told me that my Spanish level is at 60%, which I figured was good enough for the time bein...

I leave for Guatemala in less than one week, and I am a perfect mixture of excitement and nervousness: excited for what the Lord has in store, and nervous for the ways I will be stretched and challenged over this two month period. I have appreciated all of the support I have received and will be keeping this blog so that you all may be updated on my time in Guatemala. I will also be posting weekly updates for ways in which you can remember me and those around me in your prayers.  As I prepare to leave, these are the ways in which you can specifically pray for me: Safe travels to Guatemala That the Lord will use me to serve those I encounter I would be open to what the Lord has to teach me during my two months in Guatemala Again, I am entirely grateful for all of the support thus far and have been touched by the ways in which God has already provided!