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