Well, you know it’s been a long day when all you get is the team leader willing to write the blog post! I know I won’t be nearly as eloquent as Erin, but I’m going to try to give a great snapshot of the day!

I was told just to write “We worked, we ate, we saw patients and we’re going to bed!” but today was much more than that! I get the opportunity to see all different aspects of the outreach. Here’s a bit of what I saw today:

I saw Brad put his Mr. Fix-It skills to work and fix the pill counter that’s been causing problems in the medication room for quite some time! He started by calling it names, then resorted to fixing it with a butcher knife from the kitchen and some hemostat scissors from the dental office. We all praised God tonight for the skills He gave Brad to fix that machine!

I heard endless laughter and saw smiles coming from the children’s ministry, where we’ll need an endless supply of cotton balls to keep up with the children’s crafts. There were piggy-back rides, soccer games, and a round of Duck-Duck-Goose that lasted about an hour. :) It is a joy to watch Addy, Ireland, and Christian interact with the kids and spend time with them.

I saw a patient return to see her doctor from yesterday, seeming lighter, happier, and lifted after being burdened and weary yesterday. She brought her daughter too, which was a gift for us all. I heard as our translator continued to pour truth into her heart and the heart of her daughter, reminding her that God loves us with a perfect love and is ready to forgive and draw near to her.

I saw our physical therapist beaming as she was able to fit one of our elderly patients with a perfect-for-him back brace. He walked out, as our last patient, taller and smiling, continually saying “thank you!” to anyone who would stop to talk with him.

I spent time talking with a woman who has been a patient of ours for years, met the Lord through one of our outreaches, and has learned now how to care for her health through exercise and nutrition. She shared yesterday morning about how she is volunteering and serving at the outreach now as a way to give back for what she’s been given. The joy of the Lord is plastered across her face, her light is contagious, and I know the Lord is using her in her community to spread His glory and build His Kingdom.

I watched the dental team work together like a well-oiled machine, they are a delight and a joy.. how many of you can say that about your dentist!? ;)

The day also included spiders (HUGE ones according to Jordyn… we all learned that arachnophobia needs no translator), an ambulance (a woman came to the outreach at seemingly just the right time to be assessed and needed more help), and LOTS of rain (it’s raining here more than it typically does for our teams… changing our plans tomorrow, but blessed are the flexible!)

As you can see in the picture below, there are SO many hands that work together to provide care at this outreach. Even things that seem small are all a piece of the bigger puzzle and together it creates a beautiful picture. Lord, may we always seek to glorify you in everything we say and do, and may you be glorified in Guatemala and through the lives of our team and our patients.

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