Guatemala Medical Mission Trip 2016

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Tuesday - Clinic 2

We arrived in San Pablo La Laguna on Monday and had our first clinic. We slept overnight at the site of our second clinic, a church pictured below in San Juan.

Welcome 2014 Team!

Hello Trippers and Supporters!

We continue this blog for the team traveling to Guatemala on a medical missions trip.

Location: Guatemala City, Guatemala & rural destinations to be named later
Dates: July 12th to 19th, 2014
Team Size: 24 Trippers & 300+ Supporters

Recruiting is underway!

Getting started and looking at all the things that need to be done can sometimes be daunting. There is a lot to do. Focusing on the vision keeps us motivated to succeed. The vision to commit to a trip began in August 2013 when we got back from the Guatemala Medical Mission Ministries 2013 trip. Since then, we have met with Dr. Hermann Alb to hear about the vision for 2014. The vision is exciting! Hermann has encouraged all of us to invest in the next generation.

Recruiting for the 2014 team that will travel to Guatemala this year has already begun. We have both new people and some experienced veterans interested. Positions on the team are still available as we try to reach the capacity of 24 spots. The recruitment process is always a blessing as God sends people with interesting testimonies. We are continuing to reach out to our friends, family, and co-workers to ask them to join our team. The kick-off meeting is scheduled for February 9th, 2:00-4 pm in Roswell, GA, USA.

Now, our team doesn't have the customary backing of a primary church for this trip. God has provided a wonderful organization. Yay for Seek & Serve, Inc.! Seek & Serve provides some support tools and allows us to offer tax deductible donations to our supporters.

As we continue our recruiting activities, please let me know if you have a desire to be apart of the team and prepare to serve God and the people of Guatemala. Please join us on our journey!

Thank you for your interest and God bless you and yours!

Friday, August 9, 2013

Tuesday - Clinic 2

After our clinics in San Pablo la Laguna, we took a short drive to San Juan to spend the night at the site of our clinic on Tuesday. We slept on cots inside the church. See photo below.

We had an interesting and eventful night - an earthquake (5.3 on the Richter scale!) shook the town we were in. Many of us felt it and the rest of us dreamed that we were being shaken in a semi truck, etc:) We decided this occurrence was due to God listening to Doug's expressed desire that he experience an earthquake!

God was faithfully at work again in our clinic on Tuesday. As we shared over our evening debrief we were all amazed and sobered to see just how intricately our Father designs all events.

In the late afternoon we were surprised with a very restful retreat...we got to take a boat ride on Lake Atitlan.

Please enjoy it with us as you view the photos from the day!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

prayer, please

We are all back at the mission house tonight and we will head out in the morning for our last clinic. Please pray for our team's health. We have had some sickness, and we are praying that our God will be restore and replenish us all tonight as we rest.

Monday (part 2)...Our First Clinic!

Entering San Pablo La Laguna, our destination for our first medical clinic.

A home alongside the road we traveled on after we entered into the city.

The photos below are from the children's ministry that we had at our first clinic. What PRECIOUS children! They loved the coloring pages and the crayons, and they colored some beautiful pictures. The children's ministry director from MMM, Heidy, taught Calvin and I how to make balloon turtle bracelets that were a big hit! We shared the story of Jesus with the kids with the help of not only Heidy translating our English into Spanish, but also a sweet, smart girl who knew both Spanish and the local Mayan dialect. She was only 12 years old, but she was an indispensable helper for us, as she translated the gospel story to a room full of children! It was a moment I will always treasure...watching her and listening to her. We also painted round, brown little faces and sweet, dimpled hands...played games with soccer balls and a bouncy blow up globe, made glow bracelets and tiny kid-sized Jesus storybooks, fitted small feet with flip flops, and hugged these happy faces, holding them close.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

The photo below was taken as we wrapped up the counseling stations the patients visit after they saw the doctors downstairs...many were comforted, encouraged, and equipped with the truth of God's word...some received the gift of Jesus into their hearts. The angels applauded in heaven and we rejoiced with them!

With love --- and a big SHOUT OUT to my awesome kids...Luke and Micah...Mommy loves you like CRAZY!

Jamie

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Monday's Adventure, (part 1)...Traveling to Lake Atitlan

Our team is back at the mission house and we are basking in the truth of God's love for us - all of us! The Guatemalan people we see all day every day are just so beautiful; and our surroundings, no matter where we go, we see such beauty. It's not the kind of beauty that is packaged and pretty...it's raw. Real. Colorful. Always changing.

Even the weather here changes so rapidly. I have noticed that about every 15 minutes I can expect a change in the slant of light...the clouds move and cover the sun, casting shadows. Then the sun will shine out from behind the clouds and shoot out beautiful rays that take our breath away.

Monday morning we awoke bright and early (5am!) and packed our backpacks for the adventure God was going to take us on. We met downstairs in the mission house for a devotional. We sang songs and prayed together, and prepared our hearts for what was ahead. As soon as our devotional time was over, we started the laborious process of loading the vehicles with all our luggage and backpacks, food for 35 people for three days, medical supplies for 3 clinics and also crates filled with flip flops for the children and the other supplies for them.

As we traveled in 5 suburbans to Lake Atitlan on Monday morning, we drove on all kinds of roads...open, straight highways, narrow crowded city streets packed with cars, tuk tuk's, buses, trucks, bikes, motorcycles, women carrying babies on their backs in slings and huge baskets on the tops of their heads. We passed men pushing carts uphill, men with piles of sticks tied together on their backs, loaded down with the weight. Always changing...the scenery too.

Then the roads began their winding trek up, up, up and then down, around, and down, down, down the lush green mountains as we approached the lake. I can't accurately describe the intensity of this drive...but this picture may give you an idea:)

Wherever we go, we caravan. The suburbans travel closely together and communicate by radio. I rather enjoyed leaning out of the red suburban down these long curvy downhill roads to get this shot! Talk about adventure!