Mission: Guatemala - Part 3 Hands: Lending them...

I noticed a recurring importance of hands in the Guatemala photos, so these photos depict the act of lending a hand to others. Language is by far our strongest communicative tool, but we also express ourselves by facial expression, body english, and even our hands.  In part 3 of my Guatemala Project, I am sharing with you some images that capture what I feel are some warm human moments while Daniel and the medical mission team lent a hand to those in need of it.  While the literal hand is the hand of a doctor or assistant, it is often also a hand that reassures, which can cross boundaries of language and culture. 

Above, the doctor examines what may be a suspicious mark on a little boys earlobe to determine if it needs attention.  In the Guatemalan highlands, sun exposure is very high so skin cancer could be an issue.

Sometimes we were fortunate to have a translator, but they couldn't be with all of us all the time.  Below, Leigh uses what Spanish she knows along with some good old pantomime to tell Manuela how and when to use a topical for pain as needed.  I believe we all used a lot of gesturing to help our feeble or non-existent Spanish.  We would learn to say simple things like "Dos por dia por dolor" (Two per day for pain) while pantomiming for extra measure.  Manuela's house was mission built. 

Often, heartfelt hugs were dispensed at the clinics as a sidecar to the medical care given.  Many in these countries rarely get to see a doctor, while others may never have really gotten proper medical care in their lives, so a free visit from a doctor is a blessing that grateful patients expressed deeply.

The letter J is not pronounced as we say it, so Josh introduced himself as "Yosh" which I thought was pretty cool of him to do.  Here Josh dresses a wound at a clinic set up in a small town church hall.  Behind him Kim and Leigh are setting up the "Pharmacia" which are large suitcases jammed with donated medicine.  It is such a privilege and reassurance to see donations getting 100% hand delivered, not wondering if they will get to a charity, or what percentage of them will.

One moment that got to me was when the doctor, through the translator,  asked the woman above where her pain was.  When she replied, the translator looked at Daniel and said "She has pain of the soul" .  Life can be very hard there, and while I didn't know this particular woman's circumstances, I learned Guatemala was ravaged by a 36 year civil war leaving thousands of widows and orphans.  There have also been terrible earthquakes and other natural disasters, and we saw a village that had been devastated by a mudslide.  In the clinics, medicine and care are administered and sometimes a hand of comfort accompanied by some prayer are what is also prescribed.  Whether you are a person of faith or not, not one of us can deny that people need the helping hands from others.

Above, Matt ("Matteo") walks a sweet tiny little woman back to her room in a retirement home after a long day.  As a side note this particular facility was donated in an enormous act of generosity, so it would not exist otherwise.

As expected, the retirement home was sad at times, but there were definitely some very fun moments.  If there was a long wait to see the doctor, members of the team kept folks entertained whenever possible by getting involved in crafts, games, or as Kim does above, by cutting loose on the dance floor to help spread a contagion of smiles.  Notice the stickers on her face and the gentleman's hand. While children loved any kind of stickers and would put them on their faces and ours, it seemed some of the older population liked them too.  Like here, any visit they get is appreciated and eagerly absorbed by them.

An unexpected moment on the last day was when our bus driver Javier asked for our attention and thanked the team for leaving the comfort of our lives, coming to help his fellow Guatemalans with some words spoken straight from his heart.  He told us he knows that those who volunteer on missions don't have to come down there but was deeply grateful that they do.  He really wanted the team to know how much it was appreciated.  As driver for the mission he sometimes travels in dangerous areas and travels some very treacherous roads, sometimes even risking attacks by thieves or even shaken down by corrupt members of the police.  Daniel and the team then placed hands on him and said a prayer for Javier's safety in his travels.

There will be more photos to share from Central America in the future.  I hope you enjoyed the article.  Hopefully we all will recognize when there is an opportunity to lend a hand to someone when they need it, and may someone be there for you when you need a hand.  

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