Guatemala Mission Series: Introduction
I’ll be heading out for my sixth medical mission in Guatemala, and I’d really love to bring you along this time. Each trip, I’ve had the best intentions of blogging or vlogging, but I’ve never committed to more than the intermittent social media update for friends and family. After so many people reached out saying how much they loved the updates and wanted more information, I realized there’s a lot more I could be doing to share these experiences!
Even before I was a nurse, I knew I wanted to do surgical mission work. This was actually a large factor in choosing a career in nursing. However, it’s difficult to articulate my “why.” There are so many reasons – how can I summarize them concisely? Each trip has shown me a new perspective. My hope is that by the end of this trip and blog series, it will be more clear to both me and you.
My dad is a career Navy veteran, always encouraging me to “be part of something greater than myself.” My family saw my compassion and propensity to help others before I realized it within my self, and many encouraged me to become a nurse. I knew I would find purpose in helping others who lack resources that we can easily take for granted in the U.S. After a couple of years’ experience in the operating room and the help of a great friend, I was connected with an exceptional organization to serve in Guatemala.
I’ve continued to return with the same core team and organization because the impact is so evident and widespread. Not only do we see an immediate impact for the medical and surgical patients throughout the week, it’s also incredible to see the evolution over time. Beyond the medical and surgical missions, there are also programs for village clinics, wheelchair/mobility, women’s health, and housing for recovering patients and their families. It’s striking to regularly hear patients and families describe their experience as “a miracle,” when the same interventions at home may be regarded as routine. It’s an incredible feeling to see firsthand how this work is truly making a difference.
Many patient’s stories have stuck with me over the years. A gentleman received a hernia repair that relieved debilitating pain, allowing him to return to work and provide for his family. A young woman’s enormous ovarian cyst was removed, relieving her from years of pain and allowing her to breath properly. A mass was removed from the back of an elder, allowing him to rest comfortably for the first time in many years. A devoted mother had physically carried her immobilized son for over ten years. The wheelchair clinic built custom devices that provided her son independence and relieved her of much physical strain. I’ve even met Guatemalan locals who were so impacted by their experience that they returned to the organization as volunteers.
Perhaps to unpopular opinion, I’ll be completely honest and acknowledge that mission work can have somewhat of a selfish element. With every trip, I’m reminded why I pursued a career in healthcare – in short, to help others. I come to Guatemala exhausted and burned out, and I leave with my soul replenished. I’m refreshed from the bureaucracy and challenges within our current healthcare system. We get to do the work we love in the purest form – just helping people. It’s so easy to lose sight of why we do what we do in our daily lives, but I return reenergized to continue my role at home.
I’m also a better nurse because of my volunteer experiences. I’ve learned the art forms of flexibility, adaptability, and creativity in healthcare. We make it work with what we have, and I’ve learned how to accept challenges and unfamiliarity with grace. We build relationship with exceptional professionals from diverse backgrounds, each filled with immense knowledge and experience to share with one another. I love seeing other ways of doing something, learning new ways to overcome common challenges. We’re immersed in the most pristine example of teamwork – a group of strangers with the same willing mindset, collaborating efficiently toward a common goal.
Mission work has taught me the adaptability required to succeed as a travel nurse. Incidentally, a large part of my decision to become a travel nurse was the flexibility to schedule time off for mission trips. In addition to serving people and communities in need, I also love helping introduce others to these opportunities. At the very least, I hope this blog series opens your heart and refreshes your soul, even just a little bit. Please feel free to reach out with questions, and I’d love to hear your experiences as well!
