2nd & 4th grade Teachers (& a few others),
Hola Amigos!
Boys & Girls, I am so excited to be writing to you from Suchidepequez, Guatemala! I am down here on a medical mission trip with a team of about 50 people, and we run a medical and surgical clinic for a week. Basically, we provide very much needed health care for some Guatemalans. It is very, very warm down here (I bet it is still “mucho frio’” in Nashville!). Guatemala is very different from America in some ways. Here, these people are very poor. Most of them live in very small huts, and some don’t even have running water. There are no TV’s, IPODS or video games. There are no cars, air conditioning, drive-thru’s or microwaves. Most all food is cooked over an open fire. But, in a lot of ways they are very similar to us. Many of them believe in God and trust him as the Lord of their life. That is why they trust us to take care of them and their children, because they know that we are here because we love Jesus and we want to serve Him. For those people here in Guatemala that do not know the Lord, we are hoping that they will come to know Him through our witness.
This is my 5th trip here, and my job is to provide the anesthesia for individuals having surgery. The people having surgery can be adults or children just like you. And, just like you, sometimes they are very scared. I LOVE taking care of the children. It is very fun for me to befriend them and then help them through their surgery. You will see in the pictures that I am playing with a couple of my patients before they go into surgery. Every time I come here, Trevor and Erica give me stuffed animals to bring to the children, and those are always a big hit! They really help to comfort the kids. As you can see in the picture, the kids are laughing and having a good time. The little boy you see is named FranSISco (and we say it just like that – FranSISco!). After he and I played with the “loco mono” (silly monkey). He took a piggy back ride with me back to surgery. I put his silly pet monkey to sleep first (lol!), and then I put him to sleep. You can see me doing that in the picture – that is why I have a mask over his face. He did a great job and his surgery went very well. The little girl’s name is Madeline, and she is muy bonita!!! She also did a great job.
While we are down here, we will do about 65 surgeries. We have 3 operating rooms going at the same time. We operate for long hours and it is very hot, but I just can’t put into words how much I love being down here and being a part of this medical team. I am blown away that God would allow me to be a part of this. You see, boys and girls, God is at work everywhere – America, Guatemala, Haiti … Davidson Academy! And, He uses people all the time to accomplish His work. Sometimes, He gives us the opportunity to be a part of what He is doing, and those are amazing experiences! In 2008, I felt that God called me to join this medical ministry. I went on my first trip and loved it! The funny thing is that here I was in Guatemala, volunteering my time to help others, but I was the one who felt blessed!!! That is the way it is with God’s work: when we serve others, we get the blessing! It is an amazing thing to follow God wherever He leads you. I hope you will allow Him to lead you somewhere amazing.
Okay, I have to say a few words to Trevor & Erica … Hello my sweet children! I miss you terribly, but you know that a piece of my heart lives in Guatemala and how much I love doing this. So, thank you for letting my come. Thank you for being terrific kids who can live without their mom for a week (but, don’t get too used to it!) J. Thank you so much for all the stuffed animals and the use of the ipods. As always, they both are so very helpful. I should explain to your classmates, that I use your ipods to play Spanish praise and worship music for my patients while they are waiting, or nervous or as they are going to sleep. Ms. Peacher gave me all the Spanish music, and my patients LOVE it. You can see the headphones on Fransisco in the picture. Lastly, Trevor and Erica, I love you so much, and I can’t wait until you can come here with me!
On a funny note, I have taught my young patients this week to play UNO. It’s pretty funny that I, an English-speaking American, is teaching a bunch of Spanish-speaking kids to play UNO! They love it! I must admit that I let them win, but it is so worth it to see the thrill on their face. See pictures.
Much love to you all! Have a great week!
Ms. Tiffany
Thanks, Tiffany!
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