I wish I had the words to explain how sweet and full our days have been here in Guatemala. I’ve had many patients that have touched my heart throughout this experience, but I had a handful today that brought tears to my eyes. The first was a kind-spirited woman, pregnant with her first child. Watching her face light up with pure joy as she heard her baby’s heart beat for the first time was nothing short of breathtaking. Later in the afternoon, a small group of us were able to venture out into the community of Membrillal for a home visit. We had been told that we were going to assess a man with a brain injury, but when we arrived, we found a young man with a much more complex story. He was suffering with complications from alcohol use after being left by his wife and children. His mother was carrying such a heavy burden and his grief was tangible in the room. It was beautiful to see the team come around him, listen to his story, and really see him as a person, not just a diagnosis. Sure, we came up with a plan to care for him medically, but what really struck me was how hope was born as we all cried out to God in prayer for his healing.
Finally, after we closed up clinic and made the trip back to San Lucas, we arrived “home” to a woman who was waiting for us. Tono, one of the pastors here with Galilea, introduced us to a member of his congregation yesterday. Her name is Eva de Jesus, and, let me tell you, you only need to spend a few minutes with her to see that this woman knows Jesus. She has been suffering for 19 years with a wound on her ankle that won’t heal. We spent some time tonight tending to this wound, and as we did, the story of the bleeding woman in Luke 8:43-48 kept playing through my mind. In this story, an ill woman who has been bleeding for 12 years touches the cloak of Jesus and she is miraculously healed. Instead of continuing on with his journey, Jesus stops to acknowledge her. Stops to really see her. He responds to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” This story is a challenge to me – do I have faith that God can heal? Do we all live with that kind of faith? Medicine has its limits, friends, but we serve a mighty and all powerful God. It’s been amazing to watch him work here in Guatemala. Thank you for your prayers and your faith on our behalf. Love and blessings to you!
This post written by Jarah and originally posted at https://www.hungryforlife.org/partners/medical-missions/january-2017/seeing-the-people-of-guatemala-0 and used by permission of Hungry For Life International.
