On Monday, our group split into two work teams. One team painted a parish building, then worked with children from one community’s religious education program. The other team held a medical clinic in the parish center for people from the central parish and some of the outlying areas.
The medical clinic saw over 60 patients on Monday. There was a particular focus on diabetes and hypertension. These chronic illnesses are just as prevalent here as in the United States, but access to the continual care necessary to treat them is very limited.
Emma Domingo, a parishioner of Divine Mercy Parish in Schuyler, Nebraska, is a healthcare worker in her hometown. She spent the day as the hands and feet of our telehealth clinician, with specific focus on those with the chronic illnesses mentioned above. Her professionalism and problem-solving helped our team provide treatment for 24 patients. Emma’s family is originally from another part of Huehuetenango. She was thrilled to be able to come to the home region of her family to serve the people here.
Our community team began the day painting alongside parish leaders. Guadalupe Petro, a St. Margaret Mary parishioner, carefully painted trim and edges as others rolled. Guadalupe is a social worker for Boystown, working with families in their homes in the Omaha metro. Many of her families are from Guatemala in general and Huehuetenango in particular. Guadalupe wanted to take part in this experience to better understand and serve those with whom she works.
In the afternoon, the community team taught lessons to the children, ages 5-13, who participate in the religious education program. After the lessons and some games, the team proceeded to apply fluoride to the teeth of all children present. The process began with ensuring that every child knew how to properly brush their teeth. Following that, a line of missionaries worked on applying the fluoride before Sister Guadalupe of the Disciples of the Good Shepherd gave each child a rosary made by the St. Columbkille Rosary Guild.
After a long day of work, we went for a second evening with our host families from the previous night. On Tuesday, we continue our work in the center of La Libertad before traveling to a smaller village on Wednesday.
