There was a plan. On Thursday, we return to the center of the parish where we had spent Sunday through Tuesday after two days in more remote communities. To not cause any inconvenience, we were supposed to stay in a communal dormitory in the parish center rather than return to our hosts from our first three nights in La Libertad. There was a plan, but love broke through that plan.
Starting Tuesday night, families started to ask if their guests could return to their homes on Thursday night. By Wednesday morning, plans had to be changed. Every host family and every missionary preferred another night together. Mission always involves moments of flexibility and adaptation. Sticking to the plan can mean missing an opportunity for growth or adventure or love.
On Wednesday morning, after what was supposed to be a goodbye turned into a see-you-later, our group headed to the community of Huica Centro, where we continued our work in the rural communities of La Libertad. Our community team painted in the community of Naranjo and applied fluoride to the teeth of 100 children. The medical team saw almost 30 patients in person and through telehealth.
All our work was done in close collaboration with locals from the communities. Two Guatemalan nurse assistants helped our nurses by taking vital signs and accompanying our telehealth patients. Community members helped us paint. The pastor of La Libertad, Fr. Juventino, and some of the Disciples of the Good Shepherd helped us with our fluoride program.
Following a day of side-by-side work, it was time to meet new host families and visit the communities where our coworkers live. Almost the entire medical team went to the community of Cenegal, a village over 2,000 feet higher than the main town of La Libertad. The warm welcome helped alleviate the impact of the much colder temperatures in the higher altitude.
Patty Juczyk, a parishioner from St. Leo, was finishing her third day working in the pharmacy. As a retired researcher, she was thrilled to get a little touch of science by cutting pills and mixing solutions for our patients. While preparing to walk home for the night in Cenegal, Patty pulled out her star chart app to give us a look at the stars poking out from behind the clouds which had rained on us during our trip up the mountain. It was an unplanned moment of a scientist getting to teach a few of us a little more about the world around us and help us appreciate the beauty of our home for the night.
