Guatemala 2023: Day 7

Monday November 27, 2023

​Day 7: Our Final Lap

​​As we rounded out our final clinic day, some of the team members declared this their favorite. This time, our trek took us almost 3 hours up the mountain top - our bodies a bit achy, a lot of “ducking” from tropical branches and leaves as we diverted our heads and arms for cover; streams, creeks, rivers to be crossed; cows and turkeys to be “shooed away” from our path, and sprinklings of waving young and old villagers as we road by.

​​In this village, we served close to 200 people today, making our grand total of people served approximately 1000! Lori, our “Jefa”, has suggested that this may be a record-setting trip with the most people served AND the most terrain covered! I think we all feel proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this week and grateful to have done it together.

A few additional reflections for the week:

There is a time to lead and a time to follow - Our clinical leader, Philipe, is a primary care physician, trained in Colombia; he did a brilliant job this week. It was so clear that he was in his element, showcasing his clinical muscle with empathy and grace. In Canada, he works as a Personal Support Worker (PSW), and while I have no doubt, he cares for his patients with the same qualities, my guess is that he often has to follow. Similarly, at home, I’m part of the Executive Team, often supporting corporate decisions about the strategic direction of the organization. In Guatemala, it was immediately apparent that the team was best served if I listened, learned, and followed.  

To serve is not a job, it’s a calling - Some may question why the clinical team chooses to do this work outside of Ontario; all of us are acutely aware of the stress that our health system is facing and will continue to face for the foreseeable future. Certainly, there are communities “at home” that would benefit from what we do. My perspective is this----these team members serve our local communities every day, often putting in extra time, energy, and personal resources to make sure patients are cared for. To do this type of work outside of Canadian borders is a privilege and a calling, allowing team members to learn, gain different perspectives and experience, and an appreciation for others and themselves.  

Healthy communities are a collective effort - While the villages we served are so vastly different than most of our everyday lives in Canada, there are also so many things that are fundamental and similar - parents trying to do the best for their families; children who are fueled with curiosity, energy and a thirst for life; a need to be connected with others even when language is an apparent barrier, and opportunities to thrive as humans. 

​There is a famous quote by Diane Ackerman (American poet and essayist) that reads, “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I have just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well."

This week, I believe that all of us lived both length and width, and I will be forever grateful to have had an opportunity to be part of this extraordinary team and experience. One crossed off the bucket list!

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