I have just completed my 3rd
day in Guatemala, and it feels like I have been here for a week! I am
here with one of our charities – Mission of Love – and the director Kathy Price who has organized a weeklong cleft palate/lip surgery mission in Guatemala City.
A team of surgeons and nurses flew in on Saturday, and we got to work on
Sunday, doing the assessments of all the children who came to the
Metropolitan Hospital hoping for a corrective surgery, and distributing
quilts and clothes to all the families.
I think everyone who came hoping for a surgery, is getting one this
week.
The children range from 2 months old to 18 years old.
Some have cleft palates, some have cleft lips, and a few have both.
I have posted 93 photos of the children on my photo page,
and tomorrow morning I'll be posting more photos from this trip.
Monday the surgeries started, and I was able to sit in on one entire
cleft lip surgery, (up close and personal) and also was in and out on a
few more cleft palate corrective operations.
The most rewarding thing is to see the parents' faces when they first
see their child after the surgery.
Tuesday we drove up into the hill country, to a small mountain town
called TecPan.
Up above the town is Way-Bi, where a children's hospice is being built.
We also visited a poor Mayan home where 3 generations of women were
weaving and embroidering the distinctive traditional Mayan textiles.
(see photo above)
After lunch we visited Mayan ruins, then went on a drive around the
community to check in on elderly Mayans who were living in extreme
poverty, and had nobody to help them with their medical issues.
Our team gave quilts to each of the elderly shut-ins, and arranged for
new hearing aid batteries, a new mattress, and some pain meds.
I will write about this in more detail on my blog as soon as possible.
On the way home we saw a group of about 50 Mayan village women gathered
in a field, and stopped to take a photo.
We ended up in the local shaman's yard taking a group photo! Then we
went to the local orphanage and wrapped each child in a new quilt.
It has been an amazing trip, and I am going to sort through what happened and write more about the experience.
Tomorrow I fly home, so I'll dash this off for now.
Be sure to check out my photos of the children at the hospital.
Are you starting to think about your creative goals for 2013? Feel free to share your thoughts here on my blog.
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Luana you are a saint!! I am serious. There will be many stars in your heavenly crown.
When you started your company, you could have taken the money and ran. But you chose to do things differently. What a blessing you are to your charities. God bless you
Jan Aken (a quilter) lol
Luana:
Your dedication blows me away. What a role model you are for Sophie! You certainly have made a difference in this world.
Love,
Mary