The Adventure Begins

Wow, a new year, and so much adventure ahead!
For me, it has started with a call toward missions as a kid; Feeling the need to serve those who have nothing, and tell them about the hope of God's grace and love.

From my trip to India as a teenager grew the calling to be a nurse, and I can't imagine doing anything else. It has been my dream to serve overseas as a nurse, helping to heal the sick and needy. My dream came true two years ago when I went with Impact Ministries to Guatemala. Impact has built 7 schools in the mountains of Guatemala, where the roads are terrible, most people don't have electricity, or clean water, and people die of starvation every day. Because of the extreme poverty, alcoholism is everywhere, leading to major cases of abuse in children and women. Often the women have to survive on their own while the man has multiple families in the same village. Impact started with building schools for the purpose of teaching about the love of Christ, and in order to do that, they offer free health care, a free meal, and school supplies for the year. Every child that attends has to pay something, even an amount equivalent to one penny here. If they cannot afford even that, they have the opportunity to work for their education. That way they are invested in the school, and are more likely to stay. The ministry has grown so fast that there is a waiting list to get into the 7 schools that have been built. My job is to serve in the clinic (the free healthcare), providing service to the parents and kids who go to the schools. The clinic is so popular that we also often see many people who don't go to the school.

Guatemala is a very war-torn country. Civil war has been raging for decades, and the rural people have suffered for it. Poverty is everywhere, to the point that the majority of citizens do not have any electricity, water, or even wells. For their drinking water, they set out buckets to catch the rain. This, as well as having open campfires in their houses, leads to many different diseases and pestilence. We will see many cases of worms, asthma, and high blood pressure, as well as injuries from fights, and infection. We will also do many prenatal care appointments. Since there is so much poverty, many people cannot afford medical care, medicine, or even preventive hygiene such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. The clinic attached to the schools is free, and run by Guatemalan nursing students, who bring in medical teams from Canada and the US. 
I enjoyed my time there so much, that I am going back April 10th, and staying for three months. I hope you will join me in my time there, with prayer. 

Here is some of the beauty that will be with me for three months: