Going to Guatemala
On Saturday, a group of volunteers will leave Oklahoma City and fly into the Central American country of Guatemala. Their suitcases will be loaded with bottles of medicine, latex gloves, bandages and anything else they can pack along with them. They’re medical missionaries and from through Monday through Friday, they’re going to provide basic health care to natives in rural areas.
Guatemala is located south of Mexico and west of Belize and Honduras in Central America. According to the CIA World Factbook, there are more than 13 million people living in Guatemala, according to the most recent estimates. The average life expectancy is roughly 70 years and the risk of infectious diseases is high. More than half the population is below the poverty line.
That’s part of the population the medical missionaries will be targeting. The group will base out of the city of Chichicastenango in southwestern Guatemala and travel to rural villages to set up clinics. Many of the people they’ll treat have no other access to medical care.
I’ll be with the group, helping out where I can. I’ll be blogging throughout the trip, assuming there’s internet access throughout.
The group consists primarily of medical professionals, a doctor, a dentist, and three nurses. Including me, there are five others making the trek as well.
What’s it going to be like for doctors to provide health care to places without running water or electricity to people who may have no other access to a health care?
Come Monday, I’ll find out.
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A suggestion, while in Guatemala City contact a Catholic church there or ask the hotel to inquire for you to get telephone number and address of Mother Teresa’s (Missionaries of Charity) compound in an area called Colonia Betania. There are over 50 men and 50 women housed there and the Sisters provide food and medical care to many in this improvised area of the City. They are open to visitors between 9:00 am and 12:00 am. Colonia Betania is quite dangerous and many taxi’s will not go there however the “rogue” taxi’s will likely help you. I have personally assisted them over the years when in Guatemala and been quite inspired. Have fun! BTW-I have dos nietos in the City. If you go please say Hi to Sister Sonyaya and Sister Latica.