Micki Sinclair, RN
Labor and Delivery
Mercy Medical Center, Mt. Shasta
I truly consider this medical mission to Guatemala to be one of the most significant experiences in my life. I will always be grateful to have been given the opportunity to participate.
Because I had traveled to both Central and South America before, I thought that I had a relatively good grasp of the people and their culture. I realized that my understanding had only touched the surface. The people that we served displayed an inner strength that I have never witnessed before. I know that it is their challenging way of life as well as their deep faith that develops and maintains their immense strength of spirit.
One patient that I will always remember was an elderly woman who had fallen and broken her hip. She had never received medical attention and has been left crippled and bed-ridden as a result. Although she appeared very frail, she was able to pull herself up and get into her wheelchair without any assistance.
She told us she was really doing fine. She had some pain, but it was manageable. Even though she lived alone, her neice lived nearby and helped her with meals. Although she rarely was able to go outside, she was content to stay in and have people visit from time to time. She pointed to a statue of the Virgin Mary, smiled and said, "I have faith."
I will also never forget the children. I will always remember their big, round, beautiful brown eyes. I worked primarily in the lab and had to perform multiple blood tests which involved a finger stick in order to obtain the blood. The children very rarely resisted and almost never cried. They were calm and watched me as I got the blood and ran the test. We didn't have fancy Band-Aids or stickers to give them afterwards for being good. They didn't expect or need any kind of reward. I couldn't help but think of our children who would require so much more time and special attention.
My experiences in Guatemala have forced me to examine my sense of serving and helping the poor. I feel that they have served me as much as, or even possibly more than, I served them. They have taught me so much.
As for my co-workers, I have only high praise and respect for each and every one of them. This mission was a lot of hard work. I have never seen a group of people work so well together. I didn't even know it was possible.
I will always be grateful to have been a part of this exceptional life experience.
