Jennifer Perez, RN, is an emergency room nurse at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. This is her third mission trip with the CHW Foundation for International Health. She also has completed medical missions with the Flying Samaritans and with the U.S. military.
I have been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to come on this mission trip for the last two years. I was actually packing for a medical mission with Continuing Promise when I got word that I would be coming back to Guatemala with CHW. There is a lot going on in my life and I wasn't sure if I could take the time to do this trip too, but I know wholeheartedly that everything happens for a reason, and although timing seemed less then optimal, there was a plan. I know this medical mission well enough -- I know what is expected of me, what we as a group are capable of giving and I felt fortunate for the fact that I was able to make myself available.
Jennifer Perez triages patients before they go to see one of the doctors.
The first day we worked in Horcones and the one thing that kept coming back to me was how lucky i am to be part of such a cohesive and passionate group of people. We had many new members, many returning and so many times during the day it hit me how honored I am to be in these team members' presence. All my fellow team members are obviously great at what they do. They're all leaders and you'd expect there to be some friction with people who are accustomed to being in charge having to suddenly follow. But how quickly and effortlessly we all got together and worked out how to run a functional clinic. And then there are the patients. It's so refreshing to see the looks on the patients' faces just to be heard. Some walked for four hours to see us and they are all dressed in their Sunday best. Nothing quite compares to looking into their eyes. It's such an honor to be given the chance to sit back and look at someone, to see their human-ness. To see the couple who look upwards of 80 years old each -- they hold hands and he carries her bag -- the simple life that they live makes me so appreciative and envious.
Many of the patients I've seen are affecting me in different ways. The 85 year old beautiful grandma who just wants to get her blood pressure checked. I was revisited by a young girl named Wendy who wanted to come home with me last year; she remembered me and had to come say hello. The 14 year old boy with the cable-knit sweater and the hat he wore sideways, who broke my heart to pieces, complaining of flu-like symptoms and a sore tooth. He was alone, waited for hours to see a doctor and spoke of living on the streets because his mom got a new boyfriend and didn't want him. I could not stop crying. We wanted to get him set up with some permanent help, but he didn't come back for his follow-up appointment.
All in all, we were chosen for this sort of experience for a reason. We just have to be open to the opportunity. I have been so blessed in my life to be able to be useful in a critical situation, but I do believe that being open allows us to be in the present and appreciate the smile in an old woman's eyes, a handshake or a smile, a pregnant girl putting my hand on her belly and showing me pictures of her baby. If we only took a few moments of our day to appreciate the beauty all around us we would all be much better off. It starts with us, each of us, every day, and I'm going to continue to strive for that clarity. It makes us better. I want everyone to have the chance at an experience like this -- one that will stay with them forever and change them inherently.
Happy Anniversary JP...I love U..Have fun over there and hurry back..hugs are waiting!
Posted by: Doug Carey | October 18, 2010 at 09:42 PM
I'm from the Glendale CBO office and I just wanted to comment and say that I think all of your are doing a great job. We are all so proud of having a great group of people working for CHW.
--Can you please tell Alicia Moran the EEC committee says hi, be safe and we want to hear from you!
Posted by: Liza Gutierrez -Glendale CBO | October 19, 2010 at 09:04 AM
May God give you all the graces necesary to
to continue passing His love to all to come
to you for help.
I will keep you in my prayers.
Posted by: Miriam Meza - Glendale CBO | October 19, 2010 at 11:50 AM