Day 2 – Team Thompson 881 – Monday, November 10, 2025
“Your faith is not measured by how loudly you proclaim it, but by how gently you practice it.”
“Go forth in peace, rooted in love and guided by the quiet strength that lives within you.”
These two passages opened our morning devotional before Team Thompson began our first clinic day — words that beautifully set the tone for what was to come.
The team rose early, and our doctors and providers worked tirelessly from early morning until dusk, diagnosing patients and determining the best ways to help them. Among those patients was Jennifer, a 28-year-old mother of a young child, who had been experiencing severe abdominal pain. A local doctor in Guatemala had suggested she might have gallstones, but Jennifer also mentioned she could be pregnant — an important factor to consider before any surgery.
Dr. Janice Baker referred her to Liz in our Ultrasound department and Betsy in our Laboratory. The ultrasound confirmed the presence of gallstones, and a pregnancy test soon followed. When Dr. Janice shared the news that Jennifer was indeed pregnant, Jennifer burst into tears. At first, Dr. Janice wondered if the news had brought up worry or fear — perhaps a sign that Jennifer might benefit from counseling with our social worker. Moments later, however, Jennifer explained that her tears were of joy: she and her husband had been trying to conceive for two years.
When Dr. Janice recounted the story to me, she was clearly emotional — it was one of the highlights of her day.
While our social worker Karen wasn’t needed for Jennifer, she had a full day of her own. Many of our patients in Petén face heartbreaking challenges. Karen counseled women living with domestic violence often coupled with alcoholism in their homes, new widows struggling to find their footing, and one patient who had lost her arm in an accident and was coping with depression and the loss of independence.
A day with Team Thompson often brings us face to face with the difficult realities many people live with — yet amid the hardship, there is always beauty. The resilience, warmth, and grace of the Guatemalan people touch our hearts deeply and remind us why we are here.
Ruth Lacey, Volunteer & Blogger
