Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Kindness – A simple smile can change the day for a patient in the Clinic!
We began the day early with a Devotional and breakfast then off to the bus for the ride to the Clinic. The bus has “good” Wi-Fi and several of us use the time to connect with our families and friends back home. The internet can be challenging here.
We arrived with a line of patients waiting outside. Faith in Practice staff told us we would be seeing more patients than we did on Monday. I heard we had about two hundred patients in the Clinic on Monday. Go Team 890!
Team members quickly go to their specialty areas and begin to see patients. As patients arrive, they will present their invitation card for care to the patient intake area where team members and the “Red Hats” enter their information in the computer. Some patients may be here all day either due to patient care concerns or waiting for transportation back to their hometowns. It can be a long day for them, arriving early and waiting for transportation to depart to their homes. There are many that have traveled for hours to receive medical care. I walked outside the Clinic towards the end of the day and saw so many patients waiting patiently and they had arrived and finished with medical services before lunchtime. Fortunately, we had cloudy skies to provide shade for the afternoon.
There is a unity of kindness and compassion on Team 890! Team members make each patient feel seen, heard, and comforted. A delightful story is about Junior, a 12 year-old boy who was born with a birth defect and has not been able to walk.
Carlos carried his son, Junior, into the Clinic. When he arrived in the Mobility area, everyone quickly fell in love with him. Carlos received a wheelchair and, excited, he took it for several laps around the area alongside Pastor Josef. Such a joy to witness! Prior to his departure, he was joined by his dad, Pastor Josef and Skyler—who both work on the wheelchair assembly team—and Saylor, our teammate and interpreter. This is Junior’s first wheelchair and will be life changing for him and his family. Can you imagine the freedom and independence he will now have?
Ana, 88 years old and precious, arrived at the Clinic unable to walk due to pain in her feet. After Dr. King examined her feet, determined the cause of pain, and treated her to a warm foot bath, he got down on his knees and trimmed her nails. She was the sweetest thing! I wish I had been able to communicate in her language. Thankful to have our interpreters. Ana told me she was going to church and invited me to go with her. My heart was full.
Every team member I visited with throughout the day had patient stories. Every patient is important, every story important. Through team members kindness and compassion, we can create an environment of community helping patients feel valued, comforted, and heard.
Please continue to pray for Team 890. We have one more day of serving the Guatemalan community.
Much love from Estes Team 890,
Lynda M.
Photographer/Blogger
Colossians 3:12 “……clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
