Saturday, February 21, 2026
Greetings from Team 890!
We arrived in Guatemala City, Guatemala on Saturday, February 21, 2026. We are wearing our “blue” Faith in Practice t-shirts and filled the plane with a sea of “blue” and serving hearts!
Team 890 consists of 41 volunteer team members from all over the United States. We have volunteers traveling from Washington, California, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Colorado, Maine, Texas, and I am sure I have missed a few others.
There are many who are returning seasoned volunteers as well as a mix of excited first-timers creating a wonderful sense of purpose. We first-timers have already learned so much from our seasoned team members in a brief period today.
Once we all arrived in Guatemala, we gathered to board three buses and drove to Antigua, Guatemala where we will be staying for our first night. The drive was scenic and allowed us to view the beautiful mountain scenery and culture of the small towns as we passed through them on our way to Antigua. We found out the roads are narrow and a little bumpy at times!
After arriving at our hotel, which is rich in culture and architecture, we quickly checked in to our rooms and then gathered for a late lunch. This time was well spent in fellowship. The more we engaged in learning about our fellow team members, the clearer it became how diverse we are in backgrounds and talents and how our desire and excitement to serve brought us together on Team 890. God’s timing is the right timing for each team member this year.
We gathered in a lovely private courtyard to hold a brief safety and guidance meeting led by the Faith in Practice Guatemalan staff. They are knowledgeable and passionate about Faith in Practice’s mission to provide medical care to those in need and welcomed us so graciously to Guatemala. This was also a wonderful time for each of us to introduce ourselves and describe our role in clinic this week. With each introduction, you can feel the passion and desire to serve. This is a special team. There are many returning team members along with a handful of first-timers. We have one team member who will be on trip forty-three and another on trip thirty-four. Their mentorship and experience are incredibly valuable to Team 890.
Once we finished our meeting, we had a little time to relax and recharge before dinner on a beautifully lush courtyard within the hotel. Again, fellowship was wonderful- filled with stories of earlier trips, laughter, and the beginning of new friendships.
Team 890 is tasked with setting up a Medical and Mobility Clinic in Canton de Dolores in the Department of Retalhuleu. We will begin setting up our Clinic on Sunday to be ready to greet patients on Monday. This year we are blessed to have eleven Physicians, a Radiologist, Nurse Practitioner, four Registered Nurses in between Laboratory and Mobility Clinic, three PT/OT, three Pharmacists, and several Interpreters. Every role is important – triage, patient intake to wheelchair assembler. Most importantly, Team 890 is blessed to have Clergy guide, inspire, and lift our team up in prayer. We are equipped, prepared and ready to serve approximately 1000 patients this week!
Many Guatemalan people will have lives transformed this week because they will have access to medical care. For some, this may be the first time. It is important to say Thank You to the many family, friends, coworkers, and loved ones who support each volunteer serving and giving of their time and gifts here this week. We would not be able to do this without your love and support while we are away from our homes, families, work, and friends. I expect our hearts to be full, and our lives transformed on this medical mission trip.
We invite you to follow along and hope you enjoy the stories and experiences we share this week.
Much love from Estes Team 890,
Lynda M.
Photographer/Blogger
1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms”
