Greetings from Guatemala!
What an incredible start to our Faith in Practice mission! Team 883 arrived in Guatemala on Saturday, January 17th with 41 dedicated volunteers representing various states across the US including Texas, California, Arkansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Vermont, Kentucky, and Oregon. Our team is a diverse mix of seasoned Faith in Practice veterans (some with over 20 years of experience!) and enthusiastic first-timers, creating a wonderful sense of shared purpose and excitement!
We’re especially excited to see multiple family couples, partnerships, and generations serving together, including four amazing mother-daughter pairs. There’s something truly special about watching families and friends unite around this shared mission. We’re also excited to have two pre-med students, Audrey and John, volunteering their time to learn more about the people of Guatemala and gain the unique experience this volunteer mission provides. Under Phil and Linda Johnson’s (very) experienced leadership, we’ve brought together a wide range of team expertise: doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacy specialists, photographers, wheelchair builders, and operations volunteers, all ready to serve Guatemalan communities that need it most.
Our journey began with a safe arrival in Guatemala City, followed by a scenic bus ride to beautiful Antigua where we spent Saturday night getting oriented and settled at La Carmina. Sunday morning brought Pastor Andy and Cheryl Gans’ powerful devotional from John 1:29-42, challenging us to truly see and listen to the people we’ll serve. After a four-hour bus ride through the vibrant Guatemalan countryside, we arrived in Mazatenango to an unforgettable local welcome! The town had arranged a traditional Guatemalan Mirimba band to greet us and share their rich culture – what an energetic and exciting way to begin serving here! We went straight to work at the City Cultural Center, which had been completely cleared and prepared for us to transform into our medical village. Seeing the space ready for our five clinics felt like the perfect bridge from preparation to purpose.
As the first Faith in Practice team of 2026, we’re honored to kick off what promises to be an extraordinary year of medical care. Our specialized clinics – Orthopedics, Pediatrics, General Medicine, OB/GYN, and Mobility, all supported by our Pharmacy team – are prepared to serve over 1,000 community members this week. These invitations were carefully coordinated by our incredible local partners: the Blue Caps who work with Faith in Practice to identify and invite patients, and the Red Caps who will serve as daily volunteers helping patients navigate the process, providing language translation and comfort throughout their care. We’re particularly focused on serving historically underserved women, recognizing how caring for mothers and daughters strengthens entire communities. This week launches FIP’s ambitious 2026 goals, hoping to reach more than 13,000 patients through 27,000+ clinical visits throughout the year.
To our friends, families, coworkers, and communities back home – sending you a big thank you and hug! Your support, encouragement, and sacrifices have made this mission possible. Whether you’re covering for us at work, taking care of things at home, or simply keeping us in your thoughts and prayers, we couldn’t be here without you. Follow along as we share the stories and experiences from our week of service! We’re excited to show you the incredible impact we can make together.
Team 883
Meaghan Gallacher, Team Blogger
