Friday, April 17, 2026
Team 900 Cahill / Dawson / Kim
On Friday morning, the docs round on the patients who are in the wards of the hospital. Everyone congregates around Josue, our most dramatic case this week. His hemoglobin, cardiac rhythm and blood pressure are now at acceptable levels. He has been able to get out of bed and walk with his repaired hip. So we can officially say that all 77 surgeries this week have had successful outcomes.
All of the patients are very grateful for the care they’ve received. Vitalino says, “I’m asking a lot from God, but he hears me. I always give thanks to him for all that you do.” Max speaks English well enough to address us in our own language: “Thank you for everything. God bless you, all of you.” Guatemalans are very affectionate, and one of the docs remarks, “You get more hugs here in a week than in a year in the States.”
Except for the physical therapists, who have a day’s work lined up with all of Thursday’s patients, Friday is a free day for the team. There’s a lot to do and see in Antigua, which was founded in the 16th century as the capital of the Spanish empire in the New World. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and despite damage from several earthquakes still has many beautiful Baroque buildings. For better, for worse, the cobblestone streets continue to be maintained according to 500 year-old construction techniques, so it is very picturesque. Some team members decide to go to a jade jewelry workshop and at dinner are showing off their handiwork. Others go visit a leather artisan. There’s a brewery in town with lounge chairs and bocce ball. There’s a luxury spa. And there are many interesting shops and excellent places to eat and drink.
Everyone enjoys some time to recuperate at the end of an intense week. But the reason people are already making plans to come back next year is more spiritual. Sunday’s gospel reading is Luke 24: 13-35, about the disciples walking to Emmaus: “…And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him….” It occurs to me that Josue is a variant of Joshua, which is a variant of Jesus. So, the toothless little guy who has been the focus of so much medical debate and analysis over the past few days, as the whole team took an interest in his welfare has quite literally been Jesus to us this week. (Courtney Guest Kim, team blogger)
