Day 1
It’s a Small World After All
I can’t help but hear the soft melody of “It’s a Small World After All” playing in the back of my mind.
After just a few short hours together with the team in Guatemala, those words are already proving true.
As a first-time volunteer, I honestly had no idea how this team came together. Was everyone like me — searching for something more, something meaningful, some way to serve? A mere 24 hours into our journey, I’ve already witnessed a connectedness both expected and full of happy surprises, revealed through storytelling and shared networks.
Some of the connections were ones I might have guessed at. Team members who have returned year after year carry memories that draw others to the cause, and their guidance and mentorship have been such a gift to newcomers like me.
Of our group of 41, over 60% are returning volunteers. Many are colleagues — or once were — some still part of the same medical groups, just at different locations. I can easily count more than ten leaders who have served for over ten years. What a blessing. We have teammates who are spouses, a father-daughter duo, and the closest of friends, all who have come together for the cause.
During our introductions, many people marked their time of service as a milestone, saying things like, “I joined Faith In Practice one year after Tom,” or “one year after Kacee.” As the timelines unfolded, it felt as though a continuum of service was welcoming others onto the same path, each new addition expanding the team’s impact a little further.
It also goes without saying that many of those participating this week are here out of deep respect and admiration for Dr. Davis. In conversations with the team, his love for medicine, his faith, and his commitment to serve draw others to him like a magnet. A team will always follow a good leader, and the tenure of this group — and the distance they’ve traveled to be here — is a testament to his.
Today was our first full day in the hospital. We set up five rooms to screen patients with a wide range of needs in preparation for the week ahead.
In total, we’ll have five operating rooms running:
2 general surgery rooms addressing painful conditions like gallbladder removal and hernia repair
2 gynecological rooms helping patients with chronic pain, removing cysts, tumors, and polyps, performing prolapse corrections, and treating urinary incontinence
1 plastic surgery room that will take on a variety of cases — including one of the first patient stories I’ll be sharing with you this week. Stay tuned to hear about a precious little toddler named Jacob.
These groups will be backed by one powerhouse team of anesthetists who will help ease any anxiety and transition to recovery.
All five teams are prepped and ready for day one of surgery, and I’m excited to share the work of this remarkable group, whose bonds — both old and new — will come together to serve those in need.
It’s a small world after all. What a beautiful thing.
Please join me in praying for us as we begin our work.
