Past Trips

On Sunday, March 14, 2004 Christine and I were privileged to lead our 16th medical mission trip to Guatemala. This was the largest trip we had ever led. In all 106 people partnered together to work with Ambassadors For Children, Habitat For Humanity and Missionary Ventures International (MVI). This large group was the result of a 14 member team that went to Guatemala in June of 2003. We built two homes with Habitat For Humanity, conducted a medical clinic with Dr. Julio Fuentes in the Village of Santa Theresa and distributed food to widows with the World Food Program. This small group was so successful that Sally Brown, President of the Ambassadair Travel Club and Founder and President of Ambassadors For Children, came to us and asked if they could help us with our next trip to Guatemala. The following is a summary of what happened as a result of that conversation.

Our team of 106 was divided into three groups:

1) Habitat For Humanity - 28 people determined to build 4 homes.

2) Missionary Ventures International - 9 people with two doctors and two dentists and support personnel to travel with Randy &Brenda Purcell, MVI Coordinators, to remote villages where they have feeding centers.

3) Medical Team to San Marcos - 69 people to do medical clinics to the Indian villages around San Marcos.

SUNDAY, March 14, 2004

Team members arrived at Indianapolis Airport at 7:00 AM. Check-in went very well. It was such a treat for us to work with Rachel from Ambassadors For Children who handled our airline flights, hotels and ground transportation in Guatemala. Sally passed out name badges and T-shirts as we boarded the plane.

The flight left at 9:00 AM. It was a direct flight to Guatemala, so we didn't have to make the usual stop in Houston with a two hour lay-over. We also had group members coming from Massachusetts, California and Atlanta. They had flown to Guatemala the day before.

We landed in Guatemala on time at 12:30 PM, where it was sunny and 75 degrees.

We collected all our bags, exchanged money and passed through customs without any hassles. I was surprised that the officials didn't go through our pharmacy supply bags like they did the year before.

Randy and Brenda Purcell met us outside the terminal entrance. Randy and Brenda had gone on a trip with us a few years before. Following that trip God moved in their hearts, and they became missionaries working with Missionary Ventures in Guatemala. Doug Harty and his team went with them. They would rejoin us at the end of the week in Panajachel.

Rachel and Jeff Cardwell assembled the Habitat For Humanity group, loaded their bus and headed for Quetzaltenango.

The medical team of 69 could not all fit in one bus. The first bus left for the Marriott Hotel to pick up Pastor Jeff Busby and his crew from Boston, Habib Dalhoumi's group from Riverside, California and E Y Baine's group from Atlanta.

Jon Mandelbaum, our surgeon from St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis, had gone to Guatemala the first time last year. He was whisked off by Dr. Julio Fuentes along with our two Occupational Therapists Jennifer Lockliear and Jennifer Wiese. Julio and Jon had become fast friends. Julio is a surgeon who owns a small private hospital in San Marcos named Hospital El Jardin (The Garden Hospital). I first met Julio in Indianapolis at a meeting of the Christian Medical Foundation in 1989. We hit it off immediately, and he invited me to come to Guatemala. I went first in April of 1990 to help train him in endoscopy. San Marcos is an area serving some 300,000 people, and there were no endoscopic services available. I returned to teach Julio again in 1991 and 1992. Later in 1992, he came to Indianapolis and worked with me at Saint Francis Hospital. He has become a very accomplished endoscopist. The first year I was in Guatemala, I worked in the National Hospital in San Marcos. Julio tells me it has changed very little. Sometimes surgery can't be done because no anesthetic gas is available! Families of hospitalized patients have to go down the street to a pharmacy to buy the medications to be given to their sick hospitalized relative. If they cannot buy it, the patient never receives it. It is for this reason that Julio has his own private hospital. Many other physicians do the same. In 1995 Julio returned to Indianapolis and worked with Jon. Jon trained him in techniques of laparoscopic surgery. Jon had promised Julio he would one day come to San Marcos and work with him. In 2003 Jon kept that promise.

After loading the luggage onto the large tour bus, we headed out of Guatemala City toward Quetzaltenango. The weather was spectacular with great views of the mountains and farm fields. The roads were in good shape, but quite curvy through the mountains. We stopped at Chichoy (Valley of the Widows) for snacks and drinks. We watched a woman preparing hand made tortillas.

We made good time and arrived at the Bella Luna Hotel (Beautiful Moon Hotel) where we had stayed before. Christine and Sally set about the job of assigning everyone rooms. Supper was in the hotel restaurant. I gave a brief team orientation - the basic rules: 1. Don't put the toilet paper in the toilet but in the waste baskets beside the commodes, 2. Don't drink anything but purified water, 3. Don't wander off into the neighborhood, etc. Several were feeling ill which I later believed was due to being tired and run down. We were all exhausted from the long trip and fell into bed around 9:00 PM.

MONDAY, March 15, 2004

Several got up at 7:00 AM to get some exercise by walking around the hotel courtyard.

Breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes was at 9:00 AM giving everyone time to sleep in if they wanted. The hotel provided a large conference room where we were able to have our church service. This was always a most important time for the group to bond spiritually. Pastor Jeff Busby, Pastor Tim Johnson and I led the service. Jeff opened with prayer. I introduced the group and then spoke on the difference between Success and Significance in life especially with regard to short-term mission trips. Tammy Jackson blessed us all when she sang "How Great Thou Art."

Pastor Tim Johnson gave the Communion Meditation. He spoke of a time with his nine year old son when he asked him, "Son, if you lied to me would I still love you?" Immediately his son answered, "Yes." Then Tim asked him, "If you told me you hated me would I still love you?" A little slower came the response, "Yes." Finally Tim asked a third question, "Son, if you physically hit me, told me you didn't want me as your father and then left would I still love you?" After thinking for some time, his son looked up and responded, "Yes. That's what Daddys do." His son knew that a father loves no matter what. Tim read to us from Song of Solomon, Chapter 4:9, "You have stolen my heart." He pointed out we have already stolen God's heart! We don't have to do anything. He loves us no matter what we have done. The real question is, "Have you allowed Him to steal your heart?" It was a powerful time as we walked to the two tables where Communion was set up to take the bread and juice remembering what Jesus had done for us. I thought, "How can we as humans ever understand the immensity of His love?" Tim told us that a woman at the United Methodist Church where he pastors in Greensburg could not go on the trip but had organized a prayer vigil for all of us coming to Guatemala. Each person on the team had a prayer partner. They had made crosses for us to wear which were hand painted. Their continual prayer was that our hearts would be captured by the love of Jesus.

After Communion Pastor Tim and Pastor Jeff asked those who desired to come forward to be anointed with oil (symbolizing the power of the Holy Spirit). They prayed that each of us would be given the power necessary to do all that God intended for us. It was a commissioning just like in the New Testament. We were each being set aside for God's purposes.

We loaded up the bus, and at 11:15 AM and headed for San Marcos. It was warm and sunny. Everyone seemed to feeling fine.

Our caravans of buses arrived at the Hotel Perez in San Marcos at 1:30 PM where we were greeted by our good friends Rubin and Annabella Perez, the hotel owners. The Habitat Team would stay at the Hotel Perez. Our medical team was too large and was divided in two. Most of us stayed at Hotel Miral Valle which was owned by Julio's sister Lucy and the rest stayed at Hotel Reformador, a 30 second walk from Hotel Perez. Christine got all the room assignments at the hotels while everyone else unloaded and sorted the luggage. The amount of luggage and supplies was enormous! It took a long time, and we didn't eat lunch until after 3:00 PM.

Lyndon met with Pastor Juan Carlos of Iglesia Familia del Rey (Church of the King). Juan Carlos had been instrumental in choosing the villages where we would go to do our clinics. We came to realize that this was essential because some of the people in the villages had previously seen our prior efforts as only humanitarian social programs. We always want our work to be part of the Great Commission that Jesus gave. Juan Carlos told us that all the preparations had been made in the villages for Tuesday and Wednesday and for the clinic at his church on Thursday.

Lyndon, Juan Carlos, Christine, Bev Rivera and I worked out the details for Monday over lunch. Then after lunch Win Turner and I in-serviced the doctors on what to expect in the village the next day. It was important to understand how triage, patient flow, clinic set up, children's ministries & activities and evangelism would transpire. We answered a number of questions and then took a tour of Hospital El Jardin. I showed the new endoscopy equipment that we had brought last year. The operating room looked 40 years old by US standards, but with all the donated equipment that Jon had brought, Julio was up to speed.

EY Baine blessed the food at supper. After dinner the Greensburg group prepared for the children's ministry the next day. We all went to bed tired but excited about what God would do the next day.

TUESDAY, March 16, 2004

Breakfast was at 7:00 AM. We ate the usual fare - corn flakes, scrambled eggs with salsa, cheese, black beans, fruit, rolls and coffee. It tasted good.

At 8:00 AM the medical/dental group left for the Village of Santa Teresa. Christine warned everyone about the confusion that we were sure to encounter on arrival in the village. She assured everyone that this would only be temporary. Neri, who works with Juan Carlos, had been there the night before and held a service for the people. He had arranged the place for the clinics and everything was set up. Within 45 minutes of arrival, the clinics were up and running. Many of the patients had already been pre-registered. Win and Lisa had the pharmacy fine tuned. Diana was in charge of crowd control and patient flow, and everyone seemed to be going in the right direction. After the patients saw the physician, they were escorted to where the local pastors prayed for their needs. Finally, they went to the pharmacy to pick up their prescriptions. It was nice to see the system that had evolved over several years working so well.

Jaime and Bev Rivera and the team from Greensburg had a well orchestrated children's ministry program consisting of a Bible lesson, puppet show, a craft where each child made a hand puppet and a salvation bracelet and then a time of singing where the children used their puppets to sing "Cristo Me Ama" (Jesus Loves Me). The program was awesome. I had never seen anything quite like it.

Meanwhile outside in the courtyard, Rebecca, Sally, Ashley, Hannah and Carley were entertaining the children who were waiting with their parents. The children were delighted with the stringing of beads, blowing bubbles, face painting, jumping rope, etc. The children seemed mesmerized by it all!

I took Jennie and Jennifer to La Fundabein, a physical/occupational therapy center in San Marcos. We spoke with the director Dr. Jordan who we had met last year. Then Jennie and Jennifer began to work with the patients and train the staff. They had brought three duffle bags of donated supplies to leave so that the staff could use these with their patients. Jenn photo-documented.

Myra, one of the pastor's wives, took Jenn and me from La Fundabein up to Santa Theresa to photograph all the activity in the clinics. We got lost three times and had to stop and ask for directions because there are no signs. People were very appreciative of our help. EY and the Atlanta Group had agreed to take responsibility for the lunches. They were busy making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. All the doctors said those sandwiches never tasted so good!

Late in the afternoon EY, Sarah Rosenberg, who is a water specialist, and I went with Adolfo, the school administrator, to see where the water came from for the village. The area is like a desert. There is no rain water November through April. The people receive water only 1 hour every three days! We were shocked to say the least. We spoke about what could be done. There were no springs this high up in the mountains. The rivers were small and usually dry. No one seemed to know how deep water was for a good well. They didn't even know the yearly rain fall! Sarah decided she would need to go back and work on a plan.

Meanwhile, Jon, Annmarie and Julio had been seeing patients at Hospital El Jardin. Ginny, from Massachusetts, had been a scrub nurse a number of years ago. She worried if she would remember what she needed to know to assist in surgery. By the time I arrived, she was in her glory as she helped the three surgeons who were busy operating on one patient after another. Gloria worked with Esta to teach Julio's nurses to care for the endoscopic instruments properly. Esta had taken time to come to our endoscopy center in Indianapolis to learn the techniques so that she could teach them in Guatemala.

That night we had a time of sharing. Here are some of the comments:

Karen: "I was overwhelmed by the welcome program the village had for us!"

Sylvia: "I am amazed at how God takes strangers and molds them together. I worked translating for two physicians I didn't know, and we were all laughing by the end of the day." One lady asked her how much the care and treatment would cost. Sylvia responded, "Nothing. It is free. It is a gift of God." The lady said, "Thank you."

Harold: "I am struck by the struggle of the people. One woman walks two kilometers two or three times daily just to bring water to her home. We waste water. I am impressed by how grateful the people are for little things."

Hannah: "It was an awesome day. The kids take anything from us!"

Jaime: "It was amazing to see 275 children listening, watching the puppet show, making their own puppets and then singing "Jesus Loves Me" with their puppets. Tim and I gave an invitation for anyone who wanted prayer to forty people waiting for evangelism by the local pastors. Thirty came up for prayer and anointing. I was moved to be a part of that. I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Some of the ladies we prayed for were crying. One man came to ask to pray with him so that he might accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. I felt so humble to pray."

Bev: "We saw a lot from the spiritual side. When we realized we had 275 kids, we weren't sure we had enough supplies. We prayed for God to multiply them, and at the end of the day, we came back with some left over! The children were very well-behaved and listened intently. It is quite an opportunity to pray for someone."

Samantha: "The kids really loved their puppets. One little girl got there late and did not receive one because we had moved on to another craft. She was thrilled when I gave her the one I had made."

Tim: "I felt ministered to by the kids. My heart was pierced. I really felt the power of the Holy Spirit while praying with three women today - one named Danielle was nine years old and had never been able to walk. She looked four."

Dr. Annemarie: "The patients at the hospital wait without complaining. They accepted what we had to offer them."

Ginny: "I was so impressed by how precious every supply we brought is. Life is much simpler here and so much more appreciated. We waste so much. They use everything! I prayed that I would be able to remember all the instruments. No words can describe what God did!"

Win: "I was amazed at how well things went in the pharmacy with so little preparation when everyone is focused on a goal. You can tell the Spirit of God is here."

Dr. Gary: "The children are beautiful. It is hard not to be able to treat things we so easily treat at home. They are strong people."

Dr. Patsy Wisler: "I saw a 65 year old lady who complained of neck, shoulder and leg pain. She carries heavy loads everyday - I couldn't tell her not to do it. She leaned over and kissed Claudia and me."

Dr. Tom Wisler (OB/GYN): "I had no idea who I would be seeing. But my first 10 patients were OB! One lady was 36 weeks pregnant and was having contractions. She was already 2 to 3 centimeters dilated. I told to her to head for the hospital in San Marcos as she was going to have her baby soon. By the end of the day a rumor had spread through out the clinics that I had delivered a baby! It was a tremendous learning experience for me. I learned more about medicine today than I ever did sitting in a lecture hall." Later Tom was telling me all the things he didn't have that he could have used. Then he said the thing I love to hear the most: "When I come back next year . . ."

Lindsey: "I had a really great day! First I was busy working in triage, then in patient registration and then with the doctors."

Diana: "I was struck by the appreciation of the people. Many had come so far."

Peter: "I prayed with many people to day and was impacted by God's love."

Rose: "I am amazed by the patience of the people. It is so different from Chicago! I was impressed by the way people helped one another as they waited in line. I was also impressed by all the help I had in triage."

Bill: "We had prayer in the rooms with the doctors. I noticed that patients who were on edge at first weren't with the doctors."

Olga: With tears in her eyes, "The whole day was impressive to me. There are things we can't help. I grew up here in Guatemala. These people have so much less than we do. But if we give them the Lord, it is so much more important than money."

Jennifer Smith: "Seeing the kids - how much they loved listening. How they wanted to be there - their excitement! My heart could have jumped out of my chest. Wow! That's all I can say."

Dorothy: "I was touched by the love and appreciation of the children."

Sarah: "I was overcome by humility and hope. I was trusting God where He was taking me in life. Trusting Him every hour for where I am supposed to be. We saw one man with Bell's Palsy who couldn't smile, yet we walk around with frowns. There was a baby with cerebral palsy three years of age but who was only the size of a 15 month old! God knew who the right people were to be there to help. I spoke with several men about water and said so many things I didn't realize that I knew. We place our hope in people everyday. Jesus said, "If you have done it to the least of these, you have done unto Me."

EY: "I made PB &J sandwiches. I am blown away at the power of human contact - the effect it has."

Russ: "The work with Habitat was hard, sweaty - get your butt beat. It was a great time!"

Jenn: "People are just people no mater where you go. You just have to smile at them."

WEDNESDAY, March 17, 2004 - Saint Patrick's Day!

We were up at 6 AM. Everyone was learning how to work the showers at Hotel Miral Valle to mix the hot and cold water to get the right temperature. It was the first time I had ever had a problem in Guatemala with the showers being too hot! Doug called me regarding Tuesday's successful day with the MVI Team. He said, "I believe that nine is the perfect size team." If he had been by me I would have hit him!

Bob and Christine left with the medical team at 8:05 AM. Chris and I had prayed about the safety of the bus. It definitely seemed overloaded, but Juan Carlos assured me that it was safe. Lyndon and Juan Carlos had gone up early to set up the clinics so there would be no confusion.

I took Jennie and Jennifer along with Jenn, our photographer, back to Fundabien. As I sat in Fundabien, taking notes for this summary, I was struck by a little boy in a wheelchair who was sitting a few feet in front of me. His mother kept gently pulling his head back as it repeatedly fell forward due to his inability to hold it upright. His hands were contorted and his legs paralyzed. He was held in the wheelchair by a sheet tied around his waist. I wondered, "What was he thinking?" His mother occasionally looked my way and smiled because of the cute actions of some of the children. I was suddenly overcome by how blessed I was.

A television crew arrived and interviewed the two Jennifers. They were to be on the evening news that night.

Next we went up to the Village San Pedro de Petz. No Americans had ever been there to do anything for the people! Over 1000 children were seen in the Children's Ministry. The medical clinics were set up in a church. There was only one way in and out - the front door. So much for fire codes, OSHA, etc.! The doctors saw 615 patients! At times the pharmacy was so backed up our translators had to be pulled away from the doctors. I bought some Pepsis from the local tienda for those in the clinics who were thirsty. Although everyone was exhausted by the end of the day, they were also excited about all that had transpired.

Rebecca's group played with the children in the school yard. They had a jump rope competition and gave out prizes. The boys played soccer. There was face painting, blowing bubbles and stickers. As I watched them interact with children, I was reminded of what Sarah had said the night before, "If you have done it to the least of these, you have done unto Me."

Sarah, EY and I walked with Pastor Phillipi to see the water supply for the town. Water had to be pumped up out of a valley to the village which was very costly. Volunteers from the town were digging into the side of the mountain trying to hit a subterranean stream in order to provide a better source of water for the town. We walked into the tunnel to the end - about 300 feet. The only light was from a few bulbs held on an electric cord strung along the top of the tunnel. I noticed that there were no supports for the walls. Whenever my shoulder touched the walls dirt fell off. When we finally arrived at the end, I asked, "Is it dangerous working in here?" "Very dangerous!" was the response. I suggested we get out immediately!

Everyone was quite tired by the end of the day. After supper some went to the local cantina to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Christine, Lucia, Bob, JD and I went to Julio's house for a thank you dinner. It was the same house that I had stayed in 15 years before on my very first trip. There had been a lot of changes due to remodeling. It brought back many fond memories.

The food was great but the company and all the jokes were even better. I felt so fortunate to have two families, one in the USA and the other in Guatemala.

THURSDAY, March 18, 2004

We were up at 6 AM to sort through some forms from the clinics the day before. We needed to find the patients who might be coming down from the village to see Dr. Julio Fuentes that day.

Thursday is market day in San Marcos where many of the villagers from the surrounding towns come to sell there wares. It is quite an experience if you have never witnessed such a market. There are many fruits, vegetables, spices, clothing, cloth and about anything else you could possible imagine.

The medical clinics were being held in Juan Carlos' church Familia del Rey (Family of the King). Over 500 patients were seen. Bev's group worked with the children of widows at a school. Rebecca's group worked with the children outside the clinics. Three men from Westport who came alongside the Greensburg group worked to build a fence by the church to prevent children from falling off the cliff at the edge of the property. We took leftover supplies to a nearby school and left some extra medicine with a woman who runs a government clinic. By late afternoon there were several team members that were not feeling well, so I took them back to the hotel.

FRIDAY, March 19, 2004

We slept in until 7 AM. Rob and I went to the local gym in San Marcos. It was sort of like the gym where Rocky Balboa trained in South Philadelphia. If you are looking for Gold's or Bally's forget it! But, it was more than adequate for us.

Breakfast was at 8 AM. Then we packed up the buses and left around 10 o'clock. We stopped for a bathroom break once and arrived in Panajachel at 2 PM. The weather was great. There was some confusion about the hotels, however, Sally and Christine worked it out. Lake Atitlan was beautiful. I could see why it is rated the second most beautiful lake in the world. It is surrounded by twelve towns, many named after the Apostles. We walked the streets of Panajachel and ate at the local restaurants. We all needed some time to relax and process all that had happened the prior three days.

Here are some comments I received from Dr. Doug Harty who headed up the MVI Medical/Dental Team:

Last night we were sharing a little bit about what stood out to us the most. Some mentioned this 90 something little old lady that accepted the Lord.

She did not even know how old she was but by asking her questions in Queche (the Mayan dialect she speaks), the locals were able to estimate her age based on history of the area. I met her by accident. As I was coming out of the clinic someone grabbed me around the waist and started hugging me. I thought it was a kid and when I looked down, it was this cute little old wrinkled thing looking up with a toothless grin that was squeezing me for all she was worth. She has no family and one of the elders of the church talked to her. It was touching to see her tears of joy to know she had a new family.

Also yesterday we had a kid that had that syndrome where you age very fast. Jerry said it was interesting because his dad brought him in - its almost always the mother. Also the dad was very up front about his son's condition, and just wanted Jerry to look at his ears as he had an ear infection. The boy was shy, and wore a dark blue fishing hat to cover his bald head with big ears. Jerry said that he had these toys that he kept forgetting to give away, and he picked one out to give to this boy. He said the highlight of his whole trip was to see this boy smile so big when he gave it to him. These kids usually live short, painful lives for many reasons but one of the biggest is they have very brittle bones.

One of my patients I removed her tooth so fast that she didn´t believe that I had done it. I finally had to make her put her finger in her mouth to see that it was gone. She was really embarrassed.

SATURDAY, March 20, 2004

After breakfast most of the group went on a boat ride across the Lake Atitlan to the Village of Santiago Atitlan. It was sunny and hot. The streets were steep with many venders touting their wares.

Next we sailed on to the Village of San Antonio Palopo' to see the ceramics. The water was rough. Some brave souls sat on the bow and got good and wet. The streets were even steeper! By the end of the afternoon, it was clear that some had gotten too much sun. We arrived back in Panajachel about 3 PM. We shopped, snacked and rested. That night we went out in groups to eat. There was a lot of great conversation.

SUNDAY, March 21, 2004

After our breakfast of pancakes, eggs, fruit or juice and coffee, we loaded the buses at 9:30 AM for Guatemala City. We stopped at Katok for a bathroom break and some snacks. About 1:30 PM we arrived at the airport. The line to check in was long, but moved efficiently. On the plane home there was more great conversation. I spoke with Dr. Merrill Ritter who was in charge of Operation Walk. They had done over forty joint replacements. Jeff Cardwell had met a woman in the airport who worked with a group called Living Waters that dug wells. We wondered, "Could this be an answer to our prayers for water?" Only time would tell.

TEAM MEMBER COMMENTS

It would be impossible to list all the comments made, but here are just a few that impressed me:

Bev Rivera: "It was wonderful to bring the love of Jesus to children who may have never heard of Him before. All three schools where we ministered this week told us it was the first time for anything like our children's ministry. Praise God for this opportunity to share Jesus with our new friends!"

Russ: "I can't wait until I can come back to this wonderful country and its people. This was a wonderful walk with Jesus Christ."

Pastor Tim: "I attended a 5:30 AM prayer service at Juan Carlos' church on Thursday. There were already six to eight people kneeling down praying. As I knelt to join them, I noticed there were puddles of their tears beneath each person as they prayed for the lost in their city. I will never forget the passion these precious Christians have for bringing people to the hope of salvation of Jesus Christ. I ache to see that same passion for the lost in our country."

Jennifer Smith: "I loved it! I will be back. I did and saw things I never expected. I made a lot of new friends."

Tim: "It was a wonderful week! I have never known prayers to be answered so quickly."

Aaron: "Guatemala is a beautiful country. Even though they are poor, they are not poor in Spirit."

Tom & Patsy Wisler: "It's the best way ever to visit a country and know its people. This is our first medical mission trip, and we will be back."

Esta: "What a great trip - an awesome, diverse group of people! You could see in the faces of the Guatemalans that it was God's week."

Jennifer Wiese: "The people are so welcoming, so appreciative, so happy to be receiving any help I could possibly give. These people have left a mark on my heart. May God cultivate the seeds that were planted this week."

Elizabeth: "We saw some 1700 people. We met so many wonderful people and became closer to those who we already knew. I saw my relationship with Jesus grow significantly."

Rebekah Dittman: "This a real eye-opener for me to see what we subconsciously take for granted. Our everyday 'necessities' at home are actually grand luxuries for everyone in Guatemala. It will be difficult, but I hope I can keep that in mind when going about my everyday routine."

Hannah: "I loved every minute. I will never again take a cold drink for granted."

Bittany: "I felt the impact we made on the villages we visited was well worth the sunburns!"

Beth: "I was blessed by the love shown by the people we touched."

Hannah, Ashley & Carley: "All three of us had a blast! We definitely learned a lot. This trip touched our hearts. It was sad but amazing what these children go through every day. We were completely and utterly in shock."

Karen Stevens: "I have never seen such a passion for Jesus as what the people in the church service had shown. When I told a little eight year old girl who was selling goods on the street that US children don't start working until age 15, her reaction was unforgettable. I gave her money and told her to go home with her family. That was a real reality check along with every day life for most of the Guatemalans. God has blessed me with many things, and I am very grateful."

Tammy: "Words can hardly express mission trip to Guatemala. Seeing the faces of the beautiful children has moved me in ways I can never totally express. It was hard seeing little children selling goods on the street. When I saw those precious children, I thought of my beautiful four year old daughter. I can't imagine her selling items just to survive."

Nikki: "I think its absolutely amazing the way the children of Guatemala show courage and are content despite the conditions in which they live. I noticed how much they depend on each other, loved one another, especially with the villages where their relationships with each other and God was all they had. I can only wish and pray that Americans had that kind of respect for one another. I now know it is not material things in life that matter, but the relationships one has and develops during their time on earth that count. It was a reality check to say the least, a wake up call to realize that which really matters. I have much respect for the people of Guatemala. Although this trip was set out to be about "them," I believe they affected me, taught me more in one week than many would learn in a lifetime."

Patricia: "Most was having the time to pray with the patients. To me that is always the highlight of the trip."

Dr. Patsy Maikranz: "I will forever remember the mother of the boy with microcephalopathy. She desperately wanted to hear that something could be done for his "slowness." Unfortunately, I could not say it or change his destiny. I reassured her that his was one of God's special children and that his heart would be filled totally and only with happiness. Tears filled her eyes and Sylia's. The mother's tears became my tears."

EPILOGUE

Many of the team members have called to ask when we are going again next year! Sally Brown has already booked a plane for March 13-20, 2005.

I am often asked by people if it would be possible for them to go on a mission trip. My answer is always, "Of course." Everyone has gifts and talents that can be used on a trip like the one described above. Our trips usually have individuals of all ages. Just like on this trip, several parents have brought their adolescent or teenage children to work along side them. Christine and I work hard to coordinate the activities of our teams to be certain each person has a role to play. I always warn those interested in going, "This trip may be the most dangerous thing you ever do in your whole life. It may change you forever!" God is in the business of changing lives.

If you are interested in information on mission trips, you are welcome to write or call us:

Michael & Christine Elmore Phone: 317-862-2138
5201 Five Points Road
Indianapolis, IN 46239
or call us on the "Mission Hotline" at 317-590-6697