STJI Blog

Wednesday, March 12, 2014.

February 2014 Surgery & Dental Teams

Team members from all over the U.S. arrived safely in spite of the ice and snow. They hit the ground ready to serve and they did just that! They worked long hours. Many didn’t know one another before the trip but soon became friends united in a desire to serve the poorest of the poor. When hearts come together to use the gifts they’ve been given to serve others, there’s no telling what can happen! Here’s just a snapshot… Our Surgical Team helped many people receive life changing Craniofacial surgeries including: cleft lip and cleft palate surgery, lesions removed, and disfiguring nasal fractures repaired. Children with various illnesses were treated. Families were taught how to care for their children who have special healthcare needs. We had follow-up visits with our previous patients and families to encourage them and offer additional teaching and support services. Our Dental Team Treated 200 patients! Most were children from the village schools where we have installed water purification systems and continue to provide health and hygiene education and spiritual support. Our Construction Team and Auxiliary Volunteers were a huge blessing to us and the people of Guatemala! Many times people wonder what they can do on a surgical team if they do not have a medical background. There is no way to fully express the huge role these volunteers play in a mission program. They helped build relationship with patients and their families, kept all the equipment in running order, helped a local dentist fix his dental equipment so he could continue to help the underserved, refurbished the malnutrition center, installed a water purification system, prayed with us and our patients and encouraged everyone every step of the way! To see more of the wonderful work these volunteers did on this trip, check out the Community Health section!