Clinic Day Two
Guanaja - Day 4
Tuesday, September 8 - We are falling in love with Honduran people! Their patience, playfulness, and positive spirit is inspiring. When you ask someone “How are you doing?” A common response is “right here,” meaning “I’m as you see me here, now.” They embrace their current reality while holding perpetual anticipation for the future. There’s a felt sense of perseverance and hopefulness here that’s inspiring and delightful to engage.
Today we saw over 100 patients by lunchtime, but each person was as unique and valued as their story, such as a little boy, who has been coming to P4GH clinics since birth for physical therapy. He could not walk 3 years ago, but came in today walking on his own holding only his mother’s hand! Another young woman, who has suffered with TMJ for several years, was treated with mandible manipulation and experienced immediate relief from pain. Tears filled her eyes from relief and gratitude. An older woman, the principal of a local school and primary breadwinner for her family, returned in the afternoon for herself after having brought her husband in the morning. She had tremendous stress-induced pain and tension down the back of her left side from the demands of work and home. After caring for her physical symptoms and hearing her story, several of us were honored with an invitation to care for her emotional and spiritual needs as well through prayer. It was a moment that impacted all of us.
There are many more stories like these and all of them make being here a gift. One young doctor on our team shared how rewarding this experience has been for her and a desire to make trips like this a regular rhythm moving forward. We all resonate with that word, rewarding, because we were made to care about and for each other. We learn to see by looking. May we look up and see each other wherever we find ourselves in the world.