Fellowship Student Missions

Our first clinic was at a church outside of Patzun, near Lake Atitlan. It was about a two hour drive from the compound, and scenery along the way was absolutely stunning.

Most of our students experienced something new today, whether it was their very first clinic or their first time trying out a new role. Every single one of them stepped up and did an incredible job. I wanted to give a few students a chance to share what the day was like in their own words.

Our first reflection is from Caroline:

“This is my second trip to Guatemala, and today I was assigned to a sharing station. What surprised me was that it was just me and the translator at the station. That felt daunting, because the sharing stations are all about evangelism and communicating God’s love. I worried that I wouldn’t know what to say or how to relate to the people we were talking to.

But my worry vanished once we began speaking with two women, one named Eulinda and the other named Ilda. Both were experiencing physical pain. We talked with them, shared the gospel, and were inspired by their stories of resilience. After our conversation, we prayed for them.

I learned that I don’t have to fear new or uncomfortable situations. I can face them with confidence, because the God of the universe is on my side. I’m sharing His message; of course He’s going to give me the words to say.”

Claire:

“This is my first time in Guatemala, and today I was at a sharing station with Mr. David and my translator, Fabiana. They were both so helpful and encouraging, especially since I had no previous experience.

Our first visitors were a woman and her daughter who spoke a dialect different from Spanish. Because of that, we needed two translators—one to translate from their dialect into Spanish, and another to translate from Spanish into English. The woman was so sweet and warmly welcomed our prayers. Mr. David led most of the conversation and prayer, which helped me feel more confident when the next person arrived.

I was especially encouraged by the next woman who came in. She had two kids with her and a big, joyful smile on her face. She kept telling us how happy she was that we were there. She said she had been waiting all year for our visit and felt so blessed by our presence. Her prayer was that her two young children would come to know Jesus at an early age. Her strong faith, the way she cared for her family, and her hardworking spirit really inspired me.

The whole experience was amazing, and I can’t wait to do it again. Getting to talk with the translators and hear their stories was another highlight of the day. Throughout our conversations, I was constantly praying that God would open my heart, give me the words to say, and help me connect with the people. Praying continually gave me peace and helped me feel calm instead of anxious. God truly gave me His peace and boldness.”

Riley:

“Today has been my first clinic day ever and i can tell that the experience will stay with me forever. All the people were extremely kind, and many of the kids were extremely outgoing.

While my job was a runner, to bring the patients to the doctors, and then to the sharing station, I spent all of my free time playing with the children. There was a little boy named Selvie who ran to hug us as soon as we arrived. There was a little girl named Cynthia who loved to run and spent a long time racing with me and loved taking pictures on my camera and learning English colors. There was a little girl named Dorcas who was curious about my cross and my family.

All of these children were from such a different culture than our own, yet they were just like the children in America. Kindness and connection is something that transcends all languages, and while I was aware of that before coming, it was completely different to experience it for myself.”