One Student Shares a Touching Experience of a Spring Break Trip to Guatemala
Some things in the world are universal: kindness, a smile, laughter, a hug. These are the things I experienced while in Guatemala despite an enormous language barrier between “las amigas” (my friends) and I.
As part of an independent study project with Dr. Christopher Hirschler, assistant professor, four other MU students and I journeyed to Guatemala during spring break to deliver health education on a variety of important topics, including the health effects of tobacco use, alcohol abuse, proper lifting techniques, stress management, and dehydration.
Although we had prepared for months in advance by completing readings, research papers, and viewing documentaries regarding the political and cultural history of Guatemala and the Mayans, there were not truly understood until actually visiting Guatemala.
Culturally, I noticed differences in the things we prioritize, such as the value of sleep and the types of foods we are willing to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On the other hand, there were many similarities, such as the mutual appreciation of breaks to get outside, enjoy the sunshine, and play basketball.
Ironically, I went to Guatemala assuming I was going to be the one teaching, having packed the materials for an entire health lesson. In reality, I think I learned more from the friends I made in Guatemala than I could ever dream of.
Just when I thought we were separate, there would be a reminder of how we really are all the same. Sitting in Pastor Juan’s classroom as he taught las amigas y amigos of the Salud y Paz community health program what it means to practice good health. I couldn’t help but think just how universal his teachings were and that when it comes down to it, we are all human with the same needs to be healthy, to be loved, and to belong.
The aspects of health, he said, are not comprised of only the physical, but of the social, emotional, environmental, and spiritual as well. It occurred to me at that moment how much our culture focuses only on the physical, and that a healthy life truly does take much more than that.
We held “devocion,” or prayer services, every morning by the lake to express gratitude for what we have, and to pray for those who have less than us or who face challenges such as illness, poverty, and grief. Heartfelt prayers were voiced aloud for family and friends suffering from a variety of health maladies, including diabetes, cancer, gastrointestinal disease, and stress.
By taking a moment each day to step back and appreciate, I felt more and more responsible to help and teach what I knew would help “las amigas” to better do their job as community health care workers and to make a difference.
My time at Salud y Paz taught me the ability each person has to make a difference and confirmed my desire to become a physician.
For example, on the last day of delivering health education to “las amigas,” as we said our goodbyes and hugged, one woman had tears in her eyes and she told me how important the lessons we taught were and how she will share them with others in her community.
Another woman was emotionally moved by the lesson we taught about proper lifting techniques. She explained how crucial the knowledge we taught is to her community, and reflected on how her mother died of a back injury, having been bedridden for 15 years because she did not know how to lift properly.
The amount of gratitude expressed by every person I met in Guatemala was a blessing in itself, and in stark contrast to how much we take for granted in the United States.
Instead of a simple “thanks” after three days of delivering health education or a long day hauling buckets of concrete for construction of a new wing at the clinic, we received hugs and words of sincere gratitude that brought tears to my eyes.
By the end of my nine days in Guatemala, I felt enriched both culturally and spiritually. My view on health has changed and I now understand that good health is not the product of a body in good physical condition, but a person who is enriched and fulfilled in the mind, body, and spirit.
PHOTO COURTESY of Genevieve Fasano
