On the ground:  

The last week has been a beautiful blend of medical missions and a deep dive into community health education! It was such a blessing to rejoin my long-time friends who brought a medical team from the US. Being able to float between translating and nursing, and using both my Spanish and medical knowledge, was incredibly fulfilling. It’s always a privilege to work alongside medical professionals, especially those trained in the same country I was! 

One of the highlights was being able to lead a medical training for counsellors at a Christian camp with another nurse. We covered public health, prevention, basic first aid, CPR, and overall health and safety. This was truly enriching for me, as teaching prevention is a huge passion of mine, and the students were so engaged! 

It’s amazing to see the long-standing relationships the local partners have with this US-based ministry, and how these connections continue to grow. While this was a bonus to my usual responsibilities, these medical clinics always fill me with so much joy and encouragement!

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HUGE NEWS!!  I’m absolutely bursting with joy to share that Daniel and I are officially ENGAGED! ️. This past month has been a whirlwind of excitement, reflection, and so much love. We’re incredibly thrilled to be stepping into this new chapter together.  We’re continuing counseling with our pastor, and are talking through all the exciting (and sometimes challenging!) aspects of building a life together while including 2 cultrues. There’s so much to consider, and we’re embracing every conversation.

We’re so grateful for the overwhelming support from both our families and friends – you all mean the world to us!  And for those in Guatemala, you already know the nosy culture means the church has been asking us when this would happen for months!  Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement as we embark on this incredible journey. We can’t wait to see what God has in store!

I’ve been encouraged by:  

This past month was quite an unexpected journey as I had Dengue fever. It was a tough few weeks, mostly spent in bed, and things were even begining to turn hemorrhagic. But even in the midst of it all, God’s hand was so evident!

Instead of a long trip to the hospital, I was immensely grateful to stay right here at home after just one night in the local health center around the corner.  It’s not my first choice, but it was exactly where God wanted me.  Daniel knows the doctor well who was able to monitor me closely, keeping a watchful eye and ensuring I stayed just above needing a blood transfusion– requiring an hours drive to the nearest city, and unknown duration of stay. What a blessing!  

And truly, the support from our church family was absolutely incredible. A sister from our church, was the nurse who stayed overnight, and different elders and members came to pray at the health center, and the weeks I was at homein bed. One even shared a word that God said this wouldn’t grow severe – and I felt that peace too, remaining just a step ahead of needing hospital care. The amount of people who came by with meals, hydration drinks, and fervent prayers just overwhelmed my heart. 

This experience was such a powerful reminder of God’s faithful provision and the beautiful, tangible love of community. Even in sickness, there is so much to be thankful for.

Prayer requests:  

-Please pray for Daniel and I as we navigate merging two cultures in this part of our process.  

-Please pray for my (very)short trip to the states to be present with family for the birth of my niece.  

-Pray also for the continuing seismic activity in Guatemala which threatens a larger, more dangerous earthquake.