Diego and his mom arrived at Obras hospital at 6 :00 this morning with Flory and are awaiting his pre-op and covid exams, after traveling the previous afternoon and spending the night in a small hotel room. His surgery is projected to last 1 1/2 hours.

In February, our health care provider, Flory got these 4 patients with tumors into Obras Sociales, the hospital for the poor in Antigua that we use, for labs and other tests. They were then referred to the National Cancer hospital for surgery. And then along came Covid and cancelled all hope of surgery at that time (March).

Yesterday GMRP received a check for $1,000 from Harmonic Energetic Technologies, requested by new team member, RN Christine Simon of Tucson, AZ. Way to get out there and fund raise, Christine!

The Guatemala Medical Resources Partnership (GMRP) began as a project of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Clubs. Started in 2005 through the vision and dedication of local Rotarians spearheaded by Doug Hansen, it has grown to encompass many aspects sustaining life.

After a five-day clinic, most of the 47 people on this mission will return home changed by the experience. On Wednesday, some of us will go home, some will travel for sight-seeing in Antigua. In either case, we will not be the same.

One of the most smiley infants is looped around her mother’s arm. She kicks and coos, and smiles at everyone who passes by on this 97-degree day.

“I am very grateful to God for permitting me to work with my Guatemalan people,” says Flory. “When you all decided to open referrals, I dedicated myself to help the patients.

A silent, short young man follows a nurse to the medical line Saturday afternoon. Already, there are more than 90 people in front of him,waiting to be seen. The nurse whispers, “Can we get this person in today? He walked five hours to get here.”

Three years ago, on January 19, as the clinic was closing, Allison Hardin, a member of the medical team, traveled with a doctor to a hut 20 minutes away to help bring Blanca Natalie Rivas into the world.

An array of kitchen towels and scarves held to mouths can be spotted among the crowd of patients at the clinic. They come prepared, knowing they will have teeth extracted.

It’s human nature to want a place in line. So when the clinic opens Sunday, a day when no one needs to work, it is flooded with families. Temperatures don’t help.

It’s late in the afternoon, and Jeannine Desuatels walks over to the medical area of the clinic with the tiniest of babies in her hands.

Jeanmarie Sharp occasionally travels to this mission and to Haiti each year. She has seen many disappointing cases, but this one breaks her heart.

A small line of people stand in front of the school doors. The sight seems unusual, since in past years many more people crowded the entrance on the first day of the clinic.

Around 5 p.m. on Thursday, the Ranch erupted in cheers as the colorful “chicken bus” pulled up with the remaining members of the GMRP team. Team leader, Brittany Storhoff, hugged and greeted members, and gave them their cabana assignments.

This day, Dona Claudia, a leader in Oliveros, joins the team to serve her community. She stands at a window of the outdoor kitchen on the ranch, a giant bottle of lemon-scented Joy at her side and a herd of curious cows gazing in from the adjacent field.

A large white semitrailer sits under the searing Guatmalan sun on a dried patch of earth in the corner of “the Ranch.” After one of the first missions, a team drove the semi, stocked with dental chairs, exam tables, medicine cabinets and shelves the distance from Wisconsin toward the equator.