CA Hallways Summer 2023

Guild, community member and grandfather of a
student on the trip, shared an unforgettable children’s
story. The mountain village was a quiet, remote, and
scenic place. With Sabbath concluding, we set up for
the clinic which would be opened first thing Sunday
morning.
Over the next few days, we saw approximately
500 patients. Some of our patients traveled for
many hours on foot, just to be seen by a physician.
Accompanying our team was a group of Costa Rican
medical professionals. This was especially helpful
since having plenty of translators was crucial. For those
of us on the team that do not speak fluent Spanish,
our Spanish-speaking skills improved tremendously
over the trip. Some of our patients did not even speak
Spanish and spoke a native dialect of the village they
were traveling from. Along with the Costa Rican
medical team, we were fortunate enough to have a
team of local women who made all our meals.
As far as the patients, the majority of the
individuals we saw were locals who had limited
access to medical care. We saw a range of conditions
from minor ailments like colds and flu to more
serious conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and
respiratory illnesses. We also saw a few cases of skin
infections and wounds, likely due to the manual labor
many of the patients engaged in. I had the incredible
opportunity to remove a lipoma with Dr. Marquez.
A lipoma is a fatty tumor located below the skin,
and this one happened to be about the size of a golf
ball. After a painful hour and a half of squatting in
our humid, makeshift surgical room, watching our
patient leave with his tumor in a cup and a smile on
his face is a memory I will not forget anytime soon.
Spending time with all the ecstatic children that came
through the clinic was another highlight of the trip.
Even though we were all exhausted by the end of
each day, seeing the difference we were making in
each patient's life made every bit of it worthwhile.
After four days of working at the clinic, we
embarked on the eight-hour journey back to San
Jose where we would spend our last two days. In
these last couple of days, we had the opportunity to
visit some of Costa Rica’s most famous attractions.
This included going zip-lining through the jungle
and visiting Manuel Antonio National Park. There
we got to observe some of Costa Rica's spectacular
wildlife up close. Our tour guide was able to point out
numerous animals from indigenous snakes to sloths.
At the end of the tour, we got to spend some time at
the most serene beach within the national park. It was
a beautiful way to conclude an extremely successful
trip.
Despite any minor or major difficulties, we may
have faced, our experience was incredibly rewarding.
We were able to make a difference in the lives of so
many people who otherwise would not have had
access to what we consider basic medical care. My
time spent working in the clinic was a great reminder
of how much I have to be thankful for. Our theme
song throughout the trip was “Dame Tus Ojos” which
translates to “Give Me Your Eyes.” This trip helped
me to acquire a new lens in which I view and interpret
the world around me. Life will be challenging at
times, teamwork can be tough, and exhaustion leads
to impatience, but if we can see through the eyes
of our Father, he can offer peace that transcends all
understanding. As a church and ministry, we do not
need to travel to another country to share the love of
God. We are given that opportunity daily, all we have
to do is invite Him into our hearts.
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