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| Mountains of Santa Avelina |
As we grow up playing sports and living with our family, we
inherently learn what teamwork is. We don't usually get to an end result
or goal without the assistance of others in some form and nothing brings that
understanding to the surface more than a week in San Cristobal with the SAGE
team.
The first two days were unbelievable, you can take that, in many ways but it was chaotic to say the least. Finding things, fixing things and just getting it done was the mission and that's what the team did. Yeah, maybe we complained a little (inside that is), but we had a goal this week and the team
The first two days were unbelievable, you can take that, in many ways but it was chaotic to say the least. Finding things, fixing things and just getting it done was the mission and that's what the team did. Yeah, maybe we complained a little (inside that is), but we had a goal this week and the team
was not going to quit.
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| Children of Santa Avelina |
Tuesday I was fortunate enough to observe a couple
of surgeries and watching how the surgeons, nurses and staff work together is
amazing. The end result was a better life for two individuals who
otherwise would suffer in one way or another for a long time if not for the
rest of their lives.
Wednesday a team from HELPS went to a school in Santa Avelina to visit with the teachers and have fun meeting the children who have benefitted from the donations and support of many people. Who could imagine a computer lab in the highlands of Guatemala, where the easiest way to get there is by single engine aircraft and then driving through the mountains on unpaved roads. This school has a library and the kids are learning to be tri-lingual, so once again, it's amazing what teamwork can do. Lastly, while the computer technicians were downloading Rosetta stone (I know right!) and fixing bugs in the system, a few of us walked the nearby street and found a home with a smoke stack sticking out. We approached the lady of the house and asked if we could see the stove. She was more than happy to show us and sure enough, a stove team had installed this eleven years ago according to her recollection. As the pot of stew was heating up for their dinner, we realized this was probably one of the first ever installed in Guatemala. Makes you just realize how anything is possible with teamwork!
Whether you're on the medical team, stove team or a supporting role (kitchen staff ROCKS by the way!), we're all here to help. And although the week is not officially over, it is very apparent that all individuals here have a "stake in the game" or "steak in the game" for the kitchen staff (hint-hint) which makes for a memorable and incredible week for us all.
Wednesday a team from HELPS went to a school in Santa Avelina to visit with the teachers and have fun meeting the children who have benefitted from the donations and support of many people. Who could imagine a computer lab in the highlands of Guatemala, where the easiest way to get there is by single engine aircraft and then driving through the mountains on unpaved roads. This school has a library and the kids are learning to be tri-lingual, so once again, it's amazing what teamwork can do. Lastly, while the computer technicians were downloading Rosetta stone (I know right!) and fixing bugs in the system, a few of us walked the nearby street and found a home with a smoke stack sticking out. We approached the lady of the house and asked if we could see the stove. She was more than happy to show us and sure enough, a stove team had installed this eleven years ago according to her recollection. As the pot of stew was heating up for their dinner, we realized this was probably one of the first ever installed in Guatemala. Makes you just realize how anything is possible with teamwork!
Whether you're on the medical team, stove team or a supporting role (kitchen staff ROCKS by the way!), we're all here to help. And although the week is not officially over, it is very apparent that all individuals here have a "stake in the game" or "steak in the game" for the kitchen staff (hint-hint) which makes for a memorable and incredible week for us all.
Submitted By Steve Eck
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