Medical Missions: Serving and Sharing God's Love
March 26, 2026
Good morning! We started early this morning with a departure to the airport at 3am! Once we were situated at our gate, we all started our day with some breakfast at Chickfila. We flew from Nashville to Houston on a 6am flight and then sprinted to our connecting flight to Guatemala City. We eventually made it to our buses, where we were reunited with the rest of our team from Guatemala! It was so great to get to hug them and catch up after a whole year. One of them, Cata, a wonderful woman who cooks for us, provided Guatemalan tamales on bread for us for lunch. Some would say they are even better with the tamale sauce.
On the bus ride, we made it to one of the highlights of the day, the ice cream stop. Mango was the most popular flavor amongst us this time, and for a good reason. We got back in the bus and continued to enjoy a mix of games, meaningful conversations, and sleep.
We finally arrived at our hotel for the night around 9 p.m., got settled, and ate dinner. I had a traditional egg plate, which included eggs and ham, plantains, beans, and obviously fresh tortillas! Every meal here is phenomenal. We quickly went to bed after dinner, as we had an early start to the morning to make the rest of the way to Las Flores!
The Lord is already working in our trip, as we made it to every destination safely and had so much quality time to not only bring us together as we start this trip, but also to allow us to reflect on what we are coming here to do and who we are serving!
¡Hola from Guatemala!
This morning we started our day with 4am firecrackers! That caused quite the confusion. Then, around 5, our rooster friend crowed to make sure we did not take a post-firecracker nap. We started the day with a delicious breakfast of eggs, beans, tortillas, and plantains. Afterwards, Katherine lead us in a devotional over Psalms 33 where we were all reminded of the Lord’s sovereignty over this trip and our lives. We sang and then prayed Guatemala-style (all out loud at once) to prepare our hearts for a morning of clinic.
I was in triage this morning. We saw two kiddos (ages 7 and 8) who were the sweetest! They kept coming to say hi throughout the morning. Luckily they knew Spanish, so I was able to communicate with them. I gave them stickers and a paper airplane while they waited to be seen. On their way out, they made sure to tell us goodbye :) With Dr. Irvin, some students got to hear the heartbeat of a baby inside an 8-month pregnant woman.
Before lunch, we played with the kids: impromptu soccer and pato pato ganzo (duck duck goose, their fave). We have yet to find a way to wear them out. They always wear us out first.
For lunch, we ate pasta and fruit. Fruit of the day was pineapple, mango, and watermelon. It was soooo good!
This afternoon, lots of teeth were pulled in the dental clinic. I spent the afternoon with Dr. Leeper where I got to see lots of pediatric cases. If I was allowed to have favorites, the kids would be mine :). One thing I loved about being with Dr. Leeper was how seriously he took patient education. Counseling patients on nutrition (ie. teaching them about fiber and water intake) has been a vital part of our time here, since we are not able to follow up with these patients.
Before dinner, we played soccer with the kids. It has rained every day, so mud is everywhere. It was like slip-and-slide soccer. Dinner was pork chops, mixed vegetables, and mashed potatoes. After dinner, we had a very cordial, traditional Mayan ceremony with a burnt offering. The ceremony also included Guatemala-style prayer and (more) firecrackers, making today very full-circle!
To end our night, we danced with the kids to traditional Mayan music played on a marimba. The people of Las Flores have been so incredibly hospitable, and we are all going to bed with grateful hearts!
¡Adios from Guatemala!
Ellie Griner
Not a Trip
Category: Student Life