Reaching the Mountains
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Communities in the mountains above Guatemala City welcomed a mobile medical clinic
Written by Lisa Kaylor, Champion of Health Initiatives
Having a medical team come to Guatemala had been a long-time dream of Deybee Berrios, Lifeline's Guatemala Country Director.
In 2022, Deybee shared this dream with me. He explained to me that the people living in the mountainous communities around Guatemala City do not trust outsiders easily. He told me that when he first began knocking on doors years ago to share the Good News of Christ in these communities, most people turned their backs on him.
Undeterred, Deybee has been persistent in reaching out to them in the love of Christ.
Deybee began to sense God leading him to connect more deeply with the people there through the provision of medical care. The nearest hospital is two hours away from these mountainous communities. He began to explore cooperative efforts with government health officials as a means to provide medical care in these remote regions.
In September 2022, I along with a few others visited Deybee and these communities to assess the situation. We began to talk about taking mobile medical clinics to the communities.
After months of planning, the first Lifeline mobile clinic in Guatemala finally happened in May 2023! Everyone deemed it a success.
Deybee began to sense God leading him to connect more deeply with the people there through the provision of medical care. The nearest hospital is two hours away from these mountainous communities. He began to explore cooperative efforts with government health officials as a means to provide medical care in these remote regions.
In September 2022, I along with a few others visited Deybee and these communities to assess the situation. We began to talk about taking mobile medical clinics to the communities.
After months of planning, the first Lifeline mobile clinic in Guatemala finally happened in May 2023! Everyone deemed it a success.
The Lifeline healthcare team from North America, along with several Guatemalan doctors, nursing students, and government healthcare workers provided medical care for nearly 250 men, women, and children in the mountain communities of El Colorado and El Carmen.
The government workers provided lunch for all on the mobile medical team on two of the four days spent in the communities. Community residents came with smiles and hugs of appreciation.
Each day of the mobile medical clinics began with devotion and prayer with those gathered to serve and be served.
Every person who came to the mobile medical clinic for care also was given the opportunity to talk with a pastor and have prayer. One lady, after being attended to medically, thanked her provider and asked her how she might pray for her. All were offered a Bible and most accepted. One person from the community of El Carmen came to Christ after speaking with and praying with the pastors.
I am amazed how God took the vision of Pastor Deybee and used this opportunity to draw the members of the communities closer to Him. I am looking forward to another medical team to Guatemala in July 2023 and seeing how God uses them to bless His children!
If you want to learn more about health care mission teams, I'd love to connect! Simply email me at lisa.kaylor@lifeline.org.
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