This blog is about all attributes of life that we find beautiful. Besides the obvious beauty in this world, we think human beings themselves and the highest abilities of their hearts and souls are undeniably among the most magnificent. To love them is to love ourselves, to trust in humanity is to trust in ourselves.
God: Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram, the lord of majesty and bounty, and Al-Badi', the incomparable creator. He created this world only for us, for our benefit and for our enjoyment, to be appreciated and to flourish in it. I have been allowed to see a drop of the abundance of this temporary earth and and its people in the last several years of my youth.
The astral few hours I spent in Essaouria, Morocco still haunt me, like I knew it would. I stared fervently, like how you try to memorize a dream you know will escape you in another half of a breath, at the North African translation of the Atlantic sea. I stared at the shadowy image of old-world ships in the distance lingering near the white-washed fortress from Prophet Muhammad's time, said to be a previous visitor. Subhanallah (Glory to God) is the only word that my heart and lips and eyes kept whispering. Skinny sun-tanned silhouettes of boys playing in the water. French and Arabic half-shouts getting caught by the perfect wind. Maybe I had a tear or two. Yes, it really was that intense of a moment for me, but I will allow the reader to move on. You are welcome.
Anyway, mostly by happenstance, I have ended up in many situations in different parts of the world with my family and friends--always marvelous, always with too little money (Let's eat fifty cent döner kebabs everyday in Turkey!), always expecting nothing (well, not nothing, maybe some free tea & coffee, free meals every now and again, and meeting some interesting characters here and there), but gaining much. Hospitality is personified in every step of my travels, whether in Puerto Rico or in Turkey, on land or on water.
The guiding reason, since entering adolescence of my choices in my education and career path, for both of us, has been to extend our skills and knowledge as far as we can to all in need and without borders. Finally, I got a chance to take my first medical mission trip in March of 2014 with Humanity First, and returned again in May (thank you co-workers for covering me) and after a failed plan to Europe, in June with a few best friends. Are three trips in four months excessive? No. Just look at the photos.
For the first trip, you can read a glimpse of my experience here, as well as from other volunteers. In summary, it was flippin' lovely. I highly encourage anyone who is able to go. Anyone can help, medical or otherwise! It is not something to be missed.
The following photos are from my second visit, which was just as wonderful in different ways. In this visit, there was a chance to see more of the beautiful country and I was with new and old friends. I also took my little brother, who thoroughly enjoyed it. Before we visited, a few of us worked on a maternal health program. Maternal health is an area that needs more attention in Guatemala, and being a worker in this field, I was very excited to help work on it. We took one day and invited thirty Guatemalan midwives to gather some research from them and to present an educational PowerPoint discussion. We learned a lot from each other and gained a better understanding of their needs. I'm smiling just thinking about it.
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Church ruins in Antigua--my first few hours of the first trip
Beautiful wild vegetation everywhere
Antigua at night
Young indigenous Guatemalan girl waiting for her mother to be seen
Patients waiting for the doctor after getting their vital signs taken
Student volunteers from Michigan at the end of another good day seeing 600 patients!
Guatemalan tweens getting embarrassed.
Some sights around the camp in Alotenango.
Mi amor, Wilmer, mischievous but loving child who would hang out with my friend and I some days
Sweet girls
Boys after school
One of the student volunteers playing with a baby at the end of the day
Last few dentist patients of the day
Boys outside of the nearby church
A typical outdoor wood stove many of the poor indigenous people use to cook
Ain't she beautiful
Girls who received a water well to have easy access of clean drinking water in their backyard a year ago
Extremely poor living conditions
A version of happiness
The following photos are from my second visit, which was just as wonderful in different ways. In this visit, there was a chance to see more of the beautiful country and I was with new and old friends. I also took my little brother, who thoroughly enjoyed it. Before we visited, a few of us worked on a maternal health program. Maternal health is an area that needs more attention in Guatemala, and being a worker in this field, I was very excited to help work on it. We took one day and invited thirty Guatemalan midwives to gather some research from them and to present an educational PowerPoint discussion. We learned a lot from each other and gained a better understanding of their needs. I'm smiling just thinking about it.
My little brother Adeel and I waiting for our shuttle boat at Lake Atitlan. He wants to return to Guatemala just to see this lake again. No filter.
At a dock in one of the villages.
Adeel loved the women's co-op. They showed us how they make thread and dye it.
My newly married friend and I just wandering around the Spanish Embassy.
Holding on for my dear life.
Introducing ourselves at the start of the Maternal Research/Education Day in Sumpango, Guatemala
First we did research questionnaires
The second part of the day was more of a teaching/comparing session.
The midwives :)
We ended the day with Pollo Campero, of course.
Soneto LXV
Matilde, dónde estás? Noté, hacia abajo,
entre corbata y corazón, arriba,
cierta melancolía intercostal:
era que tú de pronto eras ausente.
Matilde, where are you? Down here I noticed,
under my necktie and just above my heart,
a certain pang of grief between the ribs,
you were gone that quickly.
Pablo Neruda
-AB
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