Our second day is complete! Everyone is still happy and safe, and a little tired. In general, we felt a little more comfortable starting day two, and are ready for a day of culture tomorrow.
For Daryl’s Place, we saw the same children we did yesterday. It was so nice to have the opportunity to brainstorm last night and come in with fresh ideas to maximize potential for these sweet and adorable children. We learned so much from the caregivers who have devoted their lives to loving these kids. We were also able to give them some ideas about positioning, feeding, and activities to allow them to better interact with their environment. We are fortunate that the goal of our site matches perfectly with our goal, which is to enhance the quality of life for the kids who live with Daryl and his family. One of the best moments of the day was seeing a little one who we could barely get to even look at us yesterday smile and play today. This was our last day at Daryl’s, and Lisa (our in country Xavier OT) will continue with her incredible work there. Our next service day will lead us to “MOTH” for an entirely new experience! Amber Carpenter (Practitioner)
At ABI, we continued working with the kids who became our new friends yesterday. We started utilizing activities that we brainstormed in order to increase engagement of the kids. From sensory stimulation to transferring from wheelchairs, I learned we must never give up. We followed our motto to “Always Bring It” (hopefully you get our creativity). One of my favorite moments was at the end of the day when one of our new friends, who always lights up the room, included us in her birthday celebration. She was so happy that she even stuck her face in the cake making everyone laugh. Overall, we had a very busy day and are eager to complete our care plans that we will leave behind so our work continues once we are no longer at ABI. Audrey Butler (Student)
Today was a great day for Missionaries of the Highway. We gave three kids a wheelchair that didn’t have one prior to today and we adapted three others! We also saw sixteen children between rehabilitation and sensory integration. Today was also very emotional. In the therapy room, a two year old learned to crawl and in the wheelchair room, we took a ride on an emotional roller coaster with a mom as her fourteen year old got her first wheelchair. We again learned how important family is in Guatemala and experienced life changing and tear jerking happenings. Things went much more smoothly and the group felt more satisfied in today’s events. We are looking forward to providing the therapists and families with care plans on our next visit on Thursday so they can follow through with agreed therapy suggestions. Carly Ishee (Student)
After our long day, all the students and practitioners hosted therapy students from the local college for dinner. We enjoyed making stress balls and learning different activities they could be used for. We also made a game out of recycled water bottles and two liter bottles using string to make the attached bottles travel from one end to another. We have a plethora of pictures and stories to share soon!!
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