Guatemala Medical Missions

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” ~1 Peter 4:10

I recently found out that I was accepted to go on a medical mission’s trip to Huehuetenango, Guatemala for 10 days in March. I will be attending as a nursing student in my last semester before I graduate with HELPS International. We will be providing services such as life-changing surgeries, procedures, and treatments to as many as we can in the time we are there.

PLEASE READ for more INFO:
               This letter is being written to ask for assistance with funding a medical mission trip to Huehuetenango, Guatemala that I will be making in March 2019 through HELPS, International.  I will be working as a student nurse using the knowledge and skills I am acquiring through my education to provide care to many people.  I will be working in the surgical recovery area with one of my nursing professors, 1 other student and approximately 12 experienced nurses from a variety of backgrounds.  I am excited to work beside these nurses and learn from them as well as to use what I know. 
We will arrive in Guatemala City and take a 7 hour bus ride to Hueheutenango where we will be living and working on an active Guatemalan military base.  Our team will be setting up a clinic, surgical and recovery areas and a dental clinic to provide care.  The pictures show some of the people my instructor has cared for on past trips.
 
HELPS, International is dedicated to serving the underserved population of the highlands of Guatemala and has been doing so since 1986.  All services are FREE to the patients, many of whom are from small villages requiring hours of travel by foot or on a chicken bus. Medical and surgical care available in the country is minimal and expensive, many of the surgeries performed by our team would cost the patient an entire year’s salary.
Common cases seen are cleft lips and palates, hernias and burn scars so bad that physical mobility or use of a limb may be impossible.  Many of the patients are children and after the surgery the parents just smile and praise God for the people who have changed their lives. The clinic team will see patients with complaints seen as “simple”here in the USA such as chronic headaches and infections, along with more serious aliments including cancer. These people are kind, loving, family oriented, patient, and hardworking and very thankful for the help given to them.
 
I am working to raise $2300 for the trip which covers ALL our travel expenses to and in Guatemala for the 11 days.  I would appreciate ANY donation you feel you could make on my behalf. HELPS, Intl. is a 501©3 organization so donations are tax deductible.  I would also appreciate your prayers as I work to fund the trip and more importantly as I travel and work to serve the people of Guatemala.  For more information about HELPS and the work they do, you may visit the website www.helpsintl.org. My nursing instructor is available to answer questions and share stories about the work the team has done and will continue to do.
 
My Nursing Instructor
Karen Eberle
712-279-3162- office
[email redacted]
 
PS:
If you would like to donate, you can send your donations to me to forward onto the main office, or you may send it directly to the office yourself. If you send it directly to the office, please make sure to include a note with my name and the trip number (2204) so that the funds will go to my account directly.
You will receive a tax document after the first of the year.
 
Address of headquarters:
Helps International
16610 Dallas Parkway, Suite 2025
Dallas, TX 75248-6809
 
My Contact Info:
Mikaela Patterson
(619) [phone redacted]- cell
651 6thSt NE
DC3455
Sioux Center, IA 51250