A New Kind of Trip: Medical Check-Ups in Mazatlán

This January a team of 10 visited our feeding centers in Mazatlán to do some medical check-ups, spend time with our ministry partners, and prepare for our June 10-day trip. The team consisted of three summer team leaders, three medical personnel, and a family of four. The medical check-ups are a great way for GO to ensure that the kids in our programs have access to the healthcare they need. A check-up tracks height and weight, vision, heart rate, reflexes, and provides a general health check. On one of our first stops at a feeding center (Villas del Sol), the team encountered a little girl with pneumonia. If left untreated, she could have developed all kinds of long term health problems. Instead, the physician’s assistant with us was able to secure the necessary medicine and deliver it to the feeding center, where the little girl’s parents can get it. Several kids needed glasses, which they will now be able to have, giving them the tool they need to succeed in school.

Over 5 days, the team performed health checks on 96 children in all 7 of the Mazatlán feeding centers. Brie Dilley, the Youth Director at Adventure of Faith Church in Port Orchard who is bringing a team for the first time this June, said this: “I never thought I could be part of a medical team, but administering the eye exams was something I could do that really helps.” Angela Williams, a nurse from Poulsbo, WA, ran our medical exam team for the second year in a row. Back home, she is working on forming teams to continue to travel to GO sites to provide health care for kids in need. If you are a medical provider (or willing to help out) and want to be a part of helping heal the world through GO, contact us today to learn more about upcoming medical mission trips.