the ficker fam
i realized that, although i refer to them frequently, i have never actually written about the family that i am staying with here. so, in the next few paragraphs, i will attempt to describe to you a family that has become very dear to me, even in the few weeks i have gotten to spend with them.
duane (dad), leslie (mom), aaron, ryan, hannah, david, joe, and rachel (kids in order) moved to guatemala about 8 years ago to work in an orphanage their church was involved with in the village of san andres. they worked in the orphanage for about a year and a half, and since then have felt led to leave the orphanage and open three different clinics in the villages of san andres, chiminisijuan, and canilla (the town they live in), all in the region of quiche, the poorest region in guatemala.
although leslie worked as a nicu (neonatal intensive care) nurse in the states before coming here, i am amazed each time we are in clinic with her ability to "diagnose" and treat or refer a patient, no matter what the age or disease process. i was just writing to a friend this morning that i cannot imagine a better "nurse mentor;" she truly lives out what it is to surrender each patient to the Lord and to use medicine as a tool in His hands, not as "the end-all." she is also one of the most patient people i have ever met, and daily lives out what it is to serve both her family and the people God has placed in her life here. as i work with her, i am learning to be more patient, more flexible, and to trust that God is bigger than both my successes and my failures.
aaron, ryan, and hannah all left guatemala about three years ago to work and go to school in the states, and i met hannah while at olivet where we both worked as servers at chicago dough. we had a lot of fun together, but with my nursing major and her biology major, we didn't see each other a ton on campus. since getting to spend some time with her this summer, i have truly grown to appreciate and be encouraged by her heart and desire to follow God's will. she's been someone i can laugh with and cry with this summer, and we've made many memories that i know i will share with my grandkids someday, all the way from changing tires on the side of the road (unassisted by any males) in the pouring rain to working together to assess and treat patients at a rural clinic.
currently, the "household" here in guatemala consists of duane and leslie (obviously), aaron, david, joe, rachel, grace,and abi (two guatemalan babies (grace is 18 months and abi is 10 months) they are in the process of adopting). they have graciously welcomed me as part of the family and we have a lot of fun (like "clothes shopping" at the local market, playing wiffle ball, sharing stories of jumping head first into concrete, or checking to see if david's spleen is enlarged...), yet it is obvious from the first few moments you meet them how much they love each other and are there to support each other when the going gets tough. leslie says that it is because down here they are all each other's got, but whatever the reason, i thank God daily that He has led me to work with this family as i get to share not only in the ministry God has placed in their hearts, but also in the love they have for God and each other. as i am far away from family and friends, they are an amazing support system as i learn about life in this culture.
below is some pics of them: rachel is sticking her tongue out after helping catch fish out of the pond, leslie is using luke (one of the kids from the team that came down in june - his father is the one who took all these pics) as a model for our five senses, hannah is holding abi, grace is being meached (a way that guatemalan mothers tie their babies to their back so that they are hands-free), duane is "helping" john and andrew (two others from the team in june) into the back of the truck, and jocinia (the daughter of nicolasa, one of the families who works for the fickers) is posing in the middle of the sidewalk between the house and the clinic. hopefully, there will be more to come as i download more of mark's pictures.
duane (dad), leslie (mom), aaron, ryan, hannah, david, joe, and rachel (kids in order) moved to guatemala about 8 years ago to work in an orphanage their church was involved with in the village of san andres. they worked in the orphanage for about a year and a half, and since then have felt led to leave the orphanage and open three different clinics in the villages of san andres, chiminisijuan, and canilla (the town they live in), all in the region of quiche, the poorest region in guatemala.
although leslie worked as a nicu (neonatal intensive care) nurse in the states before coming here, i am amazed each time we are in clinic with her ability to "diagnose" and treat or refer a patient, no matter what the age or disease process. i was just writing to a friend this morning that i cannot imagine a better "nurse mentor;" she truly lives out what it is to surrender each patient to the Lord and to use medicine as a tool in His hands, not as "the end-all." she is also one of the most patient people i have ever met, and daily lives out what it is to serve both her family and the people God has placed in her life here. as i work with her, i am learning to be more patient, more flexible, and to trust that God is bigger than both my successes and my failures.
aaron, ryan, and hannah all left guatemala about three years ago to work and go to school in the states, and i met hannah while at olivet where we both worked as servers at chicago dough. we had a lot of fun together, but with my nursing major and her biology major, we didn't see each other a ton on campus. since getting to spend some time with her this summer, i have truly grown to appreciate and be encouraged by her heart and desire to follow God's will. she's been someone i can laugh with and cry with this summer, and we've made many memories that i know i will share with my grandkids someday, all the way from changing tires on the side of the road (unassisted by any males) in the pouring rain to working together to assess and treat patients at a rural clinic.
currently, the "household" here in guatemala consists of duane and leslie (obviously), aaron, david, joe, rachel, grace,and abi (two guatemalan babies (grace is 18 months and abi is 10 months) they are in the process of adopting). they have graciously welcomed me as part of the family and we have a lot of fun (like "clothes shopping" at the local market, playing wiffle ball, sharing stories of jumping head first into concrete, or checking to see if david's spleen is enlarged...), yet it is obvious from the first few moments you meet them how much they love each other and are there to support each other when the going gets tough. leslie says that it is because down here they are all each other's got, but whatever the reason, i thank God daily that He has led me to work with this family as i get to share not only in the ministry God has placed in their hearts, but also in the love they have for God and each other. as i am far away from family and friends, they are an amazing support system as i learn about life in this culture.
below is some pics of them: rachel is sticking her tongue out after helping catch fish out of the pond, leslie is using luke (one of the kids from the team that came down in june - his father is the one who took all these pics) as a model for our five senses, hannah is holding abi, grace is being meached (a way that guatemalan mothers tie their babies to their back so that they are hands-free), duane is "helping" john and andrew (two others from the team in june) into the back of the truck, and jocinia (the daughter of nicolasa, one of the families who works for the fickers) is posing in the middle of the sidewalk between the house and the clinic. hopefully, there will be more to come as i download more of mark's pictures.
posted by katie at 3:40 PM
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