It only took the medical team a few minutes to figure out why Mildred was having trouble hearing. “The doctor has your diagnosis,” the translator told the 9-year-old. “We’re going to do a deep ear cleaning, but it won’t hurt.”
Even as we celebrate 25 years in Guatemala, we know that medical care is still a huge need for children and families in our communities. But the Impact Ministries Medical Clinic, regularly staffed by local nurses, a doctor and dentist, and reinforced by medical teams from across North America, means that more of our children are receiving medical care when they need it.
Mildred was in Grade 1 when her hearing loss occurred. The day began like any other. But as Little Mildred was singing in the morning devotionals, she felt something strange traveling through her ears. The singing around her got quieter and quieter. For the rest of the day, Mildred couldn’t participate in class properly. By the time her mom came to pick her up, Mildred was scared and the world seemed silent.
The Impact Ministries Clinic didn’t exist yet, so Mildred’s mom anxiously took her to the municipal health center. But the medications they prescribed didn’t help Mildred’s blocked ears.
For three long years, Mildred could hear only a little. She adapted as best she could, and she sang loudly during devotionals, thinking that because she couldn’t hear herself, God couldn’t hear her either. But God was listening to the cry of her heart.
In Grade 4, the miracle Mildred had been waiting for for years began.
Mildred’s teacher noticed how much Mildred was struggling because of her hearing and sent her to be examined by a medical team at the still-new Impact Clinic. And God worked through this medical team to answer Mildred’s prayers. They deep cleaned her ears and suddenly it seemed to Mildred as if everyone around her was shouting. The doctors grinned and reassured her she would soon readapt to the noise.
It took three years for Mildred’s miracle. Not because her medical issue was complex, but because appropriate medical care so often isn’t available or is too expensive for families to afford. The Impact Ministries Clinic is changing that.
Today, as Teacher Mildred relates her story, she thanks God, and she wishes she could thank the individuals from that medical team one more time. “I would tell them how God used them to bring life and hope to families in Guatemala,” she says. “I am a product of their work, and thanks to that miracle, God has allowed me to continue in Impact Ministries as a teacher, speaking about God to little hearts.” The children she teaches now are the same age she was when she first lost her hearing, and the little girl who wasn’t sure God could hear her now teaches her students that God is always listening.
For Impact’s 25th Anniversary, you can be part of the miracle of answering children’s prayers.
Thank you for your love for children and families in Guatemala.
(Know a medical or dental practitioner who is looking to make an impact with their skills? Or want to learn more about Medical Missions? We’d love to talk!)