Note: This blog is part two of a four part series on the history of Therapy Clinics International (TCI). Click here for last week’s post.

After sending the email to Sharon, I had many questions flooding my mind. Would she even remember me? What would she think about the idea? Is physical therapy really a need on the mission field? What was I doing? How long would it take to receive a reply? Expecting a long wait, I determined to get to the tasks at hand and no longer give attention to the longing for the moment.

Ding! An alert from my email account a few hours later brought me back to the questions and the longing. The email was from Sharon. Cautiously, I opened it. I took a deep breath and began reading. She did remember me! She went on to explain she had just received a grant to start a physical therapy program at ASELSI. All she needed was a physical therapist to come train some of their staff, local workers with educational levels ranging from third grade to an associate’s degree, in basic physical therapy techniques for children with disabilities. If I would come train their staff, they could pay my expenses. 

Still in shock by the quick response, especially from a country with limited internet access at the time, I did not know how to respond. I wrote back, detailing my experience working in outpatient orthopedics, acute care, and rehabilitation with adults, but with only a six-week  clinical rotation with pediatrics in physical therapy school. Of course, I had learned about physical therapy for children with disabilities in school, but that was a few years ago. I waited.

Ding! Another response, that went something like this: “I don’t care. Are you willing to come?” 

I sat looking at an open invitation, an invitation that seemed more than just an invitation from a nurse in Guatemala looking to meet a known need, but an opportunity from God.  I had experienced opportunities, invitations from the Lord in the past. Each time I had a choice to follow or not. 

I had no idea of what I would do, but knew I wasn’t going to say no to this opportunity. I would follow Him and see what He would do. “Yes, I will come,” I replied to Sharon. 

… to be continued next week.