With the growth of our therapy programs in Chichicastenango and Canilla, I often ask our rehabilitation promoters what happened to different patients.  I can’t always keep up with them all.

Recently in Canilla I didn’t have to ask. As I re-evaluated several patients that suffered from a stroke, they not only told me, but also I could see their progress. Many were thankful for learning to walk after being unable to move in bed or stand up on their own when they first started. It is always a delight to see the joy in these patients and their families.

Other times, we don’t know what happened to our patients. They stop coming and when we attempt to call them their number has changed, no one answers, the number is disconnected, or they didn’t have a phone number to give us. We will always wonder what happened to some of them.

Finally, there are those cases, in which we receive a phone call or a family member comes in to tell us the patient has died. Sometimes it is more expected, but other times it is a surprise to us all. This is the least favorite part of our job, but we do what we can to encourage and support the families during this difficult time.

Of course, we love the progress we see in our patients and delight with them in it, but we know that this will not be the outcome for everyone. Each time we receive a call about a child or an adult that has died, we are reminded of the temporal nature of our lives and our greater purpose.

Though we desire all of them to do all they can physically, we know this is temporary. All of us will lose the ability to walk and be disabled for a moment or an extended period of time. So while trying to provide the best therapy we can, we also strive to demonstrate God’s love for His creation. When we see, work with, and speak with our patients and our families, we want them to experience the presence of God. Our ability to walk may not last forever, but a relationship with God lasts beyond the grave.

I hope that when someone asks about what happened to our team years form now, they’ll say they lived their lives well, sharing the love of Christ with others, and are now rejoicing in His presence.