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Chronicling a mission of care

By Audrey Nguyen, age 17 | November 27, 2023

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ALL IN THE FAMILY Audrey Nguyen, a senior at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School, traveled with her father, Dr. Canh Nguyen, on a mission to deliver much-needed surgical care to the community in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. She served as the team’s blog writer and photographer.

Since I was two, I have watched my father, Dr. Canh Nguyen, embark on annual trips to underserved villages in Guatemala with a medical missionary organization called Faith In Practice. Their mission was twofold: to deliver life-saving healthcare to disadvantaged communities and to spread the Word of God. This early exposure to my father’s work left an indelible mark on me, and when I reached high school, I initiated my own annual tradition. Each summer, I dedicated myself to fundraising for Faith In Practice.

My admiration for my father’s dedication grew steadily year after year, but it wasn’t until recently that I comprehended the true breadth of his work. This past September, I was given the life-changing opportunity to accompany my father as part of Team Askenasy 782, serving as the team’s official blog writer and photographer.

The journey brought me face-to-face with the stark health disparities in the remote villages, where I witnessed the incredible resilience of our patients. One patient with an amputated leg was forced to use a folding chair as improvised crutches, while another patient had been left paralyzed on his entire left side after a Guatemalan family-practice physician performed surgery on him due to the inaccessibility and overall lack of qualified surgeons in his village.

Yet, it wasn’t the medical challenges that left the biggest impact on me; it was the profound connections that transcended language and culture, and the lessons I drew from each case. As I observed surgeries firsthand each day, I felt my own life being transformed by the remarkable patients I encountered. The stories of faith and hope shared by our patients deeply moved me and served as a powerful reminder of the influence we can have on one another. This experience was nothing short of transformative; it was a genuine blessing. One day, I hope to travel with Faith In Practice again as a part of their medical team, continuing to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in need.

Editor’s note: Read Audrey’s blog posts detailing the trip at faithinpractice.org/blog/category/2023-trips/782/. Audrey is also a School Buzz correspondent for STES.

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