Kathy Buchheit
I Don’t Do Wash in the River
By Sr. Kathy Buchheit, FSM
Washing clothes after my eleven-day SSM mission trip to Belize and Guatemala in November, I thought of the women washing their clothes in the river. I thought, “I don’t do wash in the river.” And I was thankful.
Returning to Central America for the third time was a delight and privilege.
God seems so present in the utter simplicity of life there. The rain forest is green and lush. For many reasons—including the heat!—life is slower, more reflective. The people ask for so little and express such deep gratitude.
I presented classes for traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in Belize. Often, TBAs are not paid—not even eggs or a bag of beans—and may lack basic supplies like gloves. They risk losing their licenses if they tend first-time mothers or mothers having their sixth or later babies, who are to go to the hospital.
We also visited Guatemala, seeing about 300 people a day in far-off villages. Most speak only a Mayan dialect, making communication difficult.
Many complained of bodies aching from carrying heavy loads. Mothers brought thin, anemic children, many suffering from intestinal worms.
Most had never seen a health care worker; they probably won’t see another. We wondered, “Are we making a difference? We are doing so little, perhaps offering a few Tylenol.”
I felt privileged to be their guest. I see in their faces the face of God.