By Kyle LoJacono
Staff Writer
Zephyrhills resident Kaylie Caraway returned from a weeklong mission trip to Guatemala March 6 with a group giving medical aid to the people.
“I really liked being able to help the people in Guatemala and it made me feel better about myself,” Caraway said. “It was much different than what I see in Florida each day. The people there don’t have a lot of money or other things. They are really in poverty and it was nice to help out.”
Caraway was joined on the trip by her grandmother, Cindy Roberts, who she lives with.
“I don’t have a word to describe what I saw there,” Roberts said. “It was very heartwarming to be able to help in some small way and it was also very grounding. It opened my eyes to the poverty down there and it made me see my own problems in a better perspective. It really tugged on the heartstrings.”
The trip was part of the Midwestern University (MWU) Mission Trip to Guatemala. MWU is in Illinois.
The whole trip lasted two weeks and included about 30 MWU students and doctors and a few everyday people just looking to help.
“Most of the people on the trip were either doctors or fourth-year medical students,” Roberts said. “It’s rare for someone as young as Kaylie to go on the trip.”
The family knew about the trip because one of the organizers, Amy Roberts, is Roberts’ daughter and Caraway’s aunt.
“We really enjoyed having her there,” Amy said of Caraway. “It was a pleasure having her with us and we’d love to have her back next year.”
It was the fourth mission trip for Amy. She is currently a dermatology resident in Arizona.
“My aunt worked in a different place than I did, so I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her,” Caraway said. “I mainly sorted things like medicine and vitamins into bags to give to the people in the pharmacy. The last couple of days I helped give fluoride treatments to people.”
Caraway remembered when a growth had to be removed from one child’s tongue. She said the child was very scared and was crying during the procedure, but was very thankful after.
“The best part was seeing the people smile after you helped them,” Caraway said. “When I handed out shoes and toys to the people they just couldn’t stop smiling.”
Those on the trip started working each morning around 7:30 a.m. and did not stop until 3:30 p.m. They treated 350 to 400 patients each day.
“We were exhausted each evening,” Roberts said. “Kaylie and I had no medical training so we were basically extra sets of hands, but the doctors on the trip helped train the local doctors and healers so they can help the people in the future.”
Roberts explained that many of the Guatemalans have respiratory problems because there are active volcanoes across the landscape. The smoke and ash from the volcanoes gets into the people’s lungs and causes many different illnesses.
“The smoke gets everywhere,” Roberts said. “By the end of each day you are basically covered in the soot.”
Caraway wrote a blog while on the trip. The last entry read:
“Today was the last day in Guatemala. I will miss this place so much. It has changed my idea of poverty. I just wanted to give everyone my last dollar. I think I have changed since I have been here. I will miss it here.”
One of the most difficult parts of the trip was the language barrier. Most people speak Spanish in Guatemala, which forced everyone to learn at least some of the language. Caraway already knew some Spanish before the trip.
“It really helped to know some of the language going in,” Caraway said. “I still brought some Spanish handouts from school in case I didn’t remember certain words. Some of the words were different because they teach us a certain kind of Spanish that they don’t use in Guatemala, but I was able to understand most of what was going on.”
It was not your normal vacation, but both Caraway and Roberts want to return on the mission trip next year.
“It’s something I’ll always remember whenever I think I have problems,” Caraway said. “I’d like to keep going on the trip if I can and help the people who need it.”
