A Long Journey for a Beautiful Reward

It felt like forever ago when this year’s team first came together, and then suddenly, the moment arrived. 1:30 in the morning, suitcases packed, excitement and nerves running through our veins all at once.

Listening to the inventory of supplies we were bringing to the people of Cobán was eye-opening. So much of what we carried is simply taken for granted in the US. With intention and a little tenacity, each of us managed three pieces of luggage, one personal bag and two filled entirely with medical supplies.

We checked in, we boarded, and then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally we were in the air, one flight down and one more to go, followed by a long bus ride that wound us through the landscape until the city finally came into view.

But we weren’t the only ones willing to make a long journey for this mission. Local volunteers from the city show up every year, not because they have to, but because they want to. They believe in what this mission means for their people, and that belief is powerful enough to put them on a bus for seven hours without hesitation. That kind of dedication has a way of putting everything into perspective. Suddenly our early morning wake-up call and long layovers feel like very little to complain about.

The place we’d all been so eager to reach, eager to discover, to experience, to find the beautiful moments others had written about and create perspectives of our own. This is the feeling that drives us to want to give back. No amount of exhaustion, delayed flights, or changed plans could take this moment from us. We made it.

-Kristine Hoffner