GOT Ministries connected with Gladys and her family this spring at 10 months old.  She is an adorable little girl with Down syndrome and a lot of potential.  Unfortunately her mom received misinformation about her' capability, including Gladys would never talk, walk, or eat.  Understandably, Gladys' mom became very discouraged. Fortunately another organization in Santa Maria de Jesus connected the family and GOT Ministries, and we had the privilege of telling this family about Gladys' capacity and the full life she can live! 

Today Gladys is sitting up on her own!!  

GOT Ministries encouraged the family regarding how Gladys not only would be able to talk, but just like any kid maybe more than they would like at times : )  Gladys can learn to walk and live a life of amazing potential.  Mom and Gladys learned how to play together through therapy visits, and mom cried watching her child play.  Gladys continues to develop and her momma walks this journey with her with hope and encouragement.  It is truly a privilege to empower and serve these kiddos and their families!  We are so grateful when we see the hope in the eyes of the families we serve!

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​Julia Wofford is a Masters of Occupational Therapy Student from the University of New Mexico.  After raising her four children working as a high school math and Spanish teacher, she served for two years as a volunteer in the Amazon basin of Ecuador planting churches among the indigenous Quichua people.

On her return to the United States, she began the journey to becoming an occupational therapist to work with marginalized populations both at home and abroad. The opportunity to partner with GOT ministries for fieldwork was a natural step forward in her ability to serve the indigenous peoples of Latin America.  

Santiago joined the GOT Ministries caseload in the fall of 2017. When he first came to see us, the tension in his muscles did not allow him much range of mobility.  He did not play with toys or interact with people.  Through occupational therapy with GOT Ministries, Santiago gained range of movement and began to reach out for toys.  He started feeding himself and he and his family began to learn to use his wheelchair.

Not too long after GOT Ministries started working with Santiago, his family's home burned down.  The family has struggled to regain their home over the past year.  Additionally, the father has been out of work recently. Making sure Santiago receives the nutrition he needs is challenging. He is in a nutrition center right now to help with this challenge. To be away from his family is hard, but we are grateful he is receiving the nutrition he needs to grow and develop. We are also excited to hear the family may be able to build a new home soon!

​Julia Wofford is a Masters of Occupational Therapy Student from the University of New Mexico.  After raising her four children working as a high school math and Spanish teacher, she served for two years as a volunteer in the Amazon basin of Ecuador planting churches among the indigenous Quichua people.

On her return to the United States, she began the journey to becoming an occupational therapist to work with marginalized populations both at home and abroad. The opportunity to partner with GOT ministries for fieldwork was a natural step forward in her ability to serve the indigenous peoples of Latin America.  

​Megan and Abigail met Calixto at 18 months old through a referral from a missionary in Santa Maria de Jesus.  Born cross-eyed, he was unable to see at birth and had spent a lot of time on his back.  The mission organization funded a neurology appointment for him and GOT began serving him and his family through occupational therapy.  His vision is improving, as well as his potential for development.  He likes bright lights and began reaching out and kicking more!
 

Today we celebrate because Calixto is WALKING!!! 

After just a few months of therapy and encouragement for his family, Calixto is developing and leaning into his potential.  Excited about Calixto's potential, his mom implements therapy techniques learned in his sessions with Abigail in the home!  Calixto began walking and is moving forward in his development.  The smile on his mom's face reminds us of the reason we serve these families.  We love to see hope shine through.  GOT Ministries is so excited for this little boy and his family!!  

Megan and Abigail met Chulo through a referral from a current GOT family.  Born unable to move his head and neck, his mother was told he would not grow up well.  Because of this discouragement, she struggled to have hope in her child's future and hid him from his family and friends for the first four months of his life.  She was unable to name him, so we called him Chulo, which means sweetie or cutie in Guatemalan Spanish.  Chulo spent much of his first four months on his back, hampering his development and growth.  He and his mom struggled to bond because the situation appeared hopeless.
 
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Today we celebrate!  Chulo has a name!!  We would like you to meet Gerson Alexander!!
 
Megan and Abigail support this family through occupational therapy, allowing Gerson to now be able to move his head and experience developmental growth!  Gerson and his mom know his potential for growth is great.  More importantly, the family knows they are loved and supported and empowered in the journey of Gerson’s growth and development. Gerson and his momma are able to bond and spend quality time together.  We are so excited to continue in this journey with Gerson and are currently encouraging his momma to register his birth so he is officially recognized by the government.

Hello there! My name is Abigail and I am thrilled to be serving with GOT ministries this Spring. When I first met Megan at the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) conference in 2017, I immediately felt called to pursue a partnership with GOT. I first learned about occupational therapy in the pediatrics environment; while throughout my schooling I have experienced OT in a variety of fields, I am excited to finish my degree by working with kiddos. Also, how cool is it that I will be completing academic requirements AND experiencing a beautiful and exciting culture AND joining with GOT Ministries to share Christ’s love?
 
I am currently finishing up by Master’s degree in OT from Towson University in Baltimore, MD. I love to read, cook, jog, swim, and travel, and I love to teach and share these activities with others. I feel abundantly blessed to be on this journey.

Guest Post by Jean Wetherilt

In occupational therapy we often refer to the adaptive response, described as the interaction between an individual and the environment in which the individual meets the demands of the task.  The “Adaptive response” took on new meaning both personally and professionally as I walked the cobblestone streets of Antigua and Santa Maria de Jesus, Guatemala. I learned from the wonderful people in those communities including the children and families, the staff and volunteers of New Life School and the best teacher and translator ever, Megan Lewis!
 
Experiencing the daily life of Guatemalan children gave me a different perspective of pediatric occupational therapy.   Many years of working with children have been focused on my Americanized views of the occupations of children:  to develop independence, to learn through play and an education, and to be social beings. In Guatemala, where living conditions are significantly different than in the U.S., these occupations are similar but also uniquely different. For example, play looks different.  In the market, I watched siblings wrestle behind their mama’s table, while another little girl gathered up her pile of plastic spoons to pretend to sell them, using what she saw her mother do daily as a model of this play task.  In the therapy room at New Life School, I watched a boy build his version of Antigua, a nearby town that he has heard of but may never visit, with wooden blocks. On rooftops little girls played house as they did the real household chores of hanging laundry on lines with their stuffed bunny wrapped on their back like their mothers care for their babies. 
 
In Santa Maria de Jesus, the school day ends at noon because children are needed at home, in the fields and in the market to help their families make money and survive.  The family unit is the priority in this culture, different from the U.S., which means children and adults collaborate together to ensure survival.  Unfortunately, the important daily activities rarely include play like we may expect it to look here in the U.S.  I saw situations children needing to grow up fast in order to take care of their siblings at a young age, do all household chores, and manage adult activities and responsibilities.  Most of the children we worked with have not had a chance to have a carefree childhood that we, in the US, might hope for all children.  One night while walking through a market I saw a toddler of about 2 years of age, propped against a fence asleep while his mom sold her wares.  Some extremely unfortunate and dire situations lead to children being taught to not only beg but also steal from tourists.

My name is Sarahi Lerma. I am an occupational therapy student from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor's degree in life sciences and a minor in sociology.

My family comes from several small towns in Mexico with limited resources for appropriate healthcare services, such as therapies, and I have personally experienced how this has a great impact on quality of life. Through these experiences I have found my love for occupational therapy and I am very passionate about giving back to communities with limited resources in sustainable ways. 
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In the past I have volunteered and worked in programs for children with special needs such as summer camps, special events, foster care, respite care and habilitation services. For the past 2 years I have been gymnastics instructor helping kiddos from the ages of 4 months to 12 years grow physical, social and cognitive skills in a positive and non-competitive environment. I am very excited to work with GOT Ministries to learn new skills that will help me become a better servant leader and for the opportunity to work with amazing kiddos.

To say that our occupational therapy (OT) students are a big part of our mission is an understatement. That is why we are so intentional about who we accept into our ministry.  We have been so blessed by 4 incredible OT students so far from various Universities around the US, who have given their all to our work and to the children we serve in Santa Maria de Jesus.  
To say that they are different when they return from Guatemala is also an understatement.  These young graduate students go with many expectations and with various life views; when they return, they have matured greatly both personally and professionally.  These future professionals return to the states, with a new perspective and with a holistic view of what it means to serve their community through occupational therapy.  Our occupational therapy students have learned more about themselves through there partnership with GOT and service in Guatemala, so that when they do enter the professional world in the States, the service they will be providing is at a higher level. 

Sydney Marable has been no exception.  She returned to the states in the beginning of December after 3 months of service with GOT Ministries.  We are so grateful for her and her dedication to our kiddos.  She served 26 children, both students from New Life School and children from the community of Santa Maria de Jesus.  She provided 30 hours of direct service to the children on our caseload per week, seeing some children twice a week.  In addition to these hours spent with the children, she worked many hours preparing, documenting, and planning for her visits.  Our OT students work very hard and put in many hours to provide the best service that the children deserve.  We are beyond grateful for their service, and our opportunity to invest in their learning and development.  GOT Ministries supervises their therapy services, teaches them all aspects of our service to the community of Santa Maria de Jesus, educates on the important cultural similarities and differences, as well as invests in their personal journey while serving in a third world country.  We have been so proud of the OT students who have returned after our partnership; they are making a difference in their work, and sphere of influence because of this life changing, and wonderful experience.  

Thank you to those who have made our partnerships possible; to those who help us to be on the ground in Guatemala truly serving and sharing the message of love and hope.  

​"I think the biggest impact has been on how I see myself. I feel more confident in my ability to be an Occupational Therapist but also to exist as myself. I feel stronger and more able to deal with challenges on my own"
-Sydney Marable
University of New Mexico
Served with GOT during Fall 2018