Argentina Medical Mission Trip

“Each culture, each country, each place is a page in the greater book of humanity. Every

culture we encounter is like reading that page of the book.” Jake Heidenriech, Spiritual Life

coordinator and former Jesuit Corporation volunteer highlights the beauty of “reading” into

individual cultures. I got to mull over a particular page of Argentinian culture during my ten-day

medical mission trip to Los Juries, Argentina this past summer. Through being welcomed into

the Argentinian culture and community, I practiced the Spanish language, learned about their

culture firsthand, and was given a window into my vocation as a missionary.

For the duration of our stay, our group was housed by a group of Spanish-speaking

sisters. We had no way to communicate with one another besides Spanish. While I stumbled

through the language through meal-making or dinner conversation, we had the shared desire to

encounter one another. This motivation of relationship urged us forward in the language. We

desired so greatly to understand one another. As we began work in the medical clinics, I sought

to make the locals comfortable with the medical staff, as this was the first time for many of them

seeing a medical professional. As I was continually humbled in trying to make jokes and relate to

the locals, my desire to connect with these individuals grew and grew. I wanted to foster an

environment in which they could fully voice their aches and concerns with my full

comprehension. I wanted to be the bridge that crossed the canyon between our ways of life. My

future vocation as a doctor broadened to be fluent in Spanish partly due to this experience. Care

of one’s body is one of the most intimate aspects of an individual’s life. To build a foundation of
mutual trust and interest, I desire to work in Spanish-speaking clinics during my time in medical

school.

Regardless of any language barriers, there was no doubt in any of our mind of the

welcoming spirit of this community. Meals were cooked, games were played, intercultural

practices were shared and gifts were given. My favorite of these intercultural practices was

dancing along to their traditional wedding song. The second graders taught us the moves as the

adults sang and played instruments. I felt like one of their family members because they had

shared something so personal with me. One school teacher said that the children loved just

having someone pay attention to them; they hadn’t had missionaries in over five years. These

people shared with us what little they had and drew us into their big family. My intercultural

competence grew as I allowed myself to fall deeper and deeper into this family.

One particular aspect of this culture I fell in love with was the interconnectedness

between the culture and the faith. One of the days we got to join a Marian procession for the

anniversary of a church. The entire town shut down to honor Mary and glorify God on this

occasion as the people bursted out in singing. Our daily reflection in holy hour and mass

provided opportunities for me to further “pause and ponder on” my experiences, just as Rowan

Williams discussed in his podcast. Like poetry, these experiences lacked full meaning without

my taking time to sit and connect with them. In being blown away by the generosity and joy of

these people, a deep desire to be a total gift to the Lord and others was stirred up in me. As a

future missionary, I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever he desires me to work. I

would love to encounter more communities like this one in both my time as a FOCUS

missionary and as a medical doctor later down the line. The Lord drew me closer to his being in

the face of these individuals.

 This combination of Spanish, culture, and mission gave me more than I ever could have

bargained for. It was an absolute gift to encounter these people, the Lord, and my own vocation

through this experience. A fire was lit within me to keep connecting with this community

through our shared faith.

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