A GENEROUS HEART IS A HAPPY HEART
Meet the SMA Medical Team and Construction Crew Volunteers:
Bea Balsamo: [As a physician assistant] I love volunteering in other countries. I've done medical clinics many times - in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua. It gives me a chance to get to know real people and their cultures, not as a tourist, but in places I wouldn't otherwise see, in situations I would not otherwise be in. Now, when I'm somewhere just being a tourist, I realize that the only local people I talk to are waiters and cab drivers. It's not the same as a real traveling experience!
One of Bea's favorite sayings is: "There are two way to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein
Joe Balsamo: In 1965,I spent a year in Guatemala, working in a clinic and teaching English. I loved the culture and the people. In 1969, I was sent to Vietnam as a medic. Fortunately I was able to care for Vietnamese men, women, and children who were sick or wounded. My experience in Guatemala, helped me to understand the Vietnamese people.
Then I became a physician assistant and have practiced in rural clinics,in New Mexico,for the past 40 years. Vacations often consist of traveling to under-served countries and working in health care in rural areas. These have always been the most rewarding experiences of my life. Thank you Southwest Medical Aid for giving this opportunity.
Lee Cauble: It has been a long-time goal to work in an under-served area. Being a child of the '60s I was inspired by the Peace Corps and have friends who have served. Now that my children are grown I'm able to finally do the work I have always wanted to do. I still have a full time job so I needed to find something that would allow me to serve during my vacation. When a friend told me about the SMA group, and the work to be done, SMA looked like a perfect fit. I was excited to finally give my long time dream a test drive. Thanks for the opportunity
Alli Cecil: I wanted to do some good in the world and I'm always up for an adventure, which is what these trips always offer.
Cheryl Cecil: I've always loved volunteering. In fact it is better and more rewarding that working for a living, which is what I did for about 40 years as a Medical Technologist in Iowa. When I moved to Tucson I signed up for a program at my church called 'Just Faith.' This is where I found SMA. I learned about the mission trip to Honduras in 2009. I signed up to go that day and have never looked back. Since I've gone on mission each year to Peru, Belize, Honduras again and now Ecuador. I've been volunteering at SMA since my return from Honduras in 2009. I've become a Lay Salvatorian. I feel those who have more have the responsibility, and honor, to help those with less.
Chris Cross: I'm 21 years old and the youngest in the group. This is my first trip outside the U.S., aside from Mexico, so I don't know what to expect. I'm looking forward to this adventure and helping those who are less fortunate. My goal is to get into law enforcement, which I see as a service to the community. There are many ways of serving others. I have no medical experience but I can help by building a play area for children. Afterward, at the end of the week, I'm really looking forward to going to the Pacific Ocean on the whale-watching excursion.
Lin Cross: This is my fourth SMA trip. (Guatamela, Peru and Belize). In 1997 we moved to Tucson and after our son, Chris, started school I became involved with several community volunteer activities. I found these very rewarding. A brother - a Benedictine Monk - has lived in the interior of Brazil for more than 40 years. After visiting him three times I began to understand how living among and working with another culture gives back much more then we give. It's in giving that we receive.
I first met Dr. Del Endres on the SMA Peru trip. She organized a medical camp (and Himalayan trek) in Nepal this spring. How could I say 'no' when she asked if I wanted to participate in the south Asia trip. I also walked on pilgrimage - the Camino de Santiago - across northern Spain last year. (Fellow SMA travelers, Joe Kelly and Jim Swartz walked it about five years ago.) So I'm not afraid of the challenges of foreign travel. Instead I enjoy the immersion experience and coming face-to-face with the reality of how others live.
Dr. Del Endres: I wanted to join this trip as I have done three prior medical missions with SMA (Peru, Belize, and Honduras) , which I have always enjoyed.
I've also made lasting friendships on these trips. I've been on a total of 20 mission trips with multiple organizations in the past, all over the world. I was responsible for organizing a recent trip to Nepal, so now I really appreciate all the work that goes into the planning. Mission trips are great as a way to really see the people of different countries, not just the tourist way but to see the real people and how they live. These trips have been a real gift to me.
Mary Anne Fay: This is my sixth mission trip with SMA. It has been my pleasure to assist Joe Kelly in putting these trips together. I missed the past two years as my husband was ill. Each trip has been special, I love working with the travelers as we become close friends. I have been so fortunate in my own life that I want to give of my time and talents to assist those in need. This is my 10th year serving on the Board of SMA and thank Jan Izlar, our founder for what she has accomplished.
Maggie Fleming: I'm not a health care professional. I own a home assistant and personal concierge business. For the past 8 years, I've worked with many senior clients and continue to have a keen appreciation for life, travel and the opportunity to experience new cultures. Most importantly, I treasure the opportunity to give in the service others. This will be my first trip with SMA group and a dream come true for me after being drawn to it for many years.
Five years ago, I served as a mission-worker in Lourdes, France. Working alongside missionaries from different countries, I had the chance to experience various cultures and to provide assistance to those in need, which was a fulfilling and humbling experience.
I believe people cross our paths in our life’s journeys, but surely not by coincidence such as when I met Doris Lippo in the fall of 2012. She has been a true gift to me. We share many of the same interests and have become close friends. Thanks to Doris’s invitation, we will be experiencing this mission trip together. In addition, my friend and her prayer group make rosaries and she gave me 90 of these to take to Ecuador.
Edna Greene: Since I retired as pediatric nurse, I've been looking for an opportunity to use my skills and work with children. I've been hoping to go on a mission trip with SMA because I've greatly admired their work. Since making a commitment to become a Lay Salvatorian, I felt this trip would give me the opportunity to be of service to those in need, answering Christ's call to care for all peoples. I'm grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to getting to know my fellow travelers and experience a place I've never been before.
Alyce Grisson: Why I wanted to make this trip? I've always wanted to help others less fortunate than myself. As a nurse I thought I could be of help to an organization that goes to different countries. Now that I'm retired, I have the time and energy. I love adventure, meeting people and of course being helpful in anyway, Hurrah! My first SMA trip.
Dr. Patricia Nanchi: Eight years ago, I took the challenge of moving to the United Stated from my hometown in Ecuador for several reason. One goal was to build a future for my daughter. I left behind the rest of my family and my career as a Pediatrician. I have missed them every single day!
One day I read in my parish's bulletin an invitation to join Southwest Medical Aid in a mission trip. I called them immediately and signed up for the next informational meeting. By the end of the meeting, I couldn't believe that I had found the perfect combo: doing what is my passion and helping people in need. Since 2007, I have being blessed in participating with SMA which brings to under-served communities our skills, enthusiasm, dedication and love.
Evelyn (E.J.) Jacobs: I was inspired to sign up for this medical mission because I needed a vacation. The kind that keeps you so busy that you can't even think about work,or home, and you get to know another culture. I enjoy going to non-tourist type places and was lured by the exoticness of Ecuador and seeing whales. I would also be traveling with friends with whom I enjoy spending time. But my real inspiration for this trip was an opportunity to serve under-served people, and do it with all of the above reasons, and also because I'll get an opportunity to improve my Spanish.
Joe Kelly: I am making the trip to Ecuador for several reasons.
1. I have been blessed to have served many years ago in Guatemala. I learned Spanish and certain cultural norms of Latin America. I want to share what I know and in some way assist others in reaching out to the poor.
2. In the U.S. we have abundance and these missions enable others to benefit from that abundance.
3. I always feel that I grow as a person when I am able to interact with people of another country and social economic class.
4. I try to live out my commitment to Jesus and his teachings.
These missions offer a very concrete way of doing the above.
Doris Lippo: I'm going to Ecuador because I'll be working with Del, Lin and others from the SMA group of truly dedicated people wanting to help others. This year I have the resources to reach out to help others, as I did when I traveled to Peru with SMA. I'm thankful for that and the good health to go without hesitation. I'm also blessed to have Maggie, a friend from church, joining us this year. I'm looking forward to another time of service to others and fellowship with friends.
Mary Murphy: This is my second trip with SMA. I signed up last year after I met Colleen Nolan, who told of her upcoming 2012 trip to Honduras. I've been on many other medical mission trips beginning in 2003 when I went on an optometry mission to Mexico with a friend, whose husband was an optometrist. While on one of these, I was encouraged to go on a medical mission trip to Haiti. My first was in 2006. I've been there six times.
This is not my first time to Ecuador. I have always been a birder and like to travel to different areas for birding. After my husband died in the spring of 2007, and while birding in Arizona, a friend told me about a birding trip to Ecuador. What a blessing it was on my birthday to see the birds and visit with the people. It was like my late husband had given me a gift. We stayed with families who lived in co-ops in the Andes. What beautiful people. When I heard that SMA was going to Ecuador this year I felt this was my turn to give back to them. I hope to use my nursing skills that God gave me to help in anyway that I can.
Colleen Nolan: The number of medical mission/construction trips I've taken with SMA isn't important. What's important is that I've enjoyed all of them. Hard work, sweat and tears, and laughter are all part of the mission. Why do I continue to do it as I'm approaching 75 years? Because it's important to me to let those who are served know there are those who care about them and want to make a bit of a difference in their lives. I'm not there to criticize their life style, or to think I can change their way of living but rather to respect them as they are while reminding myself that God loves them as much as He loves me. Whether it's raking up trash and planting flowers in a school yard or pouring concrete in a playground, it's all part of the answer to a call. I may not be as young, strong or capable as some of the others on the team but if I can listen, laugh, smile, work, help, encourage and do something for another to let them know that I care, then my mission will be successful.
Jerry Smith, MSW: I'm going to Ecuador because I enjoy the camaraderie and the friendship of everyone and the mission itself gives me an opportunity to give back a little to others and to be grateful for all the blessings I have received in my life--not the least of which is to have as my room mate - El Jefe Maximo, Joe Kelly. Vaya con Dios todos!
Kay Smith: My brother, Jerry has gone on several trips with SMA to provide medical clinics in Latin America. His stories of other trips when he returned were intriguing. The idea of travel that involves meeting the people of another country in a non-tourist endeavor really appealed to me. I had met Joe Kelly through my brother and was very impressed with his depth of caring for others and his skill in planning the trips. The fact that the cost of the flight was tax deductible and some of the costs of the trip were for the benefit of SMA was another plus.
Jim Swartz: This will be my second trip with SMA. I was along three years ago on the trip to Cusco, Peru. I have been on several other similar trips with Habitat For Humanity and Global Volunteers and a couple of private organizations to Mexico and Greece. On many of these trips I had the good fortune to work with Joe Kelly, our esteemed Jefe. I join these missions because I get such good feelings when I am able to do physical work side-by-side with the residents of the countries in which I volunteer. I enjoy the travel opportunities also, but it is the "group high" that I feel when I am a part of a mission of this type. I hope to continue with this until Joe tells me that I am too old to do the work anymore :-)
Elizabeth and John Tancock: Every day when I awake I thank God for the abundance with which he has graced my life. My husband and I feel compelled to share our time and treasure with those less fortunate as a way of thanking and praising our Father. Our church and residential communities are recipients of our modest largess. Supporting SMA last year in Honduras, and this year in Ecuador, is a way of helping to make a difference in the health of others…a truly humbling experience. Thank you, SMA, for being the vehicle that provides this opportunity to serve the poor.
Leslie Torrey:
Barbara Warrion: I believe the SMA mission to Ecuador originates in the tradition of the Catholic faith and that we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. By reaching out and caring for those in need I will continue to learn and to live the meaning of Christian life. So it's off to Ecuador I go!
Adairiz (Iris) Yazno: This will be my first Mission with SMA. I've been in the military for over 33 years and had the opportunity to participate in a couple of humanitarian missions as a medic and translator for the Advance Team. In 1993 I was offered the opportunity to go to Colombia, where I worked as a translator and a medic. The flight surgeon assigned to this group and I set up a medical tent where we provided medical aid to the U.S. and Colombian military members. We also provided medical assistance at the Battalion’s clinic. When word got out that there was a doctor at the battalion, hundreds of people, military and dependents, lined up outside the clinic. We were able to provide pain relief as well as education in basic first aid. This was the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling I’ve ever had. Years later, I was able to use my Spanish Language skills in assisting in establishing a site for the Medical Team in Peru. In 2008, I enrolled as a member of the Air Force International Health Specialist team. Although anxious to participate I was not able to volunteer for other humanitarian missions due to other job commitments and a limited budget.
The first day I went to SMA I found out there was a humanitarian mission planned. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to be part of that team and now I look forward to helping and experiencing that feeling of fulfillment I had before.
Bea Balsamo: [As a physician assistant] I love volunteering in other countries. I've done medical clinics many times - in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua. It gives me a chance to get to know real people and their cultures, not as a tourist, but in places I wouldn't otherwise see, in situations I would not otherwise be in. Now, when I'm somewhere just being a tourist, I realize that the only local people I talk to are waiters and cab drivers. It's not the same as a real traveling experience!
One of Bea's favorite sayings is: "There are two way to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle; the other is as though everything is a miracle." Albert Einstein
Joe Balsamo: In 1965,I spent a year in Guatemala, working in a clinic and teaching English. I loved the culture and the people. In 1969, I was sent to Vietnam as a medic. Fortunately I was able to care for Vietnamese men, women, and children who were sick or wounded. My experience in Guatemala, helped me to understand the Vietnamese people.
Then I became a physician assistant and have practiced in rural clinics,in New Mexico,for the past 40 years. Vacations often consist of traveling to under-served countries and working in health care in rural areas. These have always been the most rewarding experiences of my life. Thank you Southwest Medical Aid for giving this opportunity.
Lee Cauble: It has been a long-time goal to work in an under-served area. Being a child of the '60s I was inspired by the Peace Corps and have friends who have served. Now that my children are grown I'm able to finally do the work I have always wanted to do. I still have a full time job so I needed to find something that would allow me to serve during my vacation. When a friend told me about the SMA group, and the work to be done, SMA looked like a perfect fit. I was excited to finally give my long time dream a test drive. Thanks for the opportunity
Alli Cecil: I wanted to do some good in the world and I'm always up for an adventure, which is what these trips always offer.
Cheryl Cecil: I've always loved volunteering. In fact it is better and more rewarding that working for a living, which is what I did for about 40 years as a Medical Technologist in Iowa. When I moved to Tucson I signed up for a program at my church called 'Just Faith.' This is where I found SMA. I learned about the mission trip to Honduras in 2009. I signed up to go that day and have never looked back. Since I've gone on mission each year to Peru, Belize, Honduras again and now Ecuador. I've been volunteering at SMA since my return from Honduras in 2009. I've become a Lay Salvatorian. I feel those who have more have the responsibility, and honor, to help those with less.
Chris Cross: I'm 21 years old and the youngest in the group. This is my first trip outside the U.S., aside from Mexico, so I don't know what to expect. I'm looking forward to this adventure and helping those who are less fortunate. My goal is to get into law enforcement, which I see as a service to the community. There are many ways of serving others. I have no medical experience but I can help by building a play area for children. Afterward, at the end of the week, I'm really looking forward to going to the Pacific Ocean on the whale-watching excursion.
Lin Cross: This is my fourth SMA trip. (Guatamela, Peru and Belize). In 1997 we moved to Tucson and after our son, Chris, started school I became involved with several community volunteer activities. I found these very rewarding. A brother - a Benedictine Monk - has lived in the interior of Brazil for more than 40 years. After visiting him three times I began to understand how living among and working with another culture gives back much more then we give. It's in giving that we receive.
I first met Dr. Del Endres on the SMA Peru trip. She organized a medical camp (and Himalayan trek) in Nepal this spring. How could I say 'no' when she asked if I wanted to participate in the south Asia trip. I also walked on pilgrimage - the Camino de Santiago - across northern Spain last year. (Fellow SMA travelers, Joe Kelly and Jim Swartz walked it about five years ago.) So I'm not afraid of the challenges of foreign travel. Instead I enjoy the immersion experience and coming face-to-face with the reality of how others live.
Dr. Del Endres: I wanted to join this trip as I have done three prior medical missions with SMA (Peru, Belize, and Honduras) , which I have always enjoyed.
I've also made lasting friendships on these trips. I've been on a total of 20 mission trips with multiple organizations in the past, all over the world. I was responsible for organizing a recent trip to Nepal, so now I really appreciate all the work that goes into the planning. Mission trips are great as a way to really see the people of different countries, not just the tourist way but to see the real people and how they live. These trips have been a real gift to me.
Mary Anne Fay: This is my sixth mission trip with SMA. It has been my pleasure to assist Joe Kelly in putting these trips together. I missed the past two years as my husband was ill. Each trip has been special, I love working with the travelers as we become close friends. I have been so fortunate in my own life that I want to give of my time and talents to assist those in need. This is my 10th year serving on the Board of SMA and thank Jan Izlar, our founder for what she has accomplished.
Maggie Fleming: I'm not a health care professional. I own a home assistant and personal concierge business. For the past 8 years, I've worked with many senior clients and continue to have a keen appreciation for life, travel and the opportunity to experience new cultures. Most importantly, I treasure the opportunity to give in the service others. This will be my first trip with SMA group and a dream come true for me after being drawn to it for many years.
Five years ago, I served as a mission-worker in Lourdes, France. Working alongside missionaries from different countries, I had the chance to experience various cultures and to provide assistance to those in need, which was a fulfilling and humbling experience.
I believe people cross our paths in our life’s journeys, but surely not by coincidence such as when I met Doris Lippo in the fall of 2012. She has been a true gift to me. We share many of the same interests and have become close friends. Thanks to Doris’s invitation, we will be experiencing this mission trip together. In addition, my friend and her prayer group make rosaries and she gave me 90 of these to take to Ecuador.
Edna Greene: Since I retired as pediatric nurse, I've been looking for an opportunity to use my skills and work with children. I've been hoping to go on a mission trip with SMA because I've greatly admired their work. Since making a commitment to become a Lay Salvatorian, I felt this trip would give me the opportunity to be of service to those in need, answering Christ's call to care for all peoples. I'm grateful for this opportunity. I look forward to getting to know my fellow travelers and experience a place I've never been before.
Alyce Grisson: Why I wanted to make this trip? I've always wanted to help others less fortunate than myself. As a nurse I thought I could be of help to an organization that goes to different countries. Now that I'm retired, I have the time and energy. I love adventure, meeting people and of course being helpful in anyway, Hurrah! My first SMA trip.
Dr. Patricia Nanchi: Eight years ago, I took the challenge of moving to the United Stated from my hometown in Ecuador for several reason. One goal was to build a future for my daughter. I left behind the rest of my family and my career as a Pediatrician. I have missed them every single day!
One day I read in my parish's bulletin an invitation to join Southwest Medical Aid in a mission trip. I called them immediately and signed up for the next informational meeting. By the end of the meeting, I couldn't believe that I had found the perfect combo: doing what is my passion and helping people in need. Since 2007, I have being blessed in participating with SMA which brings to under-served communities our skills, enthusiasm, dedication and love.
Evelyn (E.J.) Jacobs: I was inspired to sign up for this medical mission because I needed a vacation. The kind that keeps you so busy that you can't even think about work,or home, and you get to know another culture. I enjoy going to non-tourist type places and was lured by the exoticness of Ecuador and seeing whales. I would also be traveling with friends with whom I enjoy spending time. But my real inspiration for this trip was an opportunity to serve under-served people, and do it with all of the above reasons, and also because I'll get an opportunity to improve my Spanish.
Joe Kelly: I am making the trip to Ecuador for several reasons.
1. I have been blessed to have served many years ago in Guatemala. I learned Spanish and certain cultural norms of Latin America. I want to share what I know and in some way assist others in reaching out to the poor.
2. In the U.S. we have abundance and these missions enable others to benefit from that abundance.
3. I always feel that I grow as a person when I am able to interact with people of another country and social economic class.
4. I try to live out my commitment to Jesus and his teachings.
These missions offer a very concrete way of doing the above.
Doris Lippo: I'm going to Ecuador because I'll be working with Del, Lin and others from the SMA group of truly dedicated people wanting to help others. This year I have the resources to reach out to help others, as I did when I traveled to Peru with SMA. I'm thankful for that and the good health to go without hesitation. I'm also blessed to have Maggie, a friend from church, joining us this year. I'm looking forward to another time of service to others and fellowship with friends.
Mary Murphy: This is my second trip with SMA. I signed up last year after I met Colleen Nolan, who told of her upcoming 2012 trip to Honduras. I've been on many other medical mission trips beginning in 2003 when I went on an optometry mission to Mexico with a friend, whose husband was an optometrist. While on one of these, I was encouraged to go on a medical mission trip to Haiti. My first was in 2006. I've been there six times.
This is not my first time to Ecuador. I have always been a birder and like to travel to different areas for birding. After my husband died in the spring of 2007, and while birding in Arizona, a friend told me about a birding trip to Ecuador. What a blessing it was on my birthday to see the birds and visit with the people. It was like my late husband had given me a gift. We stayed with families who lived in co-ops in the Andes. What beautiful people. When I heard that SMA was going to Ecuador this year I felt this was my turn to give back to them. I hope to use my nursing skills that God gave me to help in anyway that I can.
Colleen Nolan: The number of medical mission/construction trips I've taken with SMA isn't important. What's important is that I've enjoyed all of them. Hard work, sweat and tears, and laughter are all part of the mission. Why do I continue to do it as I'm approaching 75 years? Because it's important to me to let those who are served know there are those who care about them and want to make a bit of a difference in their lives. I'm not there to criticize their life style, or to think I can change their way of living but rather to respect them as they are while reminding myself that God loves them as much as He loves me. Whether it's raking up trash and planting flowers in a school yard or pouring concrete in a playground, it's all part of the answer to a call. I may not be as young, strong or capable as some of the others on the team but if I can listen, laugh, smile, work, help, encourage and do something for another to let them know that I care, then my mission will be successful.
Jerry Smith, MSW: I'm going to Ecuador because I enjoy the camaraderie and the friendship of everyone and the mission itself gives me an opportunity to give back a little to others and to be grateful for all the blessings I have received in my life--not the least of which is to have as my room mate - El Jefe Maximo, Joe Kelly. Vaya con Dios todos!
Kay Smith: My brother, Jerry has gone on several trips with SMA to provide medical clinics in Latin America. His stories of other trips when he returned were intriguing. The idea of travel that involves meeting the people of another country in a non-tourist endeavor really appealed to me. I had met Joe Kelly through my brother and was very impressed with his depth of caring for others and his skill in planning the trips. The fact that the cost of the flight was tax deductible and some of the costs of the trip were for the benefit of SMA was another plus.
Jim Swartz: This will be my second trip with SMA. I was along three years ago on the trip to Cusco, Peru. I have been on several other similar trips with Habitat For Humanity and Global Volunteers and a couple of private organizations to Mexico and Greece. On many of these trips I had the good fortune to work with Joe Kelly, our esteemed Jefe. I join these missions because I get such good feelings when I am able to do physical work side-by-side with the residents of the countries in which I volunteer. I enjoy the travel opportunities also, but it is the "group high" that I feel when I am a part of a mission of this type. I hope to continue with this until Joe tells me that I am too old to do the work anymore :-)
Elizabeth and John Tancock: Every day when I awake I thank God for the abundance with which he has graced my life. My husband and I feel compelled to share our time and treasure with those less fortunate as a way of thanking and praising our Father. Our church and residential communities are recipients of our modest largess. Supporting SMA last year in Honduras, and this year in Ecuador, is a way of helping to make a difference in the health of others…a truly humbling experience. Thank you, SMA, for being the vehicle that provides this opportunity to serve the poor.
Leslie Torrey:
Barbara Warrion: I believe the SMA mission to Ecuador originates in the tradition of the Catholic faith and that we are called to be disciples of Jesus Christ. By reaching out and caring for those in need I will continue to learn and to live the meaning of Christian life. So it's off to Ecuador I go!
Adairiz (Iris) Yazno: This will be my first Mission with SMA. I've been in the military for over 33 years and had the opportunity to participate in a couple of humanitarian missions as a medic and translator for the Advance Team. In 1993 I was offered the opportunity to go to Colombia, where I worked as a translator and a medic. The flight surgeon assigned to this group and I set up a medical tent where we provided medical aid to the U.S. and Colombian military members. We also provided medical assistance at the Battalion’s clinic. When word got out that there was a doctor at the battalion, hundreds of people, military and dependents, lined up outside the clinic. We were able to provide pain relief as well as education in basic first aid. This was the most rewarding and fulfilling feeling I’ve ever had. Years later, I was able to use my Spanish Language skills in assisting in establishing a site for the Medical Team in Peru. In 2008, I enrolled as a member of the Air Force International Health Specialist team. Although anxious to participate I was not able to volunteer for other humanitarian missions due to other job commitments and a limited budget.
The first day I went to SMA I found out there was a humanitarian mission planned. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to be part of that team and now I look forward to helping and experiencing that feeling of fulfillment I had before.