Faith in Practice

Faith In Practice is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian organization that is committed to serving the poor of Guatemala through short-term medical mission trips that take an integrated approach to care that strives to reach those in the greatest need. Each year, more than 1,200 medical professionals and support personnel from across the United States and world travel to Guatemala, paying their own direct expenses to serve the poor through Faith In Practice. Each year, nearly 900 Guatemalan volunteers work beside our volunteers in this endeavor. Faith In Practice teams see more than 25,000 patients annually. Our volunteers serve through a variety of teams that are connected, providing a continuity of care in the context of short-term medical mission.Mission Teams are formed throughout the United States by committed volunteers, including the mission coordinator, the leader of each team, and the team administrator, who is responsible for team logistics. These dedicated volunteers report and interact with the Faith In Practice staff in Houston and Guatemala who are led by our president & CEO and our board of directors.Surgical Teams of medical and dental professionals travel to Antigua, Guatemala, which is the base for all the teams. All teams volunteer their services for a week, usually traveling from the U.S. on a Saturday and returning on the following Saturday. Teams are divided into a group of health providers who work at the hospital in Antigua and a group which travels to sites and villages in the countryside to provide family practice medicine and dentistry.Medical and dental professionals working at the Hermano Pedro Hospital and Orphanage for the Poor bring all the supplies they expect to use for performing surgery and post-operative care. On Sunday, all surgery candidates are seen and a surgical schedule is prepared. The remainder of the week is spent in surgery at the hospital.