Thursday, March 13, 2025

Last fall students from Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine (LUCOM) journeyed to El Salvador for a weeklong fall break mission trip. Read about the trip from their point of view as OMS-II students Jessica Assaad and Aviel Mavilla had a brief Question-and-Answer session with LUCOM when they returned.

Give a brief overview of the fall break mission trip you went on to El Salvador.

Jessica: We spent the week staying at Shalom Children’s Home, volunteering at a clinic down the street, as well as a mobile clinic. Each day we were put in groups of two with a translator, and we were able to see patients, ask about their current medical concerns, and perform physical exams to try and diagnose any ailments. We were fortunate to have physicians on the trip with us, aiding in the diagnosis and plan of each patient’s case. We were also able to pray over each patient we saw and ask for prayer requests, affording us the opportunity to really connect with everyone. When we weren’t seeing patients, we spent time at the home with all the children.

We ate meals with them, we played games with them, and we were blessed in getting to know what their life was like at the home. Every evening after the children went to bed we gathered as a group to do a Bible Study, often led by one of the students. This allowed us to hear how the Lord was growing each of us throughout the trip but also allowed us to grow closer as a team. On the Sunday we were there, we were able to attend church with the kids at their Salvadorian church, which was an incredible experience. On our final day, we took an unforgettable trip to the mountains to see some of El Salvador’s vast, beautiful landscape.

Aveil: The whole trip took place over the course of a week. We left that Saturday of fall break and returned the following Saturday. We had direct flights, which were very nice, and the flight itself was not very long—somewhere around 4-5 hours. Once we arrived, we had a schedule planned out for us by our hosts for what each day would entail. We stayed at the children’s home where they both provided an apartment for us to stay in.

As far as the guy’s room we had 2 bedrooms with bunkbeds and 3 bathrooms. They were all nice and well kept. There was also a guard on site 24/7 that watched over the campus and manned the gate to the compound. The area itself was also very safe. The first day, we went to church and then after we had free time to hang out and get to know the kids at the children’s home. The next four days were all in the clinic, and then the last day was a personal day to do some sightseeing and shopping.

Describe a typical day in the clinic:

Aveil: The days in the clinic were a big highlight for me. We split our team into two groups: the first team went and saw patients in the established clinic, while the other half went to the mobile clinic (a renovated school bus that had two built in exam rooms and storage space for medical supplies), where we were able to go and reach people in the communities that have no access to healthcare. Both settings brought a variety of patients.

A typical day started around 5:30 a.m., getting ready for the day, and by 6 a.m., we were having breakfast with the kids. We would all be in the clinic by 7 a.m., and work until 3 p.m. If you were at the clinic, then the children’s home would bring you food, while those who went on the mobile clinic packed their lunches the night before (something the whole team helped to do after our team meetings). From 3 p.m. to around 6 p.m., we had free time to play with the kids and relax. We played a lot of card games with them, namely Dutch Blitz and Uno. We also had a few matches of soccer throughout the week and games of hide-and-seek. Afterwards, around 7 p.m., we would have a team meeting to discuss the day and plan for the next. We would do a time of devotion, reading scripture, praying, and then prepping the lunches for the mobile clinic team and playing card games together.

Each night, Dr. Wilson taught us a different topic of medicine that was most relevant to the cases seen in the clinic that day, and then around 9-10 p.m., we would go to bed. The only required things those nights were team meetings and food prep, which were typically done by 8-8:30 p.m. On the last day, we got to hike on a volcano and buy souvenirs. For dinner that night, we decided to go back and spend time with the kids before we left the next day.

What was your best memory from the trip?

Jessica: Through our many patient encounters, one patient stood out; she had suffered so many losses, and despite trying mightily, she was struggling to take care of herself. She was clearly heartbroken. We were able to surround her in love and pray over her and do everything we could to help her. Dr. Melton began to tell her about Jesus, while our translator, Claudia, upon hearing the woman was lacking food, gave her food. We were able to provide medication and set her up with follow up appointments to do everything that was possible to help her get back on her feet. This was a beautiful demonstration of God’s love being present in the treatment of patients.

Aveil: The best memory of the trip wasn’t necessarily one moment, but as a fluent Spanish speaker, just getting to talk to the people from El Salvador and learn about their culture and way of thinking was so moving, with the highlight being getting to pray with each of them. The people in the communities are all very humble and sweet and truly value the time you spend with them. We even had a few patients turn and pray over us as they left their appointments.

What was something you learned while being in El Salvador?

Jessica:  I learned that when God is present in medicine, incredible things can happen. It was an amazing blessing to be able to pray over every single patient, with one woman even praying over us. There were so many beautiful memories and experiences born out of this trip. God is always at work, and it was very evident throughout that week. As someone who wants to do long term medical missions, it was a reminder of what the rest of my life could look like, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Overall, this trip was an unforgettable experience. I grew in my friendships, in my faith, and in my medical knowledge. I became more comfortable working with patients and learned how to incorporate my faith into patient care. I also learned so much about El Salvador from my translator, Claudia. She added to this awesome experience by being so kind, and we still regularly keep up with each other over text!

Aveil: The greatest thing I learned while I was there was truly the power of listening—listening to both my patients and the kids and their stories. A lot of them come from various backgrounds and typically unstable homes, but they have so much to share. The work that God is doing in each of them is incredible, especially the heart and mission of the children’s home itself. God has really blessed their endeavors and continues to expand the impact they have on their community. It was an amazing experience to be a part of for the week we were there.

Another group of students will get to experience this mission trip of a lifetime in a few weeks as they will take a spring break trip back to El Salvador to embark on the same mission trip.

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