I am a registered nurse from another country. I live permanently in the USA, pursuing my dream to be licensed and work here. Nothing will stop me. Last year in November, I went for my first mission trip. After landing in Houston, I was nervously waiting for the rest of my group to join me for the medical trip. Our group was made up of about 23 people, doctors, nurses, physician assistants, paramedics and those who had no clue about medicine whatsoever... everyone wanted to help! We then boarded a plane for the 6.5 hour trip to Lima. There are journey began. If you don't know how mission trips works let me tell you it is hard work, early mornings, crazy work for 12 hours often in the dirt with no running water. But, if you go you will fall in love for the first time and you will want to go again. The physicians I was working with were different ages. Many of them have been on similar trips all over the world. They were amazing glob trotters. Some of them were 73 or 80 years old with energy that I could only dream of... During 5 days we helped 2000 people. Many of them were without basic health care for years and were willing to wait at the gate for hours in dust and dirt desperate to see a doctor or just to be heard or just to know that there is someone that cares. The village we served was situated about an hour out of Lima, on endless moon sand like mountains. Their houses were made from any kind of material, like paper, wood but very unstable, very poor. Most of the children had a different kind of parasites in their intestines, living without treatment for years. Later we will find out that they have only one bathroom without running water that they share with ten other families.. Never before have I met such beautiful, joyful people. They don't demand anything, but they are grateful for anything. Many times our hearts were just broken by what we saw. Like my smallest patient brought in by his mother, carefully wrapped in a blanket. The mother came with her older baby who was completely fine. I saw that she kept in her arms "something" wrapped so tight that I could not see what it was. When I asked, I found it was another baby! She unwrapped her 7 months old newborn... I was speechless seeing how small the baby was, a was a premature boy. The Mother was released from the "hospital" after only two days, with no treatment, no incubator, no vaccine. We didn't have a pediatrician, so I grabbed the baby and went to our emergency specialist...asking him to use his all pediatric knowledge and check the baby just to let the mother know there is someone who cares... Doctor Bill did a great job but the rest of the fight belongs to the baby...we felt sorry for them... In cases like that, I am thanking-God..in America, we have baby wipes warmers...and this child doesn't have even basic pediatric care... This year I will go again...that's kind of job that you fall in love with...and don't want to stop...