Rachel's MEDLIFE Story - Lima, Peru (January 2019)

"The service learning trip with MEDLIFE was really amazing. I learned and experienced so many things on this trip. The biggest learning experience for me was the reality tour that we went on the second day of the week. The MEDLIFE staff took us around to the different towns in Lima to show us what the living conditions and the every day lives of the people living in poverty is like. That was definitely an eye-opening experience for me, and I realized how different it was learning about poverty back in Canada and seeing it with my own eyes there. Clinic days and the rotations at different stations were really fun and I was so engaged the whole time I was there. Being able to shadow the doctors, dentist, nurses and pharmacist was so amazing! If I could go back on another service learning trip to Peru, I would definitely study some Spanish before I went because that was one thing, I had trouble with. It was hard to communicate with some of the doctors and nurses because my Spanish was very limited and so was their English. 
My favourite part of the trip was project day. Our group helped build a stair case in one of the towns MEDLIFE has been working in for some time. I was so surprised by how hard working and happy the community members were. Even though we had a problem with the cement machine, and they had to eventually mix it by hand nobody was complaining, and everyone helped to complete the staircase with all their energy. It was a really great experience for me, and I am so grateful I was able to learn so much from the people there. Their happiness and positive energy still reside with me today!"
-Rachel