One of the beautiful experiences of the Pediatric Epilepsy Mission Trips is the community they create between families with children awaiting surgery and those whose children have already undergone surgery through this program. Each mission trip is an opportunity to check in on patients and their families who we operated on 6 months previously. So far, our former patients are all experiencing greatly improved quality of life and their families often express deep gratitude and relief for how transformative the surgery is for the entire family. The families support each other and give words of encouragement to those awaiting surgery. Many stay in touch and maintain friendships long after the mission trip.

Serving as a chaplain on this mission trip has made me realize how out of order my own worries and preoccupations can be. The patients and their relatives I met during this mission trip made me realize that I already have the most important and valuable things in life: my family is healthy, and most importantly, we are alive. We often take life and health for granted, without realizing that they are the most precious gifts we have.