My name is Michele Hiner. I’ve been a Registered Nurse for 15 years and this is my first medical mission. I’ve known about Mending Faces for quite a while and am so fortunate that it finally worked out for me to join the team on this trip, especially since my husband (Brandon Hiner - surgical assistant) and daughter (Isabel Hiner) were able to come as well. I knew that by joining this mission I would get to play a part in changing the lives of children; what I wasn’t prepared for was how much these tiny little patients and their families would change me and my nursing practice. These families have so little compared to the United States, yet their genuine contentment and joy is absolutely infectious. They make do with what they have and take pride in it, and the healthcare we provide while here reflects that. We don’t have all of the conveniences of home - there aren’t high tech monitoring systems, or expensive OR equipment, or even much air conditioning; yet we make do with what we have and still provide the highest quality of safe patient care with beautiful outcomes that any OR team would be proud of. This mission work is the very heart of healthcare - individuals of different backgrounds and cultures coming together to use their skill, expertise, and available resources to work towards the singular goal of improving the lives of others…. And it’s all done with joy and a SMILE.