Volunteer Spotlight – Lori Stromness
How did you first learn about Medical Missions Foundation?
From a good friend of mine Stephanie Card had gone with her sister Pepper Card on multiple mission trips.
What got you involved for the first time?
Stephanie contacted me that she and her sister Pepper were going to Gulu, Uganda and they needed a pre and post op nurse and asked if I’d be interested. This was in 2013
What missions have you been involved with?
I’ve been to Gulu, Uganda 7 times and Romania once.
What is a most memorable experience during one of the missions?
It is so hard to pick just one. I loved waking the patients up from surgery because it takes them a minute to realize they’ve had surgery. One In particular had mango sized keloids removed, one from each ear, and once she realized they’ve were gone she was soooooo excited.
Last year driving back to the hospital in the middle of the night, with just one of our well known drivers, to help with one of the patients urinary catheters that seemed to be blocked… or sleeping on the floor in the storeroom overnight the year before when we had a really sick patient who needed closer observation than the ICU could give them. I thought the hospital at night would be scary to be there on my own but it was strangely peaceful. Working with the patients who are admitted to the wards is a special opportunity to get to know the patients and their families a little better and to hear their stories.
Why do you volunteer?
There’s a saying that you will never know true service until you do something for someone who can never repay you… people will comment to me that we have a lot of poor people in our country, and why don’t I help them and my comment is that our poor people have iPhones.
The people in Uganda have so little and yet I am so inspired by them in how they’re willing to help each other and by their grace and kindness. I wish I could make a bigger difference but I try to remember the starfish analogy that we make a difference for each person we are able to help when we go there.
What advice would you give someone considering joining a mission?
Don’t think, just do it. It will change your life for the better. It brings perspective and a whole new meaning to the phrase “first world problems” (pardon that that’s not politically correct anymore to say).
Any last thoughts or comments you want to add?
You’ll meet some of the kindest, most fun, good hearted humans on these trips… both in your trip mates and the people you serve… it’s hard work… sometimes it’s scary… but I wouldn’t change a thing (except having unlimited funding for the trips! Haha).