VOLUNTEER EDITORIAL |
Things Learned, Not Taught
An Editorial by GMR Volunteer,
Joshua Gehrke
I made a mental check list as I approached the airport. Did I have all the necessary items to get to from point A. to point B.? Really, I thought it more important to have the right things for my destination than my travel. If I had forgotten something it could impact the entire team. I was not just crossing state lines here; this would be my first adventure to a different continent. Latte in hand, I made my way down the concourse. I was nervous! I was a wreck actually, and depended heavily on the other team members who had traveled. In the next three weeks I would be changed forever; despite my focus on teaching others, I would learn!
I was part of a team of four firefighters volunteering for Global Mission Readiness (GMR). We were traveling to Calca, Peru to teach a first responder and rope rescue course. The GMR mission statement is: “To provide the education and resources necessary for the protection and preservation of life and property in developing nations and to serve as a model of disaster preparedness and self reliance.” Upon our arrival, teams of local Peruvian firefighters (bomberos) welcomed us like old friends. In an instance a brotherhood developed that spanned the globe. Leaving the abundance of home to help these bomberos started to resonate in my every thought. We spent the next three weeks living with and breaking bread with the bomberos, while meeting daily to teach. At every break I would be lead by a different student to get my picture taken, their arms around me like I was family. They were dedicated to gaining knowledge that would help their communities and very interested in making the team feel welcome. At the conclusion of our trip we had covered all the material and tested the class in life like scenarios. The students performed at a level equal to firefighters in the US. The bomberos impressed me with their ability to perform, thrive and remain in high spirits, despite their lack of almost every convenience I take for granted. Most of the students were professionals from within the community. Their salaries, in US dollars, averaged a few hundred a month. Many of the students lived in homes with dirt floors and had no clean water, yet they volunteered to take a three week class, forgoing their meager salaries to gain life saving skills.
Could I live in a smaller house? Could I make fewer trips to Starbucks? If it would help my fellow bomberos; I would live with less upon my return home. I could do more with less! I could live on just the first floor of my home! I could also spend less time on myself and more on those in need. I developed relationships with the bomberos that taught me a lesson in altruism and true community. I think of those individuals often and have committed my life to volunteering for GMR, to help firefighters all over the world as a result.
Joshua Gehrke
20 January, 2012
Click below to see what's up at Global Mission Readiness:
Press Releases |
01/21/2012 16:54
GMR volunteers will descend upon Lima for what will be our largest and longest training project to date. Urban Search & Rescue training is sorely needed in this earthquake prone region of South America. GMR will help bring this education to those in need. Read More...
01/03/2012 16:59
On December 5th, 2011, members from Global Mission Readiness travelled to Caraz, Peru to take part in a week-long EMS training mission for members of the Brigada Elite de Auxilio y Rescate. Here is a brief recap of the project. Read More...
11/28/2011 16:10
GMR volunteers are travelling once again to the beautiful Ancash region of North Central Peru for a week long training mission with the Brigada Elite de Auxilio y Rescate (BEAR Team) of Caraz. This project is a continuation of a dream of bringing advanced life support and public safety to the region. The third GMR project in the city will focus on trauma care skills, burns & injury management, and culminate in a training scenario involving multiple simulated patients. Read More...