On A Mission

Inspiration took Tami Dobbs to Guatemala on a mission trip, and she came home with humility, gratefulness, and a lifetime of memories.

By Delores Kuhlwein

If you know Amateur Tami Dobbs well, you also know she’s deeply rooted in horses, family, and faith.

A recognizable name for her accomplishments in the APHA arena with horses such as Seems Like Heaven, and most recently, in the AQHA arena with Kruzen Parrot Bay, the Forestburg, Texas resident applies herself wholeheartedly to what she believes in.

So when she was asked by a friend if she wanted was interested in joining a mission trip to Guatemala, she jumped at the opportunity.  Tami had always wanted to go on a mission, and though she’s a busy mom and a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner, she knew she had to take the chance.  “It was intriguing to me because it was Christian based, involved medical work, and it was an all-women group. I have wanted to do this for years, but finally listened,” she explains, inspired by God’s promptings.

The trip was organized by Lynde Griggs, the owner of the nonprofit Belle and Sparrows, and the group mainly stayed in the mission home of Carlos and Heidi Fernandez of My Father’s House, a non-profit ministry in Guatemala.

Though she was worried she wouldn’t be able to minister and concerned her family practice skills were rusty, Tami quickly discovered all the women in her group were needed. They focused mainly on helping women, and as part of their work, one day they had women and children from a local village come in. “We did a medical clinic, gave talks, fed them lunch and worked on a craft project they could later sell,” she explains.

Their next task was working at the school in Tabacal village, she says.  “We had a full two days of medical clinic. Between another provider and me, we probably cared for 50-70 patients, from newborn to elderly. We also helped with a women and girl conference – talking about sex trafficking was a big topic.”

She reveals that her eyes were opened to many things while there. “I learned so much from the Guatemalan people,” she reveals. “They are such a happy, Godly, affectionate type of people. It makes me realize how silly we are in America. We in America have everything and we are still not happy. We always want more, to do more, expect more…….and when we get that ‘more’ we still feel empty. So we push for more. We all do it to a degree.”

Tami says the experience not only provided a lifetime of memories in just a week’s time, in addition to the desire to return to Guatemala, it has also helped her spiritual walk.  “Earlier in my life I hadn’t put God first and tried to live my life on my terms not his. I made decisions off what I thought would make me happy, not glorify God. My spiritual walk is primarily to focus on him and surrendering,” she explains.

“I’m trying to adjust my priorities to making God first,” she concludes. “I’m thankful God has allowed me to accomplish so much in and out of the show arena. This trip has taught me to humble myself and be truly grateful for the life I have been given.”