A 2026 medical mission to Jalpatagua, Guatemala brought together volunteers from two countries to provide safe, compassionate surgical care.

Rainy Lake Medical Center is committed to supporting compassionate care at home and across the world. This year, our Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Jill Radman, and surgical nurse, Kenni Roberts, RN, traveled to Guatemala as part of a volunteer surgical mission team. Kenni shared her experience to capture the power of teamwork, service, and humanity.

“At RLMC, we believe that when our staff go out into the world to serve others, they bring back knowledge, compassion, and strength that enrich our entire community,” said Robb Pastor, CEO of Rainy Lake Medical Center. “We are proud to support humanitarian work that reflects the heart of who we are as an organization.”

Here is Kenni’s reflection:

This trip wasn’t about any one person. It was a shared mission, volunteers from two countries coming together with one purpose: to provide safe, compassionate surgical care where it’s needed most.

Our small volunteer surgical team performed 45 procedures across two operating rooms, working daily with minimal supplies. Each day, both ORs completed four hernia repairs, along with additional excisions in a procedure room.

Thank you to the volunteer team whose dedication brought specialized care that ensured safety and positive surgical outcomes. Through this experience, I gained not only an expanded skill set as a scrub nurse, but also deeper sterility awareness, situational adaptability, and the ability to work effectively with limited resources. The techniques shared by professionals from various facilities, including Mayo Clinic, are practices I will proudly bring back to Rainy Lake Medical Center.

Dr. Mike Sarr is truly a saint on earth whose dedication to the people of Guatemala is extraordinary. The missions he organizes each year bring together remarkable individuals, nurses, doctors, CRNAs, CSTs, and local staff all working as one. Witnessing and being part of this collaboration was the true definition of teamwork.

RLMC’s Jill Radman, CRNA, has been serving alongside Dr. Sarr’s missions since 2017, recruiting many healthcare professionals who have since joined the cause. Thank you, Jill, for introducing me to lifelong friends and for changing the way I see the world. You are truly a force of nature.

I want to shine a light on RLMC’s involvement. The entire surgical department was incredibly supportive, working short-staffed and making it possible for me to be part of this mission. Their generosity, encouragement, and work ethic speak volumes.

Thank you, RLMC Surgical Department staff, from the bottom of my heart for advocating for this mission and for working hard to care for the community of International Falls.

Thank you to Robb Pastor, RN and CEO of Rainy Lake Medical Center, Marygaye Tate, CNO, and the executive team for allowing me to join this mission and represent our organization through humanitarian efforts. Robb has been a major mentor throughout my nursing career. He continuously promotes community, growth, and positive change for International Falls and RLMC.

A heartfelt thank‑you as well for RLMC’s generous donation of an anesthesia machine and cautery machine. Both are essential pieces of equipment, without them, surgeries simply could not be performed. When people say it takes a village, it truly does.

Valley Pine Center, thank you for supporting me in stepping away for two weeks. Your encouragement means more than I can say.

To my fellow nursing colleagues – Med-Surg, ED, Cardiac Rehab, Infusion Therapy, Clinic, and Surgery – thank you for teaching me, encouraging me, and believing in me. Your mentorship and dedication to others have shaped the nurse I am today.

And finally, thank you to the people of Guatemala. Their warmth, kindness, and generosity are remarkable beyond words.