In her third published journal, an account from missionary trips between 2016-2021, Vicki Augustiniak records her Guatemalan quest in all its chaotic detail.

“I am trusting God; He knows my needs,” writes the missionary nurse, praising Him for bringing her to the impoverished nation. With mentor Pastor Dave’s Integrity International and hygiene teams from Living Water, she arrives at various intervals throughout those years to drill wells, administer medical care, and teach the Gospel,

Full of missionary zeal born of previous assignments to Bangladesh and South Africa, and now approaching retirement, Augustiniak pours her passion into helping others, despite harsh realities: filthy living conditions, dysentery, malnutrition, and lack of basic health care. With pharmaceuticals and medical equipment in tow, Augustiniak tends to women, children, and the elderly. Despite her inability to speak Spanish, she manages problems of blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illness, and wound infections. The clinic’s 8-9 hour day often “saw 520 patients. Dental saw 86…41 chiropractic, 70 (eye)glasses.”

Augustiniak’s, workday highlights include teaching children Bible stories and joining uplifting prayer sessions. However, she’s also plagued with anxieties: the language barrier, funding, fears of traveling, etc. Heat, diet, and arthritis take their toll. More than once, Augustiniak vaguely references personal struggles related to alcohol. The COVID pandemic is another challenge.

This is all potentially rich territory. Unfortunately, the book suffers from a serious lack of editing. The diary/journal format presents a dense, overly detailed chronicle. Grammatical errors, misspellings, and malapropisms abound, and repetitive descriptions of daily routines make one visit seem like the next. Accounts of side trips to nice hotels, shopping, restaurants and Christmas in Mexico with family offer some relief, yet they provide a disconcerting contrast to the challenging Guatemalan mission work.

As a memoir for Augustiniak’s family, this account has merit. However, general readers will likely be disappointed by the unpolished, repetitive accounts offered here.

Also available as an ebook.