“Being part of the team was an honor. I cherish the experiences I had, and I hope the Guatemalan people were blessed in the same way I was blessed by them.”
— Anesthesiologist, Guatemala Team Member, May 2026
What We Do
Surgical care, surgical training, and mission support.
Crescendo Missions focuses on practical, skilled medical service in communities where surgical care and surgical training are limited.
Surgical Care in Guatemala
Care delivered by qualified surgical teams.
Each year, hand-selected surgical teams from Appleton, Wisconsin travel to Antigua, Guatemala for one week of surgical service at Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro.
Team members are selected based on professional qualification, surgical or perioperative expertise, and a shared interest in humanitarian service. These teams include surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical and anesthesia technicians, and perioperative nurses.
During a typical trip, the teams operate on approximately 60 patients, providing general and vascular surgeries. Crescendo Missions is also preparing to expand this work to include endoscopic procedures.
Team Service
Professional skill with a humanitarian purpose.
Crescendo teams are not open application trips. They are carefully assembled to match the needs of the work, the setting, and the patients being served.
Surgical Training in Africa
Supporting local surgical capacity.
Crescendo Missions partners with PAACS, the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons, in supporting the training of African surgical residents in Kenya and Gabon.
This work focuses on practical surgical education, including laparoscopic and endoscopic skills. By supporting the training of local surgical residents, Crescendo helps strengthen surgical care in communities long after a visiting team has returned home.
Reflections from the Guatemala Team
From those who served.
“What made the trip rejuvenating wasn’t the absence of difficulty, but the presence of shared purpose. There was joy in using what we had been given for something beyond ourselves.”
— Surgeon, Guatemala Team Member, May 2026
“The mission trip challenged me, inspired me, and renewed my sense of purpose as a nurse. It reminded me why I chose this profession in the first place: to serve others, to offer compassion during vulnerable moments, and to make a meaningful difference in someone’s life.”
— PACU Nurse, Guatemala Team, May 2026
“Although our work in Guatemala was finished for the week, I came home reminded that the work at home is just beginning. We move forward as one community, leading with compassion and grace.”
— Surgical Tech, Guatemala Team Member, May 2026
Supporting the Work
Practical resources make this work possible.
Travel
Helping teams reach the places where surgical care and training are needed.
Lodging
Supporting the practical needs of volunteer surgical teams.
Medical Supplies
Providing resources needed for safe and effective surgical work.
Training Resources
Supporting education for surgical residents and local providers.
Mission Support
Strengthening programs that continue serving communities over time.