More and more, I'm realizing that, as a nurse, I need to be aware of what's happening in other parts of the world (Editorial, September 2003). Last winter, my husband, 21-year-old daughter, and I went to Guinea on a medical mission in which I led a team of 12 who oversaw more than 850 patients visiting dental and eyeglass clinics. My husband was the main photographer and videographer. This was our third medical mission trip, and we hope to participate in more. The medical missions have altered the way we view our world, and changed the way I teach my students about sociocultural issues and suffering.

The photographs and information presented in the Correspondence from Abroad article will be the closest many nurses come to experiencing the daily reality of many people living in West Africa. Their expressions of joy and suffering (which we also witnessed in Guinea) are clearly evident in these photographs.

Mertie L. Potter, ND, ARNP, CS