After more than three years in Peru, Dr. Lucy Goh, MD, is finally headed back to life in the United States.

A pediatrician and lifelong Catholic, Dr. Lucy felt called to mission work early in her career. Since becoming a physician, she has served on several missions in Asia and Africa before finding a home with Mission Doctors Association—an organization that allowed her to live out her Catholic faith through service to those most in need around the world.

Recognizing her dedication to serving as a witness to her faith in places with the greatest need, we at MDA felt blessed that Dr. Lucy found her way to us. After completing the application process in 2021, she joined our 3½-month Formation Class that same year.

In early 2022, Dr. Lucy set out for Peru, her first mission in Latin America. She began with several months of language study in Lima to strengthen her Spanish, preparing to serve children and families in the Amazon region who spoke little or no English.

After completing her studies, Dr. Lucy traveled to Iquitos, the gateway to the Amazon. From there, her journey continued with two boat rides and a moto-taxi across a peninsula before arriving in her new home—Santa Clotilde.

Though small, the Santa Clotilde Centro de Salud is the only hospital serving a catchment area of roughly 22,000 people living along the Napo River. It was here that Dr. Lucy served faithfully for the next three years as the hospital’s only pediatrician.

I had the privilege of visiting Dr. Lucy during her time in Santa Clotilde, and I was deeply moved by her dedication. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new culture, language, and climate, she remained steadfast in her commitment to learning and serving her patients. During my visit, Dr. Lucy worked full days treating children at the hospital, and at night she studied for a self-enrolled course on tropical diseases.

Living full-time in this remote community, Dr. Lucy never lost sight of the reason she was there—to serve God and His children. She attended daily Mass in Spanish and provided compassionate care to every child who came through the hospital doors.

We at Mission Doctors Association are profoundly grateful to have supported Dr. Lucy’s mission for the past three years. Her service has been a true testament to faith in action, and we hope her example inspires many others to follow in her footsteps.

If you feel called to serve, please reach out to AGarcia@missiondoctors.org.

And if you are a Spanish-speaking pediatrician, there is currently an opening at Santa Clotilde Centro de Salud—a place where your gifts could make a lasting difference.