Honduras Missions - Hearts and Hands

Yesterday was our driving day back to San Pedro Sula from Tocoa, so I did not write a blog last night.  We left Tocoa at around 9am and arrived in San Pedro Sula at a hotel at shortly before 5pm.  It’s a long drive and I’m always thankful for the short little bathroom breaks to stretch my legs and my body!!  The van can be tight with a larger group!!   We had our traditional team dinner later in the evening after cleaning up and resting for a bit.  It is always a pleasure to spend time with our translators socially.  They are truly an integral part of our team and we could not do what we do without them.  They are truly amazing, willing and caring people.  Milton our team coordinator is an incredible person to work with.  He is compassionate, organized, and fun to work with.  He has to manage so many moving pieces and does an amazing job at it.  At the end of the trip, I like to spend time reflecting on these questions: - What are t...

  Last day of boots on the ground.     Our team started the day with covid tests at one of the local laboratories.     It’s required to be taken within 72 hours of arrival back into the USA.     It went fairly fast and we all tested negative!!     Great news, no one needs to stay behind!     After covid testing, we headed to the church for one last time before taking down the clinic.    Today was a half day.    Mike, myself and Milton went to the department of agriculture to meet with some people about planting trees, chicken coops and other things.    The mission has a dream of being able to help create a sustainable food source for the local people in La Ceibita and eventually in Tocoa.    Specifically the feeding center in La Ceibita and the future feeding center in Tocoa.    The one in La Ceibita feeds 150 children a day and our hope is that by the end of the year we will have on...

Faces of Honduras.   Wednesday June 23rd, 2021 Today was our last full day in clinic.    Tomorrow we have a half day and then pack up the clinic.    It’s all hands on deck as this is a task that takes some coordination, and organizing to make sure that supplies we are leaving are inventoried and accounted for.   Today was a mixed bag of things for me.    I went along with the Pastor of the church with 2 other people to do home visits with the Honduran doctor who was working with us.    We visited people that were either too sick to leave or were unable to walk and get to the clinic.    The first gentleman we saw was an elderly man, almost completely blind due to glaucoma who had been abandoned by his family.    He was living alone and struggled from day to day.  We then saw a family who had between the 6 family members; and elderly couple - one with a serious hernia, and one with Alzheimer’s disease who ofte...

  Tuesday June 22, 2021 There are so many stories to write about while on mission, it is hard to pick and chose which ones we share.    Often times on mission, there is one moment that leaves a significant imprint on my heart.    Today I had one of those moments.    Some of you may remember that there are 3 little boys our mission team has kind of taken under their wing a little bit. Mike, our team leader, first met them last year when he discovered they were homeless through the principal of the special needs school.    Nixon (7?) is the oldest and Jacel and Jafeth (5?) are the youngest (twins).    They were living under a box and it was when they were caught stealing food from the special needs school that the principal decided to try to help them.    During a meeting with the principal Mike asked who they were and they became part of our story and left an imprint in our hearts.    We have tried to help them fi...

  First Work Day   Monday June 20th, 2021 Today was our first day working in the clinic for the week.    We were not sure how it was going to go with the covid restrictions etc but all in all, it ran pretty smoothly.    I started the day in Pharmacy with Josie and we helped get some of the drugs labeled and put on shelves before clinic began.    Lots to organize and figure out in pharmacy but it is a well oiled machine.    There’s a great system in place for gathering the medications needed and checks and balances to make sure the correct drugs are give out.    We did not see a ton of patients today and it certainly was not as busy as it is usually. We are not sure why, but it may have something to do with covid or just that the word has not gotten out yet.    Only 25 people at a time were allowed to come into the clinic and restrictions were put in place, so that slowed things a little.   We had two people ...

  Set Up Day. Sunday June 20th, 2021 We began our day a little more relaxed than the day before and more relaxed than it will be the rest of the week. After breakfast, we had a little time to get organized and relax and then we headed to church for a worship service with the La Ceibita church.    Always a moving and inspiring service.    Inspiring to see the passion and uninhibited ways that our Honduran friends worship.    They are faithful and passionate Christ centered people.    The services are always very different than our traditional American worship services and usually quite a bit louder too!    It is enjoyable nonetheless.    Today is Father’s Day in the US and as it turns out also Bruce’s birthday.    So the church in La Ceibita had prepared some fun candy gifts for all the dads on our team and a special birthday cake for Bruce’s birthday.    I’m always amazed at their generosity and kindnes...