Small Person Helping in a Big Way

 

Here is a picture of Grace, one of our younger church members.  In lieu of birthday gifts, she collected flip flops from her friends for the kids in Honduras.  She also helped for several hours on Thursday as we got ready for the packing party.  She said she really wanted to be part of our "team".  Thanks for the help, Grace.  There are many children now running around Honduras with new filp flops thanks to you! 

 

-The Mission Team

 

 

 

Unsung Heroes

We cannot leave Honduras without mentioning some of the amazing friends we have made this week. 
We came for a week and we worked very hard.  These people serve here every day and their efforts are inspiring.  In every place you go in this world, you find selfless servants who somehow hold everything together. 

This is a picture of Sandra.  She is one of the women who keeps the compound running.  She cooks, does the wash, and also prays for us.  She always has a warm and joyful spirit that draws you in.  She also makes some delicious tortillas.

Above is a picture of Gloria.  We call her "Saint" Gloria.  She is the woman in the kitchen all day cooking for us.  She also cooks for Tejeras and serves there three times a week.  Additionally, she cooks food for the AP children (Aiken's Promise).  There will be many stars in her crown someday.  Gloria, may we all learn to serve like you do.

This is Dr. Constantine.  In addition to his work at the hospital, he coordinates trips into the rural mountain villages surrounding Quimistan.  Riding in the back of a truck for hours at a time, he teaches and trains the women of the villages to care for the sick.  He gives prenatal care which includes education about budgeting and money management for expectant mothers.  He trains the women to use nebulizers and glucometers and supplies medications.  Dr. Constantine, it was a priviledge to meet you and to witness the work you are doing. 

Tejeras

We wanted to do a second post on Tejeras because so many of you have given to this ministry and it is so hard to adequately describe the experience of serving a meal at Tejeras.  We did it Wednesday, and we tried to make the experience better tonight. We took more food tonight, and we also distributed beans and rice to the families of the children at Tejeras.  Laura Jana brought clothing and utensils.  We really planned to try and make it an experience that our hearts could stand.  Tejeras is emotional torture.  Something inside you wants to freeze the frame, pause and cry out, "THIS IS AWFUL.  LORD, PLEASE MAKE IT STOP." 

Poverty like this is rarely seen in our country.  It is painful, but we have to look at this.  We need this experience because the pain of it is a teacher and it breaks you open.  The Lord also wants this to stop and he is giving us the chance to be part of that.  These children were eating out of the city dump three years ago.

One family wanted to take their food home.

It was great to have the men in the group helping us serve.  Of all the meals I have ever served, I was most privileged to be among this group of individuals.  I will never see these people in the same way again.  What I feel for each of them goes deeper than respect.  What a blessing!  To all of you who gave to this mission, we give our heartfelt thanks.  We can't wait to be home with our families again.

June 1, 2012

Friday morning started with one group going to Rio Chiquito, up into the mountains on the back of a truck, and another group went back to Santa Clara to the White Dove school.  The construction of the clinic is really going well, and everyone involved with teaching Bible study really enjoyed the last day with the kids. 

Jeff & Jimmy laid A LOT of bricks today.

 Amy even got to try her hand at brick laying!  She was pretty good!

John, Andrew and a local worker mix cement the Honduras way.

We had two US military soldiers involved in a humanitarian mission here in Honduras stop by the White Dove school to request assistance from Arturo with translators.  We discussed the work we are currently doing with them.

The White Dove students are just like American students in many aspects.  They love to sing; they love to be silly; they love to be loved.  In this picture we were teaching them "The Hokey Pokey." 

Craig taught the Bible lesson today with help from one of our translators, Stanley, while Anne looked on from the side.

Craig and Amy with four precious first grade girls.  I think they would take them home with them if they could. :)

 

Silly faces!!

 Another team traveled to Rio Chiquita, a remote village high in the mountains.

 

The views were spectacular.

 Rio Chiquita shares its water supply with three other communities in the mountains.  There are numerous problems with the water system that is in place and the leaders of the town requested our help in making improvements.  Here, Rusty is discussing these small concrete boxes that lower pressure in the water supply system.

We traveled higher into the mountains above the town to investigate the reservoir.

We gave flouride and deworming to all the children in the village.  Seated are Bethany Jana, Mary Adele Rackley, and Mary Elizabeth Stringer.

Dr. Laura Jana holding a three month old baby and speaking to his older brother.

Dr. Constantine shut Wayne in a darkened classroom with the children and a pack of glow necklaces.  This is the photo of a happy man.  We are calling him "Redneck Santa".

We have so much more to share with you.  Tomorrow is our last day here, and we are all a little sad to be packing up.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Thanks for praying for us!!!

One group spent the day visiting Laguna del Carmen in the mountains above Quimistan.  Looks like it's going to be a rough ride! 

 In the village, Klancie consulted with a former Red Cross nurse who cares for the village, while the rest of us (including the guys) made bead bracelets with the children.

Christy helped the children get started on their bracelets.

Jack, Jonathon, and Rusty prepared for fluoride treatments.  We also gave deworming treatments and handed out toothpaste, toothbrushes, and floss.

During lunch, we bagged up beans and rice to deliver to families in need.  Wayne and Colin filled bags of beans.

Klancie and a happy resident of Laguna del Carmen!

Wayne demonstrated what to do with the glow sticks we brought to give away!

 We gave away beans and rice to households along the way back down the mountain.

A beautiful view from the road leaving the village!

A second group returned to Santa Clara for VBS.  Kathryn, Craig, Katie, Missy, and Anne sang with the children and taught "Jesus Loves Me" in sign language and English.

 Katie helped a little girl decorate her cross.

  

 Amy and Anna Marie illustrate the students' word for the day - spider - teaching "The Itsy Bitsy Spider!"

 Craig taught American history to a group of 1st graders.

Teaching the children "This Little Light of Mine!"

Anna Marie, Craig, Katie and Suyapa, who visited Starkville before Christmas, sang with the children.

Arturo saddled a horse for the girls to have a little fun!  Tanner got a lesson from her dad and one of our Honduras friends!

The construction group continued work on the clinic.

 

 Andrew, Jack, and John mixed cement for the foundation.

As you can see, lots of different projects are taking place here in Honduras.  Our team is tired but happy at the end of each day.  After showers, supper and a devotional, we're ready for an early bedtime!  We covet your continued prayers for our team - for our safety, for our work, and for the people we are serving.  Buenos noches!

We had a visitor on the porch of the cafeteria the other night.  

 Today our team visited La Cebita School in the morning.  We gave flouride and deworming treatments to more than two hundred children.  

This is a home we saw while touring La Cebita.

This team traveled to the "Swinging Bridge" Community in the afternoon.

In the afternoon, we visited the "Swinging Bridge Community" where again we could see the benefits of your generosity and compassion to the people of Honduras.  This is a bridge built by our church and in the picture below you can see the log previously being used as a crossing.

 Amy taught a Bible lesson to the children.

We met the local residents of the "Swinging Bridge Community".

 We had our hearts broken in Tejeras.  This meal is provided by our church to these children three times a week.  They walk down a busy highway carrying a plate and cup and are served a hot meal.  Women of the Church, today you fed these beautiful children.  Some did not bring plates, but plastic lids from containers and thermos tops.  The need was overwhelming and we had to ration out the last of the food because we had so many to serve.  Believe me when I tell you that it was difficult to maintain composure or to even process what we saw.  They were so hungry and we did not have enough.  

This is the road the people travel to and from Tejeras.  We saw children three years old leading smaller children by the hand down this road.  

Thanks to all of you who are praying for us.  The weight of the needs around us has begun to really sink in and we are at times having difficulty understanding how to even help.  Tonight, we are all tucked in bed listening to the steady rhythm of a good hard rain. To God be the glory.