Honduras Mission Trip

The Lord has really blessed Dusty and I with some amazing friends!! We are so thankful for all of them!!! One of the couples we are extremely thankful for would be Trey and Heather Powell. They are such a great couple and wonderful friends! We always enjoy our time with these two!! Plus, our dog Nash and their dog Delta are B.F.F., so we have lots of fun when we get together! Dusty met Trey during their first year of medical school and really hit it off! In fact, Trey was a groomsmen in our wedding. Heather and I soon became friends as well and I love spending time with her! She is such a sweet person and a GREAT cook! ( As long as she doesn't make something with green peas) :) Heather just recently graduated from medical school at UAMS and will be starting her residency soon! A little over a week ago she went on a medical mission trip to Honduras. Dusty and I have been praying over this trip since we found out she was going to go. I had actually planned on posting about her trip and asking everyone who reads this blog to pray for them as well. Then I was going to have her guest blog about her time in Honduras. If you read this blog then you know this obviously didnt happen and I. Feel. TERRIBLE about it! Seriously! I feel like the worst friend ever!! Luckily for me Heather is a sweet sweet friend and still wanted to share her trip with everyone who reads this blog, Did I mention she is really sweet? ok. Anyways, ya'll welcome my first guest blogger Heather Powell....

Greetings! I am so excited to share a summary of my experiences on my recent mission trip to Honduras!The trip was truly a blessing for our team members. We arrived safely in San Pedro Sula on Saturday, May 28th and began our 7 hour drive to the small coastal village of Limon. We had to stop in La Ceiba to buy groceries for the entire week as it was a 4 hour drive to the nearest grocery store from where we stayed in Limon. Upon arrival we unloaded the medications to replenish the supply in the pharmacy at the clinic. One of the unique characteristics of the clinic we worked in is that it operates perpetually. Different teams from the states come throughout the year. For instance, we were leaving on a Friday, and another team of physicians was arriving on Sunday to work the following week. This clinic is able to provide year round care! When patients run out of their medications, they simply come back to the clinic, see a doctor, and get their refill.

Having just graduated from medical school one week before, this trip was especially meaningful for me. One of my desires when I entered medical school was to be able to use my skills as a physician in the Lord’s service through medical missions. Finally after 4 years of medical training, I was able to serve in the mission field as a physician. The joy that I felt on the first day of clinic as I ministered to the people of Honduras by treating their physical ailments is indescribable. I had the overwhelming feeling that I was exactly where God wanted me to be at that moment, and I knew that I was there only because of His provision in my life in all of the experiences that brought me to this place.




My first day in clinic as a "real doctor"


Throughout the week, we treated many of the illnesses that we see in the United States: Diabetes, Hypertension, Ear Infections, Gastritis, Reflux, etc. However, there are other medical issues that we rarely see in our society. The city of Limon is on the “Mosquito Coast” of Honduras so this leads to a high prevalence of Malaria. Also, due to the extreme poverty and lack of a public sewer system, there are issues with sanitation and potable water sources. Many of the people, especially the children are infected with parasites and amoebas as a result of sanitation problems. Due to lack of access to nutritious foods, we saw children who were anemic and malnourished. In spite of all these things, the people were joyful and grateful for our presence.

The children were so sweet. The kiddos in the states always scream when I try to look in their ears, but the little ones in Honduras sat perfectly still and never complained.

This sweet lady put on her Sunday best to come see the doctors.

We had the opportunity to go and have clinic in two local villages. One of these villages was an hour away, and the terrain was rugged, requiring a truck to get there. Unfortunately, even with most of our team riding in the truck bed, we only had access to two trucks which was not enough to transport our team of 22, including missionaries and interpreters. We prayed that God would provide a way for us to go to the village of La Fortuna. One night as we were eating dinner, there was a frantic knocking on the door of the mission house. There was a lady having chest pain and shortness of breath. She thought she was having a heart attack. She was brought in to the clinic and we discovered that she had recently stopped taking her blood pressure medication. She was found to be extremely hypertensive and she was very anxious as a result. We calmed her down, gave her medications to lower her blood pressure, and within the hour she was feeling much better. As the docs treated this lady, our mission leader was visiting with her husband, who happened to be the Mayor of Limon, who also happened to own a truck. He was so thankful that our team had helped his wife that he graciously agreed to let our team borrow his truck so that we would be able to make the journey to La Fortuna. This story is just one example of how God provided for our team through the week. We are so thankful for all of the people we had back home, partnering with us in prayer.

Riding in the back of trucks to the clinic at La Fortuna

The roads in the mountains were pretty bumpy

Our team of physicians! (Left to Right) Hunter, Heather, Kris, Clyde and Lloyene.

In summarizing our trip, I have to mention the orphanage in Limon called “Leonarda’s Home of Hope.” The Carolina Honduras Foundation which runs the clinic where we worked during the week partners with this orphanage to provide resources and funding. All 47 of the children who live at the orphanage are orphans from AIDS. However, all of the children are HIV negative. Though the living conditions at the orphanage are primitive, the children’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs are provided for. Through an abundance of financial contributions for the trip, our team was able to purchase tables and chairs for the orphanage. Prior to this purchase, there were around ten old rickety chairs and two tables at the orphanage. As a result most of the children simply sat on concrete floor to eat their meals. Now they can each enjoy their own chair as they sit at a table and eat their meals. Visiting “Leonarda’s Home of Hope” made our whole team aware of the simple blessings in life that we take for granted. For more information about the orphanage visit http://www.leonardashomeofhope.org/.

One of the kids at Leonarda's Home of Hope sitting in a NEW chair

Some of our team at the orphanage

Thanks to Allison for letting me share my experiences as a guest blogger and for her prayers and support for the trip. If you would like more information or if you would like to join the team next year, send me an e-mail at hlpowell85@gmail.com. I'd love to chat with you about future mission opportunities. And, if you are reading this, please send up a quick prayer for all the sweet children at Leonarda's Home of Hope.