Water, Water Everywhere…

Susan Nally

Guimaca, Honduras

 

Have you considered what your life would be like without clean water?    Let’s examine a few things we know.  Our bodies consist of more than 70 % water.  More than 50% of the earth is covered with water.  A pregnant woman must drink more than 64 ounces of water a day.   Now think about how much water you use just to brush your teeth, washing dishes or washing your clothes. 

Water is necessary to our everyday living!  What would you do if you did not have water available for your everyday existence?  What would you do if you did not have clean water?

Luke 9:2 has been searching for years for a way to bring clean water to the villages where we work.  Last September, Luke 9:2 partnered with Water Steps and the first water system was installed at the mission compound at Cofradia, Honduras.  This new water purification system is supplying clean water to the village people on a regular basis.  All the people have to do is purchase a 5 gallon water bottle for $1.00 and they can continue to bring it back and receive free clean water.  As of this writing, 40 to 50 families bring their jugs to the mission compound twice a week to get their water.

 

Pastor Nelson says that free water is being taken to the school, the medical clinic and the police department.  Each of these groups have the ability to touch many lives.  It stands to reason that children will become healthier and the community as a whole will see an improvement in everyone’s health.     

 In April of 2014, three more water systems will be installed.  The water team will install systems in two villages and one orphanage.  Lives will be changed because of the availability of clean water.  If you are interested in providing clean, life-giving water to people who cannot get it, you can partner with Luke 9:2 Ministries by going to our website (www.luke9-2ministries.org) to find information about how to make a donation to this specific project.

Be a part of something that will change lives for generations!  Matthew 10:42 reminds us that, “ And anyone who gives one of my humble followers a cup of cool water, just because that person is my follower, will be rewarded.”

Notes from a Newbie:   (Elizabeth Ward) 

I finally got to come on a medical mission trip with Luke 9:2 Ministries to Honduras.  For over 10 years I have been helping to prepare for the trips but always watching them go without me.  It was not my time yet.  I feel blessed to have finally made it to Honduras for this work.

I have seen many pictures of the trips, but until you come you cannot understand fully the extent of the need or the work.  Today we pulled up to our biggest clinic of the week.  There were so many people lined up, you could not see the end of the line.  By the end of the day (7:30 pm) we had served 697 patients; pulled 200 teeth; and given out 141 pairs of glasses. The most that Luke 9:2 Ministries have ever done in one day.

  “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” Luke 10:2

 

 

WHO WILL GO FOR US?

Doug and Deborah Duty

Cofradia, Honduras

 

Today I want to focus not on those who we are serving but on those who came to serve.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying – “Whom shall I send, who will go for Us? Then I said, “Here am I, send me!”  Isaiah 6:8

 The text has always been a great testament to me. God calls, He calls for ANYONE. Isaiah overhears the conversation and simply responds. The writer even put an exclamation point on his response. This was not a timid reply, this was not a reply that had hesitation. Isaiah replied quickly and emphatically. When he responded he did not know the details, he didn’t question what he would have to do or insist on what he would or would not do.

That is what I have seen in the days here on this trip. Men and women of all ages, all cross sections of life and from various states. As I walk around I drink in the wonder that is this team.

Everyone doing their “thing” but also pitching in to lug boxes, unstack and stack chairs, carry tables and help anyone that needs help. It is a beautiful sight to see brothers and sisters working together.

 

These great people answered the call regardless of anyone else. They didn’t tell the mission what they would or would not do… they said – HERE AM I! I will go! I want to go! Not only that they paid for the privilege of serving. They set aside their own vacation time, they save for months just to be able to say – HERE AM I.

I thank God for people like this. I am impressed by their humble serving hearts. Working LONG hours and still laughing. Smiling when I know good and well they are extremely tired. That is how you answer the call when God says – “who will go for Us?”   Doug

Returning to Honduras for the second time still has me in great awe!  I love seeing how everyone works together to serve as many people as possible.  At the end of today, I find myself thinking it is just not enough. Everyone was still working frantically to see every patient as the sun sets. 

Mother’s on the other side of the fence begging for medication for their children.  A humbling reminder that I have never had to do this.  And that I am truly blessed.   It amazes me how God always gives you what you need exactly when you need it!  I was asking the ages of children and mothers were yelling out ages and I understood.  No one was complaining, just trying to continue to serve.  How do you turn people away as they have stood in line all day, not one of us wanted to!  What a humbling experience!!!   Deb

 

Each one here has answered the call and I know God will honor what has been done in this place.    

Notes from a Newbie:  (Larry McCullough)

Although I have traveled extensively throughout Latin America, this was my first medical missions trip in over 40 years.  It was wonderful to see people come together with the purpose of being God’s hands, feet, and ears to a needy people. 

I was especially impressed with a group of older high school and young university students (national Honduran youth) who worked tirelessly by our side --- serving primarily as translators for the doctors and nurses, and medical support staff.

 

In the book of Malachi, we are exhorted to look and see all that God is doing around the world.  This mission trip helped us see how God is at work in the country of Honduras.  I wish that more dedicated and committed people (those who want to serve God in some way) could experience a trip like this.  And, it was not the trip per se, but the people that God brought.

La Farmacia

Michelle Guy

Those of you who read the previous day’s blog will understand when you read that today’s adventures began with WAITing on the bus when we encountered a problem with the brakes en route. Praise God that all ended well. While waiting for alternate transportation to our first clinic, I began to contemplate just how amazing God is. Who knew that working in my Daddy’s pharmacy as a high school student would be preparation, not for a career but, for mission trips decades later?! Every year for nine years, I along with faithful others, have worked in la farmacia, the make-shift pharmacy area of our clinics.

Much planning and behind-the-scenes work is done before the mission trip ever begins. A monetary gift is given to Luke 9:2 Ministries each year to fund the medications that are purchased from Blessings International, a non-profit organization that supplies medicines at a reduced cost, specifically for medical mission groups. Once the meds are purchased, a group of volunteers gather at Crievewood Baptist Church for “pill packing.” During this time, thousands of vitamins and other medicines are counted and placed into individual bags, upon which the volunteers have placed labels with dosage directions in Spanish and English. These are then packed into crates for the trip. The liquid medicines, primarily given to children, are purchased in Honduras and await the farmacia staff to pour them into small individual plastic bottles.

Once on the clinic site, the pharmacy team sets up shop, placing medications on whatever tables, desks, benches, etc. they can find. Patients receive paper sacks when they register for the clinic. When the nurse or doctor examines them, he or she writes on the bag which medications, from those packed and bought, are recommended to best treat the patient. The patient takes the bag to la farmacia area, and we place the meds in the bag.

 

 

In addition, God has provided an experienced pharmacist for our team. Caleb Williamson is a master at making substitutions for meds we run out of near the end of the trip. He also knows enough about compounding to mix up meds when needed.

God commands us in Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Amazing God plans and provides for us to do just that!

Daily Note from a Newbie: Rebekah Towery

It’s such a blessing to see all of the beautiful people of Honduras. I hope to bring glory to God this week. My favorite part of this first clinic day was after I had finished helping in food distribution. Some of the children were playing and found the empty food bags and had sack races. They came up with the most creative ways to keep the races fun and interesting. I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for the rest of the week!

WAITING

Margaret Morford

Author’s Note: We are normally blessed every year to have Libby and Doug Eaton with us on our mission trips.  They work countless hours and have a genius for conveying what is happening on the mission trip through words and pictures.  However this year, Doug and Libby are still in Nashville WAITing on the birth of their first grandchild, which is imminent.  A great number of us are trying to fill in for them and we are rotating who will write the blog each day…or pieces of the blog.  I made the mistake of asking who was writing it today and was immediately assigned the task for doing so. 

This day reminds me of my favorite verse from the Bible,

“But they that WAIT upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31.

My sister, Jean (her first mission trip), and I arrived at the church in Nashville at 3:20 this morning to find Robert Brown already WAITing on our group despite the fact that Doug Nally told us we didn’t have to be there until 3:30 AM.  Robert had come early to de-ice the buses and warm them up so that we wouldn’t freeze in our Honduras shorts, flip flops and light jackets.  It was seven degrees when we left Nashville and no one wanted to drag their coats to warm Honduras.  Thank you Robert!  (We also had to WAIT on Doug Nally, our fearless leader, who didn’t arrive until 3:45 AM, but that’s another story!)

Our plane was late leaving Nashville because we had to WAIT while they de-iced it – something you want done so your plane doesn’t crash!  However, the delay was not a problem as we had sufficient WAIT time in Miami to make our connection to Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We also were WAITing to meet up with three more of our team who were coming from various other parts of the country.  All of them made it despite the fact that the airport monitors were full of flights that had been cancelled all across the country due to the fierce ice, snow and frigid temperatures that are sweeping across the U.S.

Our plane was an hour late departing Miami because we had to WAIT for the maintenance mechanics to put a new screw in the outside body of the plane.  We never found out what needed to be reattached, but I wouldn’t want to take off in any plane for anywhere that is missing any part!

When we arrived in Honduras, there was a long WAIT to get our medical crates and a WAIT to clear customs.  We were again blessed that everything arrived and is available for our first medical clinic in the morning.  On a previous trip, our crates got held up and it is almost impossible to treat our patients without the medical supplies we bring with us. A nurse on our team, Janet Gerard, was flying from Oregon to meet us in Honduras.  She managed to get to Houston before they closed the airport due to weather.  Although she had to WAIT in Houston, she arrived at about the same time we did on one of the few flights to get out of Houston today!  Losing any medical person on the trip limits the number of patients we can see so they are critical to how successful our mission will be.  We have two more people coming tomorrow who had to WAIT to get off work to join us. 

We are now 33 strong and ready to do the work that God has for us, laid out in accordance with his plan on his perfect time table.  Tonight we will arrive in the compound at Cofradia and get everything organized for tomorrow.  We are now WAITing for our first clinic day to definitely where we will eagerly aWAIT for our first patients.  But most important of all, we will WAIT to see what blessings, and lessons, God has for each of us on this trip.

Daily Note from a Newbie: Jean Morford

Obviously being a newbie I have no idea what to expect. I can say that being with this caring and industrious group will be a blessing all on its own. The camaraderie is wonderful to observe and I look forward to whatever task is assigned me. The landing in Tegucigalpa was definitely exciting and got things started with a bang.

Mission Trip Baby "Blues". Or Baby "Pinks"?

The blog posts for the 2014 mission trip of Luke 9:2 Ministries will not be written by me.  Others will pick up the "pen" and document the comings and goings, ups and downs, joys and sorrows, pains and pleasures of the mission team this year.  Certainly these other writers are more than capable of capturing these moments for those of us that will be back in the States, myself included.

For the last four years my role on the team has been to communicate to loved ones all that was going on with the team in Honduras and Guatemala.  Along with my husband, we posted the events of the day using words and pictures.  Many of you have encouraged us in the effort with your kind comments, both written on the blog and in person. It certainly isn't for lack of affirmation that we will not be making the trip this year!

So, why aren't we going?  Well, on or around February 9, 2014 we will become grandparents for the first time!  Since babies have a way of coming whenever they are ready, we just didn't want to take the chance that the baby would come while we were out of the country!  So, we decided to stay here and support the team from this side of the border!

Luke 9:2 Ministries will be returning to Cofradia, Honduras, about an hour from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras.  They depart on Friday, January 24th and will return on Friday, 31st.  While there, they will serve in 5 remote medical clinics.  Doctors and nurses will treat the sick, dentists will pull teeth, de-worming and other medicines will be dispensed, food will be distributed, and reading and other glasses will be given to those that need them.

My heart will be with them.  And, Lord willing, we will again join them in 2015.

Why the blog post title, you ask?  We don't know if we are having a grandson or a granddaughter!

Our Final Day

Friday morning we donned our Luke 9:2 Ministries T-Shirts and posed for the official 2013 team photo.  Then, we said our “goodbyes” as we left our friends at Cofradia and drove down into Tegucigalpa for our free day.

Our first stop was a national park at the top of one of the mountains overlooking the city of Tegucigalpa.  Our bus drove through the crowded, busy streets of the city, then through the newer, wealthier areas of Tegucigalpa, on the way to the park to the Christo el Picacho, a giant statue of Jesus.

 The road led up from the hustle and bustle to a place of quiet tranquility.  Once at the top, we found all the elements of a great park - scenic overlooks, beautiful landscaping, a play areas for the kids, and bathrooms! (Although we did have to pay extra to get to the section of the park where the statue and the bathrooms are located!) 

When the bus stopped we unloaded and went straight to the scenic overlook high above the city of Tegucigalpa.  The city sits in a bowl, so we observed the entire city, including the airport right in the middle of the city.  We had been told the runways were short, but this view confirmed that fact!

The statue of Jesus, hands outstretched, is enormous.  It looks very much like the famous statue in Brazil overlooking Rio de Janeiro.  It is a rather surreal feeling, being there with Jesus, looking down on the city.  I can think of quite a few sermons that could come from those few minutes on the mountaintop, but I’ll save those for another time!

After leaving the park, we went to a very modern mall in the heart of the city for lunch.  Our group split up - some to T.G.I. Friday’s, some to Pizza Hut, and some to fast food places in the food court.  After our time in the rural towns and villages, we experienced a bit of reverse culture shock!  But, boy, did that pepperoni taste good!

Finally, we went on the Intercontinental Hotel Real, our lodging for the night.  This hotel is very American/European in appearance, and was a welcome respite after our week at the rustic retreat center.  The television picks up Latin American as well as American channels.  One channel even broadcasts in Italian.

Everyone was on their own for the afternoon.  Some took hot showers.  Some slept.  Some watched television.  Some went across the street to another mall and shopped.  This last option was my choice.  We walked around, mostly just to see what type of stores were represented.  This is a very upscale mall, and it has several coffee shops and 3 different places to buy Dunkin’ Donuts.  Yum!  Also attached to the mall is a grocery store that provides a place to purchase Honduran coffee, tea, and other goodies to bring home as souvenirs.

When we gathered in the lobby for dinner, we found two interesting surprises.  First, we noticed that there were some television crews around and a lot of people in very formal evening attire.  It turns out the hotel was hosting the Honduran version of the Grammy’s, and several members of our team were interviewed by a crew about their reason for being in Honduras.  The second interesting surprise involved our concierge who delighted members of our team with silhouettes he was cutting of our team member’s profiles - right there in the lobby.  And he was good!  They made wonderful mementos of our time at the hotel.

Then we rode to a restaurant called El Patio.  This restaurant is noted for its especially good pinchos (shish kabobs), and many of us took advantage of these. 

The food was great, and we were serenaded by a Mariachi Band that took requests.  We had to have “Happy Birthday”, and celebrated Michelle G’s birthday (it was that day), and JoAnne’s and Barbara’s birthdays that were only a few days before or after. 

And, of course, the celebration included dancing!

Close to 10 o’clock, we returned to the hotel for our final night in Honduras.  Our beds were very comfortable and we all got some much needed sleep.  By the time we loaded the bus to head for the airport the next morning, we were already reflecting on how particularly uneventful this trip had been.  And, with the exception of some respiratory issues, most of the team stayed healthy for the duration of the trip.

I write this final entry after being home for a week.  I was one of those who ended up with a respiratory infection, and it still lingers.  But, I am extremely thankful that I live in a place where I have ready access to doctors and medicines to treat my illness, and the financial means to purchase the medicine I need. Remembering the number of folks that we just served where those conditions are not in place helps me keep things in perspective.

Thanks to all of you who have given me positive feedback about the blog.  My goal is to help you feel as though you are on the journey with us, and many of you tell me that you indeed felt that way.  Your encouragement keeps me going and makes me want to do better.  So, thank you.

Our final numbers for the trip are:  Total Patients - 2132; Dental Patients - 295; Extractions – 531;

Glasses - 465; Food - 2853 lbs.

To view additional pictures from our trip, or to download them to help you tell your own story, go to www.luke9-2ministries.org and click on the “photos” link.

Five Loaves and Two Fish

As promised, yesterday was a LONG day!  Breakfast was at 6:00 AM, and we were packed and on the road to Guaimaca by 7:15 AM.  Most of the journey was on a paved highway, but it had more than its fair share of potholes, construction, and twists & turns to navigate!  Guaimaca is about a 1 hour and 45 minute bus ride from Cofradia.  Roughly 15 minutes away from our destination, the bus driver pulled over to the side of the road.  We had a flat tire.  Thankfully it did not cause him to lose control of the bus, and the bus was still drivable.  Henry, our driver, drove carefully the rest of the way to the church.

Guimaca is a big town with a population of over 20,000.  As I mentioned previously, the pastor and his family visited our clinic on Tuesday to see what our set up looks like and what we need in order to stage a successful clinic.  It was then that he informed us he had advertised Thursday’s clinic on the local television and radio station, and that he expected a huge crowd.  Though not located in the heart of the town, the church is still in a populated area.  As we pulled up to the property, we could see the mass of people already in line.  

The line stretched up the block and around the building.  We had no idea how many were around the corner!  Later that night, Dr Ponce told us he had received a phone call from the pastor at 6:00 AM that morning saying folks were already in waiting in line for the clinic.  That means many of those folks stood in line 3-4 hours before they ever got in the door!

The pastor had recruited more than 35 volunteers to help us during the course of the day.  Many were teenagers and young adults who spoke excellent English. Their help made set up happen quickly, and after a time of prayer and singing “This is the Day” (English and Spanish), the doors opened and we were off and running! 

All day long the line continued up the street and around the corner.  Over and over, I heard our team members whisper, “We are running out of ...”   Or, “We are almost out of….”  About mid-day, more food was purchased in town to be distributed – we’d already given out all we had brought.  And, the people continued to arrive.  Usually we finish clinic between 3:30-4:00 PM, but not this day.  We didn’t even close the clinic for lunch…we just took turns taking a few minutes to eat a quick bite. 

 Four o’clock came and went.  Five o’clock came and went.  We registered the last patients and let them in the gate about 5:15 PM.  The last patient was seen and the bus loaded for the long ride home just as darkness descended, about 6:15 PM.  The only thing we completely ran out of was glasses, specifically reading glasses.  Some medications gave out, but comparable substitutes were available.

The stars are beautiful in the Honduran countryside.  I know this because it was 8:15 PM when we finally arrived back at Cofradia.  Supper featured a traditional Honduran selection of tacos, taquitos, tostada, and pupusas (thick, fried corn tortilla with a cheesy center).  It tasted ever so marveloso!

After dinner we had a special debriefing time and wrap up of the week.  The final numbers were tallied for the day:  total patients-642, dental patients-93, teeth pulled-163, glasses given-119, and 975 lbs of food distributed!  After hearing those numbers, Caleb felt compelled to read us the story of the Five Loaves and Two Fishes.  We felt like we had relived that miracle on Thursday! 

Then came fun time!  Margaret and Michelle shared with us this year’s version of  “Ode to Cofradia”.  Though it might not be funny to you, to us, it was hysterical.  Then, M&M recruited 12 of the team members to participate in a carol they wrote for the occasion - “The 12 Memories of Cofradia”, sung to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.  We laughed until we cried.  Watch for these special antics to appear on the web when we return to the States and have enough bandwidth to upload video.  J

Finally, Doug and I shared a “Memories” slide show we put together for the team.  This show is our attempt to provide a look-back for the team members along with pictures to prompt them to tell you their stories.  So make sure you ask to see it, or click on the Luke 9:2 Ministries website to see it for yourself.  We hope to have it posted sometime Sunday.

We fell into bed at 11:30 p.m., exhausted by the day, but thrilled at how many people we were able to serve.  Friday (today) is our day of rest and time of site-seeing in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras.  Look for a wrap up of the week post to come to the blog on Sunday.

Thanks for your prayers for safety and health.  With the exception of a few minor irritations and discomforts, all team members are healthy and enjoying our day off.