The time has finally arrived. I’ve returned to Honduras. My first mission trip to Honduras last November had a profound impact on me, and I have the special opportunity to introduce the beauty of Honduras to several of my family members: my daughter, Annabelle, my brother Dr. Arjun, and his girlfriend, Tammy. This team of 16 members is different from our November team; it’s a mix of youthful excitement and veteran leadership. Although we have different backgrounds, we have a common purpose: to serve those less fortunate.
As we exit the plane at San Pedro Sula, it is clear that the August heat far surpasses that of my previous trip in November. The two-hour bus drive to the Fundación de Bernabé in Peña Blanca immediately brought back fond memories of my past trip. I was left with a hopeful expectation that our current trip will spiritually impact the new team members.
I can’t help but hug my friends at Barnabas House, an amazing staff that gives selflessly for their cause. They are truly my teachers, reminding me why I wanted to be a doctor in the first place: to care for the sick with no strings attached. Nury, Marco, Pedro, and others give us a hero’s welcome, and we eat the most amazing home-cooked Honduran food on our first day.
This team is unique in its composition and gives the doctors and nurses an opportunity to influence the young adults. I’m eager to work side-by-side with my 17 year-old daughter, Annabelle, during this medical mission, and also positively influence the other young adults: Charlotte (15), Gunnar (17) and Nolan (18). Their
energy is infectious, but I am so impressed with their level of humanity and selflessness at such a young age. It is truly an honor to work with them.
We start our day filling hundreds of bags with thousands of pills, in preparation for our first mountain medical visit Monday. The Los Robles staff, comprised of Dr. Ed, Dr. Carlo, Sue, Debbie, Gabie, Deborah, Dane, Shane, Liz and Jessica, sense a profound satisfaction to work with each other in a place so unfamiliar and geographically breathtaking, and to provide the beautiful Honduran people with hope and love. Debbie said it best in her devotional when she said, “if we open our hearts, we will get at least as much, if not more, in helping the Honduran people, than we can give to them.”
