Sunday, September 1st, 2019
16 members from different parts of the United States arrived safely to Honduras and make up the Farmville 2019 Team. We come from many different backgrounds, but all have one common goal: to make the world a better place while serving the Lord, one life at a time. Team leader, Sharon Chandler, started off our first full day by delivering a beautiful devotion, followed by communion. Kayaking in Lago de Yojoa was a fun way to bond as a team and see the beauty the country has to offer. We finished the day by packing pills and necessary preparation for the week of serving.
Monday, September 2nd, 2019
The first village our team visited was El Chaguiton. This village consisted of 200 people, 95 families, and 88 homes. They get their water by fountain, but only during the winter; in the summer it dries up and they have to look for different water wells. They have to walk for 2 hours to get to the nearest health center. Farmville United Methodist Church is a community partner with El Chaguiton.
Upon arrival, we were told there had been a death of an elderly member of the community. We were warned we may not see many people because most of the community would be paying their respects to the family. This however, was not the case. We saw approximately 80% of the community in clinic.
While enjoying a delicious team dinner, we all reflected on our first day. Some members brought up that the mothers of the community stayed very aware of the development of their children. Malnourishment was a quality very seldom seen.
A returning member, Lance, gave away his cross today to a little girl in the dental clinic. He stated last year that it was hard to give crosses because in dental, they aren’t able to share their story. A 3-year-old girl sat on the chair, accompanied by her father, scared but tough. He mentioned the anxiety he could see in the child. To relax her, he decided to pause a second and give her a cross. She was instantly at peace. She did not need to hold anyone’s hand because she held the cross around her neck. He was moved by the release of anxiety from this little girl, simply by giving her a cross.
Gayle finished the day with a moving devotion to wind down our minds and get ready for the next day.
~Kristen Jamerson
