Friday, September 27th, 2019
For our final day of serving the beautiful people of Honduras we visited the community of Los Aguajes, Las Vegas in Santa Barbara. Today was their last day of the four-year contract with Friends of Barnabas, and it was very apparent. The people of the community were extremely grateful and knew the processes of each station. Their organization made for a natural flow between stations which gave everyone more time to be acquainted with the rest of the community. A very fun fact is that this community is sponsored by Harmony United Methodist Church, which is the home base of this team. Amy B was able to meet many community members that she had heard about and was able to put faces to names. The connections between the community, Harmony UMC, and Friends of Barnabas created a calmness and willingness that spread throughout the entire community.
Because this community had been served for four years there was some overlap with our team members having been there in previous years. Theresa and Amy H had both been in this community before and it was a delight to observe their interactions. Theresa had a great start to her day by serving two individuals in a row that she had served in the past. Amy H has always taken photos of different individuals in the communities and she had recognized two sisters and another boy when they came to the vitamin station. When she showed them their photos from last year, their faces lit up and they were so excited to show their parents how Amy had remembered them. Watching these interactions truly was an experience to remember.
The quality of medical care provided by our team was at a very high level. The medical professionals and translators seemed to work together seamlessly. We provided preventative medical care and counseling to help patients stay healthy as well as medical treatment for those who already have health problems. We were interested in the fact that many of the people had significant dental problems that could easily be prevented with simple dental hygiene. It was heartbreaking to see young children with tooth decay requiring tooth extraction. Hopefully the care we provided will help prevent such situations.
We finished the medical clinic early since this community was smaller than the others we had visited. Because we had some free time, we decided to go on an adventure to the waterfall which is only about 20 minutes from Alfredo’s House. Several members of the team rode a zipline over the falls. With His protection, everyone made it to the finish line with no issues and with the exceptional love and devotion of Raul, our driver, we made it home safely.
This week seemed to fly by. All week God blessed us with His strength and His endurance. We are grateful that the team has been healthy enough to serve and work together so beautifully. Terry has stated that he “has never seen a mission’s organization that was as meticulous and attentive to detail as Friends of Barnabas has been”. The staff truly demonstrate love for the Honduran people and for the visitors who work with them to serve those in need. It has been a privilege and honor to work with them.
Godspeed,
Katie and Terry
