Wednesday, April 26, 2023
As we all woke up this morning, we couldn’t believe how lucky we are to help those in need! We all gathered around, volunteers and staff, for a group photo in our Friends of Barnabas Foundation shirts. On our shirts it says “HEAL-EDUCATE-EMPOWER” what a great way to say what we all strive to do within the villages.
As we ascended into the mountains, we had to get special permission from a mining operation to use their road as a shortcut to the Village of El Palmar. If we hadn’t it would have taken us much longer than the 1 ½ hour drive. In Honduras they actually mine for zinc, copper, silver, and gold. This industry employs many people of this country.
Just like all of the other villages once we arrived, we had many people waiting for us. Adults, children, men, and women were helping us set up all of our stations. The children in this village were so helpful and wanted to learn everything around them. They asked many questions and tried to practice their English on us. When Charlie was finished setting up his Chiropractic table all of the kids were in awe of it. Charlie brought all the kids into the clinic and showed them how to tend to muscles that are sore. These kids would have never been exposed to this type of work without Charlie showing them. Charlie enjoys making personal connections with everyone he is around.
In the Eye Clinic we helped many patients who needed to get glasses so they could have an easier time to read. Some of them haven’t been able to see small print in a very long time. Chris was able to help organize the flow of the patients and find the correct prescription for them. She also provided sunglasses to some of the patients to prevent further damage to the eyes. One of her most memorable moments was when a little girl was hurt and couldn’t walk, Chris painted the little girl's fingernails and toenails so she could forget about the pain for a moment.
In the Pharmacy area the volunteers were able to see how God works. Many of the children had coughs and were prescribed medicines for treatment. Peggy was reminded of how precious a child’s smile can be. There was one child about 3 or 4 years old and even though he had just come from the dentist for extractions he wanted to give everyone a “thumbs up”. That just made Peggy’s day!
Bessie and Maggie both saw many families today. They both felt the fellowship throughout this community. They were able to help in unique situations and was able to get the patients the correct medicines for treatment. Martha loves to work with Dr. Pedro. He is always in great spirits and smiles at everyone! John recalls being on the bus with Dr. Pedro after we were leaving the village and the doctor was on the phone with patients trying to help them out. He goes above and beyond and truly has a calling for helping people. Carlos had a patient that had very high blood pressure. The patient didn’t think she needed to see the doctor but he was able to convince her that it was really important to be seen. She took the advice and was seen.
The Dental Clinic was once again busy. Dr. Bo does amazing things with the little equipment he has. He puts his patients first and only treats them if they are comfortable with what is going on. Sometimes that does mean having to take a step back and letting the patient decide if they can continue. Jodi assisted Dr. Bo with a couple of extractions and she remembers this one child that was really scared. However once everything was explained to him he allowed them to continue with the extraction and they were able to help him pain free. Katherine enjoys working in the dental clinic. She applies fluoride to clients teeth to prevent dental issues later on.
To end the day Landon played “futbol” (soccer) with the boys of the village. They spent a while together getting to know each other without speaking the language. What a great gift from God! He felt the calling to gift the village his personal soccer ball. The looks on their faces were awe inspiring. As we were about to load up on the bus a young lady came around with a basket of homemade sweetbread. Bunny asked the lady what it was and if she made it and the young lady said yes “it was made with LOVE”.
As you can see everyone plays a special part in our volunteer work in Honduras. Without one of us here something would fall through the crack. Our volunteers and staff members work hard for the people of Honduras, and we would do it all over again.
HEAL-EDUCATE-EMPOWER
SANAR-EDUCAR-EMPODERAR
Chris Hofler
Hampton Roads Team
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