Los Hules

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Today we awoke to our final mission day in this beautiful country.  (Trip cut a day short by the impending winter storm Fern headed towards Richmond).  Vivian Greene once said ‘Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.’ The mountain families in Honduras showed us the practical meaning behind this statement.  No matter what the conditions, people come to clinics with so much joy and appreciation.  Rain or shine, the children could be found out in the yard having so much fun kicking around a ball or just enjoying time with friends.  It's incredible to see their eyes sparkle and the huge smiles illuminate across their face as they adore their freshly painted nails or carefully placed tattoo, or the relief parents get from simple affirmations that they’re doing great - it reminds us of the importance of simple acts. 

Today we visited the community of Los Hules, in the department Cortes (department is akin to our states).

Families served: 35

Children treated with fluoride: 40

Dentist treatments performed: 3 extractions and 3 cleanings. 

It was a sunny day, and we experienced a bit of the Honduran heat. We were blessed to have the accommodations of a 4-room schoolhouse which allowed the team to spread out and fans to help keep us cool. The first timers did a visit to the home of a local family.  The mom, Angelica, had tortillas on the open oven, the hornillo, in front of their home.   Her husband, Jose, was working the fields.  They have 2 daughters, Jessica, the youngest, and their eldest, Angie (15), was married and expecting her first child. Art Utley shared a cross from a prior trip which Nicole passed along to Angie as a reminder of God’s love.  They live simply but home is home. 

It was another day filled with ailments treated, guidance shared, countless stickers and temporary tattoos placed, nails painted and pictures printed for endless smiles.  These moments will forever be kept in our hearts. 

Tonight the team heads into San Pedro Sula for one last team dinner before we called it a night in preparation for our journeys home Friday.  We consider ourselves blessed to have had this opportunity to serve the families of Honduras and leave reassured in God’s faithfulness, trusting that the seeds planted here will continue to grow long after we return home.

~Nicole & Virginia