News/Updates:

October 21-27, 2007 

The October mission’s trip to Honduras was very successful with nearly 500 medical patients being treated for a variety of ailments and nearly 200 people having access to a dentist. On average, each person had two to three teeth pulled, for over 400 teeth extracted during a four-day period by dentist Dr. Ken Rundle of Indiana.

Medically, the most common complaints heard were headaches, backaches, gastritis, arthritis, coughs and sinus problems. Husband and wife doctors, Marshall and Lou Guill, and nurse, Myra Naglich, all of Georgia, provided medicines for countless cases of scabies, an infestation of the skin with a microscopic mite; parasites, typically intestinal worms, commonly picked up from the dirt as many people walk barefoot; impetigo, a contagious skin infection that usually produces blisters or sores on the face and hands; and foot fungus.

Countless Tylenol, antibiotics, Ibuprofen, medicines for foot fungus and parasites and 3,000 vitamins were given during the week. In addition, there were about 10 pairs of reading glasses provided.

One of the most heartbreaking cases was seen by Marshall, who spoke with a father of four children who had a cancerous mass in his neck. The man had underwent three rounds of chemotherapy then had to stop treatments due to a lack of money.

At the end of each day, the crew would gather back at El Cortijo del Lago and sort medicines and repack the medical trunk for the following day’s work. Our wonderful accommodations offered peace and rest as the hotel is situated near the serene surroundings of Yoja, Honduras’ largest freshwater body of water.

Our travels to mountain villages took us to Escuela (school) Juan Manuel Galvez in the village of Sabanas de Ocote; the quaint home/personal business of Victoria in the village of La Providencia; a school in El Diviso; a church in Palmichal; and a church in Ocoman. On our last working day in Honduras, we set up the clinic at a church in Buenos Aires, which is near the medical clinic construction site.

Pouring concrete on the second floor of the new medical clinic was nearly completed by the end of the week. Among those assisting were Jeff Futrelle of Georgia and Rivers of the World (ROW) staff member Drew McIlreavy. Many of the crewmembers “adopted” the family who lives at the construction site. We learned that five-year-old Olga was in charge of doing the family laundry and watching her baby sister since she was the oldest daughter. The oldest children, Olga, Peter and Jesus were all treated for worms.

The most heartwarming sight was witnessing several families in El Diviso receiving water near their homes for the first time. Families were accustomed to traveling the dirt path to the community water source and filling up buckets of water about three times a day for bathing, cooking and other needs. With the installation of lots of PVC pipes and spigots, 40 families in the village will have access to clean water near each of their homes.

During the first two days visiting villages, around 150 educational packets were distributed to children. Supplies were collected for months from Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Augusta, Ga. The packets included pencils, a pencil sharpener, washable markers, tablets and stickers.

Children in each village also received stickers on their hands during their visit with a doctor. Continually keeping children occupied was Mercedes Pradhan, psychologist from Indiana, who always had a bag full of goodies for each child. She handed out cologne samples, lotions, jewelry, T-shirts, teddy bears and Spanish children’s books. Several other “toys” were created at different villages. Dr. Rundle would gather the clear bottom caps from his needles after seeing all his patients each day and would hand them to the children who blew the makeshift whistles with delight. Numerous toothbrushes and toothpaste were also provided to each patient seeing Dr. Rundle.

Mercedes also provided invaluable translation for the doctors and spoke many words of comfort in Spanish to Dr. Rundle’s patients. Israel Gonzales’ friend, Erick, 17, who recently graduated from high school, also provided interpreting to the doctors.

About five Megavoice digital, solar powered Bibles, translated into Spanish, were provided in several villages.

We did manage to work in some sightseeing and fun time. On Wednesday, Oct. 24, we traveled to Pulhapanzak Falls. Earlier in the day, the electricity was knocked out so we all ate dinner that night by candlelight back at the hotel. On Thursday, Oct. 25, after a hard day working, we traveled to Siguatepeque to join Israel Gonzales, and his wife, Dr. Floripe Hernandez, for dinner.

After spending a week with the people of Honduras, there are three words that best describe them—brave, kind and appreciative. The wisdom from one Honduran woman best sums up how we should live our lives as Christians. She said as long as she was still able to bend her knees to pray and worship God, she would be all right.

By Karin M. Clack

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