Today the team visited the village El Palmar. It is located in a beautiful national forest about an hour and a half away from the Barnabas House. This village has been visited before by Friends of Barnabas teams and was ready for our arrival with a warm welcome and a song by the children. The community consists of about 200 families. The nearest medical center is 10 km away (down a steep road that resembles a river) and they do have access to clean drinking water. We set up shop in the local school and got started. The blood screening tool Dr. Carlo brought (i STAT) was put to use and after a quick blood draw, a dehydrated 8 month old received some much needed hydration. So far this trip we have administered IV fluids to 4 children. Gabby, who works in the Los Robles Hospital ER, made quick work of getting the IV's going. It is gratifying to us all to see the quick transformation this fluid makes in a child struggling with an illness.
Today, three of us gave away our crosses. This morning Gabby gave hers to the baby that received the IV fluid, as the baby and his teenage mother had been through so much today. Later I gave my cross to Angela, a single mother of two who was unable to afford treatment for neck cancer. She has already had 3 surgeries and 14 tumors removed, but despite all efforts, the tumors continue to return. Charlotte gave her cross to a shy 8 year old named Rosalyn who needed some support while her parents described to our doctor the difficulty she is having in school. The bond formed between Charlotte and Rosalyn brought a smile to both of their faces.
Please keep them all in your prayers. Each day we are all transformed a little, as each person we meet touches our heart and opens it more and more. We feel grateful to be here in order to be part of this amazing opportunity. Our day ran long, but Annabelle closed it with a beautiful devotion and song that touched our hearts. Thank you so much, Annabelle. But fear not! It's not all work and no play...On the way back to the house from the village, we received the opportunity to stop at the "Honduran coffee" shop for some delicious iced drinks. Following our sugar rush, we headed back to the house where several members joined in a friendly game of soccer. The final score was Hondurans 12, Americans, 2. What a surprise!
After dinner Nury, FOB’s Honduran Director, shared a fascinating history of Honduras with the team and then, together we created a delicious dessert of Bananas Foster!
