Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Our team had a very moving and powerful day that proved the importance of teamwork and working as a cohesive unit. We awoke, many of us earlier than usual so we could clean up and be prepared after enduring last night’s power outage. The breakfast and coffee provided to us were excellent as usual. The Honduran kitchen staff was not deterred by last night’s events and had everything ready to go for us. We left on time and headed to our destination.
It was a rough, rocky and sometimes very muddy road. There were a couple of close calls where the bus almost got stuck in thick mud and then that actually happened. However, our prayers were answered and due to the skills of our drivers and staff and a bus equipped with a wench and a small but powerful pickup truck that pulled the bus we eventually got to our destination safely. We attempted to come up with a playlist for our trip today. Some of the suggestions were ‘Life is a Highway’ and ‘Rock Me Like a Hurricane’ but maybe ‘Slip, Slidin’ Away’ would also be appropriate.
We arrived at our destination to find the villagers had already prepared things for our arrival by clearing out the classrooms we use. We set up our clinics in and outside the two-room schoolhouse as well as using canopies and an outdoor covered area. Since we were unable to have our chiropractor clinic due to spacing, we opted to have an additional provider station in the medical clinic to expedite the evaluations of the families we were seeing. Collectively it was a very positive day for the group.
It was gratifying to see the appreciation of the Honduran villagers for the care we provided for them. Whether it was watching a child smile after complimenting them on their wristwatch or engaging a mother in conversation after she got her nails done, it was nice to be able to connect with the human aspect of the services we provide. It was nice to see a young boy dressed up for the occasion by his mother even if the registration staff had to help him adjust his collar or to encourage another young patient to swallow the deworming medication to get rid of his ‘chipmunk cheeks’. We complimented one young lady on her peach prom dress that she proudly wore and the staff engaged in a competitive game of tic-tac-toe with the local children after most of the work was done.
Our staff worked very efficiently and we worked a little longer than usual in order to complete our tasks for the day before enjoying the excellent lunch our staff had prepared for us. After lunch many members of our team continued to play with the children who really enjoyed the bubbles and soccer ball we provided for them. After packing the bus, our drivers expertly navigated us down the mountain and again proved their skill by averting us being stuck in the mud or other inconveniences. As a special treat, we stopped in town and out team enjoyed a nice cup of coffee, a shake, a smoothie or some other fancy concoction many of which came with loads of whipping cream. It was a nice bonding for our team and a relaxing way to end the day.
We then returned to Alfredo’s House and the newcomers to the team this year were treated to a beautiful tour of the Friends of Barnabas (FOB) compound to include the clinic and the orchard. As if this was not impressive enough, after dinner Lidia showed us a couple new videos explaining in even more detail all that FOB does to accomplish the mission of ‘empowering families in Honduras through healthcare and education’ in order to achieve the objective of ‘Healthy communities, Healthy Kids, and Healthy Honduras’. What a blessing to be associated and serve with such a wonderful organization. After our evening devotion we were all ready to get some rest so we would be ready to head out again tomorrow to continue this amazing adventure.
~Joe and Dr Dennis
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