Tuesday: A Clinic in the Garden

I brought my 2 daughters (12 year olds) to Honduras excited to see what my father, their Pop-pop, aka Bob, has been seeing and doing all these years traveling here.  Now I know- what a beautiful and hospitable country and people!  It has been a wonderful experience learning about the culture and connecting with the local people as well as getting to know the terrific team of individuals we are here serving with.

As for Day 2 of clinics, today we travelled about an hour and a half away to Tapiquilares.  The area became more and more remote as our van climbed a windy road to the top of a mountain with lush vegetation- rows of pineapple, avocado, banana, coconut, papaya, orange trees everywhere. We parked at a home nestled among these trees owned by the president of the community (130 houses).  HER name is Gumersinda and she has 15 children and 20 grandchildren.  Her projects are funding her community's roads and a water tower.  Many people were already there anticipating our arrival, and it was clear hat her home is a center of community life.  Blankets had been draped across trees, creating separate "rooms" for our stations in the shade.  It was a lovely and welcoming site.  

My view from my "donation station" is both fun and challenging. I follow the anemia stick station, so I see (and hear) lots of crying children and nervous adults having their fingers "pricked" and then get to provide smiles with beanie babies and matchbox cars in addition to soap, toothbrushes, shoes, etc.  However, it can be challenging when I run out of "fun" items or when kids see someone with a "better" toy...  Moral of the story: kids are the same everywhere!  The other stations seemed to go smoothly today and 235 people were seen- weighed, blood pressure checked, anemia stuck, vitamins and meds provided, eyeglass eval, and assessed by the doctors.  Twelve potential Children Without Choices cases were identified as well.

Gumersinda provided us with a delicious lunch made by her and her daughters. Many of the men in the community travel 3 hours to work in the fields for a week at a time. Some of the children are tasked with daily delivering their lunches- by horseback.  During breaks or while waiting in line, the kids loved playing with bubbles, racing their matchbox cars, coloring, making bracelets, and other crafts. They also kept returning to my "donation station"😉

It has been a delight to see each other's gifts and skills be used to serve and meet people's needs here. At the same time, it has been sobering to realize that this is most people in the world's "normal."  I will not take making a same-day appointment with my doctor for granted again.  Knowing how far these people are traveling and how long they are then waiting in extreme heat (many with multiple babies and children) reflects just how rare, needed, and valuable medical treatment is here. As I look into the eyes of the children that I'm handing out items too, I am repeatedly reminded of my own children and how I would do anything for them...  I pray that this week we can continue to share God's love and faithfulness to the children, families, and communities we encounter. May we continue to point to Him as our good and perfect Father who sees, knows, and loves each one of us.

Kristin