Guest Blog written by: Charley Goode and Alex Pettigrew

Charley…

Our day started bright and early 6:30 AM with a yummy breakfast and then we had our devotion time where the topic was ‘Jesus is the Good Shepherd’. I could feel God speaking to me here because, yesterday when our bus was having some issues, I began to get scared. Hey, we were in the middle of the road, in Honduras, anyone would’ve had the heebee jeebies. So, in that moment I began to pray and I asked God to take care of us. As soon as I raised my eyes, there were 2 sheep on the side of the road and I knew then that they were a sign from God because, His sheep know Him and He knows his sheep. He is a good Shepherd. After devotion, we were off to Plan de Flores.

I am serving on the Children’s Bible Study Team alongside Molly, Jacob, Ethan, Colin, and Mrs. Anita. Today we acted out a variety of skits which include: the story of Samuel, David and Goliath, and Jesus. We couldn’t find our clear cups to do our plan of salvation visual. So, Molly and I started looking through the things we had to see if we could find anything we could use. We found a bag that opens up into different colors worked on descriptions for each color to tell the children about salvation using the colors. After lunch, Ethan, Micah, and I set up a “witnessing table” beside the pharmacy. So, while the people were waiting for their medicine, Ethan and I would ask them if they wanted to sit down with us. In our time with the many people that came by, we asked them how they were and talked to them a little bit about their lives. When we first started, most of our visitors were adults. However, one kid sat down and once one did, all of them came after that. These children just wanted a Bible to hold and show off that they had one. It was so heartbreaking for me because, I have at least 4 Bibles at home and these kids were fighting over their first one, ever. This one girl came up and she asked me if I would please pray for her family and her health. Once we locked hands, she held on so tight, she was almost cutting off circulation. Another guy asked us to pray for his daughters, Micah prayed this prayer. After we finished, Micah told us that he told him that he can’t find his two daughters and he asked us to pray for reunion. I don’t believe in coincidence, I believe everything is planned by God. I know that God placed each and every one of those people before us for a reason. I pray they will use these Bibles to help them grow. Today was great day for the Kingdom of God. I am so happy I could witness and pray with and for these sweet sweet people.

Alex…

These past few days have been some of the most exciting, eye-opening, and heart-changing days I have seen in my twenty years of living. I have been fortunate to work with and observe the medical team this year. I have known for several years that I want to enter the medical field and study to become a PA, so I was incredibly excited to be able to serve on the medical team. This is my first time in Honduras, and also my first time doing many of the things I have done so far in the medical clinics, so this has been a new experience to say the least.
Today, just like every other day in the clinic so far, I did something that I have never done before. I was in the surgery room this afternoon with Dr. Connor and a few of the other members of the medical team. A patient came in with an ingrown toenail that needed to be removed and someone said, “Hey Alex, why don’t you help out Dr. Connor with this procedure?” So, I jumped at the opportunity, thinking I would be handing him instruments while he would explain to me what he was doing. I was very wrong. Dr. Connor actually let me be the one to remove the patient’s toenail while he guided and showed me what to do. While it sounds gross, it was one of the coolest things I have ever done and it took me way out of my comfort zone.

This is just one story, among many that I could tell about what I have seen and learned here in Honduras. I have been forced to think and do things in ways here that I would never have thought possible, but like He always does, God has given me the strength to carry through. Without His strength and continual provision, I don’t think I could handle many of the mental and physical challenges here that we have faced thus far. God is moving here in Honduras and allowing our team to meet the physical needs of these people while also being able to help them meet their spiritual needs. I ask that as you are reading this to continue in prayer for all of the different areas of ministry we are doing and that God would continue to strengthen each of our team members as we move into the coming days. Thank you and God bless.

Nathan…

Tonight we also headed over to the Limon orphanage and had our annual party with the children. They danced and sang. They gave us hand written cards of their love for us our church and we were able to give them the shoe box gifts from the Ebenezer families. This was such a sweet time with the children. There are a bunch of new children there now too (and there were plenty of gifts for everyone). Tonight we saw 50 of the children.  We’re looking forward to seeing them again on Wednesday.  Getting to see them once more made tonight a little easier to drive away.  It was more like a hello party than a goodbye party (like we usually have).

* Today Alex passed the cross to Gloria

Guest Blog written by: Mike & Niki Hill

Medical Updates from Niki Hill
Friday and Saturday marked our first two medical clinics. The first was at the Dump. Yes, literally, in the village made by those who have nothing but what they’ve made of everyone else’s discarded things came our team to show them Jesus cares for them. We saw 207 patients on Friday. Diagnoses ranged from Malaria, to a man who was sliced in the neck in a machete fight. There were multiple families, many with very young children. Our doctors worked hard diagnosing and writing prescription which kept the pharmacy very busy. Kim Andrews calls these clinics organized chaos and it is so true! Everyone jumps in wherever they are needed and as a team we accomplish the mission! We leave dripping with sweat and feet throbbing. We leave knowing their health was improved, and our hearts forever changed.

Saturday’s clinic was at BelAire. What an overwhelming sight when we pulled up! Hundreds of people already waiting! Dean Huiett was used by God in mighty ways here! Two patients with amputations received prosthetics with ingenuity of multiple people involved using the limited resources available. God made it possible for a woman who had not been able to stand on two legs in 30 yrs STAND (the second woman given a leg this week)! The surgical team removed painful sebaceous cysts. Optical gave over 60 pairs of glasses. 297 patients were seen. Wow! Many mothers with children caught my heart at BelAire. One mother in particular caught my attention with her silent tears, just a few, as I took her young children’s vitals. She was 39. The same age as me. But she looked so much older. Like she has had a very hard live. She had 3 kids. Same as me. Suddenly, I had to choke back tears. The chaos of the day had kept them at bay until then. My heart aches for the desperation of these people who had no clinics service them in a year, for the fact that they have to scramble on top of each other to hope to grab a piece of clothing or shoes because they have none. I don’t know here pain. By the grace of God, I don’t know her pain. What can I do? God answered PRAY.

This team amazes me! God is in every detail. All we had to do is show up!

On the road again! (Sunday) …Loading thoughts by Mike Hill
Breakfast at 6:30 with Jonathan and Heath getting ready to load gear for the third time. What does it take to run clinics in Honduras. 36 Trunks that weigh between 45 and 50 lbs., 4 tubs, stop hunger now boxes, Hundreds of Spanish Bibles, and various extra medical supplies and it all has to go in a 5×8 trailer and a pick-up truck. Except for travel Sunday when we load all the trunks, tubs, suitcases and back packs, along with anything extra we picked up along the way. But Sunday also has all the groceries Derinda, Jacob, Mrs. Anita, David Kelly and I bought Friday. Plus all the medical supplies for Limon that came on the banana boat throughout the year. So Heath, Johnny, Jonathan, Alex, Colin and I load all the suitcases, book bags and extra stuff before we could leave. Now in Honduras you have to be flexible, Mario told me the truck would be ready to load at 7:00 AM, but it showed up at 8:30 (patience). Then we start out and like every trip you have to stop for gas, ice, produce, have lunch and then drive an hour and a half down a bumpy dirt road after you have been traveling for five hours. But after the van ride you must unload everything which takes the help of the whole team. Plus set up the rooms, organize the supplies for the next day and then eventually bed and start loading again at 6:00 AM. But we all do what we do to see the joy in the eyes of the kids and adults who receive health care, new shoes, bibles, and the love of Christians. This all seems like a lot of work but the work is a joy because it makes everything run and everyone has what they need to complete the mission.

The Tuareg Cross was passed this morning between brothers…from Ethan to Alex