The link below will take you to Honduras in February of this year to experience in person the sights and sounds of our 2024 Honduras Medical/Dental/Optical mission to churches in two indigent neighborhoods, Fuerzas Unidas and Tierra Blanca. The church in the Tierra Blanca neighborhood is called Solid Rock Church. There is music but no narration on this video. However, there is an excellent interview with our missioner, Sabrina James. For further information about this year’s trip, please see the daily updates and photo links, published while we were in Honduras.
SOLID ROCK CLINIC TESTIMONIAL
Please click on the link below to enjoy a three minute clip sent from Honduras in which a clinic patient tells about the clinic at Solid Rock Church. Listen to the lady in the video clip tell you what the clinic means to her and to that community. The pastor and staff at Solid Rock are calling the clinic: Un Rayo de Esperanza (Ray of Hope) Clinic
Link to video: THE CLINIC AT SOLID ROCK CHURCH IN TEGUCIGALPA JUNE 2024 (youtube.com)
THE CLINIC AT SOLID ROCK CHURCH IS OPEN!
This update of the Honduras Mission Blog is to announce the opening of the new clinic at the Solid Rock Church! This is one of the churches in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at which we recently held a 4-day brigade clinic. The specifics for this were established with Pastor Wilmer at the time of the recent mission trip and $2,000 was donated to enable the location to go from an empty room with a closet to a functioning clinic. The images in the link below will show the opening ceremony for the new clinic as well as patients waiting to be seen. The new clinic logo, designed by the church, is included. I wish to especially mention that the funding for the project was provided by the Levine Family Foundation. Dentist Steve Iceland, who went on this trip and performed marvelously in mission conditions, is a member of the Levine Family, as are his daughter Heather Schmocker, and granddaughter, Monica Robbins who also performed admirably on the mission. Please thank them at every opportunity you might have! Hopefully, the friendship we have with the folks at Solid Rock Church is the beginning of a beautiful relationship which will keep this clinic going for a long time to come. Blessings, Roger
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 7
This report is for Friday, February 23, 2024, the seventh day of the mission and the fourth day of the clinic. The word of the day is complete, and the related scripture comes from Acts 20:24, and says, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” We cannot look at the completion of this mission as the end, but merely a milestone of progress on a long journey. This day is the day of completion of this mission, but in a sense, it is never completed because the folks of Honduras continue to need healthcare and continue to need to know about Jesus for their spiritual health. There is no sign that the Honduran government is close to solving the problem of health care in their country; even though there are public clinics available, they never have medications to give to the indigent who come there. The corruption and dishonesty in the Honduran government (and most like it south of the Rio Grande) prevent adequate health care as well as the one thing necessary for Hondurans to progress in the world: economic growth. I do not believe any major corporation will put a factory with good paying jobs there with the level of corruption and dishonesty which exists. I personally know the Honduran people to be intelligent, industrious, and resilient people, but they are usually discouraged by the lack of opportunities there, which explains why many want to come to the US. We can help these folks by encouraging our own government to require reasonable standards of honesty and transparency of the Honduran government before giving them loans or grants. High officials in the Honduran government commonly take the money the US donates for themselves, so it never gets to those who really need it. This was an exceptional mission in many respects. First, there was the fact that we were able to fund and oversee a healthcare mission at two different sites. The missioners on this trip were extremely focused, energetic, capable, and passionate, which enabled the two sites to perform with relatively few missioners compared to what we have had in previous times. That said, we hope to have a larger team next year and to do a five-day clinic instead of a four-day mission. The mission was so successful that the medical clinic at Fuerzas Unidas closed early on Friday due to the total depletion of medications from the pharmacy. This scarcity of medications was despite the fact that we bought additional medications several times during the week. Friday afternoon, the dental and optical clinics ended early so the equipment could be packed up and stored. Much of it is used on frequent missions by our Honduran dental partner, Dr. Elmer. The weekly clinic at Fuerzas Unidas will continue to operate and a new weekly or twice-weekly clinic will be started at the Solid Rock Church. This will be possible due to a generous grant by the Levine Family Foundation and hopefully, it will continue with the help of a coalition of churches and donors. Please consider a donation to this worthy cause. Checks should be mailed to: FUMC Frankfort, ATTN: Cleland White, 211 Washington Street, Frankfort, KY 40601. Thanks to everyone for their prayers, support, and donations. Blessings, Roger
HONDURAS MEDICAL MISSION 2024 DAY 6
This report is for Thursday, February 22, 2024, the sixth day of the mission and the third day of the clinic. The word for the day is joy. The related scriptures come from John:15:11, and Galatians 5:22 which say: “’I have told you this so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete’” and “but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.” I feel like joy has to be mentioned this week because joy is evident in the missioners, the volunteers, the translators, the Honduran professionals, and especially the patients we see. For the Hondurans, the joy is not due to the conditions in which they live, which are mostly abysmal, but from their attitude and the care they have received. The ultimate joy comes from our faith which reconciles us to God through the sacrifice of Jesus. The awareness of this reconciliation creates a sense of peace that comes by no other means. We have seen abundant joy from the care the patients have received this week. There are big smiles of joy on patients as the leave the clinic with new glasses, a dental prosthesis, an artificial forearm, blood pressure and diabetic medications, parasite medication, health education, and dental care. We believe that we have provided both spiritual joy and physical joy the people we have seen this week. Spiritually, our team receives at least as much joy from the people we care for as we give away; it is what keeps us coming back on these mission trips. Thursday was a very busy day. Among the special things done, Sabrina delivered to both churches AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) to for use in the ongoing clinics at those locations. You will see in today’s photos Pastor Wilmer’s wife learning to do CPR and use the defibrillator. We really appreciate the donors who helped purchase the defibrillators and Sabrina for bringing them and proving instruction in their use. The medical care has been partially limited by short supply of medications due to seeing so many patients. Several trips back to the pharmacy supply store have been required and we are still short of some medicines. The emotional reaction of the patients who receive a forearm is nothing short of amazing. One man, injured in an electrical accident in which he lost his right forearm and three fingers on his left hand, left crying in joy because he can now work and feed his family. A total of 11 artificial forearms were fitted or left to be fitted. The week is moving along rapidly, and the mission team has been excellent in all respects, somewhat small (compared to the past), but mighty! We continue to appreciate the support and prayers of all of you at home! This report was composed on the way home. I will post Friday’s report ASAP. Thank you for being patient! Blessings, Roger
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 5
This report is for Wednesday February 22, 2024, the fifth day of the mission and the second day of the clinic. The word of the day is rest. The related scripture comes from Matthew 11:28-29 and says, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” This is the time of the week that we missioners all hit a valley. It’s not the valley of the shadow of death but the valley of fatigue. We all come to the mission tired due to the hour we must rise on the day we fly to Honduras. Most of us got up at 3 AM last Saturday morning to catch our flight and got minimal effective sleep on the planes. The fatigue has persisted through the week due to long days, hard work, and relatively short nights, so we need rest. However, this sleep kind of rest is not what Jesus is talking about when he says, “I will give you rest.” What Jesus promises to give us rest from, however, is different and more essential. Jesus provides rest for the soul. Our soul takes the brunt of our difficult lives, feeling the pain or life’s hurts, our own failures, broken relationships, lost jobs plus our anger, fears, and resentments. What Jesus gives us rest from is the guilt and shame of our failures; knowing we are forgiven by our faith in Jesus enables us to have a restful kind of peace in our soul that we can get nowhere else. It is not available in any other way. Living the life that Jesus instructs (love, forgiveness, service, and the fruits of the spirit) allows us to experience a much more “restful” soul than when we live dysfunctionally without the guidance the holy spirit gives us. When our soul needs rest, it is time to turn to Jesus, the only balm for our soul! Today was a busy day indeed. Both of our medical clinics saw around 200 patients and the optical service is seeing a remarkable number of patients, especially compared to the past. The new optical system enables us to offer new, custom glasses to the indigent. Our dental prosthesis technician can make around 15 partial prostheses per day which do an amazing job of helping folks restore their chewing ability, job prospects, and self-confidence. The dentists and medical doctors are restoring health to as many mouths and bodies as is possible in our time here. Please see today’s images for a visual sampling of our day. Blessings and thanks to all. Roger
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 4
This report is for Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the fourth day of the mission and the first day of the clinic. The word for today is tend, and the related scripture comes from John 21:16, which says, “ He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of [a]Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I [b]love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’ This week’s mission, I believe, is all about tending God’s sheep. When Jesus said to “Tend my sheep,’” I believe what Jesus meant by that is to take care of others like He would do if He were here. Tending sheep is not all about making sure they are fed; it is about their protection and well-being in general. Most importantly, for the kind of “sheep” we are called to tend, it is about offering the gospel (good news) to every possible “sheep.” Offering spiritual and physical nourishment fulfills both the Great Commandment (Matthew 25:40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). We hope and pray that what we do and have done this week will accomplish this. However, being human, our efforts are never perfect, but we pray for God’s guidance, support, and insight to do the best of which we are capable. I would like to point out that this is not a one-way street. We missioners always reap as much as we contribute to these indigent Hondurans. Through “tending God’s sheep, we grow spiritually, see new realities in the scripture we read, and develop long lasting friendships. I do not have to “strain” or try hard to come on this mission trip; I look forward to coming and enjoy every minute of the time we are in Honduras. I also know this is also true for everyone who came this year, and it is the reason many of our team will come back to Honduras again. There is a feeling of wholeness and serenity created by what we are doing that just cannot be accomplished in any other way. Sure, it’s nice to go to the beach for a week but if I had to choose one over the other, I would choose to do a mission. It has been amazing to watch this inexperienced team adapt to the challenges of the trip and rise above the difficulties. Every person who came on this mission trip is a critical component of the effort; we would be hindered immensely if even one were missing. This was never more evident than on this, the first day of the clinic. Many things were missing or suboptimal, but no one panicked, and no one got snippy or irritable; they simply worked together, and problem solved until things were as they should be. Our team motto is “be flexible,” and, frankly, this mission could not be done without the flexibility shown by the team members. By the end of the first clinic day, patients were flowing smoothly, and a lot was accomplished. We met to make plans to improve those things that needed further improvement and believe the efficiency of our efforts will improve steadily as the week goes by. The pharmacy struggled to keep up with demand, but new ideas will be implemented tomorrow to improve efficiency in the pharmacy. We have several medical and dental professionals at each of our sites and are doing a lot of optometric work with the help of a Honduran optometrist and our missioners who trained before coming. We are using a new system for eye patients which has enabled us to serve a lot more folks and provide more glasses than in the past. We have a new trip treasurer (Tim), who is also working with the eye patients, and he is doing a fantastic job. In the images today, you will see the clinic running at Fuerzas Unidas with patients, church volunteers, translators, and missioners. The weather here is wonderful and so far, we are all healthy. We have a lot to be thankful for and greatly appreciate your prayers and support. Blessings and moňyana! Roger
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 3
This report is for Monday, February 19, 2024. The word for today is PREPARE. The related scripture comes from Isaiah 57:14 and says: “Build up, build up, prepare the way! Remove every obstruction from my people’s way!” This was a day of preparation for our clinic so we can see patients the remainder of the week. In reality, this is preparation for the people of God (everyone). We are removing the obstructions of poor health, poor vision, and poor dentition from the lives of God’s people so that they can better advance on God’s path for them and improve their opportunity for spiritual growth. In helping the least of our brothers and sisters, we are doing for and to Him. We are the hands and feet of God this week. It is an awesome and challenging responsibility to do the best we can for these indigent Hondurans with limited resources, so your gifts and prayers are appreciated. We arrived at the Mission site at 9 AM, a bit behind our schedule due to traffic. The team did an amazing job getting the Fuerzas Unidas clinic set up. While it went well, we are starting from scratch getting this set up as we have not been here at this location for 10 years. Being at Fuerzas Unidas is like a homecoming for me as I have 12 years (2003 -2014) of memories from those previous missions. The church has been greatly improved over the years by the congregation. Better lighting and an actual drywalled ceiling have been added under the bare sheet metal roof and a canopy has been added over the courtyard. An air compressor and vacuum had to be set up for the four dentists and the portable dental units set up. Tables for the dental supplies and sterilization had to be stocked and our makeshift dental chairs erected. The dentists who are working at our other location, Solid Rock Church, had to do the same setup. The registration and triage areas were stocked with forms, clipboards, thermometers, blood pressure cuffs and scales. The pharmacist and her daughter/assistant stocked the shelves with thousands of dollars’ worth of medications. By the end of the day, everything was ready for the clinic on Tuesday. Several of us also went shopping (again) to find a few last-minute necessities. Due to the travel around the city and roaming the shopping mall from end to end, shopping may have been the most difficult job! The team is a remarkable group of people who are dedicated to their work and get along well, even when the going gets tough. This will be a great clinic week! Thanks, and blessings to all of you!
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 2
This report is for Sunday, February 18, 2024, the second day of our mission. The word for today is PEOPLE. The related scripture comes from Ruth 1:16, which says: But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” This scripture fits us well this week. For this week, the Honduran people will be our people. We will stay with them and do what we can to improve their dental, medical, and optical health. We are committed to them the way Ruth was committed to Naomi. That is what we Christians are called to do: be committed! We are to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Love, in this sense, is not a feeling but a commitment. We love those we will be caring for and are committed to improving their health. It is our way of tending to “the least of these” that Jesus mentions in Matthew 25:40. Today was a day to partially rest from travel but mostly for the new missioners to be immersed in Honduran culture. After a traditional Honduran breakfast of eggs, sausages, sweet plantains, and refried beans, we loaded into the vans and traveled up a steep hill to United Nations Park, a beautiful area on a mountain overlooking Tegucigalpa. The Christ statue Hondurans call El Picacho is at the far end of the park, visible from most of Tegucigalpa. It is an inspiring sight and a backdrop for our team worship service. We said prayers, attempted to sing hymns, read scripture, and had a mission inspiring sermon by Pastor Kenson, a native of Haiti who current pastors a Haitian church in Los Vegas. We then meandered back to the vans through the gorgeous flora of the park. From there, we drove across the city to head northeast for the artisan community of Valle de Angles. There, we ate lunch, shopped for souvenirs, and enjoyed the Honduran culture. After dinner back at the Humuya Inn, the was what we call a “pill party” where the team helps the pharmacy staff pre-package medications for distribution. We had a marvelous day, and the team is obviously developing into a missioner community, focused on providing care for the indigent here but also having fun and growing spiritually. Bless you all for your prayers and donations and have a great day! Roger
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 1
This is the Frankfort Honduras Mission Team report from Tegucigalpa for Saturday, February 17, 2024. The word of the day is FAST. The related scripture comes from Isaiah 58:6-7, and says, “Is not this the fast that I choose: to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?” This passage uses “fast” as a noun rather than the usual use as an adjective which describes rapidity of movement. We were certainly fast today in the sense of flying rapidly in an airplane to Honduras but were not avoiding food. We are, however, fulfilling the spirit of the fast when we care for the downtrodden and poor. That is our goal this week, to live out the Great Commandment (Matthew 25:40, caring for the less fortunate) as we minister to the needs of indigent Hondurans and offer them the message of salvation. I apologize for the late posting of this update, but we were all very fatigued from travel last evening. The travel to Honduras went well but was extraordinarily fatiguing for all. The time between the first flight into Honduras landing and the last was three hours. The first flight was United from Houston, and the second flight was American from Dallas. The last was an American flight from Miami. It was time for supper by the time we reached the Humuya Inn, so we did little but have dinner, unpack, have a brief meeting and devotion, then retired to our comfortable beds. Our supper was prepared when we arrived at the inn, and the great chicken fajitas were enjoyed by all. We really appreciate the support and prayers from those of you at home. So far, everyone is healthy and has a very positive attitude. We can’t wait get setup on Monday and see patients the remainder of the week. Blessings to all of you, Roger
Click here for the link to today’s pics. FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2024 DAY 1 | Flickr