Today is Saturday, January 11, 2020, day 2 of our mission trip this year. The word of the day today is OVERCOME. The related scripture is from John 16:33 and says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” This is a very appropriate scripture for our mission team today as we have had a lot to overcome. Several of our team went to next week’s mission site and began the setup of the pharmacy and other equipment. Amy, our lead pharmacist, made substantial progress getting the pharmacy ready to go although there are still thousands of pills to be counted in what we call a “pill party.” Our equipment which is stored near the mission site was delivered in a box truck yesterday and is unloaded. The dental units and chairs are ready to set up. A large group of us went one of the mountains overlooking Tegucigalpa to find peace and serenity in United Nations Park and have a devotion in the shadow of the 90 foot tall Christ statue overlooking the city. Please see the photos. In the evening, five of us went to a Honduran wedding. Karla, who has been our Honduran contact and support for many years, invited us to attend her brother’s wedding. Her brother has overcome a very secular life to become a Christian and was getting married to the mother of his youngest child, a beautiful daughter. The wedding was held on the same mountain were the Christ statue and United Nations Park are. The flowers were some of the most outstanding I have ever seen. Although a Christian wedding, it was done in Hebrew style in the evening with lots of torches and candles outside; it was truly amazing. Other team members went to the Valley of the Angles, an artisan community in the mountains north of Tegucigalpa in the afternoon. In addition to the usual obstacles we have to overcome to prepare for the clinic on Monday, we now have another major obstacle to overcome as we had a tragic event occur yesterday in the early afternoon. Helen, our trip financial manager, missed a step down from the coffee bar in the hotel and fell. She has a broken hip and will require surgery which will be done Sunday morning. Many of our medical personnel have been working with this situation and are reasonably satisfied that this is a safe and prudent solution for Helen. Many prayers have been offered and yours are certainly appreciated. Tomorrow we will go to the mission site to worship with the local church at the mission site and complete the setup of the clinic to be ready for Monday morning. We have a lot to overcome, as does Helen. Many of the first-time team members have commented on how impressed they are with the friendliness and intelligence of the Hondurans and also on the beauty of the country. Hopefully, I can get Sunday’s report out earlier. Please click on this link to enjoy some photos from Saturday’s adventures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/167537108@N03/albums/72157712630526388
Blessings to all at home and please continue your prayers of support. Roger