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
THE 2024 FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION TRIP
This is to announce the Frankfort Honduras Mission’s 2024 trip to Tegucigalpa Honduras for medical, dental, and optical care of the indigent at two neighborhoods in this city. We will be flying to Honduras this Saturday, February, 17, 2024, and will land at the new Palmerola Airport about an hour north of Tegucigalpa; fortunately or not, we will be unable to experience the dramatic and difficult landing at Toncontin Airport in downtown Tegucigalpa. Toncontin is a lot closer to where we are going but Palmerola is a lot safer. We are traveling from three different airports through two different gateway airports, Miami, and Houston, and all arriving in Tegucigalpa in the early afternoon. We will then be conveyed by our transportation coordinator, Sebastian, to the Humuya Inn. By then, we will need to get food and rest as most of us will have had to arise at 3-4 AM. Many months of planning and preparation have gone into this mission and all the missioners and Honduran helpers are excited and optimistic. Stay tuned for more developments and remember that, while we go to provide medical, dental, and optical care for the least of our brothers and sisters (the Great Commandment, from Matthew 25:40), we are also there to fulfill the Great Commission from Matthew 28:12-20 (“Go and make disciples of all the nations). Embedded below are two images from our packing session on Sunday at the First Methodist Church; our supplies are ready to go!
2023 FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION VIDEO
Please click on the following link to see and ~12-minute video of our medical-dental mission this year, done by one of our Honduran friends.
(102) Frankfort Honduras Mission Brigade Video 2023 – YouTube
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2023 EPILOGUE
This report is the final report for the 2023 Frankfort Honduras Mission; we will call it an epilogue. The word for this report is “seed.” The related scripture comes from Luke 8:11 and says, “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.” The entire reason for our mission is to plant the seeds of the gospel by addressing the physical and spiritual needs of the impoverished Tierra Blanca community. As an immediate reward, I see the smiles on the faces of the folks whom we care for and minister to, particularly the children. Seeds are strange things; in reference to the gospel, we saw some of them germinate while we were there, as noted in the Tuesday update. I have no doubt that the Solid Rock Church, and surrounding churches, will reap spiritual benefits from the mission seeds planted for some time to come as the folks there correctly recognize that God cares for their physical and spiritual health and that will lead them to follow Jesus. Another seed we plant is the seed of health that enables the folks there to rise above their circumstances and become what their country needs them to become so that Honduras may be the prosperous country its people deserve. Without health, there is no way they (especially the youth) have a chance to do that. The road to progress in Honduras goes through corruption and inefficiency of a staggering degree that the youth only realize about college age. We hope that better health and a Christian spirit will enable them to better rise above their current circumstances to create the result their intelligence and hard work deserve. The mission team will soon be meeting with those who were unable to go to plan for next year. Your prayers are greatly appreciated. We have several options, and we certainly want to follow God’s vision. Also, we are in the process of fine tuning the clinic at Fuerzas Unidas and trying to establish a similar clinic at Solid Rock so those neighborhoods will have ongoing health care. There are some government clinics nearby, but those clinics never have medications to give patients. Additional donations will be helpful for this, so if you are interested in this, please let us know. The final numbers for this year’s clinic are:
Dental 217 Patients
Extractions 69
Fluoride 5
Fillings 46
Prosthetics 28
Cleanings 69
Optical 318 Patients
Medical 743 Patients
Rx 2470 Prescriptions Filled
I don’t think the success of the whole week should be summarized entirely by the numbers but there is something to be said for visualizing the objective accomplishments. While mission success is at least partially number dependent, without the intangible things, spiritual development, and relationships formed, the mission would not have been complete. Thanks so much for following us on our journey; please keep an eye out for other updates. Blessings to all! Roger and the Mission Team
Click here for the last set of images: FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2023 EPILOGUE | Flickr
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2023 DAY 7
This report is for Friday, February 24, 2023 of the Frankfort 2023 Honduras Mission, day seven of the mission and day four of the clinic. The word for today is rejoice. The related scripture comes from Philippians 4:4 which says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” This was indeed a day to rejoice as the clinic’s final day was a great success. I write this on Saturday morning as we prepare to depart for the airport for the trip home and anticipate continuing to write it as we travel. Friday began with a joyous devotion and prayer to celebrate the final day of the mission. The images will show various volunteers speaking up, then and later, about what the mission this week has meant to them and what they have seen occur in the physical and spiritual health of the folks we have served. The clinic began as usual but lasted only about half the usual time as we needed time to pack up and store the equipment. The cooks prepared a spaghetti lunch for all and we then celebrated the success of the mission with a cake after all the packing was done. The pastor gave a rousing devotion about how we are all in some way parts of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12), each contributing to the physical, mental, and spiritual healing of the mission community this week. We feel, as US missioners, and as a team (from Honduras and the US), that we gain as much, or more, than we give during this mission. That is what keeps us coming. By sharing our experiences, we deepen relationships and become a healthier community. Dr. Elmer described this as us being “the tools of God!” I felt the gathering after the patients left was a true “mountain top experience” based on the testimony of several of the team members including the doctors, dentists, cooks, the church superintendent (Henry), the pastor’s wife and the pastor himself. In the morning, a small group went to the nearby town of Tatumba to look at a small church where an additional mission may be considered in the future; it was a beautiful trip over rough roads. There were mountains, vineyards, flowers, flowering trees, and Bougainvillea hedges. We also met a man on Friday from North Carolina named Alvin Anderson who has been in Honduras for many years doing mission work with the Outreach Christian Fellowship. Dr. Elmer will be working with him, using some of our equipment on Saturday; we look forward to working with him again in the future. Thanks so much for your prayer and financial support. Blessings, Roger Click here for a link to Friday’s images: FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2023 DAY 7 | Flickr
PS The posting of this was delayed due to the last-minute nipping at my heels of Montezuma’s Revenge from a tuna sandwich at the Honduras airport.
FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION 2023 DAY 6
This report is for Thursday, February 23, 2023, Day six of the mission and day 3 of the clinic. The word for today is FRUIT. That is appropriate, given the excellent fresh fruit we enjoy here, but the kind of fruit I am referring to is spiritual fruit which is a direct manifestation of living “in the spirit.” The related scripture (of course), comes from Galatians 3:22-23 which says, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The third day of the clinic is always “hump day” (even though this is a four-day clinic week), and the team is always noticeably more tired and grumpy (yes, we too get that way). That is when we come to rely on our spiritual fruit to guide us through the times when we might say or do something we would regret later just because we are tired. We trust the spirit to guide us so that we treat each of the patients coming to the clinic and each of the other staff as we would want to be treated, even when we do not feel like it. The mood today, as I write this, is more subdued but the clinic is running like a well-oiled machine. We received an infusion of additional medications today to stock up for the rest of the clinic. The sun is shining, she sky is blue, the clouds sparse, and the neighborhood roosters crowing. I feel more serene and at peace here than I do almost anywhere else. Today, we realized we had a volunteer in optical, Sierra, a beautiful young lady of 17 with Mayan heritage, who has a congenital cataract in her left eye; it is obviously opaque to a penlight. We are going to try to find her an affordable way to get the cataract removed. I was also told by Karla a story from the optical clinic last year in which a man, nearly blind, came and got a pair of glasses which corrected his vision amazingly well. He thanked the team members as tears ran down his cheeks. Stories like these abound and there are too many to tell in detail for the week; in fact, I sure I have not heard them all. I was privileged yesterday to be able to return to the Fuerzas Unidas neighborhood on a hillside near Tegucigalpa where this mission began, the Fuerzas Unidas neighborhood. I met with the new pastor, a delightful young woman named Leidy (with a toddler), and the clinic nurse there, Reina, who I have met before. It was a marvelous experience to hear their stories of success with the patients of the clinic (FUMC Frankfort church supports), to feel the mountain breeze on my face, the gushing of many past mission memories, and to see the place where the mission all began. There are now planters in front of the church and an image of a single rose I took there is included in the images for today. One of the dentists had a difficult extraction as the patient had a retained tooth fragment. A much more complicated referral to an oral surgeon at the university was anticipated but finally the tooth fragment was extracted, much to the relief of the patient, her son, and the dentist. Please enjoy the new photos which demonstrate the clinic functioning, the people we work with and the environment we work in. Have a blessed day. Tomorrow is Friday, the last day of our clinic and we will be stopping early to break down and store the equipment. It will be a hectic day and we will be leaving the hotel Saturday morning about 9 AM to begin the trip home which will not end until 9:30 Saturday evening, (2/25) in Louisville. The day’s statistics are: Dental patients: 63; Medical Patients: 197; Prescriptions: 718 and Optical patients: 91. Roger
Click here for a link to today’s images: FRANKFORT HONDURAS MISSION PHOTOS 2023 DAY 6 | Flickr