2025 Tegucigalpa, HN Mission Trip Adventures

Today is day eight and our last full day in Honduras . My toes hurt and I am tired. Scott is coughing, sneezing, and congested. BUT our hearts are so full! Where do I start? We visited so many patients in the hospital today. The prayer team lead, our orthopedic surgeon 's wife, worked with our physical therapist and interpreter, leaving Scott and me to visit on the patient wards and communicate to the best of our ability. Scott did not think that was possible, but he hadn't seen me interact with Spanish-speaking patients as a nurse.  At the bedside, I read a patient's name posted on the wall, paying close attention to annunciating each syllable: Er-win, Jo-se, San-tos, Will-i-lliam, etc. They smiled and nodded in agreement with my pronunciation or corrected my pronunciation. Then, in Spanish, I introduced myself, stating I am a nurse and Scott is my husband.  I cannot speak Spanish well enough to ask the details of how the orthopedic injury occurred, but with their permi...

Isaiah 43:1-2 NLT ". . . I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown."  Today, Scott and I served together on the "mountain team". Global Health Outreach packed a basket with a month's worth of groceries and our team visited and delivered a basket to three families. We delivered the first basket to a young woman grieving the recent loss of both of her parents and a miscarriage. Scott shared this scripture and prayed with her husband. I placed my hands on her growing pregnant belly and prayed with her.  Their Home Next, we met a mother and her 9-year-old daughter at a crossroads because she stated that it was too difficult to maneuver our vehicle up a winding and narrow dirt road to her home. We introduced ourselves, and she shared her struggles to provide for her family.  Her story was confusing, but she said she made a verbal deal with a wealthy family...

Today, I served as a circulating nurse at Hospital San Felipe. Hospital San Felipe is a former sanatorium, built in the 1880s, and treating patients with diseases like tuberculosis, Asian cholera, and yellow fever. This translates to open courtyards and lots of windows with healing sunlight and healing fresh air. Feral black cats roamed around the open campus.  At the end of the day, our team rounded on the female orthopedic ward and the male orthopedic ward. The patients were so excited to share that they had ambulated on the unit multiple times and demonstrated their ability to raise and lower their legs with their new knee or hip. The 40+ year old woman with r heumatoid  arthritis, with her young daughter at her side, that I met in clinic, smiled with gratefulness with her new hip. Local Pastor Henry and one of our orthopedic  surgeon's son Lucas Scott served on the prayer team at Hospital Escuela. I can't really tell his story, but over dinner, he was excited to share...

How can I begin to describe the awesome sauce of today? Scott and I served together on the prayer team.  Every Ward/Unit Decorated for Christmas  Waiting at the intersection to cross over to the hospital The first unit or ward we visited was the children's oncology. We passed out Beanie Babies, coloring books, crayons, and smiles. We prayed with the children receiving their cancer treatment. A wealthy benefactor built this section of the hospital, and it was the only section of the hospital that was not in subpar condition.  Next, we visited the maternity ward. We presented the new moms with a gift bag with an outfit, a blanket, and diapers. The wards consisted of eight beds per room. We asked the new mothers if they had any specific prayer requests and then prayed for them as a group.  The most heart-wrenching, for me, was when we walked into a room with two forlorn women with empty arms. Empty arms... As we prayed with them, my heart swelled with grief. I wept....

I failed to post on Monday because I was so exhausted. The amazing local coffee bean cafe latte and the cacao bean beverage (hot chocolate) gave me just enough of a buzz to lie in bed awake, even though I felt exhausted. So, with only about six hours of sleep, we were up and in the van at 0645 and traveling to the hospital.  I served as the circulating nurse for two knee replacement surgeries. In these pictures, a nurse practitioner from New Jersey and a pre-med student from California had the opportunity to "scrub in" and assist with the surgery. They are young and eager and sooo excited. Not my cup of tea. Our mornings begin at 0500 with a breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant, followed by a 0600 devotion. Monday morning, Scott wrote and shared the morning devotion, beginning with  Galatians 6:9, the Apostle Paul writes... [9] So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time, we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up. It was amazing. He ...

This morning, we attended a local protestant church . The church provided ear buds with a translator so we could pull up to the table and dig into Romans 11  with the local congregation. The message was in-depth and excellent.  Team Honduras  After church, we traveled about an hour to Valle de Ángeles for a delicious lunch and exploring (and shopping) in this colonial town. Lunch consisted of grilled chorizo, strips of beef, and chicken with typical side dishes: rice, refried beans, plantains, and corn tortillas. I have no words to describe the visual feast of this little town, so enjoy my pictures:  Our Team Lead Dr. Doug  Cobblestone Street and Coffee Shop Honduran Coffee ☕  Artisan's Shop Fountain  Town Square with Political Signs  Artisan's Shop Cafe Latte Indian Clock Vine  Tomorrow, we begin serving the people of Honduras in one of the local hospitals by providing orthopedic surgery.