We returned to Tocoa, Honduras for a seven week stay. During our time, we worked with multiple teams at multiple locations and did a wide variety of work:
Provided love and care for children at the orphanage
Gave house mothers weekends off
Assisted in a medical clinic outreach in a mountain village
Painted the interior of the feeding station
Fixed bathroom problems at the orphanage
Installed ceiling tile at the girls home
Started a project to create a tilapia farm
Purchased tile for showers in two new apartments at the orphanage
Laid tile in the orphanage
Provided daily team devotions for 4 different visiting groups
Worked with 5 different groups from the USA
Distributed food and clothes in poor areas
Assisted in evangelistic outreaches
Spent time with the young women at the girls home
Ran errands for the missionary family
Took the Compton's (the missionary family) on a four day get-away for much needed R & R
Served children at the feeding station and played games with them
Provided first-aid care to many children and adults
Created a video for Open Door Ministries
Developed new policies for the girls home
Prayed with hundreds of people
While we have a long list of stories we could share, there are a few that stand out at the moment. We were taking care of the girls at the orphanage one weekend while the house mother took some time off. The house mom's two daughters were at the home to cook for the girls (we still need help in cooking Honduran food...LOL) and keep things clean. We noticed the girls rearranged their room but didn't think much of it. During the night, a four year old, Juanita, fell out of her bed and was hanging by her neck between two bed frames. She was choking to death. Unfortunately, the girls had locked the door to their room and the house mom's daughters couldn't get into the room and didn't know where the key was. The commotion woke DeAnna and she ran to the get the key to the girls' room. She freed Juanita from the bed frames, saving her life. At the next opportunity, we changed the handle on the door to one that won't lock. The girls weren't happy with this change but it was really needed.
We took a long hike into the nearby mountains for a medical outreach to the people in a village named Bando Ancho. No, the village isn't on any map in case you are wondering. The team walked through the river several times and uphill for 5 1/2 to 6 hours to get to the village. The team provided medical care, clothes, shoes, toys for kids, parasite treatments, vitamins, drugs and dental help. DeAnna was the pharmacist. As the nurses called out for drugs, she would fill the oral prescription. Jimmy worked with the dentist. He held the flashlight for all of the patients the dentist saw and often held the spit-bag. He learned where the numbing shots go for various teeth and walked Barry through giving multiple shots on patients. Over 200 teeth were pulled in 2 1/2 days. The clinic helped over 600 people.
One of the moms at the clinic had a little baby that was severely malnourished and on the brink of death. The nurse was scrambling to find some kind of nutrition for the baby so she could live long enough to get to the hospital. Only by the foresight of God, Jimmy had a packet of Gatorade to give to the baby. No one else had anything that would help the baby. The baby got the electrolytes and nutrition from the Gatorade and was able to survive the journey to the hospital for more help. If the team had not been there, this baby would not be alive today.
At the girls home, some of the girls were spreading a nasty sickness from one to another. One of the mothers, Kayla, noticed here baby had contracted the disease. Kayla was very upset and didn't know what to do. She told DeAnna what happened and asked for her help. They prayed for the baby. The next morning, Kayla found her baby free from the rash and the disease!
On our last night at the girls home, we had a time of devotions with the girls. Some of the members of the visiting team shared testimonies about how God helped them through situations very similar to those the girls have been through (rape and abandonment). Jimmy shared about the need for and power of forgiveness. A very powerful time was spent in which almost all of the girls forgave the people who hurt them in their past. God brought freedom to the girls!
We saw many other miracles during our time in Honduras. God saved our lives and the lives of others on several occasions. We built new relationships and saw God change lives. We invite you to go with us so you can see God at work with your own eyes.
