Short Term Teams: Week 3

Week three of short term teams brought us a little taste of our old home.  A group of 19 from Catalina Foothills Presbyterian in Tucson, Arizona joined us for ministry.  One of our friends taught us how to make baleadas (the national dish of Honduras) in her house, we continued construction on the Kindergarten building, had a small Kid's club, played soccer, and hung out at the river.

Fixin' to go make some baleadas at a local's house with these ladies 

Making friends

These cute little "pillowcase" dresses were handed out to the neediest in our community

The sweet instant gratification of seeing your photo

Further construction on the Kindergarten building

Should be ready by the next school year in February 

Little by little! 

Soccer with the US and local teens 

Soccer is a great way to make new friends in this culture 

Life happens at the river...dishes, laundry, bathing, and collecting water for home use

Learning what life is like in Las Delicias/Honduras

Short Term Teams: Week Two

Week two, our team hosted 23 short-term missionaries from all over the U.S. The missionaries came from two very different teams: one team of nine missionaries from various churches in the Northern California Presbytery and another team of 14 medical missionaries.

All 23 served in Las Delicias.  The 14 medical missionaries put on a brigade and provided services for 203 patients.  The other 9 continued construction on the Kindergarten building for the community.  

 Medical professionals receiving instruction

Cardiologist seeing patients with translator and med student in tow

Make-shift exam tables and flexible doctors!

Physical therapy outside

Our very own construction genius, John Clow, helping the therapist

manufacture better crutches for  jungle use for our friend, Dionisio

Med professionals in the triage part of clinic

Pediatrician hard at work

Nurses bandaging up our epileptic friend, Berto.

The crowd waiting 

The pharmacy with Michelle translating 

(I promise this isn't a judgey-face)

My favorite story of the day:

Boy comes legally blind and leaves after seeing the visiting ophthalmologist able to see.

(We're working on getting this sweet boy some pediatric frames!)

 This little lady (the blondie in the Honduras jersey) from the California team made quick friends in Las Delicias when the kids found out she was 10 years old.  She spent time reading and loving on some of our smallest friends.

 Local boys assisting our team in the construction of the Kinder...

I seriously think it is a little taste of heaven when I see everybody working together.

Short Term Teams: Week One

We have entered a new season of missionary life this week.  Summer means short term teams in our world.  23 missionaries from two different churches joined our team last week to serve the people of Honduras alongside of the long term missionaries.  They aided in advancing our ministries and the kingdom of God.

 Learning how to bend the forms to make pillars

 Kids Club participants

 The team from South Carolina showing of their music leading skills

 Proof they were awesome!

Rebar form for the middle pillar in the Kinder

Loving some baby time

The classic cement mixing photo.  

You're not really on a mission trip until you have done this.

Cement poured

Community time aka soccer and time at the river

We were blessed to have this team in Las Delicias and are blessed to see how the Lord uses these teams to help us continue to build relationships and change in this community.  Will you keep praying for the people in Las Delicias?   Pray that Christ will be known and His love nothing but obvious through construction, relationships, learning how to make the local cuisine in someone's home, playing soccer, VBS, or clinics.

What You've Been Missin: March

In March, we fell into our groove and we are enjoying building relationships in Las Delicias!  We more or less have a "schedule" now and it looks a little something like this:

Monday:  Every other Monday we host a mobile medical clinic.  We have met 389 people since December through these medical clinics.  We've made some friends, shared the Gospel, and already seen health improve in the lives of many.

Adam doing patient intake

Michelle filling prescriptions from Dr. Roger

Tuesday: Since the day I (Michelle) met Adam, he has had a heart for fatherless children and discipleship of young men.  On Tuesdays, Adam meets with a small group of boys for a Bible study.  They are currently learning about the parables of Jesus.

Wednesday:  Wednesdays are for relationships!  We have been invited into a number of homes and are getting to know the community.  Pictured below is a sweet family who lives off of the income of the donuts this Mom makes and sells everyday.  She taught Michelle how to make donuts and we enjoy them from time to time when we find ourselves close to her house!  

Thursday:  This day is devoted to what our boss calls "the sexy side of missions."  We are responsible for the team finances as well as other administrative tasks.  It is as fun as this picture looks.

 

Friday: Friday starts with a team meeting.  We have a Bible study, discuss what has happened in the last week in ministry, and pray together for ministry as well as personal prayer requests.  Next come the pastor meetings with the 5 Honduran pastors that are being trained by our team.

Theology books in Spanish are shared with these pastors as well as some teaching and discipleship. Our boss, another church planting teammate, and Adam share this responsibility.  We are praying for the addition of a pastor from Las Delicias to shepherd the people there.  And then finally comes soccer with a bunch of boys in the community!  

Team meeting

Pastor meetings

Soccer with the guys

What You've Been Missin: February

February was full of visitors!  We had teams come down from Trinity Presbyterian in Hershey, Pennsylvania and the following week from Manor Presbyterian in Cochranville, Pennsylvania.

Trinity Presbyterian
Dr. Greg brought an ultrasound machine and provided services for the people of Las Delicias alongside of our own Dr. Roger.

Dr. Greg and our own nurse Erin discussing treatment

Dr. Roger during a consult

Clinic in Las Delicias with two providers!  

A Meeting With The Patronato 
Adam and our teammate, John had a meeting with the patronato (think town council) to move forward with a small building project.  When we started working in Las Delicias in December, the community agreed that the Kindergarten building was the main need.  They already met in a humble 200 square foot one room structure.  The land that the Kinder sits on is available for our use and for building.  Knowing a short term team was coming with the intention of helping us out with construction, John made construction plans that we could present to the patronato for their blessing.  To our surprise, the patronato not only approved of the plans but had the desire to provide most of the building material as well as man power to work alongside of the short term team.

John in the existing Kinder building

Homemade tamales while John and Adam wait for a dozen people to gather!

Manor Presbyterian

Delivery the first morning of the rock and sand needed to mix concrete

A local making a homemade form to bend rebar

The boys from Manor Presbyterian learning how to bend the rebar

Men making forms for columns behind the existing schoolhouse

 

Mixing concrete to pour columns

Pouring columns (in Honduran fashion)

8 columns in all were completed by the end of the week