07/08/2018
2018 HONDURAS
MY FRIENDS
I am preparing to return to Honduras in the next few weeks. My last trip was AMAZING.
1402 patients seen, 2163 prescriptions, it was 114° on the day I arrived
Hippocrates said, “Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always”. God has blessed me that I have the opportunity to change someone's life every single day🙏. I have been given the opportunity to provide for tens of thousands in the villages of Honduras over the last 10 years, and share with them the good news of Jesus.
After having the privilege of caring for so many people, the simple truth is that nobody knows what is going to happen tomorrow. So I look back, and I thank God, and I look forward - and I trust God.
When all the comforts of normal life are stripped away, you will see a beauty in people that you have never seen before. You will see that person who has almost nothing, give everything they have to help someone else, No matter how bleak the situation may be, there is always hope. In Times like these it is more important than ever that we help and take care of each other. People may ask what do you get in return for doing this. You will get nothing. you would not be richer. You're not be more famous. You will not appear on TV. Nothing stays constant in life --beauty wealth health -it all changes. what you will receive are emotions. You will witness happiness. You will reach a deeper understanding of God's love and grace. You will feel the love. You will receive that which money can't buy. A world made more beautiful. And in your life isn't that what you desire most?
So what happened? I remember laying in bed listening to the sounds of the night thinking that in one hour I will be getting up and getting on my scrubs and getting ready to go to the field. The items and tools that I will need that day have Already been gathered and checked, meticulously packed in my backpack I grab a cup of coffee and drink it while anticipating the events of the day I occasionally stare blankly as I talked with the team that morning, silently steeling myself for the day ahead. I leave to go to take care of people who may be having the worst day of their lives. today I will treat the poor the pastors the professionals the adults the children mothers fathers sons daughters and families. It doesn't matter who you are or what happened to you, we will try and take care of you. I will be back to our shelter 14 hours later to remove my shoes knowing that I have walked through the dirt, the blood, the tears of people looking for hope, sometimes I want to talk about it, sometime I can't talk about it. Sometimes I laugh until I cry, sometimes I just cry.
But regardless of those moments I will get up the next day, and do it again.
I remind myself that people may not remember what we said to them, but they will always remember how they felt when they were with us
So what happened
Doy 1
My Travel went well
My good friend Don picked me up at 4:30 am at my house and took me to the airport.
Pete picked me up at San Pedro Sula airport that afternoon
Hot today, 114 degrees and humid.
Went to see MARIA, now 5 years after her open heart life saving surgery. She sees me and runs to my arms squealing with joy, I cry every time with happiness. She is able to go to school now and is excited to show me her ‘homework’.
On the way back to the team house we come around the road and Pete saw a crippled man ?dead lying on the side of the road by a pile of trash. Had he been hit ? Should we stop? Pete said he feels sometimes God puts circumstances in our path just to see what we will do. The safe thing is to keep going —� but of course Pete stopped. He was not dead, just going thru the trash looking for somewthing to eat. He got what food Pete had and then drove him to his ‘house’ of cardboard.. I feel God saying ‘welcome back’.
I catch up with the rest of the team, and then get to help with an ice cream party for the children of Faith Home. So joyful to see them all again.
Day 2
Cooler in the mountains, not over 100
We are headed north into Pinelajo, a little village in the mountains a few hours from the orphanage.
Today we will see 80 families,350 people
My first cHallenge of the day, snake bite to knee
Next big event, 9 month old with seizure
Laceration to leg from machete needs fixed
4 mo baby. 103 ?septic. Big trouble
They say it’s cooler I guess in the mountains, not over 100
Day 3
Remembering Allison Rivera, I woke up sad today for some reason, thinking about Allison Rivera, a 2 month old who came to me two years ago that I could not fix, and died a few days later from a heart problem, later today I’ll know why
Cancer of face was the next big thing. Surgically fixed
Last patient of the day —really—� not
Gissel Lara Yaheli. Mothers said she had to quit school because she was not smart like her sisters, her exam surprised me as I saw her lips were blue, and then I listened to her heart—oh my goodness— loud heart murmur — it wasn’t that she was not smart, she had a heart defect that robbed her brain of enough oxygen. Now I know why I was thinking about Allison today, God was sending me another heart to fix.
15 years old
Eisenmenger syndrome
225 pts today
89 families
day 4
265 patients
gissel lara recovry set in motion. I had Gisselle come back with her family. Thru the local facility director we have arranged her to get an echocardiogram and then can make arrangements to get her corrective heart surgery. Thank you God. This one we can fix!!
Day5
286 patients
385 scripts
A baby names Kelsey Had a baby come with her family to be registered, nd her parents said her name was Kelsey, Which is an unusual Honduran name and very unusual to see it spelled like in America. It turned out the parents saw one of our team members with that name and they liked it so they named their baby after her.
Had to send for more bibles today because of many coming to the clinic
Torrential rain today, a typical Honduran rain, like dumping a bucket of water on your head
Day 6
205 patients 1/2 day
Broken wrist Macgyver brace, they brought her in which a shirt as a sling for her arm, she had fallen and was in a lot of pain, and ‘fortunately ‘ we were in their town today. Her arm was broken, but we had no cast with us. So I went walking around looking for something I could use, there was no wood, for every scrap has been picked up for cooking fires. I found a piece of a tile floor in a pile of rubble and broke a piece off, wrapped it in surgical drape and duct tape, and “poof”, we had a cast for her arm
The last pt. I watched her on and off most of the late afternoon, an elderly woman with strong hands and eyes. She was waiting, but I could not tell for what. She was not on the invited list of the pastors that day, but she heard we were in town. She was waiting, hopeful, that she might be able to be seen. It has been an awful year for her. Her Husband and older son murdered. Younger son died of heart attack, and now her son in law that she lived with last Wednesday was shot and left for dead. She needed a break, needed some ‘grace’, needed some oh Jesus hands and feet. Buck brought her to us, and we helped her as best we could. I remember the tears of gratitude in her eyes, and thought again of Pete’s-comments about how God sometimes puts things in our path just to see what we will do.
1407 patients seen, 3 house calls
3086 prescriptions written
-- but most important
149 accepted Jesus as their personal savior🙏🏼😇
And then suddenly we were done. Time to go home. It is always bittersweet. I am leaving Honduras & coming home to my wonderful family and friends. The ones whom I love & have missed unimaginably. I will return to the comforts & conveniences of living in the United State.
However, I am leaving a place that has blessed me in ways I can't put into words. I came to serve & believe And hope I did it well. I had the privilege to serve along with my team in many different ways, from watching infants to helping in bible school, teaching English, leading the medical team, helping with cooking and cleaning, and handling out beans, rice along with providing bibles and prayers —� AND HOPE!!
I am leaving as a better person, I see things in a different light now. God has made my vision clearer, my relationship closer and my heart bigger.
I will treasure the time God has graciously allowed me to travel with Him as He guided my steps in Honduras. I will miss many things (people, mountains, warm weather, beautiful scenery) but mostly the way I have seen God provide and work in the lives of others.
Nuca Han vivido hasta que usted ayude a alguien que no puedo pagar le
(You have never truly lived until you have helped someone who can't pay you back)
Until next time🙏🏼😀
Thank you for your prayers and support
Dr Jim
