Mission Trip to La Paz, Honduras

August 7-15 was the annual Friends of Barnabas Medical Mission trip that I organize once a year.  This year we held two clinics near Pena Blanca and three clinics new La Paz.  We served many wonderful people again in the mountains where few had ever seen a doctor.  Four of our team members were medical persons and we had two translators in a team of 13.  As always, where there is a common purpose, there is always wonderful unity as we share our joys and work together in love.  We had an awesome team. 
The day before our mission we decided to visit some neighbors near the Barnabas House rather that do some of the tourist places.  With 70 comfort dolls, hand knitted by ladies form Virginia, Vermont, and as far north as Canada, we rode in our trusty bus up an extremely bumpy road to the village of El Tigre to visit a child Care/soup kitchen which I have visited several times.  After walking up a narrow path, Sister Maria and about 40 little children greeted us at the gate looking very shy and inquisitive.  Sister Maria is a nun who has dedicated her life to taking care of pre-school children so their siblings can go to school in the mornings and their parents can work in the fields.  Each morning they have breakfast, organized play and learning sessions.  At noon, when the brothers and sister come from school, she feeds 113 children with donated supplies and volunteer help.  Needless to say, her faith that the Lord will supply all needs is very strong.  She was very thankful for her donated chickens and chicken house and was exited that someone had just given her two cows, so the children will now have milk.  Her desire is that the four bins in the kitchen will always be filled with corn, beans and rice so the children we have food.  The team was very happy to meet all the children, give them their comfort dolls and lots of hugs and smiles. 
We then drove to within a mile of the Barnabas House to an orphanage started 50 years ago by Dr. Youngberg and his wife from Texas.  Of course, we immediately went to where the little ones were housed in a neat, clean building with rows of beds and lots of toys.  Each member seemed to become attached to one individual child and spent much quality time holding, loving, hugging and playing with them and their comfort dolls. What a blessing it was for me as a team leader to see members of team 8A react with compassion and care for all these precious children.  That was just the beginning of a week of helping to make a difference, one child at a time in Honduras.