It's A God Thing Team just keeps on going

 

“It’s A God Thing Team Report”

Honduras 2011

The 2011 team members included Bucket, Linda, Bill, Janet, Laura, Dana, Angela, Kayla, Barbara, Emilie, Savanna, Cristy, Lynn, Alexis, Jerry, Guf, Mary, Dale, Brenda, Alicia, Brad, Brenda Mc, and Michelle.  Of these team members there are several sponsors of girls at Shalom Girl’s Dorm in La Ceiba.  And, as an added blessing a young boy with Autism – Joshua – who lives in La Ceiba received sponsorship by Barbara.   Others who we consider as our Team Members were our wonderful volunteers Marlene and Florence (Nana) who traveled with us on location.  Also, traveling with us was two of the girls at Shalom – Jackie and Meri.  They worked with us and were a tremendous help and blessing.  Needless to say – Shalom – (as a ministry of Cruzadas del Evangelica under the leadership of Sis. Eleanor, Sandy and Suyapa)  - is very special to this team.  One night, while in La Ceiba, we had a wonderful time with all the girls at an ice cream party.  The girls sang for us and did a skit.   Before we left Honduras headed home, the dorm was provided with funds for a new refrigerator and washing machine and Sis. Eleanor’s home was provided with a new stove.

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This was one of the busiest missions the team has ever been on, and I might add, one of the most productive.  To God be all Glory and Praise! 

This was the first trip to Belaire’s Clinica de Los Angeles for the “It’s a God Thing Team” and hopefully, it definitely will not be the last.  The medical team, under the direction of Alexis, Barbara, Janet, and Bill as our professionals, saw around 800 patients.  Of course, on the field there are emergencies, which was certainly true for this mission trip.  One example was a young boy cut his foot with a machete and required some careful stitching by Alexis, aided by Savanna and Dana.  Laura, Linda, Alicia, Emilie and Cristy also worked long hours in the medical clinic.  There were many homes visits up into the cloud forest to those who could not get to the clinic by themselves.  Some others walked for several hours to arrive at the clinic, only to wait several more hours (or even over night) to see the staff.

The eye clinic team (Guf, Mary, Lynn, Dale, Brad, Alicia, and Michelle) saw around 160 people with each one of them being examined for cataracts, pterygia, and several other problems that are common place within this population.  Sometimes the crowd was so heavy that we ran double lanes for both the near and far vision exams.  One of the examiners was Brad Hyche.  He and his new bride, Alicia, gave up their honeymoon to join our team.  

The Children’s Ministry Team (Angela, Dana, Kayla, Cristy, Michelle) met with 200 or more kids each day while we were at Belaire.  They played with the children teaching them games and telling them about the love of God by action.  One day they provided a puppet show teaching the children how to properly brush their teeth.  Tooth brushes and tooth paste were given to all the kids. 

The Evangelistic Team (Dale, Brenda, Mchelle, Brenda Mc, Emilie, and Cristy) prayed with hundreds of people.  A prayer corner was set up at both the medical and eye clinics at the exit points where patients were given the opportunity to talk with someone about their prayer concerns.  When appropriate (if the person professes not to know Jesus) the prayer partners would offer to lead the person through steps  to salvation.  During the four days at the Clinica de Los Angeles, our prayer teams had 36 decisions for Christ, which included mostly professions of faith, but also some reconciliation.  

The day we were able to participate at the feeding kitchen at the La Ceiba dump (which is sponsored by the Cruzadas Church, 200 +- children were fed.  This is always something the team looks forward to and is so rewarding to get to know these children who must live on the trash of others.  It seems that some of the kids carry their meager meals back to share with others in the huts and shanties.  We thank God that many teams participate in the feeding kitchen upon their visits.

A real treat for all of us was when Leonard Jones brought 14 of his kids to the Canadian hotel to visit with us one night during our evening meal.  The children gathered around us, laid hands on us, and one of them prayed the most beautiful blessing upon us all.  I doubt there were any dry eyes.  Some of the team member were able to visit Casa Cielo Orphanage where 24 unadoptable wards of the government live with Mama and Papa Jones and their daughter Joy.  They are assisted by their daughter Jennie and her husband Del.

To top off a wonderful mission trip we worshiped at the Cruzadas church at the compound where the message was delivered by our spiritual leader Dale Hyche on Friday night.  And, then on Saturday night at the youth rally, Bucket and Kayla gave their testimonies.  The local young people did a dramatic skit and the entire experience was awesome and such a blessing.

To finish this report (thank you all for your input; especially Guf who is such a good writer) I want to leave you with the words of Barbara – concerning her decision to support Joshua; and Emilie who gives a wonderful example of what each person on every team has an opportunity to experience because each mission trip and each member of every team receives their own personal “moment” when the entire trip is laced together with the realization “this is where I was meant to be, at this very moment.”  God Bless.

J Brenda

(Thank you Nana for sharing with me the story about Joshua’s need.  I told the team about Joshua one night at devotion and this is what God did!)

 

Brenda,

I heard a request at evening devotion that an autistic boy needed help.  God led me in a direction a year ago that I would never have gone.  I started working with a nursing agency and most of my assignments were with special needs children.  I worked at the Linda Nolen Center for several months, which is a school where special needs children who cannot be mainstreamed go.  I have witnessed the impact a structured and nurturing environment can have on autistic children.  When I met Joshua and his aunt, Ruth, at the dump I was immediately drawn to him.  He is probably moderately to severely autistic.  His aunt has assumed total care for him in the absence of his mother, who could not cope with this situation.  Joshua requires 24/7 care and so his aunt was unable to work to support them.  The Montessori Learning Center in La Ceiba agreed to accept Joshua as a student, thus allowing his aunt to work and support them.  God led me to commit to a one year sponsor for Joshua to attend this school.  Ruth will be able to earn an income to support her and Joshua and Joshua will get the needed structure, love, and education that he deserves.  It was a God thing and I give Him all the glory.

 

In His Love,

Barbara Foshee

 

 

Hi Brenda - Bucket called today and said I need to let you know about Jim and I sponsoring Madelin at Shalom.  I know you already know that, but here is its officially for your report.  Also if you want to add one more pair of reading glasses given out, Jerry and I gave mine to the security guard at the gas station next to the hotel  in La Ceiba our last morning.  We went for coffee about 5:30 am and the guard asked us if we were a medical/eyeglass team then gestured about being unable to see close up although he did fine with distance vision.  He was 58.  All this in Spanish.  We went back to the hotel and then returned to the gas station and gave him my readers.  He was thrilled! 

At a gas station in La Ceiba there is one tough looking, shaved-headed security guard with a pistol grip shotgun working 24 hour shifts and wearing my purple reading glasses!

Emilie Sims

 

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Team Report: The Jan Cox Team, 2011

If you a having a bad day just look over the team reports that are coming in or call one of the team members who just came back from a AHMEN Honduran mission.  This is from Peggy Polhemus, from the Jane Cox Team- June 21 - July 1, 2011.

Team Report for Jane Cox Team- June 21 - July 1, 2011

 

Team members:

Peggy Polhemus, RN, co-leader

Sharon Bentley, RN, co-leader

Melissa Cole, RN

Kelly Davis, RPH

Jennifer Smith, PharmD

Eryn Wilson, lab tech/pharmacy tech

Vicki Coe, children's ministries

Scott Davidson, MD

Sheila Minor, surgical asst.

Delmer Montoya, MD (LaCeiba Clinic)

Ellen Storey, RN, (Belaire Clinic)

 

We treated 1145 patients and dispensed 4588 prescriptions in 6 days of clinics. LaCeiba Cruzadas Church- 276, Belaire clinic - 201, Cloud forest home visits - 49, Limon (2 Days) 218, Plan de Flores - 206, and Icoteas - 196. We did approximately 20 surgeries.

 

We were able to medically assist the construction team at the Cruzadas Church Clinic on thursday who had been working for several days and were very dehydrated and with a GI malfunction. Melissa Cole, RN, did IV hydration replacement at the LaQuinta Hotel and they were able to continue their mission as scheduled. A big thanks to Shelby Baptist Medical Center for their donation of IV fluids.

 

On friday, June 25, we served the children at the LaCeiba city dump and then proceeded to Limon. We stopped in Tocoa and left a wheelchair with a friend of Dr. Delmer's for delivery to Palachios to the young boy referred by Dr. Delmer and Bruce McFadden. On tuesday, June 29, I received word that the father received the w/c in Palachios and was very grateful.

 

While the medical staff were doing clinics , Vicki Coe and Marlene did face painting, tattoes, fingernails, and Bible School skits and music to small groups of children so that more individual attention was given and at the end of the day, all the children were touched by us and they to us.

 

On sunday morning we went to the Catholic church in Limon  for service and spent time with Senora Leonardo and the orphanage children at the church. We then followed with a Bible School at the Cruzadas Church for the children.

 

On tuesday evening, we had a program presented by the orphanage children and we roasted s'mores with them at a bonfire on the beach. That was a first for all of us and enjoyed by all.

 

On wednesday, we returned to LaCeiba and went to Pizza Hut with the girls from Shalom and Sister Eleanor, Patty. Suyappa, Marlene and Israel. This was enjoyed by all. It is such an honor to get to know these young ladies who will be future leaders in their communities.

 

We had Israel (Patty Calderon's oldest son) and Marlene go with us all week and they worked as interpreters along with the Limon interpreters while in Limon. Mario Miraldo and David Kelly served as our guides and drivers. Patty, Geony, and Jonian assisted in LaCeiba. It is always a great privilage to have Dr. Delmer Montoya work with us and he was a great asset in the clinic in LaCeiba.

 

NEEDS IDENTIFIED:

 

1- construction team- Mario Miraldo's church has a small plot of land across from his church. There are many widowed ladies in his church who need to start a small business venture to earn money and support themselves and their children. They could have a 20x24 building constructed with a bathroom to cook tamales, tortillos, etc. and sell in the community.

 

2- Stop Hunger Now food packets need to be continued in Belaire where starvation is a reality to the Cloud Forest People, especially the 1-5 year old children.

 

3- Possibility of holding mobile clinics at the Cruzadas Churches of Danta and Las Vegas in the Cloud Forest of Belaire. It is very difficult for these people to get down the mountain to Evelyn Castellar's Clinic.

 

4-  5 surgical candidate referrals have been sent for the Connor team in late July.

 

5- one patient referral to Dr. Gordon Robinson, plastic surgeon who will be in Coyoles September 2 - 9, 2011.

 

6- Supplying start-up supplies and medicines in the new Cruzadas Clinic in LaCeiba.

 

MIRACLES:

 

1- Belaire- a 15 month old boy found in feb. 2011 with IGA Bullous Dermatitis whose father was praying for the child to die because he could not bear to see his son in such pain and suffering. On June 23rd, we saw the child with no skin lesions after continuous intake of Stop Hunger Now protein packets left in february. The mother and father brought him to clinic to thank us.

 

2- Plan de Flores- seeing the woodworking school and deaf school continue to meet  needs as Jane Cox prayed and envisioned that they would.

 

3- Seeing healthy 2 year old Catherine, adopted daughter of Betza's, who we saw in 2009 in clinic with failure to thrive and weighing 6 lbs. at 6 months of age. Catherine had an accident at the Limon clinic on monday night and fell and cut her tongue severely, needing sutures. Using benadryl to sedate and a topical dental anesthetic from the dental clinic, Dr. Davidson was able to suture which was no small task. Great job, Scott!

 

It was a great week of service to others, reunions with friends, fellowship, and growth in our faith. We always receive much from the Honduran people who we all consider our friends and family away from home.

 

Out team gives a big THANK YOU to Sandy for her assistance in preparations all along the way and to David and Mario for helping us have such a wonderful experience in Honduras.

 

Vaya Con Dios, Peggy Polhemus