Honduras Interns 2007

A remarkable truth and gift...

2007-06-10T07:12:00.000-07:00

"The Place Where You Are Right Now"

-Hafiz

The place where you are right now

God circled on a map for you.

Wherever your eyes and arms and heart can move

Against the earth and sky,

The Beloved has bowed there -

Our Beloved has bowed there knowing

You were coming.

I could tell you a priceless secret about

Your real worth, dear pilgrim,

But any unkindness to yourself,

Any confusion about others,

Will keep one

From accepting the grace, the love,

The sublime freedom

Divine knowledge always offers to you.

Never mind, Hafiz, about

The great requirements this path demands

Of the wayfarers,

For your soul is too full of wine tonight

To withhold the wondrous Truth from this world.

But because I am so clever and generous,

I have already clearly woven a resplendent lock

Of His tresses

As a remarkable truth and gift

In this poem for you.

-Thanks to Rev. Gil Healy for the inspiration.

Both Sides Now

2007-05-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

One day at the airport in San Pedro Sula, a man approached me and introduced himself as Rev. Daniel Castro...a former president of AIEH. He had heard that we were working with the clinic of Pinalejo and explained that he works with a Children's Orthopedic clinic in San Pedro. If we ever needed anything at all, he was there to help us. He gave me his contact info and was on his way. Another chance meeting that has proved to be an incredible opportunity.
A number of weeks ago, David, Artie, and I stopped by the clinic to see him to find out more. We learned that they specifically serve children up to age 17 through an organization called Cure International. Their goal is to be able to provide services to the poorest of the poor who have no resources.
Daniel also told us that he could refer other types of patients that we encounter in the clinic to specialists that have the same goals. This kind of connection is fabulous as someone trying to negotiate an appointment with someone like a cardiologist or Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor would otherwise have to wait months on end to get an appointment, pay more money, and likely get lost in the system. The reality in Honduras is that there is just not enough health care to go around.
So, we set up our first appointments with Daniel and his clinic. He told us to be there before 6:30 AM on May 11. We made plans with the two families that needed services and made the trip. We took in one family with a baby with a club foot who is undergoing a process of casting to correct the foot. We also took in a little girl named Zusel who is 5 years old and has never been able to walk. She has some problems with her hips and tendons and how everything is connected.
So, we got up at 4 AM, met the two families at 5 AM and were at the clinic by 6 AM to get in line. There were others there already waiting. We learned that all of them had little cards with their appointments written on them. We had not been given appointments. As the nurses organized the people and gave them numbers to get them into order, I started to get nervous wondering if we would be seen. We explained that Daniel had told us to be there and the nurses told us that we would have to wait for him to come in. We called him and he assured us that he would be in.
For us, it was a role reversal from working on the other side in the clinic at Pinalejo. We have to maintain order and do crowd control for the long lines of people that come in and wait at the gate at 6:30 AM to be first in line when it opens at 8 AM. We have people that try to convince us that they are sicker than the others. They tell us that they have travelled by foot, by hours to get to the clinic. Answers like "come back tomorrow" are not realistic for these cases to we do the best we can to accomodate. We see people become urgent. They push and crowd to try to get in.
We found ourselves sitting there in line, wanting a number to be garunteed an appointment. We started looking around and thinking, Zusel can't even walk...she needs services more than some of the other kids. We kept thinking, "we all got up at 4AM and travelled all the way from Pinalejo to be here." Maybe if we sit closer to the door our chances will be better...I found myself experiencing that same sense of urgency.
And, as promised, Daniel arrived and got our appointments set up. We got our numbers and waited patiently without worry that we would be seen. Thankfully, we had the connection to Daniel. Those who have to advocate for themselves alone probably have an even harder time. For us, it was a valuable experience to know what it feels like to be on the other side of a gate...waiting.

Waited almost 5 hours to be seen. That is how it works in Honduras and nobody complains. We have gained a respect for these parents who advocate for their children. Zusel's mother has carried her everywhere for 5 years...not to mention caring for her other 3 children. She is a gentle, patient, and humble woman and we only see her offer love to her daughter. A woman of strength.

We got to play while waiting and have fallen for Zusel completely, a sweet sweet girl who offered us all kisses upon being delivered back to her house after a long day. Both families have follow-up appointments during the summer that we will help to get them to. Zusel has to spend time building up some of her muscles to see if surgery is possible.

...For now, there is hope that she might walk.

Pollitos Nuevos!

2007-05-11T19:14:00.000-07:00

As of May 11, 2007, we are the proud parents of 6 new chicks!

Arturito

Avery

Winston

(after Winston Churchill who took office on this day)

Juanes

Guillermo

Sol de mi Alma

Dr. Christopher Smith

2007-05-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

From April 18-May 2, we were pleased to have Dr. Christopher Smith of Maine working with us here in Honduras. As he was here for two full weeks, we were able to branch out and reach a wide range of people. We went for two days to work in the Clinic of Rio Chiquito, another clinic run by AIEH that also does not have a doctor serving it. This clinic is in the north west corner of Honduras less than 20 km from the Guatemalan border.

In Rio Chiquito

In Montanita

After working for a week in the clinic of Pinalejo, Dr. Smith did a clinic day in Montanita in the mountains. We set up in their kindergarten classroom and saw patients that would otherwise have a difficult time travelling to the clinic.

While here, Dr. Smith helped us to create a formulary for the pharmacy in Pinalejo. It will help us assess the needs of the clinic and assure that we can supply patients with the medicines that they need the most. Aside from leaving behind this valuable resource, Dr. Smith taught us all to play a card game called "Russian Bank" that has kept us occupied since he left. David remains the reigning champion...but the rivalry continues.

To see more pictures from when Dr. Smith was working in Honduras, check out the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/charles.eh/DrSmith

An Opportunity

2007-05-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

During our time here in Honduras, we have learned that randomly meeting people often leads to wonderful opportunities. One day, while in the Synod office for a meeting, I met a Korean pastor who is living here in Honduras. A couple weeks later, Artie and I happened upon him in the airport again. With him was a member of his congregation who explained that he owns a factory here in Honduras. He handed us his business card and suggested that we stop by and visit. We had to work to keep our jaws from dropping as we felt we had been given a golden ticket.
The man is the owner of one of the factories in one of the Free Trade Zones of Honduras where there is a stretch of factories- mostly Korean, Chinese, and from the United States. They are "maquillas" that we would refer to as "sweatshops" and are impossible to get into to tour without a personal connection like this.
So, we took our friend up on his offer. We gave him a call and he happily welcomed us into his office and into his factory. Jack and Becky were visiting at the time and he gave us a tour of the whole operation and answered all of our questions. He had no problem with us taking photographs and explained that his factory is certified by "Wrap" - an American organization that inspects factories like his to make sure that they meet certain labor standards. Our friend had nothing to hide.

To see more images from the factory, check out the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/charles.eh/FactoryTour.
We were pleased to know that the factory is certified. Still, the people earn very little and work long hours doing piecework at a rapid rate. We went into it not quite knowing what to expect and left without conclusions. In my opinion, for visitors like ourselves, it is not up to us to determine what constitutes quality of life for Hondurans or people of other countries. We can only speculate. Rather, I feel that it is important to remain open-minded, ask thoughtful questions, and always keep learning.

We have Chickens!

2007-04-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

In March, David, Artie, and I became the proud owners of 2 chickens. I am holding Susan Marsala and Artie is holding Shakira Victoria.
They produce beautiful eggs for us.

We are especially proud of Shakira who is currently sitting on 6 eggs. They will hatch into our first chicks in about 10 days.

Becky and Jack!

2007-04-28T14:38:00.000-07:00

The last week in March, Artie and I were blessed with two very special visitors. Becky Muller and Jack Davidson, who we worked with at Pilgrim Lodge, came to visit during their spring break. Click the link to see pictures of our week together: http://picasaweb.google.com/charles.eh/JackAndBecky
We immediately put them to work. They processed all of the medical records left behind by Hammond Street and got them into our computer system...hours worth of work! Thank you!

They went along with us to El Junco where we had some medical follow-up and business to take care of.
Jack, a member of the Honduras Partnership Committee, was delegated the photographer for the week.
Becky was a willing helper. They helped us to inventory all of our tools and we got a number of donations sorted out.
We went exploring in the mountains and stopped by a school in Rio Blanco where we dropped off some donated school supplies.We went to La Vueltoza, Honduras in the mountains: the site of the 2007 Pilgrim Lodge Mission Project. PL will be sponsoring the Honduras Partnership project to rebuild 9 houses in this community. This house is one of them. Jack and Becky will be resident first-hand witnesses and experts about this project at Pilgrim Lodge this summer. They were a great help with taking photos and getting information that we can use for the presentation we'll do with the campers.
We worked them so hard that after a week, we had to send them back to college. Both are students at Colby.
While they were here, the house was full of laughter and music and all good things. For Artie and I, it was a refreshing reminder of a place that we love because it is filled with people that we love. It was a reminder of the roots of our faith and what we love about it. They renewed our spirits and brought us joy for a week. With these friends who are so special to us, it was a gift to share this experience in another country together. After they left, the house was painfully quiet and lonely, but they left little pieces of themselves behind.

"You've gotta let your soul shine. It's better than sunshine. It's better than moonshine. It's damn sure better than rain..." ...Thanks guys.

Hammond Street Medical Team

2007-04-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

On March 14, we went to the airport to pick up a medical team of four people coming to do a week of medical work with us through the Hammond Street UCC in Bangor, ME. We didn't know what we were in for!

Jim, Becky, Ashley, and Brian pretending to be serious.

Jim, Becky, Ashley, and Brian as their true selves.

We had a wonderful week with these four beautiful people. Jim and Brian, our two doctors, did 654 consultations in a week with the support of Becky and Ashley who kept all of the patients moving and sent them home with their prescriptions and smiles on their faces.

This group was a joy to work with as they did their work with passion and kept the days filled with laughter. We worked out of the clinic in Pinalejo and did a half day in Montanita, a nearby mountain community. They had a wonderful sense of humor about the challenges of the week including some moutain adventures and a truck named "Misery."

After we dropped them off at the airport, the house was very quiet. They were certainly a treat to work with. Click the link to see pictures of our week together in Honduras: http://picasaweb.google.com/charles.eh/HammondSt

Gorham First Parish in La Masica

2007-04-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Members of the First Parish Church of Gorham, UCC came to La Masica, Honduras in February of 2007 where the local E&R church has untertaken a huge construction project which includes both building a new, bigger church around the current pastor's house while beginning a new pastor's house in a different corner of the property.

Artie, David, and I had the opportunity to visit La Masica a couple weeks before Gorham came down to meet with the congregation and Pastor Alexi. They were ready and excited for the group from Gorham to come and for the opportunity to share in a week together.

Gorham arrived to an empty space that will become a house.
When they left, they had laid the foundation for the house. It took a great deal of cement mixing and hard work, but they made great progress getting this house started. Aside from their construction work, they had a rich experience with Pastor Alexi and the members of his congregation in La Masica. They continue a relationship together and will see more of the project realized as a Westbrook-New Gloucester trip in 2008 will help with the second phase of the project.

A mini PL reunion in Honduras with Eric C. Smith!

The Greenwich Connection

2007-04-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

In the Partnership that we share with Honduras through the Maine Conference, UCC, we are also blessed to share a connection with the First Congregational Church of Greenich, UCC in Connecticut. They too, have a historic partnership here in Honduras as they built the clinic of Pinalejo. They have supported the cause of health care in Honduras for years.
It was a special treat to have Rev. Susie Craig visit us in Pinalejo in February with a group from Greenwich. It was a neat experience to come together here in Honduras as Maine and Connecticut both share partnerships here. We were especially blessed to have Debi Shaw, a nurse travelling with the Greenwich team, stay here with us for a night in Pinalejo to be able to help in the clinic for two days. We are very thankful for her as she has done a great deal to support the medical mission here in Pinalejo and the work of the interns through personal service and great generosity.
We are very thankful for the relationship that we share with Greenwich as we share in a common vision and passion for the ministries that take place in Honduras. We are very thankful for the Greenwich Connection!

Grace in El Junco

2007-04-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

For Artie, David, and I, the two groups that came through Franklin Association (with wonderful additions from beyond those 7 churches) brought many loved ones and new friends. For me, it was a joy to have my mother, Marcia here for two weeks and a extra blessing to have my sister, Meridith, come for the first time. Artie and I both loved sharing this experience with a number of favorite nurses that we have worked with at Pilgrim Lodge as well as a number of campers that we have gotten to know. David and I had also worked with a great many of return participants through trips that we had been on in the past. We hosted them here in the house with us as El Junco is just half an hour up the road from us. Click the link to see the full story in photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/charles.eh/ElJunco.

While construction took shape, clinics took place, sewing and cooking projects happened, lessons with students were shared, and the school began to glow with a fresh coat of paint, names were learned, laughter was shared, relationships formed, and a sense of community between the people of Franklin Association and El Junco emerged and blossomed. Physical projects and goals were a means to bring this group of gringos to this remote mountian community, but there was divine work happening at the same time.

From one pastor to another, it was learned feel forgotten by the rest of the world. They are an isolated community of between 160-200 people. They suffer from poverty and lack of adequate nutrition and healthcare. They are a tight community on their own, but they do not appear on maps of Honduras. They feel neglected by the nearest E&R church and wider organized E&R church was unaware that an E&R church existed in their community. In their challenges there on the mountain, they feel forgotten by Honduras, by the world, and had started to question if they had been forgotten by God.

Julio Cesar Maldonado, the pastor of the E&R church of El Junco and important leader in that community shared some of his struggles as a minister with Rev. Marcia Charles, the trip leader on behalf of the Franklin Association. She reassured him that she too, was the pastor of a church in Industry, Maine that often is not found on the map. But, they had come all the way from the United States to be with their brothers and sisters in Honduras. They had not been forgotten by the world or by God. The two weeks ended with a shared worship service together in the E&R church. The president of the E&R church, Rev. Feliciano Rivera showed up in El Junco that evening not knowing there would be a service (divine intervention perhaps?) and learned of the E&R church there in the community and affirmed Pastor Julio and his role in the church. Participants from both sides ended their time together in worship with the grace of God all around. Pastor Julio had asked Marcia to share a bit in worship. It turned out, that they both chose the same passage of the Bible to share together that evening...Psalm 133.

"How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there, the Lord ordained his blessing, life forevermore."

Preparations in El Junco

2007-04-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

The first project on our calendar came in early February. Members of the Franklin Association would be coming to El Junco, Honduras to help in the rebuilding of a kitchen and to work on doing some renovations on the school.

The school, which has about 35 students, has a feeding program funded by the government. The mothers of the community take turns cooking lunches for the students as it is often the only adequate meal that they recieve during the day. However, the kitchen that they have to work with (above) was very basic and a challenge to use on rainy days.

The inside of the school was very dark as the window casings had begun to rot out and be eaten by termites. Therefore, the windows had been boarded up. As there is no electricity in this community, there was not adequate light in the classroom. Franklin Association would be helping to repair the window frames to open up the windows and would also add a new coat of paint to brighten up the inside of the classroom.

As soon as we got to Honduras, our first order of business was to make contact with the people of El Junco to form a relationship with them. The people in Maine had no way of communicating with them and, in turn, the people of El Junco did not have the resources to organize all of the materials, tools, and logisitics that would be necessary to make the project possible. Therefore, our first step was to go to El Junco and create a "confianza" or trust with the people there. We met with the town council to discuss the project and would go up to the community weekly to meet with the wider community to start the work of getting to know them, learning their ideas, and preparing them for the two weeks that a large group of gringos would be working with them in their community. On both sides, for the people of Franklin Association and the people of El Junco it was important to work on this project together as all recognized that it would benefit the wider community.
While the Mainers were planning activities that they could do with the students, a sewing project to share in relationship with the women of the community, gathering supplies for the school, and planning clinic days to meet the medical needs of the people in El Junco, the people of El Junco prepared themselves to host the gringos in the community center for the clinic days, make space for the students that would be displaced from the classroom while the painting was happening, and deconstructing the old kitchen to make space for the new one that they would build together.

We, the interns, started the work of gathering materials and tools together. Unfortunately, it came during a time when the truck that we were meant to borrow broke down and we were left without transportation. This became a challenge as we had to get large amounts of materials up to El Junco as well as making a number of trips to San Pedro Sula to buy tools and groceries. We were able to borrow and bargian transportation for a number of weeks with a whole lot of negotiation. We were able to get everything ready in time and learned a great deal of patience as, in this country, that is of utmost importance as there are always circumstances (broken trucks, power outages that prevent internet communication, people who are late, and steep, dirt mountain roads that are hard to climb) that prevent obstacles beyond our control.

By February 8th, we were ready to meet the first 5 participants from Franklin Association that would arrive for the full two weeks at the airport.

Our first visitors

2007-04-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Our first visitors whom we had the pleasure of hosting were Rev. David Gaewski and Rev. Brad Hirst of Maine. They came for a week at the end of January. Both are members of the Honduras Partnership Committee. They helped us with some of our set-up for our work here in Honduras and took care of some Partnership business while here.
In between the work, we had time to cook good food, sample candy made of guava and coconut, play cards, and practice tortilla-making.
We prefer to call them "maps" as we are still not quiet able to make circles.

Getting started...

2007-04-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

After arriving in Honduras on January 12, 2007, the three of us took our first weekend to settle into our home in Pinalejo and to explore the village. Click this link to see photos of all that we found: http://picasaweb.google.com/charles.eh/TheFirstDays

The next week, we started right in working as we had our first two teams arriving in February. There was lots to set up and prepare.

Where we live...

2007-04-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

We live in Pinalejo, Honduras with a population of roughly 7,000 people. It is about an hour from the city of San Pedro Sula. It is a rural community. There is no address for our house and we use cell phones and internet to stay connected to the world. The three of us live very comfortably in a large Mission House owned by the church. We have running water (though not safe to drink) and electricity (most of the time). We can accomodate about 14 extra people so easily house teams that come to do projects or work in the clinic.

Though we live in a big, beautiful house, we do our best to live simply like the Hondurans around us. We try to produce as little trash as possible as it all gets burned in the backyard as there is no other way to dispose of waste. We wash our clothing by hand and make a point to make our coffee the Honduran way (by running water through grounds in a strainer) rather than buying a coffee maker. We make a point to live as humbly as possible.

We live within the same compound as another family that works through AIEH, the social service branch of the church that runs the clinic. Sandra is works in the pharmacy and Jose is the groundskeeper. They have two children and Sandra's brother lives with them as well. They are the closest we have to family here in Honduras.

Within the same compound is the clinic with which we work and further down is the nutrition center (which is unfortunately closed due to lack of funds).

Where we started...

2007-04-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

Before coming to Honduras, Artie and I were blessed to share in a service of Commissioning by the Honduras Partnership Committee held at my mom's church, Shorey Chapel UCC in Industry, Maine. We were touched by a laying on of hands done by the committee, a beautiful sermon by Rev. Bryan S. Breault, and the support of many loved ones who came out in a snow storm to be with us.

Many thanks to Rev. Gil Healy for his beautiful photography.

Meanwhile in Honduras, David was given a send-off by his friends before his move to Pinalejo, an hour from San Pedro Sula and a whole world away.

Why we are here...

2007-04-04T17:55:00.000-07:00

Our main purpose in Honduras is to act as liaisons between those involved in the Maine Honduras Partnership. We help coordinate the logistics for teams traveling between the United States and Honduras.
One component of the work is to organize medical teams that come and work at the clinic in Pinalejo, Honduras (right next door to where we live). The clinic is run by AIEH, the social services network of the Evangelical and Reformed Church (E&R Church) and currently does not have a doctor serving it. Our goal is to host a medical team every month during 2007 so that we can provide free medicine and continuity of care to the people of Pinalejo and the surrounding mountain villages.
The other set of trips that we help to coordinate are construction teams from Maine that have been invited to be part of projects in E&R churches here in Honduras. These projects are spread throughout the northwest corner of Honduras and include building community daycare centers, pastor’s houses, church expansion projects, school kitchens, and classrooms.
In addition to Mainers traveling to Honduras, a delegation of Honduran Youth will be traveling to the United States this summer to attend part of the General Synod gathering to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the United Church of Christ followed by a week at Pilgrim Lodge. Accompanying them will be the President and Vice President of the E&R Church.

In all we do, we work to keep in mind the basic goals of our Partnership as outlined through our covenant together:
· Experience the all-inclusive, world-wide nature of the Church;
· Engage in service that builds up the Body of Christ
· Support Christians in another land to share and live out their

understanding of Christian faithfulness;
· Help the partners deepen their understanding of what each is called to be

and do in their respective settings within the global family;
· Help each to become sensitive to the cultural differences in lifestyle and

daily life concerns of the other;
· Work together for a just peace locally and in the world at large;
· Engage in exchange visits

Introducing...

2007-04-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Here we are: the 2007 Mission Team through the Maine Conference United Church of Christ. We work on behalf of the Maine Honduras Partnership with the Evangelical and Reformed Church of Honduras.

Introductions...from left to right

David R. Lopez: Mission Intern: a native Honduran from San Pedro Sula, completely bilingual due to 7 years of living in Miami, has a great talent for connecting with the Honduran people through his cultural understanding, great at coordinating medical clinics, uses his natural charm to score discounts at hardware stores for church-based projects

Liz Charles: Mission Director: a "PK" from Skowhegan, Maine continuing her work through the Maine Conference in a foreign context, very organized, her tenacity for details allows us to get things done efficiently, her knowledge of Spanish is helpful, working at creating a Pilgrim Lodge utopia in Central America, working on spending more time in a hammock

Artie Flanders: Mission Intern: a native of Wiscasset, ME, a construction specialist who helps us navigate hardware stores and negotiate materials, knows the pharmacy of the Pinalejo clinic like the back of his hand, has the ocean and Pilgrim Lodge in his blood, keeps his machete well sharpened as he loves any excuse to wield a sword as part of his daily life