Ministering to the Medical Needs of the Less Fortunate in Honduras

Ministering to the Medical Needs of the Less Fortunate in Honduras

Despite less than desirable sanitary accommodations, sleeping concrete floors with open windows, larger than life bugs (they're huge!), and bathing outside in a make-shift shower, I am excited to say I will be returning to Honduras with some folks from my Church this summer. Through the Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International (www.bmdmi.org), we will again be ministering to the medical needs of the less fortunate people in the mountains of Honduras. This year, part of the team will help with the building a church in the small village of Maraita!

I will go with a different perspective than last year. I will make a better attempt at communicating with the local people on an individual, personal basis, even though I don't speak their language. I will be content with the bathroom facilities. I will offer to help in the kitchen. I will not complain if a rooster decides to crow at midnight, 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. (he was really confused). I will try not to be overly concerned about a bad hair week and I will confess my blessings daily.

After seeing the poverty and need first hand, I know that a short term effort like ours will hardly make a drop in the bucket. We won't be able to fix everything. But yet we still go and offer help, free medical services and, hopefully, introduce them to a loving God. Truthfully, I have no skills to offer -- medical, trade or otherwise. I don't possess communication skills either. So what do I have to offer? I give my time, my service and the love for Christ. As we serve the Honduran people, we become the hands and feet of God. They will still live in poverty after we leave, but I know one thing for certain - through hearing the Gospel preached, they will encounter a loving and merciful God and HE can change their world. We're just along for the ride -- Jesus is the One doing the work.