About the Work

So, I have spent some time talking about reflections, lessons learned and opportunities I have had to grow and change. What I haven't spent so much time talking about is the work we are actually doing. Partly, that's because there is so much to cover that it truly feels like a huge task. But I have an afternoon of down time today, so I want to get it done. We do so many things here, and I want everyone to see exactly how MAMA Project works and what a difference it makes in the lives of Hondurans!

Normally, on a one week trip, our team would be flying right now. Saturdays are comings and goings. Since half of our team is staying through the second week, we two-weekers spent the morning working at the Nutrition Center, then had an afternoon of relative relaxation while the second week team makes their way here to the mission house.

The Nutrition Center is right next to the mission house, just up the hill. It's common for MAMA staff to identify malnourished children in various communities. There are many other humanitarian organizations currently working in Honduras, and sometimes families are referred to MAMA Project by those organizations who cannot meet the needs of a family. For example, there is another group called the Barnabas Project, and they are able to do heart surgeries. However, they do not have the facilities to take care of malnourished children; so when they find one, they might refer the family to MAMA. More often, though, the children in need are identified through medical brigades with missions teams, such as ours. 

These are the ladies and children that are currently at the Nutrition Center receiving care. 

This week, in the four villages we visited this week, 21 children were identified by the doctors as being moderately to severely malnourished. These families are invited to come live at the Nutrition Center, where they will receive healthy food and medical attention, as well as parenting and health education. Some families accept the invitation; for various reasons, others do not. The staff of MAMA do their best to follow up with those who choose not to come, to see if they change their mind or if there is another way they can be helped. Those who do come stay anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on their health and the amount of care they require. These services are all free of charge to the families.

This is Maria. She and her younger brother Dennis are currently receiving help at the Nutrition Center.

Sarah and I spent some time reading stories and coloring with the children.

The ladies who live at the Center help with some chores, such as cleaning the buildings and taking care of the grounds. These women are raking up fallen leaves.

The Nutrition Center is also where the medicines and resources are kept. We usually spend half a day there sorting out medicines and organizing the pharmacy to get ready for the medical brigades. We did that a few times this week, actually. Also, I wrote earlier this week about construction of the wall. That has been an ongoing project for several years, and the construction crew (usually the men of the team, but women are welcome to help too) has worked on that several days this week.

The Center is at the top of a steep hill, but the wall itself is down on the other side of the hill. The truck can get the blocks up to the top of the hill, but not down into the construction site, so they all have to be carried down. The men spend a LOT of time moving rocks, moving blocks, hauling water and shoveling sand.

See all these rocks and concrete blocks? They all had to be moved. Guess who moved them? All the guys. I'm not kidding when I say they work their tails off.

The dirt is dumped in a pile and then tossed through a sifter, so that only the sand goes through. Then the sand is wheeled down to the construction area to be used in mixing the concrete. The work teams find it easier to mix the cement in large plastic tubs, but Hondurans are accustomed to mixing it directly on the ground.

I love this sand pile picture, because those holes up the side of the pile are the footprints of one of the little girls who is currently living at the Nutrition Center. She was hanging around playing while my dad was shoveling sand.

This is the same process that is used to pour cement floors in homes at each community we visit. MAMA staff drive ahead to each home and deliver the materials that will be used. The home owners have to supply the water for the project. Sometimes they have a hose or a water faucet right there at the some; sometimes the men have to carry water and sand up or down hills during the entire process. These pictures really don't do justice to the process. Trust me, these men work hard. The finished floors are a major step in helping prevent malnutrition, by preventing parasites that can be contracted through playing and even sleeping on the dirt floors of the homes.

Here are some of the guys from our first week team: Russ, Felix, Kevin, Eddie, Dave, Wilson and Jim.

Mixing the cement in tubs.

I picked up one of these buckets. I could hardly lift it with both hands.

The water also has to be brought in buckets.

The MAMA truck brings the guys and the supplies to the work site.

While the floors are being poured in the homes, the medical brigades are ministering to the needs of the rest of the community. Everyone has an opportunity to have their blood pressure checked, receive vitamins, receive reading glasses, receive deworming pills, and be checked for anemia. Not all teams do this, but our team also sets up a donations table where we give small gifts to the people in the community – especially family and children's Bibles. At least one doctor and one dentist are also available, although depending on how large the community is and how many doctors are available, it often happens that not everybody is able to have a consultation.

Hector helps a woman find reading glasses that will suit her needs.

Dr. Lindsay and Celeste, her translator, consult with a patient.

One of our nurses, Zenaida, listens to a woman's breathing. Asthma and respiratory problems are very common in the communities.

One of MAMA's leading staff, Mary, conducts introductions in a community. She prays, introduces the team, and tells the people what they can expect and how the brigade will work.

After waiting in line to register, the people wait in one line after another for the brigade. They are so patient and thankful for the care that they receive. This line is for deworming pills and Vitamin A.

The dentist, Dr. Luisa, consults with a young lady about her teeth.

She loves her Pillow Pet! It was the same one my daughter has!

This little girl got a stuffed bunny. The animals were all very popular this year!

Mary and Angel working in the pharmacy, handing out medicines that the doctors prescribe.

This mother and her young son have their fingers poked to have their blood checked for anemia. The little boy was most displeased.

Earlier in the week I helped the dentist. Along with the pharmacy, that was one of my favorite jobs last year. This year it was a young girl named Luisa. (She looks 17 years old but she's actually 27. That's kind of common here!) The blood and drool is a little gross, but the worst part of it is hearing teeth break. I wince every time. I also had the job of holding two children down while the dentist pulled out multiple rotten teeth. That was pretty intense. They needed to come out though, or they would have caused serious, serious problems – especially since these children obviously did not have regular access to dental care. I went home and sent Bella a message saying that she needed to brush her teeth without fussing! I really like the job, however. I haven't totally figured out why yet!

Toward the end of the day, Luisa (very unexpectedly) had me scrub my hands and actually help her with an extraction. She didn't need help, she was just letting me help for the experience. It was a little crazy. She even had me hold the pliers with her while we pulled this poor lady's tooth out! (Yes, they use local anesthetic as well as numbing shots!)

You can't actually see my face in this picture, but I was a little terrified.

I couldn't do anything to help as Luisa administered the shots, but I have seen how terribly painful it is for the patients, so I just rubbed this woman's shoulder and held her hand.

The people we meet here are wonderful. 

I wish I had time and space to say so many more things about them all, but I just don't. They are kind, and thankful, and just like me in so many ways. They want their kids to be healthy. They love their families. They work hard to do their jobs. And at the end of the day, I can relate to them in so very many ways. So could you, if you came here and spent a week with them.

Hey, you know what? You should do that...