Alabama Overtakes Hondo

Last week, Honduras was covered in Alabamians (?) when I had a group of pharmacy students from the school of pharmacy in Auburn-including Jeanne Forrester, and nurse Elizabeth Yokley (a friend from home) here to visit. Finally, the number of Auburn tigers could compete with the number of Harding grads here in Sta Rosa!

Meanwhile, we had a group from Texas doing a dental/vision brigade, so the girls split up every day and traded out between helping at the brigade and coming with me to explore Honduras. 

The pharmacy group was here for a sort-of exploratory trip, since we've never had a whole group of pharmacists and it was the first time for their club to take a spring break mission trip. I took them to see the hospitals in town and the one in Gracias, and we got to go visit the cesar (clinic that is only attended by a nurse) in El Por Venir where we walked around town doing health screenings and talking to people about their medications. We toured a commercial pharmacy, and we got to spend some time exploring Santa Rosa. 

I always enjoy having medical people, just for the fun of sharing the experience, but it was especially fun having two of my oldest friends here! All four of them are obviously very intelligent, hard-working, compassionate ladies, and it was a pleasure to have them with me for the week.  

Mission Retreat

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15: 5

This is one of the verses we focused on last week at our first retreat for mission team members and families. It was part 2 of our (successful, I think) plan to start the year by renewing relationships with God and with each other. I’ve said it before, but what a blessing it is to work for an organization that understands the importance of investing in the spiritual lives of its team members, as well as the unity of the team itself.

Jason Bybee, a minister from my home church, came down to share the lessons with us. Unfortunately, Matt Moore got sick and wasn’t able to be here, but we appreciate all of the prayers and preparation he put into the retreat with Jason. Jason is a great speaker, and God really used him to touch our hearts and share a message.

We had the opportunity to listen to the word of God together, eat, play, and laugh together; God really worked in those few days! (Teaching Central Americans how to play corn hole and nerts is obviously a recipe for success). We were reminded of the importance of staying connected to God and being unified with one another. The newer, stronger attitudes of respect that everyone has for each other have not lessened since we returned. What a loving, fun, and ridiculous group of people that we have working together! I'm thankful to know them, and I will always remember the lessons they're teaching me.