Honduras Medical Mission Trip

When I signed up for the medical mission trip to Nicaragua, I expected to be the one sharing God’s love with others. However, I had no idea how much love would be poured into me, the community I would experience, and the amazing testimonies I would have the opportunity to hear. Originally, I signed up for the Nicaragua mission, due to my sister having a positive experience on this trip last year. However, due to political instability, Nicaragua was deemed unsafe, and the mission was rescheduled to Honduras last minute. Although this sudden change was unexpected, after the trip I can see this was all a part of God’s plan. Because of the change to Honduras, I was able to meet some incredible people and hear their testimonies that were full of God’s grace and mercy. One pastor’s story told of his journey with his son, who was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. It was incredible to see how God provided for their family when navigating this disease, including obtaining a diagnosis, paying for flights, and quick improvement when undergoing treatment. One this mission trip, I had the opportunity to assist with the physicians on the trip. I spent a lot of time with my father, who is a sports medicine physician. I assisted with drawing up injections, taking pictures of the ultrasounds, and cleaning up between patients. With the other physicians, I helped with providing parasite medicine but mostly spent my time absorbing information and learning as much as I could. I also spent some time in the dentist’s room, cleaning equipment, assisting during extractions, and even pulling a couple teeth. Although we were the ones providing care for the people of Honduras, we left the trip feeling spiritually fulfilled and refreshed. Often, when praying for a patient, the person we were praying for would start praying for us. Although these people lived in poverty often without electricity or running water, they still thanked God for his provisions and prayed for our wellbeing. One priority during the healthcare process was to evangelize and provide spiritual guidance for every single person who visited the clinic. I realized, that although we were there to provide medical care temporarily, the true purpose of our mission was to connect people with a church and with each other, and to uplift them spiritually. While our medical care definitely was a blessing for the people of Honduras, often we are only able to provide temporary care that will not fix their problems in the long run. However, by connecting them with a church, we were able to ensure each person had a community that would care for them, support them, and continually pour into them long term. Overall, this one week in Honduras changed the trajectory of my life, my faith, and my outlook on the world. I experienced a true community with people who cared about me, were willing to listen to me, and uplift me spiritually. In some of my conversations, I was blessed with great life advice based off of older people’s past experiences, and I am thankful for the wisdom that was passed onto me. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have experienced this mission, and my faith and perspective of God’s grace has been strengthened as a result of this journey.