Friends:
We have completed another rewarding mission to Honduras. Enjoy the pictures. See the list of participants at the end of this report. We appreciate your support. Here is what we accomplished this past year in Honduras and what we hope to do in 2011.
PREPARATION FOR THE TRIP
As usual, we spent a lot of time during 2010 preparing for the trip, fundraising, gathering supplies and making plans for how we can best conduct medical and dental clinics and do construction projects in Honduras.
We continued to work closely with
Grace Covenant Presbyterian, Trinity Presbyterian and The First Presbyterian Church of Port Jefferson each sponsored one of the three medical and dental clinics which were conducted at Puerto Grande and Morocopy during 2010. Grace Immanuel Episcopal Church Foundation strongly supports our program which is very welcome.
The KHISH team of 18 gringos included four doctors, a dentist and two pastors. We hammered out a budget of almost $30,000 not including airfare which was paid by each participant. The budget included money for supplies for construction, for a dental symposium and for medical and dental clinics. Our budget was accurate and we followed it. More importantly we met the financial criteria of spending every nickel of donated money on worthwhile projects in Honduras, nothing on administration.
We were joined by Hondurans including a doctor, four administrators, three drivers a security person and two different members of the National Police each day. Rev. Mark Wright, the Presbyterian missionary to Honduras, worked extremely hard all week as one of the translators for the medical clinic.
The budget was funded by donations. A significant amount was provided by the Trinity Outreach Committee through the annual Golf Fling and by the Grace Covenant Outreach Committee through its fund raising efforts. At Woodcock Washburn Law Firm, June was Jean’s Day. On Fridays anyone could wear jeans to work for a $5.00 contribution to the Honduras Mission. We thank everyone at Woodcock Washburn for the contribution.John and Jenny Ward, Denny Leeper, Dave Reid, and Don Bovais of Trinity were among the continuing strong supporters. Evi Maharis collected cases for the reading glasses which we purchased.
Dr. Leonard Jensen and Dr. Paul Berson contributed significantly to the effort. Their financial support enabled the presence of Rachel Levorek who capably assisted dentists during the trip. If I have missed anyone, I apologize.
PROJECT VISION
Throughout the year 2010 Ron and Susan David collaborated with Dr. Peter Solar from SEE which is an international organization devoted to doing cataract surgery throughout the world. This organization calls upon qualified Ophthalmologists who use the latest technologies to remove cataracts. These Ophthalmologists take their equipment with them when they travel to developing countries. Melvin Tejada is the SEE representative in Honduras. Melvin collaborated with the Ophthalmology Department at Hospital San Lorenzo. Melvin made several preliminary trips from his home near San Pedro Sula to San Lorenzo during the year 2010. All necessary preparations were made to screen the patients who were ready for the cataract removal procedure.
During the first week in January Dr. James Wheatley, from North Carolina and Dr. Carlos Martinez from Long Beach, California joined Ron, Susan and Melvin Tejada at the Hospital San Lorenzo to screen potential cataract patients and perform as many cataract procedures as possible. The week had a rocky beginning. Because it was Sunday, the hospital was locked and it was difficult to find someone to provide access for the group. They discovered that the “A Scanner” was broken. Melvin Tejada had a replacement scanner flown in from El Dorado, Honduras to Tegucigalpa. After a few false starts, they succeeded in screening 260 patients to determine if they were suitable for the cataract procedure. They selected 47 patients and successfully performed cataract surgery using the newly developed technology which they had brought with them. The doctors found the screening process to be very emotional. They had extreme difficulty in telling the patients with serious vision problems that cataract surgery was not suitable for them because there were other problems which affected their vision. The doctors from SEE International returned to their homes in the United States feeling enriched by the program. Correspondingly 47 Hondurans have better vision because of the removal of their cataracts. Here is how Dr. Pillsbury described the week of cataract screening and removal procedures:
“The first week, January 1-8, was spent in cataract surgery efforts at the Hospital San Lorenzo. We set a goal of 40 surgeries, and wound up doing 46, plus one FB removal in the OR under retrobulbar block. We have already been invited to return the first week of January 2012, with two ORs promised and a goal of 75+ surgeries. We did all our postops as part of the “usual” mission trip week, January 9-15. You would be very impressed with the Hospital San Lorenzo, especially if you saw the “before” pictures. We visited the place five years ago and it was abominable. Now, they are in the midst of major changes, with the goal of becoming the best public hospital in Honduras. They have ambitious plans, but very skilled advisors. We met with their architects, as well as their chief of development, the medical director, and their major benefactor. With as much help as we can offer, I think they can do it! Our happy group this year included a family physician, Dr. Jeff Piland, from Immanuel Episcopal Church, who is the senior warden, a contractor, and a repeat appearance by Nell as pharmacy tech extraordinaire. A colleague of Ron’s, another child neurologist, Dr. Barbara Olson, from Nashville, rounded out the medical staff. Since we had 5 docs and no nurses, I was the vital signs technician. I perfected my Spanish on “patiente aqui, por pavor,” not to mention the usual open your mouth, close your mouth, etc. Nell reported that pre-counting and pre-labeling meds was a wonderful help. We also had a formulary and a premeeting with Dr. Moreno where he explained briefly how-to-treat-what.”
A local television station prepared a video of the cataract removal screening and procedures. We hope that this video will be shown on YOUTUBE.
Follow ups to the cataract procedures were performed by doctors and nurses at the Hospital San Lorenzo. On Wednesday, January 12th the doctors from the KHISH medical team returned to the Hospital San Lorenzo to perform a post-op check up on the cataract patients. They checked that the replacement lenses were properly aligned and that there was no infection apparent. Excellent results were reported for all 47 patients who underwent the cataract procedure. This is a relatively small number of people who have cataract problems in southern Honduras. However, it is a significant start to what we hope will become a yearly program to alleviate the immense cataract problem in southern Honduras.
MEDICAL TEAM
Dr. Susan Pillsbury David, Dr. Ronald David, Dr. Jeff Piland, Dr. Barbara Olson and Dr. Adolfo Moreno performed 2 one-day medical clinics at each of Morocopay and Puerto Grande. They found that the residents had some of the same medical problems that they had when we first came to these communities 5 years ago. However, the incidences and severity of the maladies have been alleviated by the medical attention received from the KHISH team of doctors. The maladies include water related problems. The children are not bathed sufficiently because of the lack of water. The drinking water is not potable. Water bourn diseases such as worms continue to be a problem. Diabetes is a problem. The primarily corn based diet of the residents is part of the problem. Still, the people are happy and cheerful and their children are delightful.
Noel Mejia, Richard Graugh and Ken Draigh were the reception team which retrieved the medical records of the patient, if that person had previously been in the clinic. If not, they took a picture and made up a new medical file for the patient. After the doctor’s examination, he drew up a prescription which was filled by the prescription team. Denny Leeper, Nell Fukushima, with help from Dave Reid when he was not busy with his task as team photographer, filled the prescriptions. Jorgé Moreno gave the prescription to the patient with instructions as to how the medication was to be taken over the coming months until the arrival of the next medical team. During 2011KHISH plans 4 visits to these two communities. The first was a visit this January, Dr. Moreno and his family will arrange another clinic at both villages in March, another in June, and fourth and final clinic about the end of September. This should maintain adequate health monitoring and prescription distribution during 2011.
In Puerto Grande the doctors treated an orphan boy with a severely burned leg. He kicked a can into a fire not knowing that the can still contained a small amount of gasoline. The resulting explosion left him with third degree burns.
The children typically have very dark black hair. Because of
malnutrition many have a reddish cast to their hair and it is very dry.
Unfortunately we contacted several under nourished children. On the other hand,
we met many well cared for children. Bestevin Enxis, 10 years old, shared lunch
with Dave Reid and
CONSTRUCTION
The construction team consisted of Don Bovais, Gerry Gravatt, and Rick Kurtz. They worked in Morocopay to continue the project of rebuilding Pastora Vasquez’ house. The house had been previously improved by theKHISH team which worked 2 years ago to stucco the house, paint it and build an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace/cooking stove. This was usable but the sheet metal which enclosed the bottom half of the kitchen was unsatisfactory. Wind driven rain made the kitchen unusable during inclement weather.
The construction team bounced down the ten mile dirt road to visit four hardware/construction material stores before purchasing the material and tools needed for the reconstruction project. We bounced back up the very rough dirt road to Morocopay to where the construction team got started on the project.
Pastora Vasquez’ house is now
water tight and has an airy kitchen at one end which can be used in any
weather.
The
children of the Iglesia Luz y Vida congregation supervised the painting of their
church.
The construction team inspected the Pastor’s house at Puerto Grande to assess what has been done in the past and what we can do in the future to provide Pastor Naptaly Posadas with a good home for him, his wife and five children. When we first arrived in Puerto Grande 5 years ago, the pastor and his family were living in a primitive home with a thatched roof which leaked profusely during inclement weather. Today the pastor has a handsome concrete block home with a corrugated metal roof.
The
Pastor’s house in Puerto Grande has an enclosed kitchen, 3 bedrooms and a living
room.
WATER PROJECT
We have been working to improve the water quality and quantity at the villages of Morocopay and Puerto Grande since the very beginning of our work in Honduras. This collaborative effort took another big step forward this year with the addition of Water Missions International (WMI) to the team. Steve Parsons made contact with Rusty Smith of Water Missions International (WMI). WMI has improved the water supply of impoverished villages all over the world. They have been active in Honduras but only in the northern section of Honduras. WMI has an active staff of managers and technicians in Honduras. Hector Chacone is an active manager of WMI in Honduras. He agreed to travel from northern Honduras to Tegucigalpa to meet with us at our team meeting. Hector and his delightful children joined us to discuss how we will proceed. Hector will meet with Pastor Neptaly Posadas and the pastors of the Catholic Church and the Church of Christian Love Brigades in Puerto Grande. He will also meet with residents of Morocopay and with Pastora Vasquez to discuss the water supply. The residents of these 2 communities must bear heavy responsibility in the task of improving their water supply. They have been living with bad water for years. Unfortunately, they do not recognize the harm to everyone, most especially the children, that is caused by bad water and the lack of a good supply of drinking water and water for washing. We hope that as a result of the meetings that people of the community will participate in the improvement of the water supply by adding their labor to the effort.
SOCIALIZING AND PRAYING WITH THE RESIDENTS OF MOROCOPAY
AND PUERTO GRANDE
As usual, the Honduran people we met were smiling, gracious and never failed to express gratitude for coming to Honduras to help make it a better place to live. We ate 3 meals a day with our Honduran hosts and enjoyed every bit of the food which Hondurans eat. Every meal was preceded by an articulate grace provided by Reverend Richard Graugh, Reverend Mark Wright, Noel Mejia and Marel Hernandez.
Two members of the Honduras National Police joined us for breakfast at La Casada and stayed with us throughout the day.
Their presence was reassuring of our security and augmented the security
provided by our long time friend and security person, Fausto Martinez.
We enjoyed Beatriz’s delicious buffets of Honduran delicacies. On Wednesday night the whole group of 33 people enjoyed a seafood dinner at a restaurant on the waterfront in San Jose. On Friday night we had a marvelous dinner at the Hotel Maya in Tegucigalpa. This was attended by everyone including the drivers, the translators/guides and their families. This was a great evening highlighted by after dinner speeches expressing the mutual admiration of the Honduran and American people who participate in this good work.
The entire group worshipped together at a church service on Wednesday in Puerto Grande. The service began with music by Noel Mejia on the keyboard and Jorge Moreno on the drums. Reverend Naptaly Posadaswelcomed the congregation. His wife did a Bible reading from Psalms 8. Reverend Posadas and his daughters sang “Be Still My Soul” and “Holy, Holy, Holy”. Our eyes moistened considerably as Reverend Richard Graugh gave this moving sermon.
“We came to Honduras not only for medical and dental brigades
but also to be together in Christ’s name. I Thessalonians 5: 1-15 tells us to be kind to each other, rejoice
always. Give thanks in song, and in fellowship. God gave you this day as a gift.
God wants us to be a joyful people. In North America we are rich in material
things but relatively poor in faith. In
TEAM MEETING AND PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR
The North American members of the KHISH team met at the Hotel Maya in Tegucigalpa on Friday, January 14th to review our efforts in Honduras and to plan the future of this effort.
The dates for 2012 will be:
Project Vision - January 1-7, 2012.
Medical, Dental and Construction Work -
We had a thorough discussion of the financial arrangement for doing this mission work. At present there are 3 checking accounts into which contributions to the project are deposited:
1. Project Vision Account
2. HSBC checking account in Virginia
3. Trinity Honduras Missions Account
Having 3 checking accounts is a convenience for people making contributions. We will continue having these 3 accounts for the convenience of people making contributions. However, having 3 accounts does not work for making distribution and we must make a change in how we disburse money for the trip to Honduras. This year presented a good example of problems which arise when disbursements are made from 3 different accounts. Ron and Susan David contributed the major portion of the $15,000 which was expended during the Project Vision week. It is admirable of Ron and Susan to make such a significant contribution. However, we cannot always expect such a significant contribution in the future. We want Project Vision to continue and if we are to do that we need to better fund the effort.
Another problem arose with paying our expenses for the second week of medical, dental and construction work. This year, most of the expenses for the second week were to be paid from the Trinity account. However, for several good reasons, all of the expected contributions were not deposited in the Trinity account before the trip. We adapted to this situation by asking Beatriz to wait for a week for the final payment of $4,000 against a $13,000 bill we had incurred with her. Also, we paid for the rooms, dental symposium luncheon and farewell party by splitting the costs between the Trinity account and Dr. Jeff Piland’s personal credit card. This was a great accommodation on the part of both Beatriz and Jeff. However, it is not a good business practice and should be avoided in the future. Two suggestions were made for avoiding this situation in the future.
Ron David suggested that we adopt a “Bridge Loan” procedure of obtaining a loan before the trip and then repaying the loan as donations are collected.
REK suggested that we collect all donations and deposit all donations in the HSBC or the Trinity account before the trip.
Your comments and suggestions are earnestly solicited.
We also had an intense discussion of the Hotel we use. The Hotel Palmeras has served us well. It is convenient to the La Casada Restaurant and to Beatriz and Marvin whom we love and cherish their involvement. However, The Hotel Palmeras is too small. It has only 20 rooms for all of the North Americans and Hondurans who want to participate in this mission. For the last several years, it has been a limiting factor on the number of people we could encourage to participate. The general consensus of the group was that next year we would stay at Hotel Real Vista Hernandez. This is a relatively new hotel with a swimming pool and other desirable features. We stayed there when it first opened and was undergoing some start up problems. However, we look forward to a very pleasant stay in Hotel Real Vista Hernandez in 2012.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of KHISH
Richard E. Kurtz
List of Participants
2011
U.S. Participants
Don Bovais Berwyn, PA
Dr. Ron David . - Richmond, VA
Dr. Susan David- Richmond, VA
Ken Draigh - Port
Eleanor Fukashima - Richmond, VA
Nell Fukashima Mechanicsville, VA
Rev. Richard Graugh - Port Jefferson, N.Y.
Gerry Gravatt Mechanicsville, VA
Jocelyn
Hostetter Nashville,
TN
Dr. Len Jensen - Philadelphia,
PA
Dick Kurtz - Berwyn, PA
Rick Kurtz - Lake Mary, FL
Rachel Levorek Philadelphia, PA
Denny Leeper Berwyn, PA
Dr. Barbara Olson Nashville, TN
Dr. Jeff Piland Mechanicsville, VA
Abi Pillsbury Richmond, VA
Dave Reid Berwyn, PA
Rev. Mark Wright Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Honduran Participants
Dr. Adolfo Moreno - Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Jorgé Moreno - Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Dr. Alex Moreno - Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Security
Fausto Mendoza Martinez
Administators
Marel Hernandez
Marvin and Beatriz Hernandez
Noel Mejia
Drivers
Leo
Sergio
Pin Isaias
Translators
Jose Hernendez
Mario Artroga
