Viva Yaruca!

Many of you know that Heather, Kim (my sister), and I were planning a medical mission trip to Honduras in February. Well, we did it -- and what an experience.

We started traveling on February 14th and finally arrived in La Ceiba, Honduras late afternoon on the 15th. La Ceiba served as a base for the International Health Service (our group) which included 105 volunteers. Twelve different teams covered the country and all had daily radio contact with the base located in the Gran Hotel Paris in La Ceiba. Our team of 15 people was located in the mountains of Northern Honduras in a town called Yaruca (you can see where it is at www.ihsofmn.org). I have posted a few pictures of this beautiful little village which is surrounded by green mountains and next to the clearest little river I have ever seen.

Our clinic consisted of two doctors, a juggling dentist, and an eyeglass clinic. Of course, I was busy seeing patients everyday. Heather and Kim spent time fitting people for eyeglasses, being dental assistants, and being good influences on the young girls in Yaruca. They were two Pied Pipers with throngs of little girls following them wherever they went.

The people there are as beautiful as the landscape. Yarucans are warm, gracious, trustworthy, and honest. Some of my patients had walked 6 hours to be seen -- usually with three kids in tow. I saw lots of the same ailments that afflict people in the States (hypertension, diabetes, arthritis) as well as conditions that Americans are less likely to be familiar with ("piojos" (lice), "sarna" (scabies"), machete wounds).

The cultural experience was outstanding primarily because NOBODY spoke English in Yaruca. Additionally, a wonderful lady named Cristina served the entire team three traditional Honduran meals in her house everyday. She had a friend named Leticia who helped with the cooking and did our laundry for us. It was easy living - kind of.

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was our last day (Feb 28) when we were departing. After 14 inches of rain fell the night before, the only road out was flooded. The people of the village rallied together with mules and trucks to carry us to the next village where a bus was waiting for us.

After we returned to La Ceiba, the three of us took a trip to the western part of the country to see the Mayan ruins in Copan. They are only 1300 years old so it was not overwhelming at all.

Overall, it was an unbelievable experience that I plan to repeat each year. Honduras is a beautiful country with wonderful people and rich history.

Lance

Pictures included are 1) a view of the valley that Yaruca sits in, 2) the Rio Grande which runs next to Yaruca, 3) Kim, Heather, and two of the village girls, 4)Heather and Kim with Cristina and Leticia, and 5) the three of us at the Copan ruins.