Visiting the sick & the Peace Monument

view from the Peace Monument

Today was our first work day back in Teguc with the new group.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I decided I would just go where I was needed.  It just so happened that they needed people to go to the hospital.

getting ready to bring cheer in the hospital

We had purposely set aside baby clothes from our clothing giveaway in Cholucteca because there wasn't that many newborns and the babies we saw were fairly big.  Those of us who visited the new moms the last time felt like we should bring something to them. 



 Last night, I made some hygiene packs from the donations I had in my own suitcase, plus we were going to take all of the baby clothes that we set aside.  Everything was nice and like new.  There was even some nice crocheted blankets. 




We also had a group who was going to break down bulk food and package it in bags to give to families.  We did this with the first group also.  There was also a group building a house, and another group was going back to the dump to feed the people there.




We all got our things ready to take to the hospital and we couldn't find the box of baby clothes anywhere!!!!  All we could find were the winter clothes that were too hot for Choluteca.  We were able to pull out a few things, but most of it was not very nice.  We visited the new mothers in the maternity ward and prayed with most of them.  There is something powerful about a group of Christian women young and old praying together.

ready to go home

  All of the mothers were very appreciative.  Then we walked over to the neurological unit.  I had been there last year.  A lot of the children have hydrocephalus.  Some will be fine (according to Nurse Sarah), but some seemed very sick. 

 We were visiting the different wards, and we came upon a women who was crying and the baby seemed to be fighting for breath.  We all gathered around her and hugged her and prayed with her.  Jennifer, our translator, did a great job helping us and translating the prayers.

 Some of our younger members realized what was happening and they walked in to comfort her.  I stepped into the hallway and a man came dashing down the hallway and was very upset and crying.  I knew something wasn't good. 

 Our translators found out that his daughter was dying and they went and prayed with the family.  We were all feeling very emotionally spent by then, so we decided to walk down to the main lobby to find the rest of our group because the bus was supposed to come back soon. 

Josue, the proud papa

 Josue (sp) is a Honduran man that speaks English well and works with Torch groups.  His newborn baby was in the hospital because of breathing problems and he wanted us to go see his baby and surprise his wife.

balcony on one story of Hospital Escuela

We went back down to the cancer treatment ward.  This pillowcase dress was made by a lady in my church.

Like it often happens in Honduras, we found out our bus was going to be delayed another hour and half.  We hung out for awhile at one of the side entrances.  We couldn't at the main entrance because the nurses were on strike.  They have been on strike every time I have been in Honduras!!!!

                             Carlos, my friend from the last time.  We gave him a ball and he called it a "goal"!  LOL

striking nurses and Josue in red

Genesis was in the burn unit.  She was a cutie and quite the talker.

killing time & waiting for the bus

                        
We were finally picked up by the bus and we were reunited with the group who went to the dump.  We were hitting the Teguc rush hour, so one of our leaders decided to take us on a short excursion to the Peace Monument.  I had only been one other time, but I was asked to tell about it.  Here is the story as I know it.

There was a soccer match between Honduras and El Salvador and it ended with a dispute and a war broke out.  This wasn't a war with guns, but shovels and pick axes, no one died, but both countries agreed to end it peacefully after 3 days.  This was the only war that Honduras has ever been in and the monument was built to remind them that war is a bad thing.

The monument is maintained by the firefighters who are also kind of like forest rangers.  They also do wild animal control.  They brought this out to show us.  This is Steve Johnson.

This is supposed to spell Torch!!



Until next time!!! xoxo PJ