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Our mission team is known as a brigade in Honduras. This year at every clinic, members of our group were told by patients that they had been praying for a brigade to come to their community. When we set up a clinic in a community, we do not have expensive equipment or magic medications or the ability to perform surgery. What we do have is our time and our presence to give to these patients. Even these small gifts have the ability to provide hope to people in dire situations. I would like to tell you story of one little girl that we will call Maria.

On our first day of clinic in 2023, a family that we have known for many years brought a very small 3-year old in a stroller. She was dressed neatly and was clean. She was lying in the stroller, and not interacting with people or the environment around her. We talked to her. We came close to her, but we did not get any response. We were not sure if she was able to see or hear. She moved very little. We learned that she had problems since birth. She was not able to eat any solid food and the family had little access to any liquids with any real nutrition. Her parents and grandparents had taken her to San Pedro Sula to see the public health physicians. They had told the family that there was nothing that could be done for her. The family brought her to our clinic this day hopeful. They were hopeful that there was something that could be done to improve her life and prolong their time with Maria. With limited supplies and equipment, we knew that there was nothing we could do to make an immediate and huge difference, but decided that if we could provide a way for Maria to get better nutrition, that her situation might improve slightly.

We went to the pharmacy and found PediSure, which is an Ensure type drink for children. The cost of this product is about $50 for a can of powder. This is way beyond anything that the family could have ever afforded. We bought several cans and gave instructions on how to use it. We heard back from the Honduran priests that she was drinking it and doing well. Two other times during the year, we sent money to Honduras so that more PediSure could be purchased.

We arrived back in 2024, and on our first day of clinic, Maria, now 4-years old returned with her smiling family. She was a little bigger and more active. She looked at us when we talked to her. She was able to hold her own bottle. Her mother and grandmother told us that she had learned to sit up propped with pillows. She had also rolled over for the first time just one week earlier. We purchased more PediSure for her, as she was still unable to eat solid food. We made sure that she had more cans during the year so that she could continue growing and thriving.

This year, we once again saw Maria, now 5 years old, on our first day of clinic. Her mom and grandmother were excited to tell us that the doctor in San Pedro was going to see her the next week and were talking about a surgical procedure on her foot which had an unnatural rotation. She is still unable to eat solid foods. We provided her two more cans of PediSure, and we hope to be able to continue sending money for the purchase of more PediSure this year.

On this day, Maria was very active. She was being held by her grandmother, and she wanted to get down to the floor. Marie smiled at us. She was able follow instructions and wave good-bye to us. This may not seem like a lot, but this was everything to her family. Marie had been a child with no hope for a future. Now she is an active little girl interacting with those around her. She may not ever be able to eat solid food and will never be able to walk, but she is able to bring joy to her family. For those of us who have seen her these past three years, her smiles brought joy to us. This is just one of the stories from Honduras that is possible because of the support from all of you at the church. Thank you for your prayers, time, and donations.