Honduras: Tuesday 5/21 San Juan, Victoria, Yoro

Today we had our longest drive of the week. We went about 2 1/2 hours away from our hacienda to the village of San Juan. San Juan was a village that MAMA had never visited to before. So we were interested to find out the needs of this community. We drove up windy, rocky, narrow, steep mountainsides and forged through rivers before we reached the top. It was a beautiful drive and we were happy to arrive safely, in one piece and to less humidity. The villagers were happy to greet us and were very organized as well as helpful. Today we were able to watch the MAMA staff teach the community how to properly administer micronutrients to family members. They used a hard boil egg to mix the micronutrients with because eggs are an easy protein source and easily acceptable to all people. Overall this was a pretty healthy community. We did find 3 children with malnourishment that we were able to educate. The dentist pulled teeth from 23 children and adults. It was a successful day!

Throughout the week, in addition to the medical brigade team, a construction team worked at two different houses on each day to put in cement floors. Without these cement floors, families are more susceptible to parasites and diseases from walking and living on dirt floors. Families are chosen based upon need in the community in which the medical brigade is working that day. The MAMA Construction Team of Felix, Eddie, Wilson, and Josh, have the process down so well that they could do it in their sleep. Their patience was truly remarkable as they taught us the process of shoveling dirt, carrying water, mixing cement, and pouring the floor. This strenuous work was difficult, yes, but the men make it an enjoyable time with lots of smiles, laughter, and, of course, sweat. The work ethic of this team is inspiring as they work in less than ideal conditions. No complaints have been spoken by them, and it is a blessing to work with all of them.