Long Hours, No Pay...Come enjoy the experience of a lifetime and visit Honduras Central America and serve in the clinics for the poor

Our Journeys to Honduras

The interest in going somewhere self-funded in Central America began in college around 1980 when Dr. Richard Reinbolt MD passed through the University of Florida and presented his volunteer medical work with the Chicai Indian peoples of Guatemala. I asked him after his slide show what he needed from students like me assuming he needed money and instead he asked me to come down and work with him. I had no heart to interrupt my plans of marriage and a good stable job in order to go to perhaps one of the most highest risk areas of our world for people I barely knew. About 20 years into my career and family I was invited to the home of Herb & Lisa Rodriguez to attend a dinner to see slide of voluntary efforts of HOPE Worldwide's operation in Latin America. Again I asked the same question to a man named Javier Amaya and he said, we don't really need your money we really want you to come down and see the work and work with us. Being asked twice in a lifetime was something that I thought was rare so I decided that night to go and not grow old here in the states never getting to do some of the wild things we dreamed of in graduate school so long ago. Being a successful businessman can and often is somewhat boring here in the states and I longed for the adventure of a new place with a challenge and a purpose.

The first trip was with my then 13 year old son as a father son trip where we were asked to travel and assist a retired Internal Medicine Specialist doing consulting, evaluating of clinics and overall tropical medicine. I was asked to join him for about 4 days and we had a blast visiting rural clinics and conducting limited medical brigades as well as providing used shoes for children that we brought in donated from friends from the states. It was a trip of a lifetime, everything from the people, the food and the Ruins of Copan to the lakes and waterfalls. I felt like we made forever friends with so many people that needed everything but wanted very little.

Returning to the states and sharing my photos and experiences with my friends lead to more people expressing that they too would want to go and experience something like what I have. Those that have also gone have taken it higher and deeper in that each person that goes has their own special talents that they bring to the trip and makes their own forever friends. What is unique is that most each of us goes on our own and perhaps intrepid at first and returns with almost inexpressible gratitude for the simplest blessings we enjoy here in the United Sates. Honduras is the second poorest nation in our hemisphere but has a heart in its' people that the first world can only envy.

One of the greatest things is to connect with people in Latin America and share what you can do well with them. The clinics in San Pedro Sula provide that opportunity. We concentrate on things that can immediately improve someone's quality of life through teaching simple dental hygiene, fitting reading glasses, providing shoes for those that have none and assisting local doctors in medical brigades...all free to the poor. Village areas like Monteverde, Limon & San Antonio are teaming with people who are eager and grateful for the smallest thing that you provide for them. For example a dentist that came along Dr. Marc Parramoure taught the people that brushing teeth with salt water for two minutes is roughly equivalent to using tooth paste, so each kid gets a tooth brush and is instructed to think of a song that lasts about two minutes that he hums while brushing. The local heroes of the Rotary Club and Lion's Club provide so much in the way of medical volunteers and trained optometric technicians to provide sight to those in need. Used eyeglasses in the USA are recycled and donated by the Lion's internationally Project Right to Sight where they are fitted using portable equipment.

My wife and I returned to Honduras to celebrate our twentieth anniversary working the clinics and renewing our marriage vows at the top of one of the structures in the ancient city of Copan where the marriages took place thousands of years ago. We then returned with our two children ages 15 and 12 to work and play. My son celebrated his 15th birthday with local Honduran teens that held a soccer game in his honor and a great meal of the Plato Tipico. We will never forget that family vacation.

We will be returning January 7-10th in 2005 to join with local Orlando physicians and friends to work in the clinics and plan for continuing educational efforts that will involve the rural clinics in many areas of Honduras.

If you are interested in going, just email me or call and I can get you set up with my friends who will treat you well if you have the heart to come and do what you can do well with them. You can get your friends and service clubs involved as there is no shortage of needs in this land that grows on you like a song in your heart.

Travel is simple...Fly TACA Airlines 2 hours wheels up out of Miami and you are there. You will of course need passports and shots. The best place to stay is the HotelCopantl in San Pedro Sula, great food and a good staff. Customs clearnace with supplies for the poor is easy with the right contacts.

I'll look forward to blogging with you or talking live or via email if you want to make the trip!

John Mahagan

Orlando, Florida

jmahagan@bellsouth.net

321-229-6527