NY/HELP Mission Trip Comes to a Successful End

Hola, amigos de NY-HELP,

We have completed our projects in La Laguna, up in the mountains near Yoro, Honduras. The trip was very successful. The clinic has a new roof (well, 90% of one, and the rest of the corrugated lamina will be put up this weekend by the community workers, working under the skillful supervision of Elio Lopez. There also is a new fence just around the clinic (well, almost -- it still needs 12 meters more!). But the clinic roof no longer leaks! The community workers did a top-notch job, with the assistance of Mike, Doug, Jamie and David.
Jamie, Doug and the girls went with Rigoberto several times to help build stoves in needy houses. These stoves not only let people cook their food better, and use less firewood, but the chimney takes the smoke OUTSIDE instead of floating around the house.

In the clinic, we saw 146 patients. On Saturday, we packed some supplies and went with our nurse, Mirtila Garcia, to the neighboring community of El Calechal. In addition to the patients that came to our temporary clinic in the kitchen of the Catholic church, Gordon made house calls on 6 elderly patients. Our two medical students from the NY College of Osteopathic Medicine on Long Island, Kelly and Emily, did a great job of helping in the clinic. They would see patients, frequently with David translating, and discuss them with Gordon and Mirtila. They picked up on a number of interesting problems. In addition, we funded several requests for assistance with medical problems such as needed surgery.

Shea kept very busy, visiting local schools, teaching songs to the kids, and helping translate. She did a great PR job for our group with the children!

We walked down the mountain on Wednesday (and it didn´t rain!), and took a busito to San Pedro Sula. Gordon and Shea are now in Copan, having visited the famous Mayan rules there. The rest of the group is recovering from mountain life on the beach in Omoa. We will be meeting back in San Pedro Sula Friday night.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers and assistance!

Gordon F Comstock, MD
August 5, 2010