Re the February, 2018, Mission Trip

In November presidential elections were held in Honduras and there has been much unrest since then. The  NY/HELP mission trip planned for February is on hiatus at the moment until the unrest has died down and it is deemed safe for the group to go.

In the meantime, the medical clinic in La Laguna is in need of funds to repair their solar power equipment that provides light for the clinic as someone has damaged it and it cannot currently be used.

We ask your prayers for the people in Honduras. 

NY/HELP Honduras News Flash

            We are excited to announce that the Mataderos Tribal Council has approved a plan to build another Junior High School in the lower villages for students who cannot reach the Junior High (Centro Básico) which we built in the village of Mataderos. This will mean that all students graduating from 6th grade in the tribe will have access to further education.

            As you may recall, we started the Mataderos school after deciding that it was too expensive to send students to our boarding house in the town of Yoro for post 6th grade education. Furthermore, we could only offer the opportunity to a few select students due to the limited space in the boarding house. This school was built room by room to standards set by the Honduran government so as to be certified and supplied with teachers by the government. The cost was about 3500.00 per room. In addition to general support from individuals like you, this school was made possible by the East Side Congregational Church in Binghamton, NY, without whose support this would have been impossible, and  Judy Toner (perennial trip participant), who has labored tirelessly for and given generously to tribal education.

            This year’s February group, with your help, hopes to break ground on the new school. We are asking once again to our education supporters to get behind this effort! Education is a major key to lifting the tribe out of poverty. This has been proven over and over again the world over.

            This is not to diminish the importance of supporting Dr. Comstock and the medical clinic which are equally important and require continuous support.

            Please consider getting actively involved in our funding raising efforts for all the projects in which we are engaged.                                                                        

HAPPY HOLIDAYS,

NY/HELP Core Group

A successful trip comes to an end

Looks like it was a good trip.  The women students really appreciate Aracely and her teaching of the sewing classes.  There will be pictures later.

NY/HELP's coordinator, Joel, bought food supplies to give the workers who are clearing brush around the La Laguna clinic.  The plan is to plant coffee there.

Dr Gordon & Jeff came down the mountain Tuesday and took the bus back to San Pedro Sula to spend the night.

They met up with a friend, Jimmy Alvarado  and had dinner with him.

Today they fly home, arriving around midnight.

UPDATE FROM THE GROUP

 Before going up the mountain to La Laguna on Wed, July 19, Gordon & Jeff visited the Boarding House in Yoro and the house mother, Petronida.  Then they stopped at CEVER to see the kindergarten tables & chairs that had been ordered.  They need one more coat of finish and then they will be ready.

They also bought drum-heads for the La Laguna school band.

Thursday they wen to the Limpira Day celebration in La Kiloma (about 5 miles & 2000 ft lower than La Laguna.  It was interesting, with a parade & kids in Indian costume.

Friday Dr Gordon had a clinic and saw 23 patients.

More when I hear more.

July 2017 Mission Trip Begins

This morning, Dr Gordon Comstock and Jeff Dorfman left from different airports to meet up in Atlanta for their flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  By this evening they will be in Yoro, Honduras where they will gather supplies to take up the mountain to the small village of La Laguna.

The tentative schedule from today until Sunday is posted below.  Monday and Tuesday will need to be planned as they need to leave the village in time to get back down the mountain  and to San Pedro Sula in time for their Wed morning flight.

On Thursday they will be attending Lempira Day celebrations in a nearby village.  They received an invitation  to this celebration.  The invitation is below/

Lempira Day is a Honduran holiday celebrated annually on July 20. It is dedicated to an indigenous leader of the Lenca people who led the resistance against the Spanish conquistadors in the 1530s.

Tentative Schedule for the week.

 Tues, July 18   Arrive in Yoro Dinner and prepare for trip to the villaje

Wed, July 19   Buy supplies to take to La Laguna. Possibly visit CEVER Vocational School.

                        Travel to La Laguna by pick-up.

Thurs, July 20  Go to Kiloma for Lempira Day celebration

Fri, July 21      Work with the women’s sewing group and possible help

with planting coffee on clinic grounds

Sat, July 22      Similar to Friday. Also seeing patients in clinic

Sun, July 23     Clinic patients. Also discuss clinic area cleanup work and purchase

of cyclone or barbed wire.

I will update this blog as I hear from our group.

 

 

 Gordon & Jeff on the plane!