BRIGADE 2025 REPORT
“I’m 65 years old, and I’ve never experienced a group of dedicated, loving, and caring people coming together to share a common mission of selfless work. I have to say, it was probably the “hardest” I’ve ever worked in my 39 years of practice; having said that, it was the most rewarding work I’ve ever experienced!”
This is a quote from a first timer. We had another successful brigade, entirely due to God’s provision of the incredible volunteers who came on the trip, and those who prepared us before we went. The team was made up of 49 Americans and 31 Hondurans. Not only did we have 7 Honduran doctors, 3 Honduran dentists and a Honduran pharmacist, but also a Honduran dietitian and 18 translators. The leadership of the young Hondurans, who have been volunteering regularly over the past several years, was truly gratifying.
We had 4 teams; each traveled to a different village each day over 5 days. We provided medical care to 2310 patients and dental care to over 250 patients. About 130 patients had diabetes and about 400 had hypertension. There was a high demand for pain medicines such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, allergy medicine and drops for dry eyes. So many don’t have even these simple medicines available in their homes. Children received dental fluoride treatment to help prevent decay and were given colorful children’s toothbrushes to encourage good hygiene. Every family was given toothpaste and a full-size bar of soap, as well as toothbrushes, vitamins and cough syrup.
Our guardiana program continues to be strengthened. These are lay people in each village who have been tasked with monitoring the health conditions of their village members. They have received training from Dr. Francis on 3 separate training sessions this past year, and many were involved at each clinic. They helped with intake, taking vital signs, and documenting which patients will require their follow-up. Thanks to generous donations of our supporters, each village received the blood pressure machines and glucose test materials that will be needed to continue to monitor the health conditions of the villagers. We hope to see even more evidence next year of this important work.
We were challenged with long delays due to road construction, power outages that occurred on 2 separate evenings, and long hours of work each day. But so much joy was seen, such laughter and camaraderie; we were all impressed with the loving, caring attitude of our team and the welcoming warmth of the Hondurans we served.
We thank God for his blessings and protection, and for another successful brigade. Planning is already underway for 2026.