More Needs

We recently met some people from Hunger Plus that want to help with food for the feeding center that will be built this summer. They visited in Honduras two weeks ago. Like so many who come to Honduras, they were overwhelmed by the needs. And they have been all over the world and seen many third world countries. I do think they not only want to get food to Honduras but other aide as well.

We had another opportunity to meet some of the congresswomen. They are more than willing to help get some of this aide into the country as long as their districts receive some of the aide. A fair trade.

We became fast friends with the congresswoman from San Pedro Sula. Her name is Lorena, a beautiful Christian with a huge heart for the poor of Honduras. She called Friday night wanting us to come to San Pedro Sula yesterday and meet some other people. We decided to do this and left for San Pedro Sula yesterday morning.

Lorena put us up at the Hilton. Not a bad deal.

We first met with a woman who lives in Choloma which is half way between San Pedro Sula and Puerta Cortez. Choloma is a city of 290,000 people and does not have a hospital of any kind. That is much bigger than the whole Starkville, Columbus, Tupelo area and think of the hospitals we have there. That is bigger than Amarillo and Amarillo is a large regional medical center. To me, this is incomprehensible. No hospital.

This afternoon we met with a woman named Yadira. She has a site selected for a clinic. It is in an existing building. This clinic will serve a huge number of people. The people she has chosen to serve live in communities along the river. Some people call it the sewer. The river is black and already running low, fairly early into the dry season. It was hot in San Pedro Sula today. I cannot imagine the stench from that river when it gets really hot. There is no clean water in any of the communities.

One of the communites has 6000 people in it. There are a total of 25,000 people living in these communities along the river. Living in deplorable conditions. The houses are built out of anything and everything. Stacked on top of each other, giving zero lot line a new meaning. If a fire ever starts there, God forbid, it will take out hundreds of houses. There are churches and schools, but we can know all those children are not in school. There were hundreds of light-haired, bare-footed children in torn and tattered dirty clothing.

Honduras is the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere. We know that and we see so much need. We always think things are worse in Africa and India. I think what we saw today would rival anything in Africa or India. We think we have seen the worst and that there cannot be any more worse. And then we see what we saw today. There are no pictures for my blog tonight. Oh yes, I had my camera ready. Not only I was I riding in the backseat of a moving vehicle, which does not lend itself to great pictures, but I was too shell-shocked to even think about lifting my camera.

I don't think anyone can see what we saw and not want to do something. Lorena asked what we thought and I all I could do was cry. That was my answer. Tears.

Last week we read in the paper that 62% of people living in Honduras are below the poverty level. I don't know where the poverty level is set, but I also don't know where the 38% above the poverty level are.

I was emotionally exhausted, numb, as we left San Pedro Sula. It was a long time before either Marc or I could speak.

I pray we know what to do with what we saw today.

Terri