Malnutrition

When you live in a country where approximately 50% of the people live on one U.S. dollar or less, you see a lot of hungry people. And most of those are malnourished.

Some of the symptoms of malnourishment are:

• anemia
• distended/bloated stomach
• weakness/fatigue
• scurvy
• dry scaly skin
• bleeding, eroding gums
• brittle bones
• incapacitated immune system
• iron deficiency
• weight loss
• decreased muscle mass
• organ malfunction
• tuberculosis
• decaying/rotting teeth
• trouble concentrating
• vitamin A deficiency
• iodind deficiency
• loss of color in skin and/or hair
• inability to learn

This is only a partial list. Malnutrition also causes high rates of birth defects such as Down's syndrome, hydrocephalis and cleft lips and cleft palates. We have seen many of these symptoms in many people, especially in the poorer villages in which we work.

Little children in this country that look like they have paid tons of money to get their hair frosted when the hair should be coal black is one of the saddest sights. I know that child is malnourished and probably hungry. Some of our children at Casa de Esperanza were malnourished before they came to live here. Some of the children were malnourished in those first two critical years of life and do not, and will not ever, have the ability to comprehend much beyond a second or third grade level. In Santa Katarina, where there will soon be a new feeding center, we have seen the children with the distended, bloated little bellies. I look at them and think of my sweet Camille and Haley and know I have so much for which to be thankful. My little grandgirls aren't hungry and malnourished.

We see people that sniff glue because it kills the hunger pains and is cheaper than food. They continue to do this until they are glue heads and know no other way of life. I see little children begging in the street for food. Of course, we see hundreds digging through other people's waste every week in the Tegucigalpa city dump. Any food found there certainly would not be healthy and would cause more of a malnourishment problem.

For many in Honduras and other third world countries hunger and malnourishment is a way of live.

From time to time we have opportunity to get a container of food. We always take it, whether we have the money or not. God is faithful in supplying the funds to bring that food into the country. He has never failed and never will. Marc was offered another container of rice meals. Meals fortified with a whole day's worth of vitamins. At first, Marc was hesitant because the funds for another container is not there at the moment. But remembering God's faithfulness in all things in the past, Marc stepped out in faith again and said yes, we want that food. I know that money will come, because God wants His hungry children fed.

Terri