10 year anniversary and clinic dedication

August 16, 2014 was a huge milestone for Clinica El Ayudante. It was the day we celebrated the 10 year anniversary of the land and the dedication of the clinic.



10 years ago, the clinic was just a dream. The land was donated by 12 families because they believed in their community and understood the need to have a clinic in this area. The first team came and prayed over the land and dedicated it to the Lord, placed a rock on the land - saying, 'this land will be used to reach this area for Jesus' And now 10 years later, the Clinic is open!!




Dedication day started with beautiful sun and a nice cool breeze. 3 trucks left by 8:00 am to pick up chairs and tables from many of the local churches. Ziada and her crew were busy cooking enough food to feed 450 people after the dedication. The whole campus was buzzing with activity and excitement. I was the event coordinator for the day - I had a good size list of 'to do's' and all of the decorating was together.



Standing inside the clinic while others stood at
the mission house - in from the rain

About 3:00, the sound guy came. So picture this - a tiny little truck loaded down with 12 giant speakers, a sound board, a dad and his 2 sons. Talk about doing it Honduran style!!


All afternoon as we were setting up, we were all ignoring the huge black clouds that kept coming closer and closer. Yes, it is rainy season and it hadn't rained in a few days. But it couldn't rain - we had no where to put 450 people.........and right before we started the ceremony, IT POURED!!!! And it rained heavy for an hour!!! We all took cover and just watched the rain. We weren't sure if we should laugh or cry.


The whole town was invited as well as the mayors, boards,
contractors and other missionaries

By 5:30, the rain had stopped and our campus was a mud pit. We took out the towels, dried off the seats and prayed that it wouldn't rain again.

The dedication was beautiful. We honored the families who had originally donated the land, we worshiped and prayed, talked about vision for the future. And then we ate. What a party!!!

Beth and Tristan, the directors, sharing

Because it had rained, the evening was perfect, the weather cooled and we all were able to enjoy this beautiful community we have the privilege to be a part of. Another bonus about the rain was - we started over an hour late - so we started right on time (Honduran time) and no one was late :)



In all, it was such a beautiful day. Watching a dream come to fruition. I can't wait to see what the 20 year anniversary will look like.

Thanking the families who gave land to
El Ayudante

Serving dinner

Everyone helped :)

Ziada, Tracy, Beth and I

The Clinic is Open!!

After years of a dream, 4 weeks ago it happened. CLINICA EL AYUDANTE IS OPEN!!! And what's even better is that it is open full time!!! The dream for this place has always been to open a clinic for the communities surrounding us.  While this dream was getting built, God was in the process of making the whole vision. Not only is a clinic open, but there is so much more. There are people that God has placed to work in the clinic and relationships with the community to make this a lasting place.

Clinic staff

When we had our soft opening in March, things went very well. But after that week, we had a huge list of things to do, things to change, things to add and so on. The last several months have been filled with getting that list complete. This list included things like going to the dump to figure out waste, sewing curtains and sheets for the observation room and hiring staff.

July 14, the night before we opened, we invited the pastors of the area to bless and pray over the clinic. The clinic waiting room was filled with pastors and their wives praying over the clinic. It was so beautiful to hear these pastors pray over and see an answer to their prayers - a clinic in their area for their people.

July 15, opening day. We were all filled with such excitement and anticipation of how God was going to use this clinic. We had decided that our 1 doctor could only see 18 patients (plus a few extra) a day. This is for her sanity and longevity :) The first day we turned away over 100 people. What a need there is for quality healthcare!!! However, the blessing was that we were able to tell everyone. "come back tomarrow, we are open for good"

the line before 6 AM every morning

These last 4 weeks have gone so well. I am working part time and we have hired 2 other nurse assistants for when I am not working. We have done our first women's health day where we saw 35 ladies for their yearly exam. We use our nebulizors daily and next Friday we have our first EKG day. This equipment is so basic, but it is such a blessing.

So yes, the healthcare is great, but what makes the difference is when someone gives their life to Jesus. After every Dr. apt, each patient is given the opportunity to receive prayer. Because yes, we are a clinic, but even more we are here to share Jesus love and forgiveness to those around us.

This is the reason we are ALL here - to share Jesus love wherever we are.