Doing God's Work in Honduras by Dr. Jerry Boshell
I have made 11 trips, usually 10 days each, to Honduras since 1998. Over this period of time, I have visited several villages and cities and treated perhaps thousands of dental patients. During this time, these people have become real to me. By that I mean I am aware and have come to know that they are an intelligent but impoverished people, hard working but few available jobs with which to work, have a desire to improve their situation but little means to do so, cry when in pain, laugh when a humorous event happens and rejoice in their worship in their local churches. I have made several mission trips to Mexico also and find the people are similar in their wants and desires for life.
There are villages along the Caribbean side of Honduras where the horse or bicycle is the main means of transportation. Few automobiles can be afforded and even travel by foot is very common. This is hard for Americans to comprehend, especially in our materialistic society.
Adequate health care is very limited. As a dentist, I have seen numerous decayed teeth in each patient. Some decayed down to the roots. I can’t imagine the pain these people have endured. Do I make the quality of their lives better by extracting the decayed teeth? I think so,
even though I have made a small dent in the over all problem in Honduras. When I can restore teeth with fillings that will make a young lady or man look and feel better about themselves, I feel better about myself, because I have used my God given natural talents and skills acquired through years of study and private practice to help these who otherwise would have little likelihood of receiving dental care
We have gone to the village of Limon for several years now and used the clinic there as home base, then go to other villages after a couple of days of seeing patients in Limon. Now I am beginning to see a difference in attitude of the people in Limon about their teeth. They are now wanting their teeth filled and cleaned instead of wanting all of them extracted. To me, this means they know they have a choice about their teeth. They know that dental care will be available to them and they don’t have to have their teeth extracted because they fear the pain that comes as tooth decay progresses without treatment.
We visited the garbage dump in La Ceiba, Honduras a few years ago, where a community had developed around the dump. The peoples’ huts, necessities for life, and furnishings had been dug out of the dump. It is a sobering site to see humans competing with vultures, dogs, mosquitos and flies for food and other necessities by digging through the refuge. Or to see them getting their drinking water from mud puddles. You wonder what will be their life expectancy and quality of life. My heart hurts to see such a sight.
When we learned about young ladies, preteen or teenage, being stalked by men for the
purpose of sex, again it made my heart hurt. Sister Eleanor Cooper has provided a home with shelter and love for girls who have been sexually vulnerable to these predatory men. We have no illusion that we can protect all of the girls, but I can help one. Karla is a shy sixteen year old, who needed a sponsor in order to stay at Sister Eleanor’s compound. We met Karla and over time she has come to regard my wife and me as her god-parents. We have visited with her on our trips each time we go to La Ceiba. She sends us letters, photographs and updates of her progress in school. We made a commitment in our minds and hearts to help Karla for as long as she needs to stay at the girl’s dorm. We expect nothing in return but we have received so much through our visits and her letters.
The Bible teaches that we should help those who cannot help themselves. I do only a small part in the overall picture of life in Honduras; but I have received so many positive feelings (blessings) from doing this small part, that I will do it as long as I can. These people can never repay me, but helping others with no expectation of anything in return is best rewarded with a grateful thank you, hug, or hand shake. The Hondurans are generous with those.
As I was reading recently in a book written by T.D. Jakes, he asked the question, “What are you doing with the daylight you have left?” Or restated, What are you doing with the rest of your life? I will continue to help as I can, but more importantly, I trust God to protect and provide for His children in Honduras in ways I cannot. But, What will you do with the daylight that you have left?
Maybe you remember the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” At the end, private Ryan goes back to visit the grave site of the Army captain who died while on the mission to
find and return Private Ryan to his home. Private Ryan, then an old man, asks his wife if he had led a good life. His wife assured him that he had. I want to be able to hear the same response if I ask my wife or others whether I have lived a good life. Did I make it count and did I make it better for others? Will you make your life count and will you help make it better for others? Whether it is the people next door or in another country.