My Garifuna Experience…..

First I would like to thank God for allowing me the opportunity to accompany and have such an enriching experience with a diverse and wonderful group of people. I heard in the past that volunteer work could be a life changing experience and this trip to Honduras was for me. I have wonderful memories that I will forever hold deep in my heart. These include local friends that encouraged and helped me to go on this trip, new friendships built with people who work in Honduras and volunteers from the US, and the inspiring Garifuna culture.

My purpose when going on this trip was to help and assist other staff in order for them to do their job at the Clinics. Our common goal was to bring meds, treatments and resources to the locals. Throughout the trip and during the visits to coastal towns I hardly had any time to fully absorb how much this experience was actually helping me. I enjoyed the breakfasts with the strong and flavorful coffee and then we were off to do our job, lunches were more like breaks accompanied by delicious meals prepared with love and gratitude to the staff and dinners were always our “down time” to enjoy more wonderful food while interacting with each other and debriefing about our eventful day. “My time” was often found at night while in the bed in the darkness and silence of real country living, there I laid praying for the chance to get to know people like Elvia, my wonderful host, who made me feel at home right away. I witnessed her perseverance despite a very difficult life and I learned from her. Donna, my now friend and Honduran aid to the brigades, we slept in the same bed and every night without fail we would get these incredible “laugh attacks” about moments in our day, her pretty smile was always uplifting and I learned from her. Anna, a volunteer from Alabama, who shared a story of courage from someone in the US which inspires her to keep volunteering, her sense of social commitment was inspiring and I learned from her. Humberto and Aida, Cuban doctors who truly immerse themselves with the people of the region where they work leaving family and friends back at home and who have now become my friends. Their positive attitude and immense knowledge of “global citizenship” stir in me sentiments of respect and acceptance and I learned from them. Bud (or Butt) as some locals pronounce it, he was “the man”. Handyman, driver, tour guide, mediator, you name it I called on him. His unselfish and diligent attitude taught me a great deal of patience. But it is his love affair with Honduras that reaffirms my own “romantic ideas” of brotherly love without borders, colors or prejudices. Many others gave me daily lessons of love, loyalty and gratitude to other human beings which were not to be fully revealed to me until my last day in Honduras. Our flight was delayed 3 hours the day we departed and I had time to enjoy lengthy and insightful conversations with Roy Grimes and we both concluded that this trip in which we were to help others had a reverse outcome on us as well, and IT help our spirit making things clearer to us back in the US.

I would like to thank Bill and Dr. Tom for making me part of your team, you two gave me a great opportunity and I am forever grateful.

Janine.