AHMEN Stocks Honduran Libraries

AHMEN stocks Honduran libraries
Linda Norris Daily Mountain Eagle

Alabama Honduras Medical, Educational and Nutritional Organization (AHMEN) has over 13 teams preparing mission trips for 2009 with teams varying in number from 15 to 25 members. The first team, from Mount Vernon Baptist Church, will be going in May. Other teams set dates throughout the spring and summer months. The last team, from Christ United Methodist Church, will be going in August or September.

Usually, each team has planned for the type of mission work they will be accomplishing during their week-long stay such as providing medical care to the villagers, building new churches and other projects. The team that went in Sept. 2008 planned several missions.

"We wanted to do something different during this trip," said Dr. Tom Camp, team leader. "We had three different teams within this team of about 20 members. We wanted to work on various projects while we were there, get feedback and decide what we could do to help these people in the future. We worked with the local villagers and pastors of each village and set up programs for children and adults. Our medical team went to Ciriboya where they held an International Medical Seminar with the Garifuna medical students and Cuban Doctors. This was a very exciting trip and a lot was accomplished. In Limon, we worked with the soup kitchen and nurture center, the library, and held a medical clinic at the same time. With a lot of love mixed in with work, our mission was accomplished and we will proceed with other plans when we return."

According to Camp, 10 years ago the Pueblo people of Limon built a public library. They dedicated the library in honor of the first Garifuna doctor who graduated from medical school in Honduras, Dr. Lacaya.

While the team in Limon finished with the work at the library, the people held another dedication service and now the library is jointly dedicated to Dr. Lacaya and the grandchildren of Dr. and Mrs. Joel Edwards.

Most of the villagers came to the dedication with their drums and musical instruments to celebrate. The women cooked food on an open outside fire while the children danced to the music of the drums.

The team that worked with the library consisted of men and women. Winnie Truitt, one of the new volunteers who lives in Montevallo, was in charge of the construction team.

"I was so excited to be going to Honduras and when Dr. Camp asked if I would be in charge of the construction, I knew I was going to love this trip," Truitt said. "I thought at first that I would be part of the medical team since I have worked in the medical field as a nurse's aid, but when Dr. Camp learned that I also worked in construction, he asked me to be in charge of the construction work. We went into the public library and did repairs such as painting and decorating. We built some new shelves to hold the library books that had been donated, poured some concrete and did other things that just needed some attention to get the library back into working order."

Truitt also said that the supplies they used to make repairs had been shipped by container and were there when they arrived.

However, she carried her personal tools that she uses in construction work here in Alabama. Once the repairs to the library were completed, the shelves were stocked with the new books.

Two hundred books were donated to the public library and 200 to the local elementary school in Limon. Benny Rowe and Lexie Hilton were in charge of separating and distributing books to each library in eight villages.

"We had to get the books from the warehouse in La Ceiba and divide them up for each of the eight villages that was to receive them," said Benny Rowe. "We had 1,800 books that were donated, so there was a lot of hours put in just separating the books. Then we had to obtain a way to get the books to the different villages."

One of the programs that was set up in the library was a 'Story Time' for the orphan children from the nurture center. Children and adults in the village are allowed to check out books. School children can come in after school and use the library for study time and research. The library is staffed with a full-time librarian to help the adults and children.

"I think the children and adults in Limon were prouder of the library and the new books than we were," Benny said. "It was wonderful just watching the children during 'Story Time'. The smiles on the faces of the people in Limon and the many 'Gracias' made all the work seem like nothing. Unless you've been there, it's hard to comprehend the joy and gratitude we feel from these people. They have nothing, and they appreciate every little thing that we do for them."

According to Rowe, the other villages that recieved a donation of 200 library books each were Ciriboya - for the library in the public school; Cusunna - for the library in the community building; Ecoteas - for the library in the public school; Irriona - for the library in the public school; Puerta Nueva - for the library in the public school; Punta Piedra - for the library in the public school; and Toca Machu - for the library in the community building.

"All the books were distributed to the schools and community buildings while we were in Honduras except one," said Rowe. "We had to find someone with a boat that could take the 200 books to the village in Puerta Nueva. There are no public roads to this village and the only way to get there is to walk or go by boat. So we packed the books onto a boat and were assured that they would be taken to the village."

According to Dr. Camp and Benny Rowe, the library books were donated by Jasper Rotary, local Jasper businesses, Rotary International, Give-A-Book, CHIMES and AHMEN. In Aug. 2009 another team will be going to Honduras to distribute more books to various libraries. There are 20 palettes of books waiting in the warehouse to be shipped in March to Honduras.

Since the renovation of the library in Limon and the distribution of library books to various villages, more villages are requesting help.

A lot of the villages have asked for books written in English as well as Spanish. There are 10 private bi-lingual schools run by Crusados, throughout Honduras and some of the villages, such as Roatan, speak and teach in English.

"This is just a beginning for the libraries, " said Dr. Camp. "We hope to get some maps for the libraries so that the children can learn about other countries around the world. In the villages without electricity, there is no television, no telephone, no radio, no kind of communication other than word of mouth. So we're hoping that when we ship our next container in March 2009 that we can include maps to send to the libraries."

Being a part of volunteers in mission is a huge undertaking especially when one goes into another country.

The volunteer that goes to Honduras comes home with a more loving heart and humble spirit. It changes one's outlook on life just knowing there are people all around the world who have nothing, yet appreciate a single book to read.

Libraries are a part of our everyday use and we do not take advantage of their resources, yet the people in Honduras think it is a wonderful thing to be able to go to a library just to read.

What do most volunteers say when the come back from a week of mission work? Most of them feel the way Winnie Truitt does...

"Being part of a team such as this one has been one of the most exciting times of my life," said Truitt. "I can't wait to go back again."

AHMEN is presently collecting maps of the world, USA, North and Central America, Africa, Europe, and the Far and Near East to take this year. If anyone would like to donate a map, drop it off at Walker Recovery on the Airport Road or at Christ United Methodist Church and the AHMEN team will make sure it gets hung on the wall of one of the libraries that will be visited this summer.