Being Transformed in San Manuel de Colohete

As the old and young and everyone in between were guided through the long lines in triage and then to the various clinics for treatment, my life began to transform. I began to see how the challenges of relocating from Wisconsin to Florida, going to school in order to build a new career at age 51, working a part-time job, my recent divorce and living alone away from my family and friends began to pale in comparison to the fact that I was with people in Honduras who do not receive basic medical care...

By Gail Bernhoft
I finally did it. Or, better said, it finally happened for me. I knew that taking a trip to Honduras was the right thing to do, because when all things came together, seemingly on their own, as if the universe itself had personal interest in seeing to it that I was provided with a first time experience that would not only leave me feeling like I can make a difference in the world, but also to become bonded with an amazing group, through MEDICO of Georgetown, Texas. My role with this organization was as an interpreter for the medical teams. I admit I wasn’t sure if my level of Spanish -- which at the time was only a little bit better than conversational -- would be good enough to be able to be of any use.

On the bus ride from San Pedro Sula to Gracias (Lempira), I began to feel at ease when I learned that there were all levels of Spanish language ability, ranging from not knowing any, to fluency. I also began to sense that the people I was getting to know for the first time would be people that I would know and cherish for the rest of my life.

After spending one night in Gracias, we headed out the next morning to San Manuel de Colohete, where we would set up various medical clinics and a pharmacy, in order to be able to serve the people in the surrounding area with medical treatment that they otherwise did not have access to. We arrived at the “Centro de Educación Basica” -- the small elementary school currently on their seasonal break -- and immediately began to scout out the classrooms that would become “medical clinics".

Once we were oriented on which classrooms to be designated as triage, medical, gynecological, dental, opthalmological, and the pharmacy, work began on unloading the truck with all the equipment, supplies, and medicines needed.

I was amazed at the level of cooperation and organization that the MEDICO volunteers displayed. They were like a well-oiled machine, humming along as if it was a common everyday occurrence to be in a rural mountain top community in Honduras preparing to take care of the basic medical needs of the people that lived there... except that these volunteers have personal and professional lives that exist very far away from where we were located in San Manuel.

For the surrounding community, it was not an everyday occurrence to have doctors, dentists, nurses, ophthalmologists, interpreters and lay-people ready and willing to treat their medical needs. There were people that came from long distances, with the only mode of transportation being their own two feet and walking as long as five hours, to take advantage of a not too often seen opportunity to have some level of wellness.

As the old and young and everyone in between were guided through the long lines in triage and then to the various clinics for treatment, my life began to transform. I began to see how the challenges of relocating from Wisconsin to Florida, going to school in order to build a new career at age 51, working a part-time job, my recent divorce and living alone away from my family and friends began to pale in comparison to the fact that I was with people in Honduras who do not receive basic medical care, let alone the opportunities I was fortunate to have. I actually began to feel that being and working with the people of Honduras was like taking a vacation from myself.

When the 1-month-old baby boy was brought into the pharmacy to receive a series of injections in his legs for a staph infection, of which he would have otherwise died, or when the 96-year old man was sent to the hospital (two hours away) in an ambulance for being septic, with the same possible end for him as the baby boy, or when women were being treated for yeast infections, and decayed teeth were being pulled, eyes were being checked and people given referrals for glasses, or when a cyst that was described as looking like an “alien", was removed from the arm of a young man, it all became crystal clear that there is a purpose to life, and I found it through MEDICO. Or... it found me.

There are many more stories and moments that moved me to tears, of which can one day be written of my first trip with MEDICO. The biggest lesson I learned was that it was not so much an opportunity to serve others, as it was an opportunity to witness our own inner light to shine that exists in each and every one of us. It’s important to know what you’re made of, and what your limitations and abilities are, and how to work within those perimeters in a way as to be the most effective for others. It’s equally important to know in this wonderful and challenging world of ours that there are people in it who care for others and are willing to make sacrifices for them.

Through MEDICO, I had the chance of a lifetime to personally witness the sacrifices made by others to bring their selflessness, skills, and intelligence together at the same time to accomplish the goal of providing sustaining care to those in need.

By the time I returned to Miami, I was more focused on what I want for my own life like I have never been before my experience in Honduras. I knew before I left for the country that what I was to experience would leave its impact on me. I feel humbled and honored to have had the opportunity to serve the people of San Manuel de Colohete. (2/2/12) (photo courtesy MEDICO)