Newsletter - August & September, 2007

The Least of These My Brethren August-September, 2007 Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matt. 25:40 Published by the Society of the Good Shepherd, P. O. Box 122, Amberson, PA 17210

Building a Maternity Ward in Taulebe

The Crew

In June of 2006, our newsletter focused on the rural medical clinic near the small town of Taulebe in Honduras. In the newsletter, I mentioned the need for a maternity ward, saying:

“Another major need for the clinic is a maternity ward, where maternity patients can stay for a few days before and after their births. Presently, the clinic has no such place for them. This creates quite a hardship because many of the expectant mothers have to walk 4 to 6 hours to get to the clinic—which is not something they should be doing on the day of their delivery or the day after delivery.”

Shortly after we published this notice, a group of brothers from our congregation volunteered to organize a crew and go down to Taulebe to build the clinic. They spread the word to neighboring congregations, and eventually we had a crew of fifteen brothers willing to go. Once the crew synchronized everyone’s schedules, including that of Luis in Honduras, the crew determined that the first two weeks of August, 2007 would be the best time to go.

Getting Started

Deborah and I arrived in Honduras about a week ahead of the crew, in order to take care of the Society’s microloan ministry there. Along with Luis, we also wanted to make certain that all of the arrangements would be in place when the work crew arrived. On the way from the airport in Honduras, we stopped by the clinic in Taulebe to see how the site preparation was going.

When we arrived at the clinic, we learned that the local committee with whom we were working had decided to scrap the original plans of building a separate maternity ward alongside the existing clinic. The original site for the maternity ward was going to need significant earthwork done to handle drainage issues. So the local committee had decided instead to simply enlarge the existing clinic to accommodate a maternity ward. This change in plans proved to be a blessing as it saved considerable time and money.

Building the Walls

A day before the crew arrived, Luis, Deborah and I went to the Evangelical Bible School in Siguatepeque to finalize the sleeping accommodations for the brothers. Several weeks in advance, Luis had arranged for the brothers to stay at one of the dormitories at the school. However, when we stopped by to finalize all of the arrangements, we learned that the school was having an evangelism seminar that week and that more people signed up for the seminar than what had been originally expected. Therefore, there were no available beds, and the brothers would not be able to stay there until after the seminar had finished.

Thanks to God’s grace and Luis’ many contacts, Luis was able to quickly make alternate arrangements for the brothers. In fact, when the crew arrived the next day, they liked the alternate accommodations so well that they asked if they could simply stay there for the entire two weeks they would be in Honduras—which Luis was able to arrange.

Using a Makeshift Ladder

On the day the brothers arrived in Honduras, we all went to the work site to assess things. Some men from the community were just finishing digging the ditches for the concrete footers. The next day, we all had breakfast together, and I left the crew in Luis’ very capable hands. Our tasks being accomplished, Deborah and I caught a bus to the airport to return to the states. Luis then drove the brothers to Taulebe to begin work on the maternity ward.

The brothers first poured the concrete for the footers and then began laying concrete blocks for the outer walls. Luis arranged for them to have Spanish translators at the site at all times and for the brothers to share their testimonies with the local people at various scheduled times. The work project ended up being a tremendous witness to the local community. They could really see Christ at work. The work crew themselves were similarly blessed. One of the brothers remarked that he had ‘left part of his heart in Honduras.’

The brothers were not expecting to be able to finish the building project during the two weeks they were there, but as it turned out, they came quite close. They were able to complete everything except laying the tile on the floors, painting, finishing up the final plumbing and wiring, and a few other miscellaneous items.

Installing the Roof

As an added blessing, three brothers whom I’ve never met had read our website newsletter about the project and had volunteered to come down to help complete the building. These brothers were experienced builders, and they arrived a couple of days before the original work crew left. This second crew was able to get most of the tile laid and to finish up various other tasks.

So all that remains now is the painting and a few other items, and we have hired some local workers to finish up these final tasks. I want to thank all of these brothers who sacrificed time away from their jobs and families to build the maternity ward, which will bless thousands of mothers in the years to come. I also want to thank all of you who donated the funds to make this project possible. A huge “thank you” also Luis and his family, who worked very hard around the clock to provide three meals a day for the workers and to take care of all of their other needs. I also want to thank the dear Honduras brother who made his van available to the crew for transportation. God bless all of you! DB


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