October Rio Kruta Team article written by Skyler D. October 25-November 3, 2015
Although I had heard all about the Honduras mission trips from my Grandma, the reality of my trip was far different than I expected. I mean yes a group of us traveled to the Mosquito Coast and helped the impoverished people and yes I ate rice and beans but thinking about the trip as a whole isn’t the same as living the trip with the details. The details were what really caught me off guard and made for an amazing adventure. Although challenging, the trip far exceeded my expectations.
To be honest I was nervous going in. I was scared to be so far from home, I was scared to meet new people and as embarrassing as it is my main concern was being without my cell phone. I knew not to dwell on the concerns and I quickly brushed them aside and replaced them with excitement. I have to say that some of that excitement faded after our 24 hours of traveling that first day but we did eventually make it to La Ceiba, Honduras. Although we woke up bright and early again to travel that second day I began to see the “details” emerge.
We arrived at the airport and to my surprise there were mountains. It was actually after we got 
through security and were boarding our plane that we saw them. These large mountains just amazed me! When we took flight I was even more amazed to see how green Honduras was! I did not expect Honduras to be beautiful. I was proved even more surprised when we boarded our canoe for our 7 hour trip up the river. The Honduran houses, although different, really awed me! The entire trip up the Rio Kruta was me taking pictures of the beautiful landscape.
When we finally arrived at Tikiuraya we were greeted by the entire village. All the children took our heavy bags upon their shoulders and carried them for us. I think seeing their smiling faces and excitement was when I truly understood the importance of the trip which was filled with all the big eyed children who watched our every move with curiosity.
Over the course of the trip we had, of course, struggles. The temperature was around 90 with humidity which made for great frizzy hair! The long boat ride up and down the river exhausted us as well as when we were working. We had to remember to keep hydrated. Along with that struggle there was a mix up in the dental supplies and our UK group mates needed to improvise.
Through these struggles, however, my group mates: Karen (my Grandmother), Marianne, Teri, Dale, Jean, John, Rob, Neel, Vicky, Andres, Andy and me became close. They really were a stellar group of people! We even managed to gain a member, a man from Puerto Lempira helped in translating and assisting our doctor and nurses. His name was Migin. I was very fascinated by his need to help others in nursing. He proved to be a good addition to our group.
From the team: “What was your favorite part of the trip?”
Skyler: Handing out multi-patterned dresses to the little girls that came in. The excitement they expressed was second to none. It was a really neat experience to give right into their little hands.
Neel: I think the best part of this trip has been practicing dentistry without the modern facilities we’ve been accustomed to, realizing that here we make peoples’ lives better by getting them out of pain quickly & effectively. Their gratefulness shows through in their beautiful smiles.
Vicki: I’ve been pleasantly surprised at my abilities to work in extreme heat! The team has worked fantastically well together with everyone dripping…brilliantly. The engineers are amazing keeping everything working. It has been a rewarding challenge trying to fashion a system of delivering anesthetic to patients with no dental syringes! Overall I could really live without the cockroaches though, which found their way into my wellies! Bugs argh!
John: The highlight of the trip for me is to see the smile on the faces of the older people that get reading glasses and can now read again and see things clearly that are up close.
Marianne: The highlight has been working with the local nurses from the two villages. They have a genuine interest in their village and are there to follow up with identified problems.
Teri: Being a part of a fantastic team of dedicated volunteers who work in extreme heat, humidity and primitive conditions to care for the people along the Mosquito Coast. The abilities of the team mates to come together and improvise in any situation. We love having volunteers from different parts of the USA & especially our British dentists!
Rob: Only after 4 days in the field and listening to young children just outside the clinic doors-was I impressed with their high level of play. They are as happy as children of wealthy parents…they express their joy with each other in spite of the hardship/danger we see them face.
Jeanne: My favorite part is being in a totally different culture-having problems arise and having to figure out how to solve them with the rest of the team of wonderful people. It is really fun to be part of this organization that is so helpful to the people we serve.
Karen: The best part of the trip this year was going with my granddaughter Skyler and meeting a great young couple (dentists) from the U.K.
Dale: The most interesting part of the trip was returning to Kruta after 20 years. At that time most of the village was built on a flood plain. Toilets were built on stilts and opened directly onto the ground…waste to be swept away by the next flood. Much of Kruta remains the same…but now with a dock and police presence.
Skyler: The trip was challenging and filled with struggles but these experiences made it all worth it. I gave less than I received. Knowing I made a difference and gave these people hope will stay with me always. The trip to these villages as many of you know is time consuming due to our little motor. The motor also is a safety problem in the event of an emergency. If you would like to donate for a new more powerful motor please do! We would greatly appreciate it.