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.
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