A woman waiting for hours in labor to meet her new baby, children with coughs that turned into pneumonia and new personnel coming into the hospital needing orientation. Friends leaving that may or may not come back. This is what my first two weeks in Honduras was made up of, but honestly, maybe that is how the county is doing too.

Bringing about change is hard and painful, particularly if it involves the government. For some time now the public systems that fund medicine and education in Honduras have lagged significantly. These past few weeks the Honduran teachers and medical staff have gone on strikes and marches, to cause change. One of the ways they disrupted government was with roadblocks, obviously causing significant hindrance to transportation across the country. But then once in a while, things escalated like bad pneumonia in some of these roadblocks and protests into violence. No resolution yet.

I am an expat here in Honduras helping those who need care and praying for this country for wisdom, honesty, and resolutions. I am like one of the expats here at the hospital just landing and needing to be oriented to where things are and how they work. So, I will be learning to listen better to my Honduran friends and coworkers to know what really is the condition of this country.

As for the loved ones that leave,  let me recognize that it is hard and sometimes feels “sad-mad”(from the movie Home) to say goodbye. When patients die, when family members immigrate elsewhere, when co-workers move away or when kids from our community move away. So my prayer is; “God go before them and after them and place your hand of blessing on them, and may you give us grace and peace in the wake of their leaving.”

Así que, here in my new home I pray that new life will continue to come to Hospital Loma de Luz and to Honduras. Waiting for the beautiful cry of that newborn baby.

Grace & peace,
Natalia Suits

PS: I got here safely and am settling in well.