Honduras is a beautiful country full of amazing people. Over spring break this year, March 1–8, I was given the opportunity to share the Gospel message through serving the people of Honduras. Our team, led by Cassandra Rakowski, traveled to two primary cities — San Pedro Sula and Pinalejo — to bring medical assistance to the Honduran people.
Why Honduras?
The country of Honduras largely struggles with inaccessibility to healthcare, as well as water that carries harmful bacteria. These bacteria cause GI symptoms that many people sadly must learn to live with due to limited clean water. They are in dire need of physical and spiritual healing.
The Mission
Before this trip, the Cedarville team memorized a mission verse, Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns’” (ESV). The goal of this mission trip was to help spread the message of the Gospel — the good news of salvation that only comes from Christ’s resurrection — through medical ministry, and we did so alongside Medical Ministry International (MMI). The entirety of our team of doctors, translators, and dentists from both Cedarville and MMI was led by Gustavo Elicegui and his wife, Mildred. Gustavo and Mildred are dedicated to holistic care, helping others achieve physical as well as spiritual health. It was a blessing to be able to serve a total of around 640 patients, who received access to medical, dental, and optometric care. During our week in Honduras, we were able to observe and participate in Kingdom work through serving, praying, and telling others the hope of the Gospel.
Church Service
My time in Honduras was truly a blessing and a week that I will never forget. There are too many memories to put into a few words, but there are a couple that stand out to me. My first core experience of this trip was attending a local church service in San Pedro Sula. Though the service was in Spanish, I could still take part in the joy these church members had in rejoicing in the Lord. It was special to see others serve and worship Jesus in a different part of the world.
Pastor Carlos
The first day I was placed in the triage portion of our clinic, where I was in charge of taking vitals — blood pressure, pulse, oxygenation and blood sugar if need be — as well as asking questions to find out why the person was seeking help. There was a man named Carlos who came through the clinic, and I later discovered he was a pastor. He came through the clinic to get checked out, and I was in charge of triaging him. The first thing I noticed was his hat, and I said, “I like your hat!” He gave me a big smile and offered me his hat. I politely declined; I did not want to take his nice hat! After my time triaging Carlos, he told me he would be back the next day. I did not think too much about it, but the next day, another team member came up to me and told me, “There is a man over there who requests the nice girl who likes his hat! He wants you to take his blood pressure.” The picture below is of me and Carlos. It was amazing to make special memories and create relationships like this with others.
Summary
Honduras 2025 was a week that made an impression on my life. I am very grateful to the Lord for the relationships I was able to make with the team and the people of Honduras. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to serve the Lord in a way that they never have before.
Major: Nursing
Year of Graduation: Class of 2025
Tags: #experience, #globaloutreach, #GO, #helpful, #personal, #student, #studentlife, #testimony
Posted in: Experience, Global Outreach, Student Life