About a year before this trip, Michael learned that his employer, Baptist Health of Arkansas, was sponsoring their first ever short-term foreign medical mission team. Plans were underway to work in Honduras with the leadership of Dr. Cliff Fullerton, a board member of the Church of Christ affiliated Predisan Health Ministries. The founder of Predisan is Honduran Dr. Amanda Madrid, whom Michael first met decades ago and multiple times thereafter at the yearly seminars hosted by International Health Care Foundation.

The name “Predisan” was created by combining two Spanish words, predicar and sanar, which mean "to preach" and "to heal."

Five months before the trip and about 6 weeks before retiring, Michael signed on to serve as one of the physicians as soon as we knew the dates would not conflict with previous plans to record with Praise & Harmony. Jeannie joined the team about a week later after learning that a few non-medical people were needed. Our last medical mission together was in Guyana, South America, in 2010 with Operation Guyana.

Our first visit to the Central American country of Honduras was just 2 months before this trip when our cruise ship stopped at the Honduran island of Roatán.

DAY 1
Saturday, 13 September 2025
We departed Fort Smith at 6 a.m. on American Airlines, landing at Dallas-Fort Worth airport about 45 minutes later. We ate breakfast in the airport. At the departure gate we visited with Dr. Cliff and Beth Fullerton and Dr. Mark and Donna Bailey, also on the team, before boarding.

The 3-hour flight to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, left about an hour later than scheduled. For lunch we brought aboard a Subway sandwich. Our plane landed at 2:40 p.m. After being cleared by passport control and immigration, we retrieved our luggage and passed through customs. Most of the team arrived on a United Airlines flight from Houston a couple hours before us.

By 4 o’clock the remaining six of us joined them on the bus for the 120-mile ride to Catacamas. Passing through lots of little villages on a two lane highway took considerable time. We stopped for an authentic Honduran meal at Café Papatoño in the town of Guaimaca from 6:30 to 8:00. We arrived at our nicely air-conditioned rooms at Juan Carlos Hotel, a few blocks from the Predisan hospital at 10:15 p.m. (This was 11:15 in Arkansas.)

DAY 2
Sunday, 14 September 2025
We went to breakfast around 7 a.m. Most everyone walked together to the hospital where we had a church service at 9:00. Alfredo Zuniga, our American team chaplain and fluent Spanish-speaker, preached from Joshua 7 in English and Spanish. Most of the patients scheduled for surgery on Monday through Friday and their families participated in worship with us. After the service, the surgical portion of our team did preoperative evaluation of patients and their charts.

The non-surgical part of the mission team was transported around 11 o’clock to nearby CEREPA, Predisan’s inpatient rehab center for addictions. We were given the grand tour and met many of the patients, a couple of whom gave lengthy testimonies about their drug and alcohol addictions. It is our opinion that CEPEPA’s emphasis on Christ-centered living is why its success is much greater than most rehabilitation centers in the rest of the world. CEREPA is an acronym for “Centro de Rehabilitación del Paciente Adicto.” Their sign at the entrance reminds patients, “¡Si, existe una esperanza!” which means, “Yes, there is Hope.”

We ate lunch after returning to the hospital about 1:30. While the surgical team was still busy, the medical team walked back to the hotel about 3. At 3:40 Michael hiked from the hotel with most of the medical group to the top of Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) on the north side of the city to enjoy the panoramic view of Catacamas. A typical tropical rain shower briefly delayed our progress. It stopped raining soon after we began to ascend the 500 or so steps to the white cross.

Soon after we started back down, we encountered most of the surgical group coming up. Everyone but Michael returned to the top, while he sat waiting for them to return. Taking the hundreds of steps to the bottom, we found the Predisan van waiting to pick us up and return to our hotel. Since adding the two groups together was more than could fit into the van, we all chose to walk the half mile back to our hotel about 5 o’clock while the Predisan van drove slowly behind us.

Supper was a hamburger and fries in the hotel restaurant at 6:45. Then we returned to our room to pack for departure the next morning

DAY 3
Monday, 15 September 2025
At 6:45 we went to breakfast, then checked out of the hotel with those serving with the medical brigade. The surgical brigade was working at Predisan Christian Hospital by 8 o’clock.

Before we began seeing patients this week, we all were reminded of these verses:

• “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus …” (Colossians 3:17)
• “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

In a conference room at the hospital the medical team was being prepared for what to expect in the village we would serve. We counted and repackaged some medications that we would be dispensing at the clinic.

Since we couldn’t leave town till after noon, we watched the Honduras Independence Day parade from a shaded spot from 10 to 11:30. Then lunch was served back at the hospital.

Around 1 o’clock we began the journey into the mountains to the Predisan clinic site called CEDECO at Las Delicias, Cuyamel. CEDECO is an acronym for Centro de Desarollo Comunitario. As the crow flies, it’s about 23 miles east of Predisan Hospital, but much farther on the rough, winding, dirt road with its many ruts and potholes. Before leaving Catacamas, we stopped briefly at Maxi Despensa, a nice supermarket where several bought snacks. Jeannie with Josh and Lauren Searcy rode in the pickup that was hauling our luggage and clinical supplies. Michael rode in the van carrying the remaining nine members of the medical team, which included Americans and Hondurans. It rained only about 10 minutes as we traveled around 2:30.

We stopped for 15 minutes at a small family farm, where we learned about Predisan's food security program. Soon thereafter, we stopped at Las Cabas village for half an hour to check out one of Predisan’s botiquín comunitario, community medicine cabinet, where locals can get chronically-needed medications at a tiny fraction above cost. The home owner and keeper of the medication supply was trained by Predisan for very basic health care, including diabetes and hypertension monitoring. She graciously served us tasty macheteadas, a traditional Honduran fried dough snack.

We reached the clinic about 4 o’clock and settled into our non-air-conditioned dorm-sized room in La Posada de Charlie. We all packed pills till it got too dark at 6:30. Then we enjoyed supper that was prepared for us by the cook who lived next to our lodging. All our meals here were served outdoors on the front porch of our “inn.”

Initially, we had only partial electric service, such that the outlets in the rooms did not function till 11 p.m. We were delighted when the room fans came on. We shared six outside bathrooms and four showers. In this remote location we were beyond cell service range, so were pleased to have Wi-Fi available for us.

DAY 4
Tuesday, 16 September 2025
We awoke about 5 a.m., though roosters were crowing by 4. After getting dressed, we heard and saw a Spanish-speaking yellow-naped amazon parrot in a tree beside our lodging making a racket. We were served a homemade breakfast at 7 a.m., then participated in a morning devotional at 7:30 with the local Predisan staff.

It rained some in the morning, making it more humid. We stopped an hour for lunch. It reached 90° Fahrenheit in the clinic in the afternoon. We were so thankful for the floor fans making it more bearable.

We saw all the scheduled patients by 3:30. The rest of the day was at our leisure, enjoying the company of our new American and Honduran friends. Most of us played a card game after we finished eating our evening meal together.

DAY 5
Wednesday, 17 September 2025
After breakfast and devotional, we began seeing patients shortly before 8:00 a.m. We broke for lunch a little after 12:00. We enjoyed a snack break in mid-afternoon with coffee and macheteadas. Our team examined and treated 70 patients.

Dr. and Mrs. Fullerton with our team chaplain and Gabby were transported mid-morning to the clinic site, where they spent the night with us before returning to Catacamas the next morning. Gabriela (“Gabby”) Tovar was the amazing Predisan staff member who helped keep everything so organized for us before and during our time in Honduras. Dr. Fullerton treated several patients at a nearby village.

It was raining in late afternoon when we all rode a couple miles to a gas station. There we were treated with ice cream. The rain having stopped, many in our group chose to walk back to the clinic. Michael and Jeannie rode in the pickup that drove very slowly behind those who were walking. The evening meal was served soon after we arrived at the clinic. Immediately after a Bible study led by Alfredo, we all had fun playing Honduran Lotería, a Spanish language game that is similar to bingo, but played with a deck of cards instead of numbered balls. Each card has an image of an object and its name.

DAY 6
Thursday, 18 September 2025
After enjoying a typical Honduran breakfast, we had a devotional led by the local Predisan chaplain, using an interpreter. We were set up and seeing patients by 8 a.m. Without morning rain, there was little to no breeze. Without electricity part of that time, our fans could not provide air movement inside the clinic. At 94° Fahrenheit, this was our sweatiest day. We saw 60 patients by lunchtime.

The lights and fans came back on at 2 o’clock. There were only 9 more patients to see for the day. Finished at 3 o’clock, we were served coffee and montucas de pollo and ayote en miel for a snack. The electricity temporarily stopped again at 3:30.

About 4:30 most of the team walked ¾ mile along the dirt (and sometimes muddy) road to a little coffee shop managed by one of the leading employees at CEDECO. There we were treated to coffee or smoothies and a delicious piece of cake on the upper deck. After witnessing a beautiful sunset, we walked in the dark back to our rooms on the clinic compound.

Because of our hike, the evening meal was served at 7:00, an hour later than previously. Afterwards, we packed for our departure the next day.

DAY 7
Friday, 19 September 2025
We had no electricity in our sleeping quarters after midnight, so we were without fans till the generator was turned on for a short time about 6:30. Trying to sleep in an 84° room was quite a challenge.

Immediately after breakfast we had a short Bible lesson from the local chaplain. Soon after we set up for clinic, the generator was powered up, giving us power to the fans in the clinic area. We saw our last patient about 11:30.

We ate lunch, then left in two vehicles about 12:10. Two hours later we were checking in to the same hotel that we left on Monday. It was nice that we were given the same room number. And we spoiled Americans were very grateful for the blessing of having a room air-conditioner again.

Soon after we arrived, we were transported to Cuevas de Talgua (Talgua River Cave), a Honduran archaeological park about 4½ miles northeast of Catacamas. We walked on a very nice path through the tropical forest along the Rio Talgua to reach the cave, sometimes called “Cave of the Glowing Skulls” or “Cave of the Crystal Skulls.” Deep in the cave an ancient burial site was discovered in 1994. To our disappointment, that area of the cave is closed to the public. The surgery group was already inside the cave well before our medical group arrived. So our smaller group had our own guide. Michael whacked his forehead on a stalactite while walking along the dark pathway. It didn't bleed, but left a red spot for a few days. Before leaving the park we walked through the adjacent tiny museum, then joined the surgery folks at (and for many, in) the river. We all left together at 4:15 and returned to our hotel.

The surgical team performed 55 surgeries in five days at Predisan Hospital. The medical team examined and treated 213 patients in 3½ days at Predisan’s mountain clinic.

At 6:30 everyone was transported to a restaurant for a farewell dinner with many of the Predisan staff. After the meal, several participated in karaoke singing before returning to the hotel.

DAY 8
Saturday, 20 September 2025
It was delightful to sleep with air conditioning again. We went to breakfast at 7:00. The 26 of us from America met near the pool at 8:00 for debriefing. We started the week with 27 medical mission team members, but one had to return to the States on Friday.

Our bus left about 9:30. It rained throughout the day. At 12:30 we stopped for the buffet lunch at La Chiquita Restaurant. It was right across the street from where we ate on Saturday night in Guaimaca. We arrived at the Comayagua Golf Club hotel at 5:15 p.m., nearly 8 hours after first getting on the bus. We enjoyed a meal together with the team at 6:30 p.m.

DAY 9
Sunday, 21 September 2025
We were up at 6 a.m. and joined other team members for breakfast at the hotel at 7. Those traveling through Houston left the hotel in 2 groups between 9 and 10 a.m. We said goodbyes to them as they were getting on the vans to the airport. Many of them felt like family since we had worked so closely with them, sharing in service to God and dealing with the same inconveniences for a week.

The seven of us remaining went into town at 10:40 with Gabby Tovar. Our first stop was the Comayagua cathedral, where we climbed the clock and bell tower. The clock we saw outside and inside is the oldest gear clock in the world still in operation. It has been working for more than 900 years, having been sent to the Americas by order of King Felipe III of Spain during the 17^th century.

Our next stop was the Atucún Chocolatería, where we were given a fascinating tour of the chocolate factory. We chocolate lovers enjoyed the numerous tastings that were included with the history and explanations about its manufacture.

The six of us flying to Dallas were then taken to the airport. Our bags were tagged and boarding passes distributed. We found lunch, cleared passport control and security clearance, then went to our departure gate after a little shopping.

Our plane lifted off the runway at 3:55 p.m., 25 minutes before the scheduled departure time. We six sat in business class, so were served a meal about 6 o’clock by the flight attendant. We arrived at DFW about 8:50. Our connecting flight was delayed due to rain. Instead of arriving in Fort Smith as originally scheduled at 11:50 p.m., our flight landed at 2:45 a.m. on Monday.

This was Michael's 25^th Christian-oriented, short-term foreign medical mission trip and Jeannie's 22^nd, our first in 15 years. As always, it was delightful to witness the life-changing perspectives of those on the mission field for the first time. It was a rewarding experience to work alongside so many who sought to genuinely honor and represent Jesus Christ in spite of differing theologies. Almost everyone on the team was a stranger to us when the week started. In the few days of working together for the same purpose, we quickly developed friendships and even felt as close as family to many.

We hope this report proves to be a blessing to all who read it. May God grant you greater appreciation of what can be accomplished when we stay focused on spiritual more than worldly things.