The World Health Organization (WHO) states health is “not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” but expands its definition to assert that health is a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” ( www.who.org ).

Heart to Honduras chooses to add this spiritual dimension of health as the core, the nucleus of health. The other dimensions cling to the spiritual dimension while at the same time, merging and fusing with each other, composing the whole of health for every person.

The concept of holism – all parts make up the whole – applies not only to health dimensions of an individual but meshes well with the description of the HTH ministry. Heart to Honduras is a holistic ministry centered in Christ, resourced by passionate partners. Through this holistic concept, HTH searches for ways to focus on both spiritual and material needs of the Honduran poor by meeting their basic needs. Studying Matthew 25:31-46 shows us that these basic needs can be categorized as follows:

Food for the Hungry, Clothing for the Naked, Homes for the Homeless, Healing for the Hurting & Hope for the Hopeless

Health care ministry objectives:

• To provide equitable health care to as many as possible: individuals, families and communities.

• To encourage hope.

• To understand health problems and needs of under-served individuals, families and communities with prayer, health care (materials and providers) and financial support.

• To organize health care teams who assist with physical, psychological and spiritual healing.

One of the ways we measure our effectiveness is by keeping track of the number of people our Health Care Teams treat. We are excited to pass along these statistics to you so you can see

1. How we are using the talents God gave us.
2. The numbers of people that are being affected through our ministry.
3. The lives that are being saved or enhanced due to the treatment we are providing.

The centerpiece of Canchias is the Karen Smith Medical Clinic which serves a dozen or more surrounding villages. People often walk as long as 3 hours to receive treatment from the full time physician and staff. The clinic has consultation rooms, a pharmacy, lab, surgical unit and gynecological room.

The clinic as dramatically changed the availability of basic health care in the area. It also allows us to provide health care to all of our employees, something unheard of in most of Honduras. We are working on a plan to expand the clinic to provide an additional surgical suite as well as space for patients who need extended treatment.

Each year a number of Ministry Teams travel to Honduras to provide medical, surgical, dental and eye care. Some of these are based in the Canchias clinic. However, most teams travel to various villages as mobile clinics because the people either do not have available medical care or cannot afford transportation to visit a doctor.

These village clinics treat a wide variety of illnesses and often see over 100 patients a day. Some patients cannot be treated with the medications the teams have available. In those cases we do the best we can to help them get the needed treatments at a hospital. The most important aspect of a patient’s treatment is the prayer they receive before leaving the clinic. New souls have been added to the Kingdom through these village clinics.