Dear Soles4Souls,
On behalf of the 67 team members who traveled to Intibucca, Honduras in July 2007, I would like to thank you for your generous support of our mission. Thanks to your donation, over 3500 people, many of whom came to us bare-footed, were fitted with shoes. To see the joy on the face of a mother as her children squealed with delight to have a new pair of shoes, or to see the men able to go back into the fields with decent protection for their feet let us see how something so simple and basic as a pair of shoes could make such a profound difference in someone's life. The traditional services we have provided are Medical (to include pharmaceutical and eyeglasses), Dental and Veterinary. This year, thanks to the help of Soles4Souls we were able to distribute shoes for the first time.
Our "Shoe Team" consisted of four adults, six teenagers and three Honduran interpreters. The people of this area were desperate for shoes, so they patiently waited in line for hours, as the team worked to measure their feet and distribute the correct shoes. Many of the Honduran people had feet that were deformed and had bunions from years of wearing shoes that were too small. The Honduran people are small and have small feet, so by the second day we ran out of many of the smaller sizes, but they gladly took larger shoes in order to have something to protect their feet.
The effect of the donated shoes in incalculable. Men and women could safely work to provide for their families. Children could run and play safely. The incidence of parasites and disease, which often enters through the feet, has undoubtedly been greatly reduced. These shoes may ultimately have as much effect in improving the lives of the people of Intibucca as our other ministries.
In closing, on behalf of the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission international, the DeFidder Field Team of BMDMI, and the people of Intibucca, Honduras, I want to thank you for your kind and generous donation of shoes. The benefits of these shoes cannot be overstated. We intend to make shoes a continuing part of our program. We hope that Soles4Souls will be able to support us in our 2008 mission.
Sincerely,
Rod Pollard
DeFidder Field Team Captain
Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International
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