Esperanca is a global health non-profit that provides life-changing programs to over 100,000 people a year. We provide poor children and families with surgical missions, training to grow nutritious food microbusinesses, building safe housing, access to clean water and preventing as well as treating diseases.

The San Rafael Clinic is where we got our start with the surgical missions in Jinotega, Nicaragua and on day five of the Mission of Hope we went to where it all started!  With a tour from the director we were able to see the interworking’s of the clinic with our supporters. Currently we still have our general surgical missions utilizing the space in the clinic but the majority of our specialties are now operating at the Hospital directly in Jinotega. The tour of the clinic was touching to think of all of the lives that the countless numbers of doctors have saved and transformed.

Once we left the San Rafael Clinic, the surrounding communities were ready to share their home and hearts with us. We started with a visit to a local women’s co-op that was starting to create a pig farm. The women spoke of how they mobilized as volunteers and how this was the beginning of the change to come to the community. Second we were invited to a community meeting that was upwards or 40 community members that had created one of the largest co-ops we are involved with to date.  We witnessed the passing of the gift to a new member of the co-op.

And just as the Mission of Hope had started, we ended the visit with a chance to see and learn how the work of Dr. Retson and his team had gone.

Latrines were the sight of the day! It is amazing to learn how a latrine is truly the cornerstone for a community’s health. On day four of the Mission of Hope we were in the community of Santa Amalia learning how a latrine is constructed and how the community rallies to be the driving force for their own transformation. The first home we visited had a partially completed latrine and we had the treat of listening to an informational demonstration from Herman the local AVODEC staff that is helping to educate Santa Amalia residents on how to construct a Latrine. The second Home we visited was a Latrine that was just starting and members of the Mission of Hope jumped right in to help dig the trench for this life saving structure.

Day three of the Mission of Hope, had a little later start that allowed the travelers with the group the chance to catch up on sleep. But once we were up we hit the road with the same passion that we had the day before. On this outing we saw Las Lomas one of the larger water systems that AVODEC and Esperanҫa have put in operation within Nicaragua. What a treat this was for our travelers, Las Lomas supports 5 different communities and has allowed thousands of people to have access to clean drinkable water. An interesting fact that was learned on this visit was that all five communities use less water than a single family home in the US! As we followed the systems infrastructure we were able to visit some of the homes that were beneficiaries of the water, we were welcomed with open arms to visit and see how they are using the water.

Once our visit to Las Lomas was complete we were invited to be a part of the ribbon cutting for the new offices for our in-country partner AVODEC. This was a complete surprise to those on the trip and was an amazing sight to see. The community of Jinotega gathered to bless and celebrate this new building that would be the center for hope and transformation for the community.

The evening concluded with the sorting of medical supplies that are used by our volunteer surgical program. The supplies had arrived in such a hurry that they were in need of cataloging and organization and that is where the Mission of Hope Volunteers came in! We worked for over 2 hours and revamped the entire storage, allowing all of the contents to be accessible. We did pause to celebrate the completion of the organizing with a group photo.

Day two of the mission of hope was just as impactful as the day before! The Agenda included travel to the community of Bocay. In this beautiful rural and remote location the local women have begun the operation of a Chicken Co-Op where they are using the eggs for nutrition for their families and the funds generated from the sale of eggs to transform their lives. Fellow travelers of the Esperanҫa group were members of the South Cowichan Rotary Club and were major supporters of the Chicken Co-Op for the women of Bocay.

The Co-Op in Bocay is still in it beginning stages and will be completing its transformation before the end of this coming April. This day was a very special day for the travelers on the mission of hope and we learned how the women of Bocay are transforming their lives.

The first day started with some tired eyes but, overall with a sense of excitement! The day started with a walk to the local clinic and home of Esperanca’s surgical program operations. Upon arrival we encountered wall to wall people that came from miles around looking for a chance of Hope. And that is just what they were able to receive, Dr. Retson and his team worked all day long to make sure every person was evaluated for the mission and pieced together their weekly schedule.

Mission of Hope travelers were humbled with story after story of the weary patients and their families sharing how they arrived to the clinic. Some of the families had traveled for over 4 days to hope for a solution that would offer a better life for their child.

This past Saturday the Mission of Hope 2014 was underway! What is the Mission of Hope? It is a Volunteer Travel group of 10 Esperança supporters joining us for a trip to see the work of our communities in Jinotega Nicaragua and get their hands dirty with some good old fashion hard work. On this trip we are promised to see amazing work and be in amazing company. Travelers come from all over North America, from Phoenix to Chicago and even Canada!

The first day of day of travel was full of first introductions and firsts experiences. Some travelers had never been out of the United States and others had passports that were well worn. But across the board the supporters of Esperança were anticipating the stories and sights that they were about to see.

Esperança was recently awarded $10,000 from the Super Service Challenge, a nationwide charitable effort started in 2011, partners with Drew Brees’ Brees Dream Foundation to encourage companies and organizations to spread a heart of service and win money for a deserving charity.

Esperança will use the funds for its global health and medical supply programs that serve Phoenix, Mozambique, Bolivia, Peru and Nicaragua.

“We’re thrilled to be one of the charities recognized by Super Service Challenge, and we are truly touched by the hard work of our volunteers without them Esperanҫa would not be able to transform lives.” said Tom Egan, president and CEO of Esperança. “The funds will allow us to serve more people domestically and internationally.”

To learn more about the Super Service Challenge, visit: http://superservicechallenge.com/