I just returned from Honduras a few days ago and once again am processing my time there. I always arrive with great energy and enthusiasm to be back “home” in the village I have been a part of for nearly 25 years. Witnessing poverty no longer shocks me but living with the people who experience this daily will always unsettle me.

It is now the rainy season and I quickly learn the village has been without running water for over three weeks. The system was blocked with mud and debris, and therefore the spigots of “potable” water were dry, and there was no running water to the houses. People walked to the muddy river to access water to wash themselves, their dishes, and flush the toilets.

The first night, we lose electricity, a common occurrence which I’ve been accustomed to. Perhaps it makes it a bit easier so that all your senses are not overloaded at once. Instead of seeing the trash that litters the surrounding homes, you just smell the burning of paper and plastic. You don’t see what types of insects and animals are closing in but you might feel them.

Daylight returns and I’m reminded of life in a third world country. Children fill their stomachs with cheap bags of chips, inadequate housing often made of adobe or other materials, and grueling manual labor that we have replaced with machines. There are endless needs in this barrio, and later that week, we have street lights installed for safety and security. We also address a huge hole in the road that has running water below before a child falls into a foot of water, and another tragedy occurs.

It truly is a daily struggle for everyone that surrounds me. What is there to eat? Where can I find work? How to cope with the next crisis? It is a luxury to be able to plan ahead, to dream of a better life. And then I return to my inner turmoil. How do I help? Who do I help? What will have a lasting impact? We have tried many things over the years, some offering a temporary fix and others outright failing.

And we have also experienced the exhilaration of success including drilling a well and bringing clean water, providing life saving medical treatment, and supporting students as they pursue their education and change their life trajectories.

Although I’m thrilled to be back home, I realize that it isn’t a part of my heart that I leave behind, it is actually my soul. It’s time to share their stories and raise awareness (and yes funding, the biggest challenge for me) so that they may experience the basic life necessities, and more!

Thank you to each and every one of you who supports me in so many ways.