Go!
We are eager to host short-term mission groups and individuals… families, youth groups, community groups and so on. Additionally, we welcome volunteer interns who might be willing to work alongside our family as we live and serve in the La Moskitia region of Honduras. Internships can be as short as a month in duration, or as long as one year. Contact us for more details!
If you are interested in a short-term mission trip or internship, please visit our Trip Scoop page for more information.
About La Moskitia
Gracias a Dios is the eastern-most department of Honduras. Though it is the second largest department in the country making up about 15% of the land mass, it is sparsely populated, and contains extensive pine savannas, swamps, and rain forests.
In 2005, the estimated population of 76,278 only accounted for 1% of the total population of Honduras. The sparcity and ethnic make-up of the region result in it being undervalued and overlooked by Honduran society and government. This region is also known as ‘La Moskitia’ due to the indigenous Miskito people that inhabit it, even though the Miskito span an almost equal distance into bordering Nicaragua. Even with several key “municipalities,” La Moskitia is considered poor and remote even by Honduran standards. The standard of living, income, and access to healthcare is far lower than the national averages—all of which are already among the lowest in Central America.
In 2000, the World Health Organization ranked the Honduran health-care system at 131 (of 190) in the entire world – the lowest ranking of all Central American countries. With few exceptions, the government provides little or no health services in the La Moskitia region, leaving the vast majority of care to be supplied by charity and missionary organizations. The lack of infrastructure (roads) in the region makes health-care delivery virtually impossible without the use of aircraft.
Above information provided by Missionary Air Group – Honduras
To view some amazing photography of La Moskitia, visit Nanni Fontana’s site.
Puerto Lempira
Puerto Lempira is the capital of the Gracias a Dios department in eastern Honduras. Though it does not have paved roads, it is the largest town in the La Moskitia region of Gracias a Dios. Puerto Lempira is located on the shores of the Caratasca Lagoon. The natural beauty of Puerto Lempira is awe-inspiring; the physical poverty of Puerto Lempira is humbling.
photo credit – www.lesvants.com
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