Short-Term Construction and Medical Team Information

Here are some basic details and costs for a team to do a construction project and stay at the Border Buddies Mission House in Tegucigalpa, Honduras:

• Teams scheduled from March through October.
• Trips usually 10-11 days.
• Group sizes 8 to 16 persons.
• Lodging in the up-to-date mission house of your missionary hosts, in the city of Tegucigalpa. Showers, all modern conveniences, internet, etc.
• Airplane tickets at the current price – typically ranging between $1000 and $1200 depending on where you are located. Border Buddies can book your flight for you.
• $50.00 per person for each day in Honduras covers Food and Lodging, which includes food from COSTCO, purified water, electricity (same outlets as in the U.S.), wi-fi and ground transportation. Optional trips for ice-cream or special outings will be elective and at your additional expense. All meals are prepared in the Mission House and consist primarily of U.S. products. We are extremely careful about food and water safety for your team.
• $6,000.00 minimum for project materials for a construction team of 10 or less.   Groups over 10 should plan on $600 per person. If you can meet that figure, it greatly enhances the overall project by helping to hire locals to work with the team. All tools and materials supplied by Border Buddies. Bring your own gloves, etc and anything else you might want for the specifics or your project.
• We can offer a side trip to the Mayan Ruins in Copan, or to the beaches on the Pacific Ocean. Those are additional costs and can be worked out between a team and your mission hosts.
• Day trips to Valley of Angels and Picacho Mountain are easy to fit into the schedule; the gas and entry fees are included with the Food and Lodging fee.

If you are interested in being on a team click on the Team Members Manual.

If you think you’d like to lead a construction team click on the Team Leaders Manual: (these manuals are in effect for 2024)

• 2023 Team MEMBER Manual
• 2023 Team LEADER Manual

Why we need teams

We are looking for short-term mission teams to come to the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras to help refurbish public school buildings. In the United States, tax money provides what the schools need. However in Honduras the taxes pay only for the salaries of the teachers. The families in the local neighborhoods have to provide money for all of the maintenance and repair of the buildings and all the school supplies such as books, chalk, markers, paper, encyclopedias, dictionaries, desks, and anything else the school needs. Most families of these public schools can hardly feed themselves let alone help with school needs. The classrooms are very overcrowded, there are holes in the roofs, peeling paint, no screens or glass in their windows, and poor restroom facilities. The children and the teachers lose hope, and most children drop out of school by the end of 6th grade. As a result, these children have a no skills and a very bleak future. In desperation they turn to the gangs as their only way to make a living. We believe with all our heart that this is not fair to the children, their families and the future of Honduras.

We have completed upgrades on five schools now, expanding some, adding rooms, including a computer lab in one, and in every school we establish a cafeteria capable of serving 300-400 children a hot meal each day, and we not have 4 cafeterias operating. In each school that we assist, attendance improves, grades improve, health improves, hope increases, teachers find purpose, and the children have hope for a successful future.

CONSTRUCTION TEAM HISTORY

• In 2005 we began work on our very first school, Escuela de Venezuela, in Barrio Rincon. New roofing, paint, screens in the windows, roofed-over and walled in soccer/play area, plus an additional two story building with a fully modern cafeteria on the first floor and air-conditioned computer lab, offices and library on the second floor. With the success of that venture we now have seven other schools who have asked for help.
• In 2010 we began upgrades to Escuela de Armas Furerzas, adding three rooms on a second floor plus a large cafeteria. This helped them expand from a primary-only school to one that also holds classes for secondary grades as well. This work was completed in 2012.
• In 2013 we moved on to Escuela de Roberto Sosa where we added a four-room building which houses three classrooms and a cafeteria. Additionally, every building at Roberto Sosa complex got a brand new roof. This work was completed in spring of 2013.
• In the summer of 2013 we began work on Escuela Santa Margarita where we added a second floor for three classrooms, added new roofs and upgraded wiring. Work was completed in 2014.
• In 2015 five short-term construction teams added four high school classrooms on a newly poured second floor at 21st of October Institute (a Junior-Senior High School.)
• In 2016 we completed phase 3 second floor additions at 21st of October Institute by adding four new classrooms over the 1st floor administrative offices. The Director has dedicated the use of one of those rooms to Border Buddies activities. Six teams have brought this work close to completion.
• In 2017 we continued our work at the 21st of October Institute by adding three more classrooms.
• In 2018 we continued by adding another four classrooms over the the Director’s and Teachers’ office area.
• In 2019 work continued on the four new 2nd floor classrooms at the 21st of October Institute.
• In 2020 and 2021 the COVID pandemic stopped ALL teams, BUT our Honduran helpers, headed up by Michael, kept working because donations toward the work were coming in.
• In 2022 we had a small team that helped
• 2023 has two scheduled at this time.

MEDICAL TEAM HISTORY

Clinics for the poor and elderly can’t handle all the needs. We go to the people and set up clinics in those neighborhoods where we have worked on the schools and have established relationships with the the children, the mothers, the fathers, the barrio leaders. Teams composed of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and administrative personnel are needed to help meet their needs. For many people this may have been the first time they ever were examined by an actual doctor.

• In 2013  Medical Team #1 come to Tegucigalpa in October. They saw over 1200 people in their 10 day trip and touched many, many lives.
• Medical Team #2 saw over 1200 people in October 2014.
• Medical Team #3 saw over 1400 people in October 2015.
• Medical Team #4 saw over 1300 people in October 2016.
• Medical Team #5 saw over 1200 people in October 2017
• Medical Team #6 saw over 1200 people in October 2018.
• Medical Team #7 saw over 1200 people in October 2019
• Medical Team #8 got postponed from 2020 to 2021, then cancelled with just one week’s notice, due to administrative entanglements exasperated by COVID shortages and requirements.

Each of these teams has had a huge impact on the people, as they not only administered medicines, diagnosed problems, but also took time to pray with people.

It’s time to begin forming the 2022 Medical Team. Interested in being on a Medical Team? contact Michael Miller at mjgm2004@yahoo.com for more information.

DENTAL TEAMS

We have been praying since 2010 that someone or some people will answer the call to begin bringing dental teams to Tegucigalpa. The need is huge and only dental professionals, aides and assistants can answer the call. If you are moved to be part of or even to lead a team contact Michael Miller at mjgm2004@yahoo.com.