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Alabama Honduras Medical Educational Network
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Thursday, November 28, 2013

@AHMENinHonduras - #GivingTuesday


After you've shopped til you dropped on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, consider the impact you could make by donating to AHMEN on #GivingTuesday! Your donations to the general fund help to sponsor teams and projects working to end systemic injustices in Honduras by serving in practical ways.

Your donation could go toward:

-helping equip individuals with the capacity to become their own communitiy's missionaries through a 3-year SIFAT leadership training known as the AHMEN-SIFAT Initiative

-purchasing medical supplies to conduct health clinics in some of the most underserved communities in Honduras

-keeping a Deaf School up and running

-providing college education for 16 young women at the Shalom Girls Dorm

-helping the blind see with the Extended Eyecare Ministry

-feeding the hungry bellies through soup kitchens and feeding hungry minds via libraries

-sustaining a business school in the La Ceiba city dump community of Los Laureles 



Your gifts open endless doors of opportunity. Your gifts feed. Your gifts clothe. Your gifts provide medical care. Your gifts create relationships to serve with the community.

Donate via PayPal or send in a check made out to AHMEN and the name of the particular team or ministry on the "for" line to 516 Ridgeview Dr. Jasper, Al 35504.


To learn more about how to support a project or join a team to Honduras, contact us today!

Together, we are the difference.

Monday, November 25, 2013

3 Teams, Dozens of Ways to Participate


Join a team.  Share a smile.  Impact a life.

The Iron Bowl is this Saturday.  Thanksgiving is this Thursday, and the Honduran Presidential election was yesterday (with a verdict still up in the air).  With so much coming up in the very near future, it is easy to forget about three very cool teams to Honduras in the works.



March 22-30, 2014 "Cultivando Información" Business Team

This team has four components:

-Develop and deliver proposals for an area where tourists can safely spend money on locally made and handmade items in Honduras

-Lead discussion groups with the business-minded AHMEN-SIFAT Jutiapa Community Agents

-Lead discussion groups with the Los Laureles jewelry students

-Visit Roatan to explore other projects and evaluate possible future missions

June 19-28, 2014 Río de Agua Viva Team

This team has three components:

-Work in small teaching teams with the ASI-Jutiapa Community Agents in areas of health and communication

-Work in small teaching teams with Los Laureles jewelry students in areas of business, English, communication, and jewelry construction

-Continue to open up La Ceiba's Hogar de Ancianos as a possible site for outreach

*Work alongside members of Shalom Girls' Dorm at each level

(2014?) De La Montaña al Mar


This team has two components so far: 

-Conduct medical clinics in the La Esperanza, Intibucá area alongside members of CISA

-Volunteer support at additional clinics in La Ceiba and/or Utila

Three teams to choose from



If you would like to join any of these AHMEN teams, contact me today.  If you know of anyone who might like to join one of these teams, contact me today.  If you know of anyone who might want to financially support or pray for one of these teams, CONTACT ME today!

Don't forget to follow us on twitter.


Together, we are the difference.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Is It More Than the Economy, Stupid?






Bill Clinton adviser James Carville answered "The economy, stupid" when he was asked to identify the main issue of the 1992 U.S. Presidential election.  Since this time, the phrase has become popularized by candidates who claim glorious plans to fill every oven with a turkey and every driveway with a Cadillac.  Two additional mantras donning Clinton's Little Rock, Arkansas campaign headquarters, however, also gained speed.  As a set, Clinton's daily reminder read:

                              -Change vs. more of the same
                              -The economy, stupid
                              -Don't forget health care.

Why is this blogger of things Honduran writing about Bill Clinton and an election won over twenty years ago?

I include this list of "How to Win an Election For Dummies" because, it is being used by the three major candidates in this year's Honduran Presidential election amidst the complexity of transformative change in Honduras.  

I certainly do think that fresh ideas, diversified economic plans, and building a more effective health care infrastructure are key to the development of Honduras into a safer place to live and grow; nonetheless, as Jimmy Buffet's hit single "Fruitcakes" claims, "The God's honest truth is it's not that simple."

Sooooo ..... what do we as volunteers to Honduras hope the three Honduran Presidential candidates will achieve in the next four years?  What is the ONE thing they could do to radically change their country for the better?  What do you hope they WON'T do?  How can the Presidential candidates help volunteers, humanitarians, and missionaries who visit Honduras by the tens of thousands each year be more effective?

Express your opinions here today!

Also, if you would like to join an AHMEN educational or medical team to Honduras just shoot me an email!

Together, we are the difference.


Thursday, November 7, 2013

Fundraising Made It Happen!

When I first approached Dr. Camp and Michael Franklin about the idea of traveling to Honduras, I never imagined that dream would be a reality within the year. As a full-time student, I surrendered to the mentality that travel abroad would not be possible until I finished nursing school and had the money to pay for it. Dr. Camp added me to the Jungle Team e-mail list anyway, and next thing I knew, I was receiving constant reminders about the trip. With only 31 days to raise $900, going to Honduras did not seem to be to be feasible at this time. I continued to brush off the idea until one night, just for fun, I started browsing plane tickets on kayak.com. I was shocked at the low prices and on a whim decided to purchase one. Immediately, I started to panic! How would I ever raise the remaining money to go on this trip? After buying the ticket, I knew I had to act fast.

Operation: Get to Honduras-
1. Write a letter. Dr. Camp presented me with the idea of a letter writing campaign. He advised that I should mail or e-mail everyone I had ever come in to contact with a letter asking for a donation towards the trip. He presented me with a basic letter template that I could modify. I wrote family friends, co-workers, priests, college friends, professors, ex-boyfriends, neighbors, my friend's parents---pretty much anyone I had ever come into contact with.
2. Social Media. I created an event page for my trip and invited all of my friends to attend. I welcomed them to join my team and if they could not come on the trip with me, to please donate to the cause. I included a link to the AHMEN website so they could donate electronically via the convenience of Paypal. I updated the page daily with personalized shout outs to everyone that donated. I also updated with posts relevant to the trip and my fundraising effort. I emphasized that every donation (even $1) makes a difference!!! 

3. Sell a product. Since I love to bake, I decided to raise extra money through a bake sale! Family and friends stepped in and contributed extra homemade treats for me to sell as well. I hosted the sale over two weeks selling to co-workers, family members, students, and friends. I advertised the effort on Facebook, and before I knew it, people were requesting full batches! Prices ranged from $1.00 to $25.00 depending on the good. This option was definitely the most time consuming initiative, but in the end it was more than worth it. Make sure that people know that the money is going towards a good cause and they won't be able to turn down their favorite treat! 

The hardest part of fundraising for me was relinquishing control and not allowing myself to be scared or embarrassed to ask for help. I have always prided myself on doing things all by myself, so I definitely overcame some personal barriers in this process. Be sure to mention Honduras with a smile on your face to everyone you meet! Happiness is contagious and they will be excited to learn what great work you are doing! You'll be so surprised by the people that contribute. I even had a few strangers donate to AHMEN

I cannot emphasize the importance of THANK YOU in fundraising. It is critical to keep track of every single person that donates. These donors will become your support base for future outreach teams. Therefore, you must tell them Thank You! I made sure to send every single donor a personalized thank you on social media (if applicable) and with a handwritten card that included a trip memento. 


Other ideas for fundraising?  
A few ideas come to mind... car washes, pancake dinners, holiday gifts, donation jars at your favorite stores, handmade crafts, athletic game concessions, parties... Possibilities are countless! 

Be sure to think outside the box! Get creative! 

Contact Michael Franklin for more info

See you in Honduras!
(hint: Join me on the June "Rio" Team in 2014) 
Lane "Fundraisingmadeithappen" Turbeville




Tuesday, November 5, 2013

AHMEN in the News!

Join a team or project today...These guys need you!!
Many thanks go out to Dale Short for a fun, thought-provoking interview.  The article looks great!  A front page spread in the Daily Mountain Eagle honors the AHMEN organization and my family.  Our ears burn from the mouth of my Granny, Lorene Mitchell, from heaven.


Learn more about AHMEN's work in Honduras on our website, Facebook and Twitter pages, Pinterest, and this blog.

Contact me to learn how to join one of our teams or begin sponsoring one our many projects today!

Together, we are the difference.