Mission team in Honduras. Ron Borgman, standing in the door. Gloria Borgman seated, top row, right. Photos from Michelle Jennings.

For 25 years, Ron and Gloria Borgman, members of the United Methodist Church in Spearfish, South Dakota, have coordinated a medical mission trip to Honduras. The Borgmans, along with Michelle Jennings and Cindy Yeager, are planning a trip to Honduras in March 2027.

“We can change the health of a village. We have fun. We work hard. It is inspiring to see what Send Hope is doing. We can make a difference,” said Gloria Borgman, coordinator for the medical mission to Honduras.

Michelle Jennings, a pharmacist and member of Spearfish UMC, looks forward to gathering and connecting with another mission team.

“There is something about connecting with other mission people. A common denominator creates a special connection. That connection inspires all of us,” said Jennings.

For Cindy Yeager, also a pharmacist and member of First United Methodist Church in Fargo, North Dakota, it's all about relationships. She got started with the Honduras ministry because of her connection with Gloria.

“I met Gloria at a Dakotas Conference meeting in Fargo. I was sitting next to her at the meeting. She found out I was a pharmacist. Gloria always describes it as, ‘You made the mistake of sitting by me.’ I have been going each year since. While there, you build relationships and remember people. Even though we may be in a village for a day or two, you return and reconnect with the people,” said Cindy Yeager. “My faith is stronger and affirmed. Our world is small, and the need is great.”

How it started

In 1998, Rev. Kip Roozen fueled the mission journey with an invitation. A team from Spearfish United Methodist Church traveled to Haiti with Rick Jost, former director of Solar Oven Partners and a member of First United Methodist Church in Brookings, South Dakota. Gloria and her husband, Ron, built part of a school in Haiti with a mission team from the Dakotas.

“Well, it started with an invitation from Kip Roozen, and we got hooked,” said Borgman. “After we got back from Haiti, Kip handed me a flier about a medical mission training in Bolivia. He handed it to me and said, ‘This looks like you.’ I got a scholarship to go to the training at no cost. I was scared because I didn’t know anyone, so I called Michelle [Jennings].”

Roozen encouraged Borgman because she was a nurse and had brought some medical supplies to Haiti. At the time, Ron and Gloria were new members at Spearfish UMC. Michelle Jennings was one of the congregational members they knew. They recruited Michelle and others. Four people from Spearfish traveled to Bolivia.

“They taught us how to do a medical mission. In Bolivia, we went to different places and saw different things people were doing. Then we traveled to Honduras. Josts were doing a medical mission in Honduras. We really didn’t have a clue about what to do, but we did it anyway,” explained Gloria. “We went to the north coast of Honduras.”

A few years later, Ron and Gloria connected with Send Hope, a United Methodist mission on the south coast of Honduras. The ministry provides a safe place for children to live, a nourishment program, a dental clinic, and basic medical needs.

Send Hope Ministry

Send Hope Ministry in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. (Photo from website)

The House of Hope campus includes a children’s home for 30-35 at-risk children and youth in Puerto Lempira, Honduras. It also has a dental clinic and a guest house for medical mission teams. Dr. Tom Brian and his wife, Sharon, founded Send Hope in 2000. They founded the organization while Dr. Brian had an active dental practice in Allen, Texas.

“We heard about Tom through UMCOR [United Methodist Committee on Relief]. We did a little investigation. It has been a great connection,” said Jennings.

Dr. Marianne Serkland, a retired cardiologist from Minnesota, serves as Send Hope's Medical Director. Dr. Marianne works with medical teams that hold clinics and coordinates logistics, including communication with village leaders and transportation.

“We let Dr. Marianne coordinate the teams. There are several IHS [International Health Service] teams that go to the area. We don’t want to overburden our hosts,” shared Jennings.

Yeager, an integral part of the medical mission team, described the team's work from her perspective.

“I would describe our work as a wellness clinic. We provide basic things. The most important medical work we do is fluoride and worm treatments. We stay at the House of Hope,” said Yeager.

Join or contribute to the 2027 mission team

A team of 10-12 people will travel to Honduras in March, around March 15-30, and you are invited. Participants with a medical background, or who feel comfortable in a clinical setting, are encouraged to travel with the team.

“Dr. Marianne communicates with us about the best time to bring a team. She lets us know when there is a need for a team, based on when other teams are coming and when interpreters are available,” explained Gloria. “For 2027, she asked us to come in March because of the logistics.”

A recent Honduran mission team in action. Cindy Yeager center.

There are jobs for medical and nonmedical volunteers. For example, Jennings and Yeager, professional pharmacists, will oversee medicine distribution. A nonmedical volunteer may be asked to count pills.

“We want a good blend of medical and non-medical volunteers,” said Michelle. “If you don’t have a medical background, there are jobs for you. You just have to be willing to put up with medical conversations at the dinner table sometimes.”

The traveling team will stay at Send Hope Ministry's guest house. The group will travel to different villages throughout the week and distribute parasite pills, fluoride, and toothbrushes. The team also provides basic medical care, such as lotion for a rash or a supply of Tylenol.

“We visit three to five villages during our time at the House of Hope. We travel in the back of a pickup down the road to a village if it is a couple hours away. If we go to a remote site, several hours away, we bring sleeping bags and tents. Sometimes we travel by boat up a river,” explained Gloria.

Political unrest can cause people to reconsider international travel.

"I have never felt unsafe. You do see military people with machine guns. We have never felt threatened. We have relationships with a lot of the people there. We have developed trust with the people. They would not put us in harm’s way,” shared Michelle.

The ten-day journey is open to anyone in the Dakotas Conference and beyond.

“We have people from all over.  A member from our church, [Spearfish UMC], has a daughter in the state of Washington, who is a nurse, and she is planning on going,” described Michelle.

Borgman’s son, from Charleston, N.C., is joining the team in March. People fly out of the closest airport to San Pedro Sula. One central travel agent plans the participants’ travel. Everyone may leave from a different airport but will unite along the journey.

The team is hoping to recruit a dentist. “A lot of times we don’t have a dentist. In the past, Dr. Brian or a local dentist has been with us,” said Cindy.  “People should plan to be gone 10-14 days.”

If you would like to join the team in March or provide funding for travel or medical supplies, contact Gloria Borgman by e-mail at ron.borgman@yahoo.com or phone 605-642-5321. If you reach out by phone, please leave a message. You may also contact Spearfish United Methodist Church for donations and information.