St Peters, Weston - El Hogar, Honduras
Submitted by rkhotte2 on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 14:51.Click here for a description of our 2008 experience at El Hogar in Honduras. (PDF format)
Honduras
Submitted by rkhotte2 on Thu, 09/11/2008 - 02:32.
Children in Honduras
Image: Episcopal Diocese of Mass
Honduras
As we listened to the stories and learned about the growing AIDS epidemic in Honduras, most of us in the room struggled to fight back tears.... Valerie’s words to the room were direct and to the point: "come be with us." "Hold an orphaned baby, play games with a dying child, and demonstrate to all of the children that they are loved...just come." Many of us exclaimed,"We had no idea the situation was so bad!" It's difficult for us to know this information, and even more difficult to understand and internalize it...that is, until we've experienced it for ourselves. - The Rev. Ted Gaiser, Deacon, Global Partnerships
There are a number of churches with strong relationships in Honduras. If you are interested in pursuing a link with Honduras, contact The Rev. George Chapman (gmcpadre@gmail.com). George has a portfolio of potential projects for those considering a mission trip to Honduras and has been appointed by the Diocese of Honduras to work as Project Director.
Projects in the Diocese include health infrastructure and community training, operation of orphanages and schools, job training for young adults, fair trade activities, community development, and agricultural programs. The Diocese of Honduras actively seeks shortterm groups of volunteers (medical teams, construction teams, and youth groups) to visit their communities, share with Hondurans, and built together community projects.
In addition, many churches have a relationship with El Hogar, a school in Tegucigalpa that provides a loving home and an education for abandoned, orphaned and hopelessly poor children [ www.elhogar.org ]. The easiest way to contact El Hogar is to go through their North American office at Epiphany Winchester - Liz Kinchen, Executive Director, 781-729-7600 and elhogar@3crowns.org.
Bernhard Suhm - Honduras
Submitted by rkhotte2 on Mon, 09/08/2008 - 21:09.Honduras
Christ Church Cambridge has been sending teams to 1-2 week long construction missions in the Tegucigalpa, Honduras for several years. The statements below have been selected from their diaries to represent their experiences and spiritual journeys:
"Going to Honduras, I wasn't entirely sure what our mission was. I knew we were helping Hondurans on a construction project at a church and helping to build a schoolhouse in a remote village but I wasn't sure in what sense this constituted a mission. As Vallejo said, "I only understand a little. I can barely see..." After six days I think I have a better understanding of what our mission is. To borrow words from T.S. Eliot, the people of Honduras are "not known, not looked for." Perhaps we are here to know them and to represent Christ Church of Cambridge and all those members of the community who supported this mission with funds and supplies. And to offer an alternative view of what America is and who Americans are..."
"On our first night in Tegucigalpa, Luis, the priest of this tiny little church with a huge dream for the future, referred to us as angels coming to help further the work of his church and his parish. We believe that in his eyes, we have appeared and offered our assistance and care in the work about which Luis and his tiny country parish community care so deeply."
"So quickly over the past week, these gentle mannered, soft- spoken Hondurans have become such good work mates, lunch partners and teachers not only of church building but also of kindness and sharing. We are learning and receiving much more than we are giving."
"The friendships I have developed with the other group members have been one of the many unexpected blessings of this trip. We talk about the work we are doing here and how to be most effective, not only in our physical mission of construction but also in our spiritual mission to build a community of Christ. Working to reach across the language barrier we reach out not only to our Honduran companions but also to each other."
"...returning from Honduras, I have noticed that something unexpected has happened. At a profound level, something is different. - While in Honduras some hunger deep with in had been fed, something had been touched. We had hoped to make a difference and we were the ones who been changed. We were different. We had new questions. I have found myself thinking twice. Reassessing what I value."
Bernhard Suhm - Christ Church, Cambridge
