July 2011 Mission trip Day Seven:

Friday was our last day working in Delicias Del Norte. We all worked hard to finish our projects. Those of us who were painting the church finished painting the outside lower portion while the boys did the high portion of the walls. Elaine and Marty worked on the lower outside painting. One of the boys told Marty it was too hot for her to paint on the sunny side of the church, so she moved to the other side in the shade. She thought this was being very kind and considerate. Stella took the tape off of the lights along the sides and washed all the globes, Fr. John and Judy painted doors. Small touch ups remain but we are confident the boys will complete our joint task.

I forgot to mention the boys and Irwin replaced the plywood panels on the ceiling above the alter. They didn’t have a scaffold so they took and extension ladder and braced it with a regular ladder so that it looked like a big upside down Y. Then the boys all braced the ladders so that Irwin wouldn’t fall. We all agreed that it was an OSHA nightmare but it worked. The ceiling looks great.

On Thursday, a little girl came and watched us paint, we asked her name she said it was Carolena. We asked her how old she was. She very readily said she was two years old. This child was obviously five or six. We were concerned that she didn’t know her age. Barbara explained to us that many of the kids do not have birth certificates because they were never registered. The mothers are not educated so they cannot count. They truly do not know how old they are. This becomes a larger problem when they are ready to go to school. This little girl was fascinated by Judy’s pink hat. We told her to come back on Friday and she could have the hat. She didn’t come and we were disappointed.

As the boys were painting up high at the back of the church, they noticed a bat sleeping under an eve. Being teenage boys, they were determined to get that bat. They sprayed the bat with something and dislodged it. Irwin finally cornered the bat and got it outside. They laughed and laughed it was a needed distraction from all of the work.

The men finished up their work on the pilas, stoves and latrines. When we passed by the storm damaged house that they were working on, the house walls had been taken down for total reconstruction, but there was a new stove, pila, and nice shiny new latrine. The family was very happy and appreciative.

When we were at lunch, Don Miguel gave us a beautiful letter thanking us for all the work we had done. It was very well written and sounded as if he was writing on behalf of the entire village of Delicias Del Norte. Don Miguel is the village mayor and takes it very seriously. We were all touched.

The women of Delicias Del Norte make tote bags to make money. For some, it is their only source of income. Esperonza, who is Don Miguel’s daughter, made bags for all of the women to take home, this is a great gift and a sacrifice for her to do this. We will never forget her wonderful gift.

When we left, we all felt a sense of accomplishment and a sense of sadness for leaving. As we drove away, the kids all gathered around waving. The kids have been a very important part of our mission. They are what drives these families and seem to have such great faith.

God willing, tomorrow we are off to Copan to visit the Mayan ruins. This will be the last blog for this trip.

God Bless, The Mission Team...

July 2011 Mission trip Day Six:

We gathered together with our missionary Barbara tonight in an Italian Restaurant in San Pedro--Hasta la Pasta--reflecting as we did on all that had gone on in the village today. Several of us continued to paint the Church of San Lucas--satisfied as we worked in the difference it was making. It had been several years and the walls were peeling and the doors looked rather beat-up. A professional painter would have said we needed more and better prep work, but we did what we could and it seemed to make a difference.

Several of the men continued to work at the home of a family whose house had been damaged recently in a large storm--hurricane force winds in places--which took off the roof of his all-to-modest home. Marzilla and Sayla and their four children lived in a little wooden house about 12 x 12 feet--on 12-15 inch stilts because it was in a flood plain. He told me that the stilts were coming off because there was a better bridge over the river and a kind of mound which kept high waters away. At this home, unusually, the masons and their Northern Indiana helpers were building all three of our specialties: pilas (cisterns), latrinas (obvious), and hornos (ovens). Marzilla was very appreciative. A hard-working man who makes the bus trip into San Pedro whenever he can find a security job, he has been without significant work for a while and his heart, as he expressed it, is filled with gratitude for those who have helped him live though plena misericordia--"full mercy"--of those who are charitable. When the pila and horno and latrina are built, of course, Marzilla still needs a roof--and our group, through the generosity of friends and the Diocese of Northern Indiana, was able to fund the 12 pieces of corrugated tin he will need to complete the construction, once the walls are taken off, the little stilts removed, and the place put back together again. Marzilla worked along with the Indiana crew--in the heat and sweat of the day. Then in the evening we saw him in a crisp white shirt and security service hat, walking toward Zapotal, 3-4 kilometers, where he could get the bus for San Pedro. Marzilla's oldest daughter wrote us a very lovely thank you note expressing their faith in God to provide for them and wishing God's abundant blessings for us and our families. The family is staying with another family while their house is redone--but as you might imagine, there was no shower available--only a pan of water pulled out of a pila and poured over the body. In this region we have seen many such "showers" while driving by. suppose that 150 years ago, most people in the world lived like this--pit toilets, water from cisterns--many from unhealthy water, and wood-fired stoves. I grew up with a wood stove on the farm, but not like the open air device we have seen in Honduras. (note: it is mostly in the small towns and encampments of the poor in along the edges of the city where conditions are so primitive--but there are hundreds of thousands in Honduras who live like this. The population of Honduras is expected to reach 9 million in 2015, according to the most recent reports.)

We had a surprise pizza party for the boys and a few of the girls who were working so hard to help paint the church. Everyone is very pleased to be working with the boys - they are trying very hard to keep making progress. It looks like the church will be finished before Sunday.

So there we were, sitting in an Italian restaurant in a big city, having just laboured in the sun painting and building--and now eating pasta. It is hard to know what to make of it all. The newspapers are filled every day with analyses of what is wrong--why things are not working as they should--but getting those who have the power to do something is always fairly difficult--and for those of us who are not very powerful, knowing what our personal responsibility is, is not easy either.

Back to the Green Frog--another day in Honduras.

JES+

July 2011 Mission trip Day Five:

Today is Stella’s birthday !!!!!

This is the first day it hasn’t rained. So we were asked to paint outside while we could. We got more done today than the last two days. The chapel is looking really good. It is starting to look like we might possibly get the majority of the painting done. Irwin supervises the other boys on the high parts while we paint up as far as we can reach. We did get them to stop thinning the paint so much that it ran all over the place - that helped a lot. Carlos Antonio Martinez follows us around just looking for some way to help. Carry water, get paint, hold a roller while we get on a chair to paint. By the way Tim spent several hours at the hardware store today - remember tranquilo - take a deep breath, calm down and relax! It took over twelve people from different departments to collect the needed supplies - four just to pay for the order. Everyone must check on the work of the others. One of the things he bought was a step ladder. Yea for Tim !!!!!

The men are attempting to complete 11 stoves. They have completed the majority of the mesas which is the base for the stove. They were excited today because the last one only took 1 hr to make. I guess they are getting the hang of it. They have been disappointed because they had expected more masons. They had one on Monday but they had three today. Elaine went with the men today to take pictures. She said she was sure glad she wasn’t doing that every day and doesn’t see how the men do it, it is so steep. She was glad to get back down off the hillside.

David and Dan both commented on how the small children will do anything to help and be a part of the party. David wants to take them all home. All except the one teenage boy who refused to come out of his house to help. They have teenage rebellion here too.

We stopped along the road today on the way home to take pictures of the sharp contrast of culture from one side of the road to the other. One side was beautiful homes all well kept and walled in. The other side was along a stream and was one squatters shanty after another. The were washing themselves, their clothes, and their dishes in this small dirty stream which I am sure also served other purposes as well.

We were all very tired so we just went to the food court at the mall for dinner. Then we came back to the Green Frog for evening prayer and a surprise birthday cake for Stella. She loved it. It was made by the daughter of the owner of the Inn. The cake was called a Tres Leches which means three milks, condensed milk, evaporated milk and regular milk. It is more like a very rich pudding cake and is very good. We all enjoyed it very much.

One small crisis. Tim dropped his camera and now it won’t work. He is very upset - it was his favorite camera and they don't make it any more.

We have only two days left so tomorrow we will work very hard. As Stella would say “God Willing”.

Blessings to you all, The Team

July 2011 Mission trip Day Four:

Another typical start to the day - wake at 6 AM, clean up, pack our work supplies, have a great breakfast - eggs, refried beans, tortillas, melon, pineapple and papaya then morning prayers together. Today Dave, Dan and Jim were able to start building stoves on the mesas built the day before. They finished two stoves and almost finished a third. We are behind because one of the local masons has been sick. We built a stove for Irma and Edberto Galdamez who have five children - 21, 19, 16, 8 years and one 7 months. Large families are very common in the village. Many women have ten or more children during their lifetime. Unfortunately, child mortality takes the lives of too many of the children.

Judy, Elaine, Stella and Marty continued painting the church with the help of the boys. In Honduras they often water down the paint to "make it go further". Labor is inexpensive, so they don't mind the extra time to apply extra coats to get the paint to cover. We are learning a new word - tranquilo - relax things are at a different pace compared to the hurried life lead by most Americans. The rain kept us from painting outside, so the group continued with the walls of the church - peach with a dark brick red along the lower 2 1/2 feet. The boys and a few girls from the youth group started to clean the iron work in the "windows" - no glass just an open space with some iron work.

Tim and Father John met with Bishop Allen and Rev. Barbara to discuss how we can help in the future. The economic slowdown in the US is magnified in Honduras. The cuts in the national church budget forced an unannounced 30% reduction in aid to the diocese forcing staff cuts. Bishop Allen has been working to make the diocese self supporting for years and now must ask the priests to get a second job to support themselves. Many are from poor backgrounds and don't have marketable skills outside of their ministry. The bishop is working with outside groups to help the people develop micro enterprises - Tilapia farms, solar power, bottled water, bakeries and any other businesses that fill a need and can help to support the church.

Tim and Father John also made some measurements for a foot bridge to cross the "river" dividing the village. God willing, a mission group from Virginia is coming in August to help build the greatly needed bridge. Now the water is very low due to the two month drought, but it can be an impassable raging torrent when the rains are heavy. It appears from the rain this week what we have brought good luck to the village. A few years ago, several of the homes were washed away during a storm. The Hispanic congregation at St. Thomas raised money so one of the families could rebuild their home after the storm.

Blessings, Tim...

July 2011 Mission trip Day Three:

Today started off with Morning Prayer and breakfast. Carla our cook does a great job preparing our food. Today we had a crisp tortilla spread with refried beans with an egg on top and finally covered with a soft white cheese. We also had fresh fruit - watermelon, papaya and pineapple.

Then we were off to the village for our first day of work. It rained last night so the road was ruff, rocky and muddy. The trip was especially hard for Giovanni our driver who had been sick all night.

When we got to the church one of the village fathers, Mosies, was already at work scraping and patching walls inside and outside to get them ready for painting. He had several teenage boys helping him - Edwin, Christian, Juan, Carlos, Gerson, Bryan, and Pedro. The boys were great. Three of them spent the day in the bell tower scraping and painting. The rest were down in the chapel. You could hear the Spanish music and happy chatter going on all day. These kids obviously were enjoying doing this work. The father of the bunch was working along side and being overseer, but they were doing most of the work. They all worked until at least 4:30. That was a long day for anyone with the oppressive heat and high humidity. I, as a grandmother, was impressed.

Elaine, Marty, Stella and I spent the day scrubbing walls in the Sunday school building. We also, washed windows and the iron trim. We hope to start painting tomorrow. It rained off and on all day so the humidity was really bad. We drank a lot of water.

Lunch was prepared at Don Miguel's house. His wife Juanita and his daughter prepared it on a stove like the ones our men are making for the other villagers only fancier this one is covered with colorful tiles. After all, Don Miguel is considered the village leader and is most respected. We had chicken, beans and rice. It was fresh fruit for desert - homegrown papaya.

The men built mesas - tables or slabs of concrete used to support the stoves. Afterward, the men came to help at the church cleaning screens and window ledges. They also carried water for us. There is no hose so all the water is carried in buckets from the pila (water cistern).

Of course our fearless leader Mother Barbara was at our side all day. She directs everything with a kind, but firm hand. We all love her, as do the villagers and the children that she seems to collect.

After we dragged our tired bodies home and cleaned up, we went to the mall for a quiet dinner. We then had evening reflection and went to bed. No trouble sleeping tonight.

God Bless,

Judy and Elaine

July 2011 Mission trip Day Two:

Sunday started as it does at home in Indiana with worship. Not quite. First we had a 45 minute ride along a road of rock, dust, holes and mud ending in a drive straight up which our guide Giovanni navigated with considerable skill. We arrived at a wonderful little church San Lucas which overlooks the mountains on one side and the tiny poverty ridden village of Delicious Del Norte on the other. The musical ensemble was already playing Spanish style music when we arrived. There is no glass or screens in the windows so the music was inviting as the families strolled up the hill. We could not help but notice the great number of children, teenagers and dogs. No shortage of acolytes here. Although some of us could not understand the Spanish service, we could not mistake it as our own Rite II. Fr. Schramm and Mother Barbara enjoyed celebrating the service together very much as we all did. Stella did a great job of doing the readings in Spanish. Several people received birthday blessings including Stella. St. Timothy donated a chalice to San Lucas. The children sang and danced for us after the service - what a treat. Because the church was open on top of a mountain it sounded like the Sound of Music. The entire service gave us a feeling of joy and love. The Honduran people were warm and extremely welcoming. After the children sang, we were greeted by of all the parishioners. The kids loved it when Marty put stickers on their hands, arms or faces.

When we left the church, Giovanni drove as to the ocean where we had a excellent seafood dinner on the beach. Judy ate a whole fish with the head and tail still on. We also had a watermelon juice drink which was very good. Some of us were talked into buying large straw hats to wear while painting tomorrow. Father Dan also bought hats for his daughters. It was a hard decision for him to make - who would like which color? We also treated ourselves to a walk along the beach. All in preparation for the work which will begin tomorrow at 7 AM.

We will be ready with paint brushes, concrete, bug spray, and sun tan lotion.

Blessings to all.

July 2011 Mission trip Day One:

Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared he fell into a deep trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to the earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. The voice told him, “Get up, kill and eat.” “Surely not Lord,” Peter replied. (Acts 9: 9b to 14a)

Our first full day in Honduras saw us wake up in the Green Frog Inn to a beautiful Saturday morning in San Pedro Sula. Elaine, Marty, David, Stella, Judy, Tim, Father John and I woke up rested and ready to begin our mission journey. Today our hearty team of eight took a trek up into the mountains to visit an orphanage supported by SAMS (Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders) donors.

Before we started we had a great breakfast, prayed, and reflected on the above passage from Acts where God calls Peter to embrace something he does not necessarily want to embrace. However, God wishes it. The vision is God’s symbolic way to tell Peter that God wants him to encounter the gentile, God-fearing, Roman centurion Cornelius. Peter then does so in the verse after the ones quoted above. Peter is deeply changed by this encounter.

As we drove away from the streets in San Pedro Sula many of us had no idea of what encounters lay ahead for us. We left behind smoother roads for a bumpy ride up into the beautiful mountains. Winding our way up the mountainside we saw the more rural side of Honduras. Our driver for the week Giovanni did an excellent job of weaving us up the mountain. We arrived at the orphanage to the smiling faces of children. What a joy. It was wonderful to see this place and all the good it was doing helping children's lives. Kim and Mike Miller two dedicated SAMS missioners run the orphanage. They have done an amazing job. Recently they had finished the chapel and now they are building a dining hall. I was thoroughly impressed with what they were doing. More importantly one could sense the love of God in the place. On our way further up the mountain we saw another amazing aspect of this orphanage. On a separate piece of land they have a farm set up that generates income for the orphanage. On the farm they grow organic coffee, sugar cane and a special grass used as feed for their livestock. It was a remarkable set up in one of the poor rural areas of Honduras. It was inspiring to see how creative one can be to provide for this kingdom building ministries. God will provide. Down the bumpy mountain roads we went to rest weary bodies. Overall it was a ride well worth it and a day one blessed by God!

Peace,
Dan Layden +

Annual Mission Trip: July 8-19, 2011

Compañeros en Cristo

Episcopal Diocese of Honduras

and

Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

Give God your Time and Talent

Serve Jesus in our Brothers and Sisters in Delicias Del Norte, Honduras – with the help of the Holy Spirit, build, teach, and learn. Join our Companion Diocese Committee as we travel on our annual Mission Trip, July 8th to the 19th, 2011. We will be building relationships in combination with our continuing project to improve the health of the residents of Delicias del Norte, by constructing cisterns, latrines, and stoves. We will also be painting the San Lucas Episcopal Church in Delicias del Norte.

For details contact: honduras1 (at) jm-eaglegroup (dot) com