Honduras 2012

Mary Our Queen has set the dates to return to Comayagua, Honduars to assist the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal for Saturday, June 16 to Sunday, June 24, 2012. We have spaces for 40 missionaries. More information to come.

A Reflection

Dear Friends, Family and Benefactors,

It's been just over a week since we have returned from our mission trip to Comayagua, Honduras. In many ways, we are all settling back into our lives but none of us are the same. Each one of the 31 missionaries have been touched in many ways that has forever changed us. In addition, not only are we changed but each of the lives that we came across is also different. All of this has only been made possible through your generosity of prayers and financial support. From all of us, thank you.

The Mary Our Queen Mission Team

Also from Christiane, a consecrated woman who gave up her vacation to help us out had this to say:

Mature, responsible teenagers do exist! I just spent a week with several of them in Honduras. The boys and girls that joined the adults and families for a week of service and mission in the small villages of Honduras gave an impressive testimony.

They woke up early for morning prayers, the rosary, and Mass. They worked hard in either the construction crew or the evangelization team for 2 – 3 hours every morning and another 2 – 3 hours every afternoon. Each evening they joined the adults for a Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

Complaints? Not one. Bad attitudes? Never noticed. I only witnessed courtesy, respect, and docility in each moment.

It was a joy to work with these youth and see how they gave 100% throughout the entire week. With their smiles, enthusiasm, and effort they made a difference in Honduras, and I am sure that they will continue to make a difference back here in the USA.

Our final day in Honduras

The Cathedral of Comayagua that we were able to visit yesterday

A mountain vista that we drove by each day to the aldeas

Br Miguel, Dina and Cecilia singing with the kids

Opening rally on the last day

Christiane demonstrating the craft

Beth, Josef, and David helping yesterday with the sacrifice bead necklace

Stan and two helpers with the Bible verse for the day on the Good Shepherd

The children love having their photo taken and then looking at themselves

The children playing at the Adventures in Faith

Mary bringing in a friend

Celebrating Mass in the aldea. Notice the roof and the rain puddles below. We all were on either side of the opening in the roof.

The girls and house mother, Dona Luz, of Casa Milagro (Miracle House) which we painted

Getting dinner

Making sandwiches for our outing to the water falls

The Mary Our Queen Mission Team

Dear Friends, Family and Benefactors,

It's hard to believe that the week is almost finished. We all have had an amazing experience on this mission trip to Honduras. We have seen and experienced many moving moments that are to difficult to put into words.

Yesterday, we all went to the aldea and had Mass with the children and families that we had served all week. Especially the work team was moved by the happiness and joy that the Hondurans had. David M said that when we knelt at the consecration, on the dirt floor, he got a whiff of cow manure. At first he was a bit put off by it until he realized that this was the type of environment that Jesus was born into. It was humbling.

Today we had Mass early and headed for an outing to the waterfalls. It was a lot of fun being together and seeing God's beauty. Tonight is our annual talent (or lack of talent) show.

We have a very early start tomorrow (5:30 am Mass) and will head to the airport at 7:00. We arrive to Atlanta tomorrow at 6:00 pm. Although we are looking forward to coming home, each of us is a bit sad to leave Honduras.

Thank you all for making this possible for us to come on this mission trip.

God bless,The Mary Our Queen Mission Team

Friday morning

Hello. Just some random photos from the day.



St Francis

Fr Richard and Br Pascal at Holy Hour

The food all packed that the Friars give to the poor once a month

Dona Olga's home with the finished roof

The roof on the back side of Dona Olga's home...doubles as a drying rack for clothes

Jeff and John take measurements of another house to buy the supplies for a new roof. There are seven children and the parents who live in this home way off the beaten path

Jeff and Fr Richard talking with the parents along with the wife and some of the children

The family of this home

Patti with Maria, a Honduran who has come every afternoon in the past couple of years to help us with the Adventures in Faith program

Friday

David and his new friend help bag beans that the Friars distribute once a month

Carrie, Len, Beth, Maria and Lindsay scooping beans

Paul and Dennison

David and Frank carrying 100 pound bag of beans

Scooping beans

Dear Friends, Family and Benefactors,

Last night, the team helped the Friars with their food distribution. Each month the govenment gives the Friars rice, beans, salt, lard, and soap. They have 144 families on the list that come on the first Monday of the month.

Today was our last working day. The work projects are finished and look great, and the Adventures in Faith did their last day of the program. This afternoon, Fr Richard and Fr Dye concelebrated the Mass at 5:00 pm in the aldea with the children and families and our whole team. It was an interesting Mass because just as the Mass started, the rain came. The problem with that is that the church roof is not finished so we had to move the altar to one side and not stand in the middle of the church. It just added to the whole atmosphere.

This morning during our prayer time, Br Miguel said that it wasn't as important to accomplish lots of things but rather how we are as a person when accomplish it.

Tomorrow the team is going on an outing to the waterfalls.

We have been praying for all of you each day and thank you for your support. It's been an amazing mission trip.

More for Thursday

Ben and Br Pascal playing

Never a dull moment. We had to wait a minute to continue our games with the children as a herd of cows came through

Part of the team with some of the children today

Br Miguel and Dina singing with the children at the end of the day in teh aldea

Br. Pascal playing

Last night we had a competition and this is one team

Last night we also we given a tour of the Friary

Patrick washing his clothes in the pila

The Friars live completely on providence (people giving them food) so Fr Dye bought the Friars some food and supplies

Today I (Len Savini) had an experience that epytomises this mission trip to Honduras for me. It was on the way from our work project in the barrio Suyapa outside Comayagua. As we are going to lunch, so are the children from school. Here in Honduras the kids don't have a vacation till December. Each day we have seen the kids in their starched white shirts and blue pants or plaid skirts on their way home in twos and threes. They go home to eat, rest a bit in the heat of the day and then return to school.

As we crossed a bridge I noticed a young girl walking alone. She was looking down, obviously in her own thoughts. As we approached, I waved as is our favorite pastime here. She looked up at the approaching vehicle and smiled. Not just her mouth smiled, but her eyes smiled. It was the look of "Hey someone noticed me! Someone cared enough to say Buenos!"

I am sure that four dirty, smelly Gringos with a priest driving a pickup would be a hilarious sight for most anyone, but the look she gave me was that of "Thank you for noticing."

People here may have very little in the way of property, but they do seem to have happiness. It shows in the smiles of everyone we meet, of those that come to the vacation bible school, or those that get a new roof, a dry floor in their house or a new coat of paint on their walls.

We in the States can forget the blessings God has given us when we get caught up in making sure we live in the right subdivision or our children go to the right schools or play on the right teams. Here those things are not even on the map. But they do have a sense of humilty to be thankful for what they have and be gracious and happy at even the smallest gift, even if that gift is only a hello.

That young girl may quickly have forgotten about the crazy gringos in the pickup truck, but I will always remember her smile...the smile in her eyes.

Thanks to all my benefactors for giving me the chance to serve the people her and to have been lucky enough to have had this experience.

Len Savini