We Arrived Home

Dear Friends, Family and Benefactors,

The Mary Our Queen Missionaries arrived safely home last night. We want to thank you all for  your prayers and financial support for this mission trip. It is only through you that we were able to do this mission. It's hard to put to words what we all experienced but it was profound. It's a bit weird to be home again and to start to think about going back to work and getting back to our "normal" lives. We know we are different than when we went down to Honduras but trying to figure out how to live our daily lives since our mission trip is challenging.

On Friday, the Friars took us for a hike in a cloud forest Panacam National Forest. It was a peaceful day of fellowship and beauty. Once we arrived, the whole group hiked to a waterfall and we ate a  picnic lunch.

Brs. Gabriel and Justin walking the the cloud forest

One of the views from the mountain

Brs Justin, Gerard, Mark Mary, Dismas, and Gabriel

Tom, Paul, Patti, Mary, Meghan and Marcia

After that, the group split up. Some continued to hike the whole loop (it was either 5 kilometers or 5 miles...not sure but it was long) and some went back and enjoyed a peaceful afternoon being together and watching the hummingbirds flutter about.  After the hike we stopped at a lake and had a fish dinner.

The group eating dinner at the lake

Please pray for the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal http://franciscanfriars.com/ and all of their work they do. 

The chapel

Our last night eating in the refractory with the Friars

Thank you for being part of this mission.

The Mary Our Queen Mission Team

The Mary Our Queen Mission Team along with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal

Showing Up and Giving Your Time

Greetings from Honduras!

One of the greatest gifts we can give another is our time, our concern, and our love.

Many times the poor have no one to care for them. Serving the poor isn’t just about giving things to the people, but developing a relationship with them.

Today we had the honor of going with Br. Gabriel as he brought Communion to some homebound people. 

Dona Juana told us that we were her daughters and was so thankful for us coming with Br Gabriel

Marcia. Meghan, Br Gabriel, Mary and Patti

It was an amazing experience to see Br Gabriel “be” with each person. It was like nothing else matter at the time but the person or persons in front of him. 

Br Gabriel saying goodbye to a blind man

Each of the people we visited was very grateful that we came too. Although we have limited Spanish, love is a universal language.

We were in awe at their faith!

After receiving Communion a man deep in prayer

Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Hello from Honduras!

One thing we have all learned on this mission trip is that we might have our plan for the day, but God has another. Yesterday, a single mother knocked on the door and needed the Friars' help to move some construction supplies. Paul and Tom original plans were to finish up the roof that morning but they stopped what they were doing to help (see Paul’s last blog).

One thing we have all learned on this mission trip is that we might have our plan for the day, but God has another. Yesterday, a single mother knocked on the door and needed the Friars help to move some construction supplies. Paul and Tom were going to finish up the roof that morning but they stopped what they were doing to help (see Paul’s last blog).

Tom with some of the woman's children while waiting for a truck to be available. The Friary has 11 turtles                      

On this mission trip, not only have we lived the prayer life of the Friars, we have also accompanied them in their daily works. The team divided up many times and we went two by two with a Friar. Yesterday, Mary and Marcia went to San Benito (a medical clinic that the Friars oversee) with Br Gerard to speak with the people while they were waiting to see the doctor. The people sit outside often for hours before they can get in. They offered hope in Christ to people who may not have hope and prayed with them. Although not fluent in Spanish, we are able to communicate love, care and hope.

Meghan and Patti went to the grocery store with Br. Mark Mary to buy some food for the Friars while Br Gabriel went into town to run some errands. The Friars don’t buy any food. They either beg for food or have a benefactor donate what they need. It was our blessing to be able to buy the Friars some food. It reminded us of how much we have and how good we have it in the United States.

Please keep us in your prayers. We are being blessed many times over by just being here.

The Mary Our Queen Mission Team

The Roof Project

Dear Friends, Family and Benefactors,

Tom and I have primarily rebuilt a roof in the last three days on a house that seems to be a revolving door for several women and lots of children.  

The finished roof plus the added "kitchen"on the back of the house

The project started out as repairing a hole in the roof from a fallen tree branch, but on closer examination, there were many holes in the roof and several of the beams were termite infested.  So we tore the whole roof off a 24 x 24 foot two-room house and rebuilt it from scratch with the people still living in it. We did the back half of the house first and then the front, so that they had some place for shelter while we were working. The house had three double beds, some bags with clothes and an open fire pit made of bricks to cook on (inside the house).  All the rafters were charred from smoke.  There were also chickens, turkeys, ducks, dogs and cats that had free rein of the yard and house.  There was basically people and stuff all over the place.

The family plus us missionaries

It seems chaotic, but everyone was calm, and there was a peace that existed in this turmoil.  There were no expectations, no demands, and no outrage when the dust and dirt from the roof got all over their beds and clothing.    What became apparent was that their living conditions were not important, but rather their relationships were what held them together.  They shared their water and food with whoever happened to be there.  They offered us drinks. 

Br Justin gave the Dona of the house an icon that someone from Mary Our Queen donated

The other unique part of this project was that we had no formal plan, yet things got done.  Douglas, who lives near the friary, acted as foreman for the project, and directed how to tear down the old roof, and build the new.  Men just showed up to help, not expecting anything in return except the dignity of working.  Tom and I helped where we could.  It was not “our” project.

Another project Tom and I did with Brother Dismis was to take building supplies up into the mountains.  A woman with six children, whose husband had abandoned her, lives in the hills with a friend.  She had obtained the building supplies from the mayor, but had no way to get them to where she was living.  We made two trips with lumber, cement and tin roofing up the side of this mountain, on steep paths that the truck had difficulty making up.  This woman had traveled to the friary on foot with two small children (at least 5 miles away) to remind the friars of this request.  She waited patiently for the truck to be available.  Now that the supplies are delivered, she has yet to figure out who or how the house will be built.  We will keep her in our prayers.

Tom and Paul with their friends

In order to do laundry, this woman had to draw the water from the well, bucket by bucket

Patti with some children

The Mary Our Queen mission team with the family

While we have not solved poverty in Honduras, we have given a brief ray of hope for a small group of the poor, where hope is in short supply.  You can see the lack of hope in the blank looks on their faces.  The few smiles we get, especially from the children who are less hardened, are worth all the sweat and sore muscles.  In the end, we are all called to serve the poor until it hurts.  Thank you for this opportunity.

One of the boys at the house

Tom playing with the children with an old bicycle tire. They could play with this for hours and be happy

The finished roof and kitchen

A Slice of Heaven

Dear Friends and Family,

Honduras has the reputation of being a dangerous country, but today, we saw a piece of heaven. It was not just the natural beauty but the beauty of the people  here in Honduras.

The natural beauty of the country

More scenery as we walked

We had the opportunity to “be” with 25 -30 families in an aldea (mountain village) all day. We arrived to a parish at 8:30 am with Fr. Gregorio. He heard three hours of confession and then we had Mass. 

Marcia with her friend while we waited for Mass to start

During the three hours, none of the people complained about waiting, they just sat there. Sometimes, they sang and sometimes they just waited. In America, we would never see that….everyone is in a rush.

Notice the bottles at the foot of the altar. People brought the bottles so the water could be blessed by Fr Gregorio

Two Missionary of Charity Sisters at Mass

From 12:30 to 4:30, we walked house to house of these people from the parish. 

As the day progressed on, it got hotter...but no one complained

Fr Gregorio blessed each of the houses and enthroned the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Missionary of Charity Sisters had been working with the families since March preparing them for this day.

Our last home

We all walked to each person’s home singing. When we arrived, we were graciously welcomed, we all squished into the front room of the home and then everyone prayed for that family. 

Again, in the United States, we don’t tend to know all of our fellow parishioners nor neighbors. They did here and they all knew where everyone lived. If we did know, would we take time from our day to visit and maybe even pray with our friends and neighbors?

At three o’clock, Marcia, Mary, Patti and Fr. Gregorio hadn’t eaten so a family had prepared a meal of chicken, rice, plantains, potatoes and tortillas for us while the family offered a glass of soda to all of the people (by far, this home had the most means that we had ever seen). The locals hadn't eaten either but that didn't stop them for wanting to go to every home. They just sat in the house, out of the sun and talked with each other. When someone stops by your house, do you offer them a meal or something to drink? And if you did, would they take the time to sit?

We walked through their yards with the laundry hanging. No one was embarrassed . It's just a normal part  of their life

This lady walked the whole afternoon....just happy to be there with her neighbors

It was a great blessing to spend the day with no agenda and just enjoy being with the people…they lived the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Gal 5:22). The people we were with gave us a lesson of God. Life is good in Honduras.

 Mary always making new friends

It’s hard to describe our experience but maybe the photos will help. Thank you for your support…without you, this mission trip would not be possible.

God bless, The Honduras Mission Team

A reflection and a call to pray for priests

I was kind of thinking this morning as the 4:50 am bell rang, that it’s kind of fun and exciting to be a missionary for a week, but it’s just one week and then I can go home. I’m tired, but I can do this for a week... no problem. There are priests and religious all over the world, who this is their life day in and day out. We have been coming to Honduras since 2005 every year and although we did a lot of praying (so I thought), I have a new appreciation of how much time the Friars spend in prayer since we are also following their prayer life this time.

They always seemed so rooted in love (although not perfect people). Now I can see that since they spend so much time in prayer, at the source of Love, how they can live with such interior peace and joy. The prayer life supports them.

They sacrifice everything for the Kingdom of God…for us. I can take great solace knowing that no matter what time of day it is, somewhere in the world, someone is praying and most likely for us. Maybe, each of us can pray for priests and religious for their perseverance and fidelity to their vocation.

God bless.....more tomorrow. It was a long but very blessed day today.

Monday...we begin the work

Greetings from Honduras.

We awoke early to the 4:50 am bell for the beginning of the day, and to pray the Divine Office of the Liturgy of the Hours at 5:00. (our consolation to the early start is that Honduras is two hours behind Atlanta so it’s kind of like starting at 7:00 and we go to bed by 9:00 pm) and then had an hour of personal prayer. 

The work team which consists of Tom and Paul, along with three Brothers, Douglas, their neighbor who has helped us with a number of construction projects over the years and some of his workers, went to Mass at the Poor Clares convent, who are cloisters nuns in their barrio (neighborhood). After that, they went to a house to repair the roof (a tree fell on it). Once there, they decided to completely replace the whole roof.

              Paul, Tom and Douglas

The three “M’s” (Meghan, Marcia and Mary), with Patti and Fr. Francis Mary and two Sisters of the Missionary of Charity (Mother Teresa’s order) went to a mountain village to their church, St John the Baptist for Mass. 

               Mass with Fr Francis

Meghan, Fr Francis, the two Sisters, Marcia and Mary

The Missionary of Charity Sisters do catechesis every Saturday there. The Sisters had prepared the people so do a novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The families were now going to do an enthronement of the Sacred Heart of  Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. So we went house to house with the families. We sang songs, prayed, did the enthronement, and then Fr. Francis Mary blessed each of the houses. 

                  Fr Francis Mary praying

Fr Francis blessing the outside of the home

It was beautiful to see the people, who live so simply, have such a devotion to Christ and to the Blessed Mother. We spent about three hours doing this. The photos show the humble homes of the people and we wonder why we spend so much time worrying about useless things.

Blessing rosaries that the Rosary Guild at Mary Our Queen made. Each person in each home received a rosary

In the later afternoon, Fr. Francis Mary took us to the Missionary of Charity home. They take care of about 20 men who have no one to help them and about 20 children and women who are HIV positive. We spent the afternoon talking and playing with the children.    

   

After our Holy Hour, we had dinner cooked by Paul and Fr Gregorio and then Br Mark Mary gave us a talk on the understanding of the human soul.

Br Mark Mary (on the left) giving his talk

Thank you for all of your prayers and your support. We are very grateful for your support.Our days are full but we are being blessed by the opportunity to be here. We have remembered all of you in our prayers.

God bless from Honduras.

The Honduras Mission Team