2023 Team

2023 Team
The 2023 Team

Monday, April 3, 2017

Work Day #4

Monday, April 03, 2017 before breakfast
It’s Monday and the missioners are wondering how the time is going by so fast. We have a lot yet to accomplish but are ready to jump back into completing our projects. Today we will begin painting on house one and a crew will wrap up construction on house two. We hope to begin delivering the gift bags. The missioners are excited to share all the donations donated by you all. Another crew will stay at the school and will bounce between building bunk beds and visiting classrooms. They’ll be teaching some songs in English and Spanish. “He’s got the whole world in his hands” and “Pan de Vida” (Bread of Life).
Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful and we started off with a wonderful Mass outside in the school compound. We were reminded that Christ unites us as one Body, together as a mission community, and with all of you back home and with our Honduran brothers and sisters. Deacon Murphy pointed out to us again that Jesus indeed has the power to raise us up as he did for Lazarus. He raised up the poor and the sick in his time and commissions us to raise each other up and to be the hands and feet that help raise up the poor we encounter here. Jesus also raises us up when we reach out raise others up. We certainly have experienced this from the many Honduran children and adults we have met.
We have asked a lot of our missioners in both work and many new experiences. They were ready for a day off and there were tired people and some queasy stomachs. All missioners felt good enough to go on our excursion. We made our pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Suyapa. Our mother Mary is a great source of strength and comfort to the poor and downtrodden as well as to ourselves. We had a chance to offer our prayers to her intercession.
The trip to the village of Valley of the Angels allowed us to see some of the beautiful Honduran countryside. We had a nice lunch of pizza before heading out to do some shopping. They did a good job of supporting the Honduran economy. However, it was noted that a lot of purchases were gifts for family members and there are some very unique gifts coming back to Iowa.
Back at the compound many extended our Sunday rest with a siesta. Our nightly “Junta” gathering allowed us to process our experience and to share our thoughts and feelings with each other. Afterwards the student missioners had the character building experience of doing their laundry by hand the Honduran way. Many of them wrapped up the evening by helping the youth who live here with their English.
Some words from Mac:  Carolyn Bickford, and Dick Seivert set the stage for us to be here.  There are countless resources at our deposal because of many years of work.  Thank you to all that came before us.  We are humbled to follow in your footsteps.  Marta, our Honduran go-to for everything connection, Frank Seivert our “boots on the ground”, and all of the Gehlen people that support this Mission; I give a big thank you.  Thanks to all that support this Mission in prayer, financially, and in any way shape or form.
We will continue to do our best to keep your kids safe, do the work of our Creator, and be to the Hondurans what God calls us to be.  It is with the love of God that sustains us here.  Please continue to pray for us!
I am truly humbled.   Mac
Lauren Promes
BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT to my oldest sister Kenzie! Wish I could be there with you but you will see me in 4 more days and cant wait to see and hug everyone!!
Allison King
Happy Birthday mom! Hope you have a great day. Don’t go out to eat until I come back. The people here are awesome but, I can’t wait to come back home. Please bring me sweatpants, t-shirt and sweatshirt on Friday. Thanks! Love you all!
Kate Tom
Happy Monday! I am sitting outside at 6:30 in the morning watching as kids are coming in the gate to go to school. It is amazing to me to watch the excitement of these young ones to be here; especially this early in the morning.
We have a busy week ahead of us with finishing the two homes, building bunk beads, teaching in the schools, and delivering all of the care bags to the 31 families that are really poor. We are going to start delivering the bags today. It is like Christmas in April. I am excited to go a long and open the bags with them!
Hey Kuemper, please pray for the forest fire that is currently going on to be extinguished. This is not a normal thing for this area. Water is sparse to fight it with. Families are starting to lose their homes. It is awful. Please also pray that those families that have lost their homes will be able to find shelter.
Mom, please give big hugs and kisses to my babies. I miss them so much. I hug a lot of kids here, but nothing is like holding my babies at home. Have a good time with them. Please tell dad that he doesn’t have to worry I have touched a tool yet. LOL!
Love to all,
Kate

Jessie Eischeid
Hi family – miss you! But - am having an incredible experience here. Brandi and I are heading out this morning with some others to deliver bags of items to families in the area. The mission adults and students are so great to work with and the Hondurans couldn’t be more welcoming. No worries, I even have coffee every morning so that helps me be a nice person and I am actually enjoying the hot weather, the evenings are cooler and comfortable. Love you always!!
 Ed Heim
Hi to my fellow Americans, family and friends from down here in Honduras.  What a experience this has been, and what a eye opener.  It has been rewarding and heart wrenching at the same time, we are so fortunate in what we have in the USA.  People here are friendly and appreciative of what we do, but we definitely stand out in a crowd. Miss you all, wish you could be here to see it, and to my family and especially Karen  te amo
Mike Schulte
We took a trip to the Valley of the Angels today.  The arid air and smell of cedar, reminded me of an old tourist town in Colorado or the Black Hills.  Things are going well, the homes are square and plumb. The first house has the roof and is totally framed.  We are hoping to be at the same point by end of day tomorrow with the second home. The kids are learning a lot and are very interested in doing the work.  This is a good crew.  The lack of infrastructure in this area is tough to comprehend, and is something that we can take for granted.  Joanie, missing you a lot, but you would be proud of Katelyn, she’s doing well.  Mitchel, I think you would have a good time working here, the boys here like digging-in and seeing the fruits of their labor.  Amy, miss you and hope you have a great birthday Wednesday, in case I don’t speak to you by then.  Luke, you too would have a good time playing soccer and basketball with these kids, they are very friendly! See you later.

Things are going very well.  Enjoying the Kuemper Mission Honduras Team  – they are a great group of people to work, play and pray with. Work is going well and the team is doing a fantastic job of building relationships with the Honduran people.  The weather has been fantastic warm and sunny each day with a little breeze.  See you soon.  





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