Final Full Day in Honduras

Thursday, April 6, 2017 – Morning

“The finish line is in sight.”

The crews are all out finishing up all our projects. They will complete the bunk beds and picnic tables by noon so families can begin to pick them up. A crew is at the house finishing the final details on wiring and locks. They are cleaning and will stage the house for the blessing and presentation of the keys this afternoon. We are very excited for that ceremony. Later this morning we will have ALL the smaller children come out the to the bleachers where the girls will be fitted with one of the pillow case dresses (Thanks to all the ladies who worked on those in Carroll and Sioux Counties as we have 329 dresses.) and all the boys will get a t-shirt. Principal Jessica wants to get a picture of the whole bunch afterwards.

Yesterday we had a full day on our excursion. Our first stop was the “Casa de Monterey.” This is the main center from which all 42 projects of the organization of ACOES founded by Padre Patricio. It was overwhelming as it was like a beehive of activity. The concept is impressive. The organization is run by young Hondurans who volunteer part of their time and continue their studies as well. Many of them come from rural areas where due to lack of opportunity they were unable to continue their studies. They have missed 3-10 years of school before resuming in this program. Some are now studying as engineers, architects, lawyers, nurses, teachers, etc… The philosophy is to identify young people with talent and drive and give them the opportunity to not only succeed but to help the needy of their own country.

We then went to the beautiful compound of the Mother Theresa sisters. Some of the missioners helped feed the dozen at risk or handicapped children. There was also a before/after school program for poor children in the neighborhood and home for the elderly. The sisters are indeed an inspiration through their ministry of compassion.

Tegucigalpa traffic is something to behold as we weaved our way through and incredible maze of busses, trucks, cars and mini-taxis. Thanks to the skills of our bus driver we made it up to the National Park and the statue of Christ on the Mountain that overlooks the city. We had a nice picnic lunch in a shelter before going exploring. It is a beautiful park and a fabulous view from the statue overlooking the valley and city below. It was nice to take in some of the beauty of this country and to just relax. Though it was in the 90’s yesterday, there was a breeze that made it very pleasant.

Traveling and the new experience still take a lot out of us so back at the school we relaxed before supper. We had our final Mass together after supper. Jesus tells us “the truth will set you free.” Fr. Doug talked about our experience and the challenges and joys of discovery new “truths.” Most of all Jesus challenges us to be open to the truth that we are all brothers and sisters. We also blessed the two crosses that will be hung in the houses after the blessing. Fr. Doug also blessed the religious items that some missioners bought on Sunday. Our “Junta gathering” closed out our day before a well deserved rest in preparation for our final full day in Honduras.