Is It Hot Enough?

If you consider 127 degrees hot enough, then the answer is a resounding yes! It was business as usual this morning, although we were hoping that a man playing the accordion was going to show up at 5 am to play music in honor of Nick’s birthday, as is the tradition here in Honduras. Lucky for the kids who got to sleep an extra 30 minutes this morning!

We were slightly more sluggish after yesterday’s first “real” work day- the muscles were definitely feeling sore. We drove out to Vallecillo and it was great to see the kids saying hello to familiar faces within the community. Today’s mantra soon became, “Depth over distance,” as the terrain proved to be rockier and more compact than the day before. The group made great progress (with the help of some very strong Hondurans) and were proud of the work at the end of the day. Another neat experience today was seeing how everyone tried to take less portions of their lunch so there would be more food left at the end to feed the villagers. They are definitely learning the importance of the food they have so readily available.

On a typical day we would have the afternoon to ourselves and would be filled with showers and relaxing, but not today! The girls remained at the compound and continued putting bags together for the families in Vallecillo while the boys went to a home in Esquias to replace their dirt floors with cement floors. This was quite an experience for everyone as they do not have the same resources as we do in the US. They all learned how to mix cement by hand so parents, if you ever need that job done, you know who to ask!

After a very long day of working, we had a nice dinner followed by junta and a celebration for Nick’s birthday complete with a birthday cake and candles. We’re trying to head to bed early because we know tomorrow will be another full day of tough terrain, cement work, and preparing gift bags for Vallecillo families. We hope everyone is surviving the snow in Iowa.

Fr. Cosgrove: While you were enjoying a spring snowstorm, the Honduran team was experiencing 126 degrees and very difficult trenching. The students here at the water project are not only doing a great deal of work, but also a wonderful job of making friends with the families of the village. This evening we shall celebrate Nick Wankum’s 18th birthday. It is a surprise, so don’t tell him. The party is a surprise, not the fact that he’s 18. Many of the students are surprised at just how fluent they are in Spanish. They all expect to be given A’s on their 4th quarter grade. After returning from the water project, a group of the men helped lay a concrete floor in a home of one of the villagers of Esquias. The Crusaders can be proud of their team members.

Becca Swalve: Becca, Sana, and Megan propose we will stay here as long as it is snowing in Iowa. We are enjoying the 127 degree weather so much! Nic and Bob- I used a pickaxe today and I worked it. Constance, tell the kids at Guardian Angel hi! Taylor, I miss you too; 5 more days! I really need a good back and head scratch.  MUAH!

Mary Henrich: Thanks for the advice Dad! Please send a dozen frogs to Honduras, priority shipping preferred.  We are enjoying this 125 degree weather while all of you are shoveling your driveways. I also broke a pickaxe today. Whoohoo! Also, please tell everyone at home that I miss them. Please have someone tell the track team that I miss them too.

Ashley Ellensohn: Tell everyone hi for me and that I miss them! Can’t wait to see everyone and tell them about everything. Tell Nate I’m craving a Bob’s tavern! <3

Matt and Mary Klein: Jim, Michelle, Nathan, and Emily- The food is very good here. We you’re not starving with Dad’s cooking. Our muscles are a little sorer tonight. We were surprised there was close to a 100 degree difference in temperature in Iowa and Honduras today. Love you, Matt and Mary

Brittney Tegels: Mom and Dad- this was definitely the right decision for me to make. I have been loving every minute of it. Best part of the trip so far was seeing Christin in Honduras! I miss you guys a lot (you too, Brent) and can’t wait to see you on Easter Sunday. Hello to all of my Minnesota loves- I hope there is no snow up there when I get back! Ranjani- don’t worry, I’m still alive and am planning on coming back to work Wednesday!

Carolyn Bickford: Jay, Miranda, Drew, Ali, and Mya, I hope all is well with everyone. Give Mya a big kiss from me. I miss all of you. Fabio, I know that Drew is probably keeping you busy with video games, but make sure to get all your homework done. Drew, please check on Pakka and Angel at some point to make sure they are doing fine, though Seivert has been checking in. I love you guys!

4 Football Fields

Once again the students jumped right out of bed at 5:30 a.m. Parents, remember that for when they get back home! After a breakfast of pancakes and pineapple, we began our 1-hour drive to Vallecillo. We found the villagers hard at work. It didn’t take the missioners long to grab the pick-axes and shovels and start working on the trenches. The students were undaunted by roots and large rocks. They chopped and dug through anything and everything. They also spent much time working on their Spanish with the Hondurans. The final result for today was a trench measuring 4 football fields in length, 18 inches deep, and a foot wide. We all felt good about our accomplishments.


On Saturday the villagers had requested that we have Mass in their church, since they very seldom get to have Mass. When we reached the church, which is where we also eat lunch, the lady had prepared our lunch to eat before Mass. The students felt very awkward about eating in front of the villagers who were waiting for Mass. We had to encourage them to eat something, and then everyone filled a tortilla and fed the crowd. The students commented at junta tonight that it was similar to the loaves and fishes. Mass was bilingual. The Hondurans sang loudly and energetically. We noticed even the dogs like to come to Mass in Honduras.

The excitement in the compound this afternoon involved the boys catching a fairly good-sized iguana. After scaring Tacha and a few girls, they released it in the park. We ate a typical Honduran meal of eggs, rice, refried beans, and tortillas.

Tomorrow promises to be a challenging day. We’ll dig trenches and then install cement floors into two homes of some extremely poor people who have dirt floors. There will be some sore muscles tomorrow.

Sam Ahlers – At this point in the trip I definitely wish I paid attention in Spanish class, but I still love talking and playing soccer with the kids. Everything here is great. Everyone is welcoming and happy. I hope all is well in Sioux City, and Happy Birthday, Jack.

Steve Swalve – Nick & Bob, Not to worry. The girls are working just as hard as the boys, even your sister. I have pictures. Enjoying myself. Life is peaceful. Connie: Wish you were here. You would really love the kids. Love, Steve

Fr. Cosgrove – Your children worked very hard today. We had Mass up in the mountain today and a wonderful meal. We shall be putting a cement floor into two homes here in Esquias. That means they will be working even harder on Tuesday and Wednesday. The student have made a very fine impression on the people and especially the children they have worked with. It is a joy to be with and work and pray.

Megan Tentinger – I miss you Mom and Dad. I haven’t gotten burned yet. Love you.

Becca Swalve – Constance, if you read this text Taylor, Linden, and Haley, Hi from me. Miss you all! Loving all of the kids so much. I want to bring them all back to Guardian Angel. Love, Becca

Greg Probst –Dear Dad, Please send tractor.

Mary Klein – Jim, Michelle, Nathan, and Emily, We are doing great and so glad we came! We dug four football fields long of trench today. I even used a pick-axe for re

HEY EVERYONE, WE LOVE COMMENTS FROM HOME!

Bienvenidos a Vallecillo!

Our morning started much earlier than most of us generally arise – 5:30! I didn’t hear a single groan when I did my wake-up call. Since we still had no electricity, breakfast had to be adjusted. Thank goodness for gas stoves. There were scrambled eggs, bananas, fresh squeezed orange juice, and bread.


Shortly after breakfast we gathered in the central courtyard for a prayer – joining hands as we prayed for many of you back home. Then it was on the bus for the hour-long ride to the village.

Many young children run to the road when they see our bus coming. They love shouting to the American youth and waving to them as we drive past. Carlos, our excellent bus driver, is ready to stop at a moment’s notice for anyone who wants to take photos.

Just as it has for the previous two mission groups, from Springfield Catholic in Missouri and St. Thomas More in Rapid City, SD, the villagers gathered together on the soccer field to welcome us to Vallecillo. Angel Paz, the engineer of the water project, spoke. The president of the village and a few other villagers spoke, we had a prayer together, and I briefly thanked them. Then, we went to work.

Our first project was to carry two plastic 2” water pipes approximately 1 – 2 miles (when walking up and down mountains, the distance is irrelevant) to where they were needed in the trenches dug by previous missioners. After placing them into the trenches, they were glued end to end and we all filled in the trenches.

The missioners had great fun with the children. They worked together, played a little, and tried to speak Spanish to each other. The children kept calling our students “loco” which means crazy. It was their favorite saying today.

One of the village ladies prepared a lunch of tortillas, rice, potato salad, and chicken that we ate in the church. It gave all a chance to stay out of the sun. I believe our temperature today hovers around 99.

Even though we rested well last night, many people had a nap on the bus. I think the altitude and the high heat is really sapping our energy. We were happy to find the electricity on in the compound. We hope it stays on. But the latest news is there will be no water after 6 p.m. We’re rushing to take our 90 seconds or less showers before that.

A group of us took a walking tour of Esquias – the village where our compound is located. Some of the boys had noticed what they thought were large mangos growing on a tree. We found one on the ground and took it to Monchin, one of our Honduran friends, to ask him if we could eat it. After laughing at us, he showed us how they cut it in half, clean it out like a pumpkin, and then use it as a type of scoop for water. We’re always learning something new in Honduras. We did relax a bit at the park and take care of a few chores around the compound.

We want everyone back home to know that everyone is healthy, happy, and enjoying their first 24 hours in Honduras. We ask your continued prayers for a successful project. Adios.

And We're Off...

The Gehlen / Heelan Catholic Mission Team had a beautiful send-off at Gehlen Catholic School this afternoon. Shortly after that we were on the bus and heading for Omaha. We had a huge meal at the Golden Corral; then it was off to the Country Inn & Suites. We had our team meeting at the hotel to make sure everyone is on the same page for tomorrow - the day we have all been waiting for! Our wake-up calls will come early: 2:50 - 3:20 a.m. Seivert will update you on our flight on Friday. We'll put up a team photo from Esquias once we've unloaded the bus and gotten settled into our dorms.

Eye-Opening Sites

It is Saturday; well, not for much longer as I write this blog. It will be hard to tell you about some of the things we saw today. If I can get it to work, I will upload a couple photos. I hope it will work.  (Photo on left was taken in the place called "the hole" in Tegucigalpa.)

This morning we met some Honduran friends who would take us to a place that was in Tegucigalpa, but way UP on the edge. It was the home of Cynthia, a little girl who suffers with a heart condition. At this time Cynthia is living at the orphanage run by the Sisters of Charity. The doctors are unable to help her, and they say she has months, perhaps a year or so to live. Her mother would like to take her home to die. However, the mother requires a latrine and pila - a place to do the wash - so she does not have to leave Cynthia alone. Cynthia needs someone with her all the time. Marta took us to visit her home. It was a small shack with a hotplate for a stove, a table just large enough to hold it was the kitchen. There was a table just barely large enough for two. A sheet hung from a string to hide the twin size bed that served the mother and 2 children who are living there with her. The mother was off working. She does laundry for some families in the city and makes very little money. With that money she pays her bus ride to work and buys drinking water for the family and a small amount of food. Marta is getting funding for a pila and latrine. We are hoping to help her family with enough money so the mother can stop working and stay home with her children until Cynthia dies. It is a very sad situation.

The priest who is also helping this family and many others - including the school I blogged about yesterday - showed us another place he is building in that area. They showed us the progress on that building. Then the volunteers and Marta took us to another school that is what you could call a supplemental school. All the children must be in extreme poverty to be there. 1700 children attend that school. Some of the older children stay on after a certain age to work and teach the younger one, as well as take care of the grounds and go to university themselves. It was an amazing place to see.

This afternoon we picked up Dr. Teri Kemmer, the professor of nutrition from USD, and her son Nick. They attended Mass at the Basilica with us. Afterwards we all went to Marny's house, which she share with her parents, Fabio, and Graciela. They served us a delicious supper of chicken, beef, rice, bread, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and more. We had cake for dessert. We all enjoyed lots of conversation.

It is now 10:30 in Honduras. The rest of the team is sleeping. We will rise at 4:30 a.m. to start our drive to Montaña de la Flor. It will be another special day for us. We hope to meet with all the chiefs of the Tolupan to set up a medical/nutritional connection of some type that will help the Tolupan with much better health. It was raining when I came to the computer. We hope it will not be raining in the morning or we will not be able to travel up the mountain.

Until tomorrow,
Carolyn