 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Honduras Mission Group
For the past seven years, groups of parishioners have spent 10 days in the summer in Honduras, working with the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras and a companion parish. Projects have included building school rooms and churches; sponsoring sewing projects; supplying a dental and medical clinic; and supporting a reforestation project. The group meets regularly to build community and to plan its work. HMG has approximately 50 active members of all ages. No special skills are necessary, just a good attitude and a willingness to help.
Why are we focused on Honduras?
Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Latin American/Caribbean region. With a per capita Gross National Income of $970 in 2003, nearly two-thirds of Honduras' 6.6 million residents live in poverty and close to half are extremely poor. While these numbers can be overwhelming, the Honduras Mission Group (HMG) seeks to address poverty in Honduras by providing financial and physical assistance to Episcopal parishes and schools, working with Hondurans to develop small businesses, and supporting other projects in conjunction with our partner parishes and the Diocese of Honduras.
Our focus is on building our relationships with two deaneries in Honduras: Comayagua and Santa Barbara. In Comayagua, we support the San Juan Apostol Church in the town of Siguatepeque. In Santa Barbara, we work in the town of Trinidad with an agronomist named Roy Lara who is also the senior warden of their church and leader of their senior high group. In addition, the group has maintained a relationship with our former partner parish in Villanueva through the efforts of our medical mission.
How are we involved in Honduras?
A significant activity of the group is our mission trip to Honduras, but it is not necessary to participate in work pilgrimage to be a member. Many members do travel to Honduras at some point, but there are plenty of ways to contribute to the overall mission from the “home front.”
Work Pilgrimages
The group seeks to establish direct ties to the people of Honduras through our annual work pilgrimage. Each summer we plan a ten-day trip to Honduras with a group ranging in size from 15 to 30 people of all ages. In Siguatepeque we are helping with the construction of a new bilingual elementary school and supporting a newly formed women’s sewing cooperative called Las Hermanas de Dorcas. In Trinidad we are building our relationship with Roy Lara and supporting his reforestation project. At both locations we worship together, eat and play together, and learn together. The mission trip is a wonderful opportunity for St. Columbans, youth to adults, to connect with each other and to develop one-to-one relationships with our Honduran friends.
Fluency is Spanish is not required. Though knowledge of the language is helpful, we’ve seen many wonderful connections made with just an “hola” and a smile.
Reforestation in Santa Barbara
Roy Lara, an agronomist, has been helping schools and communities to address the critical loss of forest areas in Santa Barbara this is threatening the water supply. His reforestation programs combat excessive logging, slash and burn farming practices, and the continual cutting of trees for fuel. Over the past few years, Roy’s education and action programs have resulted in the planting of tens of thousands of trees throughout the region. The group is visiting Roy for the first time during the 2006 work pilgrimage.
Hermanas de Dorcas Sewing Cooperative
During the 2005 work pilgrimage the group worked with seven women from the San Juan Apostol parish to establish a sewing cooperative. HMG members worked side-by-side with las hermanas to complete approximately 50 handmade products. All of these were then sold, wholesale, to high-end tourist shops before leaving Honduras. During the year more products were sold at St. Columba’s during Reach Out at Christmas and the HMG’s Annual Plant Sale. HMG members are building on this success by helping the women to create new products, explore potential markets, and develop a business plan, all with the goal of becoming a sustainable micro-enterprise. In addition to providing a much needed source of income for these women, the time spent working together while in Honduras has created a shared sense of purpose and a unique opportunity to learn about these women and their lives, and for them, in turn, to learn about us.
Villanueva Medical Clinic and Dental Clinic
In 2003, the group undertook a new effort to assist members of the Villanueva community with two chronic, but treatable, medical conditions: non-insulin dependent diabetes and high blood pressure. Three times per year a doctor from the group and two or three other parishioners go to Villanueva to conduct a two-day health clinic. Donated medications are provided free to the patients. During the April 2005 trip, a bilingual dental hygienist also participated, providing information about dental health and distributing several hundred toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste. Mission group members who would like to have an in-country experience, but who cannot attend the longer work pilgrimage are encouraged to join this weekend medical mission trip.
Annual Plant Sale
Every year the group raises a significant portion of its operating income through our plant sale. A wide variety of flowers, herbs, and vegetables are grown from seed at parishioner Susan Beale’s greenhouse and then sold at the church in early May. Our thanks goes to all the members of St Columba’s who, year after year, sustain our mission group’s efforts by filling their gardens with our plants.
What can I do?
We have a diverse set of activities going on through out the year, allowing members to become deeply involved in all efforts of the group or to focus their support on a few key activities that best fit their schedule. There is no required time commitment; you can participate as little or as much as you can handle. Here are a few things you can do to get started:
Contact our listserv manager Neil Orlando to join our mailing list and keep up to date on our activities.
Come to a meeting. We try to hold meetings of the full group once per month, either at church or at the home of a mission group member. During the spring and summer we schedule smaller group meetings for those planning to go on the annual work pilgrimage. In all cases, we like to place a strong focus on building community.
Plan to join any of our activities throughout the year:
- Fall Kick-Off Meeting for New Program Year (A great opportunity for new and curious people to come and learn more about what we do)
- Reach Out at Christmas: Sale of Sewing Cooperative Products and “Plant a Tree” cards to support Roy Lara’s environmental projects.
- Annual HMG Plant Sale in the Spring
- Medical Mission Trip to Villanueva
- Late Summer Work Pilgrimage
Donate items on our wish list. We’re always looking for additional support for the medical mission trips (doctors, donated medicines, etc.). We also accept sewing materials to support the women’s sewing cooperative (fabric, old sewing machines, etc.).
Contact: Shelley Gehshan
Staff Contact: Rose Duncan