The Adventure Continues

Our Church Council granted me a sabbatical for three months during the summer of 2010. My intention was to learn Latin American Spanish and to explore Latin American cultures here and abroad. Now that I have had some opportunities to lead mission trips to Yuscaran, Honduras, and to visit Mexico three times, the adventure continues.



Seeking New Horizons

Seeking New Horizons

Friday, November 30, 2012

     We began our day by attending the dedication of a new AIDS awareness garden here in San Pedro Sula.  Bishop Allen led the invocation and has been a large part of the ministry to people with AIDS.  December 1 is designated as AIDS Awareness Day, and this ceremony was a part of that.  Millions of people are infected with AIDS, and thousands more are being infected each year.  I am so thankful that the church here is in the forefront of comabatting this disease. 
     The rest of the day was spent visiting churches where mission projects are underway or could be started.  One of the most interesting projects would be at a small church called "Our Lady of the disenfrachised."  The roof here needs to be replaced and the vast majority of members are women with children.  There is a model here in Honduras for bringing men together for worship and Bible study, and fixing the roof could be a way of bringing, men women and children back togeather for purposful fellowship.
     We also visited San Marcos, where the sanctuary floor was split down the middle during an earthquake.  The church has been rebuilt by mission partners and needs only a ceiling and paint of the walls.
     Finally, we visited the Episcopal retreat center in Omoa.  What a beautiful facility!  This would definitely be a great place to house and feed ou mission partners at the end of the day.
   Tomorrow we head for Tegucigalpa.  It has been a very busy day that concluded with a giant traffic jam of which we could not see the ending.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Accompaniment

Steve and I have had some great conversations today about  the accompaniment model for mission trips.  This means that we do not impose ourselves on the people in other countries with our values and our money, but rather that we "walk with" them in their various ministries and struggles.  We met two missionaries today who are also working with this concept.  It means that there is mutual respect on both sides of the mission trip, and that both parties have something to give as well as to receive.  We know that we have money to give, but those who have been on these trips know that we receive so much as well, especially in the way we see real community flourish among people who have less material wealth to worry about.  We will be exploring this theme more on this trip.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

I am about to go to Honduras for six days.  I will be travelling with Steve Dumas, and we will be exploring mission opportunities with Bishop Allen and other leaders in the Episcopal Church of Honduras.  I anticipate that this will be the next new high point in my study of Latin American Spanish.  If the technology will permit it, I plan to blog each day to keep you informed of what we are learning.  Hasta manana.