Walking With the Poor - Notes From the Field

MISSION AWARENESS TRIP TO HONDURAS
April 22 - 29, 2006

I wish you all the blessings of Our Risen Lord

What a reception. About 100 children, youth and parents were waiting for us at the airport in Tegucigalpa. The chance to spend an afternoon at the airport is quite an outing for these affectionate children. Many of them live in rough neighborhoods. We made it to the hotel through Tegucigalpa traffic to meet with all the sponsors before supper followed by Holy Mass. Our celebrant, Father Gustavo, rector of the major seminary here in Tegucigalpa, expressed great gratitude for the CFCA sponsorship of 16 of his major seminarians.

Los Plancitos – Campamento – Department of Olancho

Eighty sponsored children, their families and the Santa Ana parish priest, Father Bernabe, were waiting for us with large signs and singing hymns. Father Bernabe spoke of life’s plan, sharing and community spirit among the early Christians as described in the first reading today (Acts 5).  These families had come from the hillsides around Campamento, an area rife with conflict over illegal logging and corruption.

On to Juticalpa

Here, the families from the urban area were ready to receive us with songs they had obviously practiced and placards in the form of giant red hearts. We are staying at a kind of public swimming pool with a few rooms for guests. We are short on water and electricity but big on natural beauty. Doubled up on accommodations, sponsors are responding nicely to this opportunity to be stretched a little, especially when they learned that a young widow is trying to run this place with the help of her four children. About one year ago, her husband, the father of the children, was murdered at the front entrance of the compound.

The children and parents had prepared a program for us. Amy, 11, was the natural leader of the seven member dance troupe whose members are all around 11 years old. Amy’s grace, personality and the religious devotion in her pantomimes caught my eye. Later, Amy pointed out her young mother meekly standing on the sidelines holding her little sister, Ana. The mother explained that the father took off a year ago, leaving her with the two girls and no means of support. She now cooks and sells food to make ends meet.

Francisco

Morning prayers gave us the opportunity to listen to the testimony of Francisco, a 16-year-old CFCA scholarship student. From age 9, Francisco has lived a life of abandonment and physical threat. CFCA was and is there by his side.

Quebrada Grande–Simca

With the fervor and joy of so many families on hand to receive us, it is hard to believe that we have only 37 sponsored children in this rural area. The very alegre (happy) musical combo of five young men played seasoned homemade instruments. The welcome ceremony at the two-room school entertained us royally for about two hours. Children and parents offered lively songs, poems and hymns of joy, well-practiced during their weekly celebrations of the Word. A priest is able to get here at most, once a month. The staff split us into groups so as to visit a good number of sponsored families. Simplicity, neatness and gratefulness for the CFCA program characterized the four homes and families I was able to visit. After our review of the day and an hour or so of live marimba music, our group bid farewell to Juticalpa. As we head back toward Tegucigalpa, we will be visiting the 90 sponsored families in the rural area of Las Flores, located about 34 kilometers from Juticalpa.

Las Flores–Sierra de Lepaguare

This is country, right in the middle of large cattle ranches. Simple, talented, outgoing, strong and affectionate are words that describe the children and parents here. They erected a palm and leaf-covered ramada (shelter). We were treated to the most enjoyable performances, bearing witness to creativity and self-confidence and reflecting some of the realities lived here. A mother of 10 explained how her husband left with a younger woman, leaving her and the children to fend for themselves. Obviously, she and the children are grateful for the sponsorship program.

A full day with the sponsored children

The sponsored children and their parents were waiting for us in the picturesque town of Valle de Los Angeles. Many of them had come from afar, accompanied by parents and CFCA staff. The next morning, our CFCA community reflected on St. Mark's account of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. You sponsors share your bread with us and we are grateful.

We are now in San Francisco Park with all the children and sponsors, some on swings, others playing soccer, some swimming, but everyone enjoying the opportunity to be children again. This parched land received the blessing of a good rain during lunch and for a good portion of the trip back to Tegucigalpa. The children and parents had prepared songs, dances and poems to bid farewell to their sponsors.

Maria Mercedes

An inspiring testimony was given at our morning prayer by Maria Mercedes and her four children, two girls and two boys. One girl, Maria, and one boy, Didier, have each been sponsored for six years by the same sponsor. Glenda, the oldest, is a student at the university and aspires to get her master's degree in accounting. All four of the children are in school and doing well. Maria Mercedes was abandoned by the father when she was expecting the youngest girl, now 12.

Sponsored children in seven farming villages

We drove to the rural area of subproject Montaña de Azulcualpa where we have been present since 2001. This is a community of about 1,980 people and 327 homes with 172 sponsored children from seven farming villages. Young Agustin and his wife, Lisette, coordinate this subproject. They tell us that the families had prepared for this day for several months and prepared a colorful ramada (shelter) for shade up on one of the hills. They demonstrated great appreciation for the presence of CFCA in their rural community. Fathers with well-weathered faces have formed a folksy musical group with guitars, mandolin, fiddles and a homemade bass. Their specialty is sacred music. Sponsored children from each village prepared an attractive number for us. Sponsors sang and danced with the children. A good lunch followed and then visits to the humble country households. My group visited five families. Most mothers married quite young and most completed only sixth grade. Some sponsors complained a little about having to walk to the houses until they heard a mother say she had walked most of the day to be with them.

Final day of the trip

Valle de Los Angeles suffered a blackout for several hours tonight. The "Evening with Bob" was conducted by candlelight and bonfire. This morning, we enjoyed the testimony of another sponsored family. Rosibel is a full-time mom. To supplement the family's income, she bakes and sells pastries from the home. Dad, Juan Carlos, works in a car parts shop. On weekends, they volunteer at various ministries at the parish. Their three children, Roman, Cesar and Rocio, are all doing well in school and also very active in their parish. Rocio, 8, is the youngest. She will make her First Communion in May 2006. The two sponsored older boys are in Confirmation class and youth group. Dad played the guitar and directed our group in the singing of several hymns.

Our subproject visit on the final day of the 2006 mission awareness trip to Honduras was to the 241 sponsored families in the areas of Tamara and Nuevo Sacramento. The latter settlement was created in 1998 after Hurricane Mitch. With their expressions, musical numbers and invitations to their homes, the families demonstrated great enthusiasm for the sponsorship program.

We closed out our trip with a gathering of staff and children, together with an exposition of handicrafts made by the moms and untold expressions of thanks on the part of the sponsored families as well as the sponsors. Cristina and I bade farewell to the sponsors and staff though we will see this fine young Honduran staff again in June when we meet for the Encuentro Nacional (National Gathering). Two short flights today will bring us back to Guatemala City. We are excited to meet the sponsors arriving today for the mission awareness trip in Guatemala. We hasten to ask your prayers.

God's Blessings.

Bob Hentzen
May 6, 2006