Walking With the Poor - Notes From the Field

Mission awareness trip to Costa Rica April 9-16, 2005

   Many of the sponsors on this Costa Rica trip (Margo and Earl of Michigan, Steven and Theresa of Texas, Luis of Puerto Rico and Merv of Alabama) have been on mission awareness trips before. They are so very excited about seeing “their” children. After this trip, Earl and Margo will be traveling on to Merida, Mexico, for the upcoming mission awareness trip there.

    The sponsored children and aging have really been looking forward to this visit. I was able to visit each of the sponsored children of a regular MAT participant, Jerry Menard. I tried to express to them how much Jerry wanted to come to see them. They in turn expressed their love and prayers for Jerry. Sponsors and staff give a lot of personal attention to sponsored children and aging. So far on this trip, the sponsors in this group have requested to sponsor a total of 10 new children and aging. I believe we will have some fine advocates for CFCA from this enthusiastic group. Fernando, age 27, of Puerto Rico currently sponsors Anthony of the San Jose project. Fernando has expressed a readiness and eagerness to speak on behalf of CFCA when he returns to Puerto Rico.

    Mission awareness trips truly are a celebration of our CFCA community of compassion. I will be sending to Kansas City personalized stories from each of the subprojects we visited, together with a CD of hundreds of photos documenting each day of the trip. These photos were snapped by sponsor Steve who also sponsors a child in Chile.

   At the end of the trip we had a closing ceremony in the community of San Francisco. Present were all the children and aging sponsored by this group, including the 10 new ones. Also present were the staff and all of the community workers or promotoras for Project San Jose. Back at our convent residence in the evening, I was privileged to show the excellent pictures of CFCA worldwide, provided by Paul Pearce and Mary Raple of CFCA Kansas City. This was also a chance for the sponsors to reflect on their experience in Costa Rica. During the presentation, 6-year-old Emily Trepacz, who is adopted from Russia, confidently took the microphone in the theatre and told everyone that she would miss them, but that she had to get back to her cat and dog, who has a lame back leg. The delegation from Puerto Rico said goodbye with a song from their home island. They want to bring more sponsors and potential sponsors on this trip next year--and they want to bring their musical instruments.

My wife, Cristina, and I will have two days in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, before heading up to Merida, Yucatan. My heartfelt thanks for your solidarity and prayers

   I wish you every blessing of Our Risen Lord.

Bob Hentzen

April 18 , 2005