Honduras Mission Trip

March 18th 2009



Today was our third day of mission work in the Garifuna villages. The village we visited today, Guadalupe is smaller than the first two villages but has a larger church. I noticed that the smaller the villages were said to be the larger the church. Once in the village we asked around for the town catechist and a girl went off and came back with a man named Sosa. He opened the church for us and we asked if we could have Mass for the village tonight and if we could walk around the village inviting people. He told us we could invite people but that the church had no power so it would be dark. A church without power was not a problem; we would be prepared with a lot of flashlights and candles. We split up into two groups and walked around the town inviting people to Mass. Everyone always smiles and nods and says ‘Thank you I’ll be there.’ Really they just tell us what we want to hear and probably do not want us hanging around their window. We had lunch in the village at a restaurant the catechist told us about. After lunch we ministered to the kids and played Simon Says which they had a hard time understanding so we switched to duck duck goose which they enjoyed but still had trouble fully understanding. We left the village and returned to Campameto for some time to think, reflect and pray before heading back to the village for Mass. The short-term mountain team was also coming down from the villages in the mountains so we could have a priest for Mass. After dinner we went back to the village for Mass. When we arrived at the church there was no one there but there was power. A few people began to show up but the church was still very empty. I began to feel a little discouraged because we had talked to so many people and there was no one at the church. Two of the most important rules of missionary work are to be flexible and no complaining so we just waited there for people to come. I learned that you have to trust in God and know that He is working through us. Mass was supposed to begin at seven but it started more around seven thirty. I guess that is how time works in Honduras, we say seven and to the people there it means seven thirtyish. The Garifuna people have their own beautiful language and pretty much take over everything in the Mass, which falls under the rule of being flexible. They sang the gospel acclamation and then when Father proceeded to read the Gospel one woman stopped him and they started singing again. We just stood back and let the people praise because it is all about them. The Our Father in Garifuna is one of the most beautiful things in the world to me. Everyone on the church knows it; even if they do not know the rest of the Mass they know the Our Father. Everyone linked pinkies and began swaying and singing, I had no idea what they were saying but I just linked pinkies and moved with them. When I looked around I was surprised to see the church complexly full and a lot of older boys and men in back. it was a surprise because I had been told them men tend to not go to Mass because religion is for women and children but there they were men, standing in back singing the Our Father. At certain parts of the prayer the people bow and then jus hum while one man, usually the catechist preaches. It is so beautiful and we can’t understand a word of it. The Garifuna people are so amazing and so beautiful, all we did was bring them a priest to have Mass and they took over and made it into their own celebration. At the sign of peace people get up and sing and walk around the church and shake hands with anyone and everyone. It was hard to leave my row in the church, it seemed uncomfortable but our leaders have been telling us mission work is hard if you are comfortable you do not love enough. So to love these people we had to step outside of our comfort zones to love these people and let God love them because we are instruments of God’s love. We were only witness to the love of God for these people After reflecting on the events of tonight and the whole trip I realize that these people may look poor to us but they are rich in so many other ways. Life is simple and beautiful not complicated like we make it here in the States. They see the beauty of life and are able to live their faith in such an amazing way and they only receive Mass once or twice a year. As our leaders have been saying this mission trip is not just about the people in Honduras because we can learn so much from them too.