The following is my journal during our recent travels to Honduras, which I sent to the members of the synod Global Missions Committee, which I wanted all of you to see:
Mary, my wife, and I left Suttons Bay early in the afternoon of Wednesday, November 11 (Veterans Day), and drove to Grand Rapids where we picked up the plane for our first leg to Houston, Texas. We had a 13 hour layover, so we rented a room at La Quinta Hotel near the airport. The next day we returned to the airport around 7:00 am and picked up the plane for Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
We arrived a little after Noon on a sunny day in Tegucigalapa. Josefina was there to meet us, though we did not see her right away. After a 45 minute car ride from the airport through the mountains south of the capital, we arrived at the Kellogg Center, part of the Zamorano Panamerican Agricultural School. This school was purchased by the United Fruit Company and includes a 1500 acre estancia that has been turned into a world renown agricultural school for kids 17 years and older. It is simply beautiful, with open stone buildings all over the main campus, and farms all around for the students to learn and attend. Students come from all over the world, but mostly from the US and Latin America. Every one of them greet each other and the guests with a hello every time they pass you. They are the cream of the crop throughout the western hemisphere, and many or most are on scholarships of one kind or another. It costs $15,000 a year, and the education, food, and housing is simply top notch.
When we arrived the dining room was filled with foreigners, representatives from LWF, ELCA, the Swedish Church, and Lutherans from throughout Central America, to participate in a round table event just three days before the ICLH's annual assembly. Most of them stayed for the assembly and then headed on to El Salvador for a similar round table event with the Lutheran church there.
Josefina took us to our room in the Kellogg Center where we relaxed for an hour or so to get ready for the opening worship at 5:30 pm. The room was exceptional, with a widescreen television, our own shower and a queen-size bed. I felt like I had not left the US, the room was so well put together. We walked around the grounds of the Center for a bit, took a few pictures, and then met Josefina and another large crowd that walked about a 1/4 of a mile to the chapel of the Institute. The chapel was a beautiful building, with the sides open to the grounds around it, six narrow but tall stained glass windows in the narthex, and a huge balcony. Obviously they must fill this place on Sunday for Catholic mass.
The worship service began on Honduran time, closer to 6:00 pm, and included the leadership of their two newer pastors. I thought I knew most of the songs sung in Latin American Lutheran churches these days, but was I wrong. I did not know any of them. The spirit of worship was quite evangelical in nature but with a strong "liberation" element to it, the clergy were vested only in clerical shirts and colorful Honduran stolls, and there seemed to be more confusion during the service than I had expected. But the congregation knew the songs quite well, even if the melody was difficult to make out, and they sang with enthusiasm and life. I was asked to help with the distribution and many people, foreign and Honduran, lay and clergy, participated in the leadership of the event. Worship ended with the passing of the peace, Honduran style, which means everyone greets everyone else, si or si. The day ended with a very typical Honduran dinner (we were told). Mary and I returned to our rooms tired, and ready for some much needed sleep.
Observations: I was really wanting to worship in this opening service, expecting something better organized. I was surprised to see that the new pastors knew less about worship leadership than the members. They seemed to be well prepared theologically, but their pastoral, worship skills have not yet been honed. Nonetheless, the Honduran members were enthusiastic, joyful, and appreciative of the opening worship event.
Mary and I felt a bit like fish out of water, knowing only a few people there, but we figured that would change when we had the chance to get to know more of the people during the next few days of meetings and meals.
We both noted that there were quite a few young people present, some elderly, a good mix of clergy (I use that term loosely), and quite a mixture of social-economic levels. We were glad to be there, and we were looking forward with anticipation to the next several days.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Honduras or Bust
Holy smoke! It's for real! I am going to Honduras, and it looks like Mary may be going also. I attended a meeting of the Global Mission Committee of our synod last night and they agreed with me that it is safe enough to go. They will pay for my ticket and expenses, and Mary and I will cough up the cash to pay for her ticket. It should be a great trip, for both of us. It is our first visit to the country and the Lutheran Church. They are doing some fantastic work and they are about to make some very significant changes in the way they define and do ministry. The synod wanted me to go and represent them at their annual assembly. The trip is a go!
We leave on November 11th and return November 15th, late in the evening. On the way we do have a lengthy stay-over in Houston, but we will probably catch some sleep and head out early for Honduras. Mary is in the process of getting out of school for the trip. She is hoping that it will be easy, and that it will help her Spanish classes at Kalkaska.
I let my council know on Thursday. They assured me that they did not have ransom money to bring me home. They are a bit concerned, but I assured them that the people there will take very good care of us. I know that Mary did not want me to go, but since I decided to go, she decided that it would be better to be together than apart this trip around.
I have a whole list of things to talk about and investigate while there. The synod here wants to know more about them and how we can intensify our relationship with the Honduran Lutherans. I am excited about how they are doing ministry. I think they might have finally figured out how the Lutheran Church can be an effective, growing and relevant church in Latin America. I believe they are a real model for Lutheran ministry in that part of the world, and I am anxious to see more of what they are doing, first-hand. Knowing the language and Latin American culture helps. I hope to participate in theological education in Honduras down the road. Some of that is already being done by another synod of the ELCA, but I think that our synod has some very special gifts to offer in that direction.
Wish us luck, pray for us.
We leave on November 11th and return November 15th, late in the evening. On the way we do have a lengthy stay-over in Houston, but we will probably catch some sleep and head out early for Honduras. Mary is in the process of getting out of school for the trip. She is hoping that it will be easy, and that it will help her Spanish classes at Kalkaska.
I let my council know on Thursday. They assured me that they did not have ransom money to bring me home. They are a bit concerned, but I assured them that the people there will take very good care of us. I know that Mary did not want me to go, but since I decided to go, she decided that it would be better to be together than apart this trip around.
I have a whole list of things to talk about and investigate while there. The synod here wants to know more about them and how we can intensify our relationship with the Honduran Lutherans. I am excited about how they are doing ministry. I think they might have finally figured out how the Lutheran Church can be an effective, growing and relevant church in Latin America. I believe they are a real model for Lutheran ministry in that part of the world, and I am anxious to see more of what they are doing, first-hand. Knowing the language and Latin American culture helps. I hope to participate in theological education in Honduras down the road. Some of that is already being done by another synod of the ELCA, but I think that our synod has some very special gifts to offer in that direction.
Wish us luck, pray for us.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Fall only means preparation for winter
Don't get me wrong, I love the fall; the smells, colors, and holidays that make up this season. Up north, in northern Michigan, fall is exceptionally beautiful, though I think the beauty of this season will fall off a bit this year because of the constant rain we are getting. I know, this can be a great time of the year as cooler weather sets in, and sleeping becomes a bit nicer with the window open above the bed. But for me, it is just a time to get ready for winter.
There is so much to do! Decisions have to be made this year about our outdoor swing. Last year we brought it indoors, but room in the living room is now limited. Hoses need to be drained and carried into the garage. The garage needs to be cleaned and rearranged so that Mary's car can be stored through the nights of winter. The work shop needs to be rearranged as well to store the snow blower and shovels for winter snow clearing. Neither of these tasks are simple or small. Our bicycles need to be hung from the workshop ceiling, the picnic table must be set on edge, and oh yeah, the leaves. We get our share of leaves which seem to fall all the time, right up to the first snow.
One blessing we received this fall, the Chinese elm trees are finally down. They were the messiest trees I have ever seen. Every wind would cause hundreds of sticks and limbs to fall in the yard, even in the winter. Last year we had cleaned up the yard for winter, picking up a huge amount of elm sticks and limbs that had fallen from a recent wind storm. That same night, after cleaning them all up and putting the yard in great shape for the winter, the first time since moving here 20 years ago, we received another wind storm with a foot of snow that brought down more limbs which we could not clean up until March, when the snow disappeared.
Next week a crew will come in and landscape the front yard of the parsonage and the church. Obviously, the best time to do this is the fall, so that the plants have a chance to root themselves for spring. A member of the church is a landscaper and he is bringing in his crew for free to replant and spruce up the front. This should be exciting.
Angela is on the verge of buying a house, the first to do so in our family. She is ahead of Mary and I. The house looks good, and she likes it a lot, though not enough yet to "fall in love with it." She made an offer today and is waiting their response.
Of course, all of this is just to "get ready for winter." As beautiful as fall can be, it is only a passing month or two, and the first snow falls, we have to dig out, the sky turns gray, and we are in the dark times of winter. Sound gray? Well, as you can tell, it is not my favorite time of the year. Nonetheless, like the other 19 winters we have experienced, I guess we will get through it and try to find some kind of joy in the midst of the snow, cold, and wind.
There is so much to do! Decisions have to be made this year about our outdoor swing. Last year we brought it indoors, but room in the living room is now limited. Hoses need to be drained and carried into the garage. The garage needs to be cleaned and rearranged so that Mary's car can be stored through the nights of winter. The work shop needs to be rearranged as well to store the snow blower and shovels for winter snow clearing. Neither of these tasks are simple or small. Our bicycles need to be hung from the workshop ceiling, the picnic table must be set on edge, and oh yeah, the leaves. We get our share of leaves which seem to fall all the time, right up to the first snow.
One blessing we received this fall, the Chinese elm trees are finally down. They were the messiest trees I have ever seen. Every wind would cause hundreds of sticks and limbs to fall in the yard, even in the winter. Last year we had cleaned up the yard for winter, picking up a huge amount of elm sticks and limbs that had fallen from a recent wind storm. That same night, after cleaning them all up and putting the yard in great shape for the winter, the first time since moving here 20 years ago, we received another wind storm with a foot of snow that brought down more limbs which we could not clean up until March, when the snow disappeared.
Next week a crew will come in and landscape the front yard of the parsonage and the church. Obviously, the best time to do this is the fall, so that the plants have a chance to root themselves for spring. A member of the church is a landscaper and he is bringing in his crew for free to replant and spruce up the front. This should be exciting.
Angela is on the verge of buying a house, the first to do so in our family. She is ahead of Mary and I. The house looks good, and she likes it a lot, though not enough yet to "fall in love with it." She made an offer today and is waiting their response.
Of course, all of this is just to "get ready for winter." As beautiful as fall can be, it is only a passing month or two, and the first snow falls, we have to dig out, the sky turns gray, and we are in the dark times of winter. Sound gray? Well, as you can tell, it is not my favorite time of the year. Nonetheless, like the other 19 winters we have experienced, I guess we will get through it and try to find some kind of joy in the midst of the snow, cold, and wind.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Back to the grind already?
Such a great summer, and today is the first day of, dare I say it, FALL. I know, I know, it is a beautiful season, with the leaves changing color, the pumpkins all over the place, and Halloween (actually that would be Reformation Day for you Lutherans). But Fall only means one thing for me, WINTER is just around the corner here in northern Michigan. Sure, it is a time to cheer the Buckeyes, rub the scarlet and gray in the wounds of the U of M Wolverines, and to take in the last few rays of sunshine and warmth. But Fall is a passing fancy here. We will soon be in for deep snow, absent members off hunting deer, and the return of gray and cloudy days, long nights, and whiteouts.
I guess I shouldn't fret so much. After all, it is still the middle of September. But you will remember that we got buried last year in October, and it did not go away until April. That is way too long. Heck, the youth even went to a Corn Maze at the end of October, and we had to walk it in the snow. Yuck! May God be gentler on us this year!
Anyway, Mary is back at school, with a fresher spirit, more computer skills, and a handful of new electronic toys to help her in her work. She is coming home each day a bit more relaxed, and more positive than last year. That is good for her, her health and the sanity of the household. Allison is back at school, finally in her much-waited-for program. She will be tested well this year. David, well, David is David. Still hoping to finish his associates degree, looking for a job, and enjoying his music. Angela is hoping to buy a home yet this Fall, and settle into the American Dream. Me? Well, I am still trying to get back to work, go to meetings, and continue leading this congregation down the way of the Gospel The ELCA's decision this summer does not help me do that, but family will be family.
So, I guess it is back to the grind. Continue the fight, the run, or whatever we are calling it these days, and praying that we can all keep our healthcare in tact.
I guess I shouldn't fret so much. After all, it is still the middle of September. But you will remember that we got buried last year in October, and it did not go away until April. That is way too long. Heck, the youth even went to a Corn Maze at the end of October, and we had to walk it in the snow. Yuck! May God be gentler on us this year!
Anyway, Mary is back at school, with a fresher spirit, more computer skills, and a handful of new electronic toys to help her in her work. She is coming home each day a bit more relaxed, and more positive than last year. That is good for her, her health and the sanity of the household. Allison is back at school, finally in her much-waited-for program. She will be tested well this year. David, well, David is David. Still hoping to finish his associates degree, looking for a job, and enjoying his music. Angela is hoping to buy a home yet this Fall, and settle into the American Dream. Me? Well, I am still trying to get back to work, go to meetings, and continue leading this congregation down the way of the Gospel The ELCA's decision this summer does not help me do that, but family will be family.
So, I guess it is back to the grind. Continue the fight, the run, or whatever we are calling it these days, and praying that we can all keep our healthcare in tact.
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