All Saints
Belmont, MA

Mission Date: April 16-24, 2005
Location: Lainez, Honduras
Project: Construction

All Saints 2005 Honduras missionaries have returned.

Our mission had memorable and uplifting experiences as we went about helping build the church and forging new relationships with the parishioners in Lainez, Honduras.

When Cathy Zolner injured her leg, anonymous villagers supplied her with a pair of home made crutches until we left Lainez. After the Sunday church service in which Cheryl participated, a parishioner made rice milk for us to share. Village children and musicians sang and played their instruments for us. At the cabins where we stayed, the cooks prepared our food for us on a wood stove with fond caring. Hector, our bus driver, drove our bus over incredibly difficult roads, rushed to out aid at night when we called him and cared for Cathy.

When we arrived, the new church was foundation trenches and piles of supplies. For five days we shoveled dirt, pushed wheelbarrows, mixed cement, mortared, dug trenches, cleaned up excess cement, moved rocks, and cut and shaped rebar with the workers. At the end of five workdays, we laid the cornerstone of the new church with two US quarters underneath.

Besides building the church, we played games, made crafts with and read stories to the village children. We communicated in halting Spanish and sign language with the workers and children.

During the trip, we felt cared for, welcome and safe. The parishioners were an inspiration to us with their hard work, optimism and kindness.

Father Dago, the parish priest, aptly explained the goal of the mission. Building the church, although important, is not as important as building relationships and sharing fellowship. When we left, we felt that we had done both.

Thank you all again for making the 2005 Honduras Mission such a success.