Mission
Trip Participants
| Linda Bazarian |
Richard A. Mayer |
| Cynthia Borski |
Richard Campbell Mayer |
| Andrea Bradshaw |
Ann Mellott |
| Karim Campion |
Catharine Mellott |
| Madeleine Campion |
Janice Michel |
| Raymond Casey |
Kathleen Rodak |
| Colin Crawford |
Ben Schemper |
| Elizabeth Crawford |
Jacob Schemper |
| Lloyd H. Culbertson |
Peter Schemper |
| Madeleine Culbertson |
Susan Schemper |
| Samantha Culbertson |
Thomas Schemper |
| Jonathan Denny |
Daniel Schwartz |
| Mary Schemper Denny |
Maryellen Schwartz |
| Calum Johnston |
Timothy Schwartz |
| Calum MacLeod |
Kathleen Shortridge
Janet L Tuma |
Each
morning after breakfast at Bongos, I, along with my
fellow teammates, zipped off in a white cargo van to
our “country” site to assist Eva and her
family in building a home. Jake controlled the CD player
jamming “Welcome to Miami” as I, along
with most of the team (including Manuel) our driver,
hummed along. Upon our arrival at the small plot of
land, I, as team medic, applied Band-Aids to blisters
and reminded my teammates to apply sunscreen and bug
spray! Then the real work began––shoveling
selecto with Missy, judging wheelbarrow dumps with
Ray, “re-barring” with Maddie, tamping
with Maryellen, applying mortar between our mason constantino’s
carefully laid stones, moving dirt after John and Calum
loosened it with the pick-ax, and always following
instructions from Lloyd who interpreted Wilfredo’s
directions. Our lunch break, sitting in the shade of
the lemon tree with the chickens wandering about Wilfredo’s
yard, allowed for more conversations, giggling, and
guessing which movie star Andrea looked like that day!
What a fabulous team! Not just team Eva, but the whole group
as led by Tom and Calum. For me the trip was more than just
constructing homes, it was also about building friendships
and reflecting on my many blessings.
––Kathy Shortridge Crawford,
July 3
The
mission trip to Honduras, though short in relative
terms, will leave a lasting impression in my mind
for the rest of
my life. The beneficiarios, despite their struggle to
obtain decent housing, were gracious, friendly and
hospitable.
Their appreciation was expressed in many ways, on
a daily basis
at the work sites, and through their heart-felt words
at the dedication ceremony. These sentiments were reinforced
by the wonderful representatives from Habitat for Humanity.
Though our contribution was undoubtedly significant,
I
am left wishing that I could have given more. I am
grateful
for this experience and hope to return to this mission
again.
––Colin Crawford,
July 3
The
Siguatepeque Habitat staff continues to inspire me.
Louis and Abraham seem like old friends––welcoming,
efficient, and accommodating at first and then, as
the week progresses, the picture of Honduran family
hospitality. Nury is an exceptional addition to the
staff, and not just because she served us the best
meal I’ve had in Honduras. What’s most
impressive about this multi talented woman is her
expansive generosity to all. It was wonderful to
be one of the many people who have shared in the
warmth of her family home with its century-old iron
stove, family pictures and momentos, and many interesting
indigenous crafts. It’s easy to understand
how this once private family retreat was always
welcoming and how it evolved into a retreat center
open to
people of all faiths. Her last words as we drove
away were that we were always welcome to come back
any time and that her home was always open. I have
no doubt that she meant it.
––Maryellen Schwartz
What
an overwhelming journey! Each day was a
gift filled with truly tremendous experiences. What
a magical
group of people, with such a willingness
to love, a quickness
to laugh, and whose smiling faces and hard-working
hands are astounding. This mission trip
has been an abundance of precious memories to be treasured
dearly. From the introduction of our beneficiarios
and
masons
to the orphanage visit, daily devotions,
fellowship at meals, voices joined in song and prayer
and celebrations.
Most important was the life changing ceremony
of dedication.
What an honor and a pleasure to be a contributor
to the joy on the families’ faces. Sharing in these
families’ achievements allowed for collaboration
with the most welcoming people I have had the privilege
of meeting. The result: a harmonious and love-saturated
effort. With a new sense of family, the miles between
have become insignificant as our working hands create
a link to our hearts. It has been said that the only
way to change the world is to change ones perception––my
perception has been opened by a new found
hope. I believe more than ever that with
enough hearts
and
hands joined
together, anything is possible. I pray
the houses we helped to build soon become
homes
brimming
with love,
laughter, and wonderful memories.
I am so thankful to have had this opportunity.
Thank you.
–—Andrea Bradshaw
Throughout
the time I was participating on the mission trip
to Honduras many people asked me why I was there. I
wasn’t
going to lie; I was there because my parents made
me go, at least that is what I thought at the time.
When I think about the past twelve days I spent on
the trip many memories come to mind. The strongest
memories are the
ones of smiles. I remember the smile on Rosa’s face
at the dedication ceremony for her new home. I remember the
smirk our mason’s apprentice, Israel, would give us
when we did something wrong. I remember the smiles when the
water tower was conquered after a whole day’s trying.
I remember the smile on Elmer, our van driver’s, face,
as he guided wheelbarrows of selecto across thin bridges
of wood. I remember the smile on everyone’s face during
our 25-person brick line (even though we were all secretly
hoping there weren’t more bricks coming). I remember
the smiles at the three birthdays we celebrated. I remember
the glowing smiles of Eva’s children when we handed
them their small gifts. I remember the unbreakable smiles
of all the children at the orphanage who latched onto us
without hesitation. And I remember the smiles of accomplishment
after finishing a long, hot, and tiring day of work. I won’t
forget the smiles and the laughter and the amazing memories.
Looking back now I realize that maybe I wasn’t on
the trip because my parents made me go, maybe I was there
to
meet incredible people, to feel such a great sense of accomplishment,
to lose track of the laughs, and to share the smiles.
––Maddie Culbertson
Honduras
is a country in need of help and I feel that I have
contributed to that need. I have left Honduras feeling
like I am a better person than before I arrived. I
also feel that this experience has bonded a group of
people in a way that would be extremely difficult in
other circumstances. It has changed me as a person
for better.
––Calum Johnston
Honduras
is a country that allows for few people with a greater
goal of good to make a gigantic difference in the lives
of. The most moving part of the trip was visiting my
family from last year. They invited us in like we were
old friends, because we were.
––Tim Schwartz
This
was my first time going to Honduras, and it has been
a very good experience for me. It was a lot of fun
to see the families’ reaction at the dedication
ceremony. It was an eye-opener to poverty, and I would
love to do it again next year.
––Jon Denny
This was my third time to Honduras. Every time I have gone
it has been a blast and this time was no different. I met
many new interesting and cool people and had some cool new
experiences. I also felt we really helped some people in
our work.
––Ben Schemper
On our last day we gave gifts to our beneficiaro, her children,
the mason’s family, and the mason’s helper. All
the gifts were received graciously. “Little Hilda,” the
daughter of our beneficiaro, came outside and proudly announced,
in English, “Thank you” and “I love you!” However,
the moment I will remember the most, the one that will stay
with me forever is the moment when I turned to Marlon Omar
(our mason’s helper) and asked him if he wanted my
work gloves. This boy of 15, who worked all week with bare
hands, who was so shy around us he barely talked, eagerly
nodded and immediately put them on. I realized this young
man wasn’t wearing work gloves all week because he
was tougher than we were or because we were weaker, and it
was at that moment I grasped the depth of the situation in
Honduras. And all it took was a pair of broken-in work gloves.
––Kathleen Rodak
Working in community in Honduras takes many forms. It is
always fun and rewarding to develop a sense of community
with the family whose house you are building. Initially our
family and mason were hesitant, but after a few days interactions
increased. I think it is difficult for us to understand the
hardships that some people in Honduras endure to get to the
point where they can have a home. I often sense disbelief
that their home is being built. One can sense a tremendous
amount of gratitude at the dedication service. I always leave
feeling humbled and thankful.
––Ann Mellott
I used to work in a historical village portraying farm life
in the early 1800’s. I “lived” in a log
cabin with a wooden floor, wood stove, bed, storage chest,
worktable, cupboard, dry sink, two chairs, some iron pots,
and various utensils. This is much more than many people
have in Honduras even 200 years later. The overall poverty
is depressing and there isn’t much of a way but except
for the help provided by groups like those from Fourth Presbyterian
Church and Habitat. This was a fantastic experience.
––Cathy
Mellott
Work at our building site goes slowly, the strain on my
muscles begins to become wearisome, and the heat presses
on, but the members of my team are there for me and we all
look out for one another. This builds work incredible fellowship,
which is a testament of why we had another highly successful
Habitat for Humanity house building experience in Honduras.
The leadership, both organizational and spiritual, has achieved
a fine-tuning that warrants the declaration “it’s
the best I’ve ever had.”
––Dan Schwartz
The
Honduras trip was a fun-filled time with lots of helping.
We made new friends, and we got a better sense of what
goes on in this kind of a country. I look forward to
doing it again.
––Maddy Campion
The
Honduras trip for me was about helping build homes
for people who need support in their lives. In Honduras
we built a home for a family on each site. After that
we had a relaxing time on Roatan.
––Peter Schemper
Participating
in my first Habitat for Humanity project was a great
experience. Our work team was lavished with warmth
and hospitality from the women whose home we were building.
The mason in charge of our site was very patient and
surely stifled many a laugh as he watched us soft gringos
attempting construction work. Fortunately we discovered
that teamwork could make even the most daunting tasks
fun. One of my favorite activities on the work site
was the brick line. We moved mountains of heavy cinder
blocks from one spot to another by forming a human
chain. One time even a 5-year-old Honduran boy jumped
into the line and proudly passed blocks that were at
least a third of his body weight. I am grateful for
having had the opportunity to be part of a greater
chain of Fourth church workers, carrying on what has
become an annual tradition of constructing homes in
Honduras.
––Jane Tuma
As I reflect on the Honduras Mission Trip, I remember: heat,
sweat, sore muscles, laughter and camaraderie at Site 2,
pride in our work on “Hilda’s House,” sunscreen,
Pepto-Bismol, God’s grace, fifteen-year-old apprentice
masons, smiles on Honduran faces, Hilda’s coffee and
fresh lemonade, shovels and wheelbarrows, concrete and cement,
accomplishment, Karaoke and dancing, cold cerveza at the
end of the day, biscotti, morning devotions, bug bites and
DEET, Tom’s jokes and Calum’s wit, the amazing,
hard-working and fun kids on this trip, new Fourth Church
friends, muddy shoes, satisfaction, the wonderful Habitat
staff in Siguatepeque, shopping, orphan’s smiles and
tender hands to hold, waterfalls, dolphins, Christ’s
love, goodbye tears, everlasting memories.
––Jan Culbertson
I enjoyed this Home for the Habitat mission trip in Honduras.
I particularly appreciated the opportunity to meet the Honduran
people and get a glimpse into their way of life. I was struck
by the fact that children in Honduras are only required to
finish sixth grade and then often enter into the working
world after that. For example, Israel was our mason’s
very capable apprentice and he was only thirteen years old.
I really enjoyed working side by side with and getting to
know people from Fourth Presbyterian Church. I feel like
I have made good and lasting friendships through this unique
experience. The trip was as fun and rewarding as I had hoped
it would be.
––Linda Bazarian
