St. Michael the Archangel Honduras Mission Project

We started off the morning with breakfast with the Sors at the elderly home and enjoyed pancakes, fruit, bread, beans, and delicious Honduras coffee. After eating, we rushed to the Hogar de Niñas to help prepare for the quinceañera! Three young women- Dayana, Sindy , y Berenise – were celebrating their quinceañera today, and it was a fantastic day of celebrating them! Michelle and Sabrina helped the girls with their hair and makeup. The girls, Sors, and other members of the community were able to attend the mass and the party afterwards. At the party, everyone enjoyed a delicious meal, cake, and most importantly, lots of dancing! Chris and John danced traditional waltz with the quinces, but we also enjoyed all sorts of line dancing to country music, and other popular American and Latina songs.

After the festivities died down, the team spent time playing games and talking to the girls. Notably, the afternoon was filled with many La Loteria games, with Rose leading the charge. Many girls participated in an English learning course and recently completed their final exam. Along with their teachers, the team celebrated the young women’s accomplishments.

Later, the girls picked out books from a collection brought by the team. They were able to choose from a great variety of books, from stories about saints to science fiction. They also received personalized tote bags (thanks to Lynn) filled with some goodies, courtesy of the American Heritage Girls at SMA.

Before dinner, the sors and girls led a novena to Madre Paula (the foundress of the order of sisters) in the chapel, and it was beautiful to see the young women participating in the prayers. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of rice with plantain chips and shrimp soup with vegetables.

The day was a haze of celebrating the young women’s accomplishments and spending quality time playing with the girls. It is incredible to see how kind and caring the girls are for each other and how much love the sors pour into the girls. If I could describe the trip overall in one word, it would be joy! The girls, elderly, and sors emulate joy in so many small acts, and it is truly a gift of God to witness. Hasta mañana! Sophia