St. Michael the Archangel Honduras Mission Project

Our morning began at 7am with a delicious breakfast with the Sors at the Ancianos.  After breakfast we had our daily group briefing at the Casa where we planned out the day of the Quinceaneras!  From there we grabbed some supplies from the storage room and went right over to the Hogar de Nina’s to start preparation, as mass was scheduled for 11am to be followed by a Fiesta!

Most of us helped prepare the five girls dress and do hair for their Quinceanera’s.  I mostly read with the other Nina’s while John played ball in the courtyard with rain coming down periodically.  That didn’t matter, especially after the group had picked up a new soccer ball, volleyball, and basketball at a store the day before.  They were quite excited!

The Quinceanera mass was a great event, with some outside guests also attending (a few Seminarians) and other friends.  All five girls were accompanied to the alter by the Women of St. Michael in a classy gesture.  The Fiesta followed with some homemade chicken, veggies, and rice with enough cake for all 50+ attendees!  We stayed over at the Nina’s house all day long, mixing up dancing and playing ball with some coffee with the Sors and mingling amongst each other.

The evening was a treat!  The group took most of Sors out to dinner at a Cafe near the Cathedral!  This included a 1/2 mile walk there, where we experienced the warmth of the Honduran people, with dozens of strangers greeting us with “Buenas Noches” as we’d pass them by on the busy streets.  Dinner was full of laughter and great food, even a few margaritas and Sangrias were seen at our table and there might be photos to prove it!  The walk back was equally as entertaining, as a police officer stopped a few of us in the park to say hello and proceeded to offer us a warm welcome to Honduras, while the other half of the group ran into two former Nina’s who had hugs for everyone.  What a great night..

We capped the night with a long session on discussing the highlights and incorporating a Beatitude into our message.  The group visits have gone late into the night, with true engagement and no one trying to rush through to get to bed despite being tired.  This group continues to pour it’s heart and soul into the mission of the trip, and another busy day awaits us tomorrow!

Jessica