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For those of you who will be following us I want to make sure that I clarify that this space is going to for a reflection of our life as a family in Honduras, what we are thinking about, experiencing and learning. However, this may not have as much about our actual work with MCC. It is important that we communicate such stories through MCCs websites in order to maintain integrity both for ourselves and for our partners. For those of you who are interested in the work we are doing I would suggest that you connect to our MCC Honduras Facebook Page for info about service workers, partners and MCC work in Honduras. Or, you can read about work in the Latin America region at MCC LACA (Latin America/Central America)

Second Week of Orientation is Over

Today ends the second week of our orientation at Mennonite Central Committee. We are tired. At least our minds are. This was programs week. There were a lot of sessions helping us to understand how to do MCC programming, from financial, planning, to PME&R seminars, how to conduct a focus group or participatory study and how to be aware of issues of gender (looking at how our work affects men, women, boys and girls differently), and how we build peace-building into our project designs and work. This is much needed input, but it is hard to wade through. Thus we are relaxing on the weekend.


Yesterday was filled with goodbyes at the end of the day. Several of our cohort are leaving to their placements including one of the families whose children were a part of our kids lives this week. I have been proud of our kids, how they have jumped right in and how they also take the departures with ease. The family is moving to Bolivia which we will be visiting next spring. Nadia has it as her goal to visit the Andes and specifically Inca ruins. The family said that they know of some places we could visit. This gives our kids some hope for future fun. I look forward to that.


We had a special time last night. We all helped those who were leaving to carry there suitcases up to the vans. They were leaving early in the morning. We spent several hours sitting around talking and telling stories, several persons from India, Ukraine, Canada, Paraguay, US, Zambia, Zimbabwe and others. As each one of us talked we shifted between north American ways of talking and expressing ourselves mixed with that of Africa, India, Ukraine and the other places that have shaped us. We laughed as we talked about our cross-cultural encounters, how we have changed and how we have learned so much. After carrying the suitcases our brother from Zambia, who is a pastor, asked us to hold hands under the starry sky and to say a blessing for those going. I felt transported back to Mozambique where those of higher status were called on to say some words. He called on the Zimbabwean couple who will be Area Directors in southern Africa and then on Jenny and I who will also be in leadership. We gave blessing. He then prayed. It was one of those moments where I felt the holy spirit and the bond of those following Christ together from all over the globe. It was a moment when the New Jerusalem, in Revelation became a reality in that moment, a real taste of what is to come when Jesus returns, an echo of Pentecost. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. I am sure I was not the only one. It reminded me of the painting I had drawn when I was a young boy of 8-9 years old, of Jesus standing with his hands open, with heaven behind him and buildings and persons representing all the peoples of the world together in Christ. Last night, in that moment, it had become a reality……. Jesus, lead on.

Today we are in orientation at MCC and will be so for the next three and a half weeks. It was good to see our children enjoying the activities, meeting new people and learning new things. They seemed to be enjoying themselves. They also have a person who is caring for them who moved to another country when she was herself a young person. She understands and will be talking with the kids about what to expect and how to care for themselves. This is what I like about orientation and what I like about MCC. It is like being with a bunch of people who are on a journey but always mentoring and discipling each other on the way. We are all on different parts of the journey of serving Christ but we can offer each other support and comfort as we serve. To me, this is Christ's body at its best and I can feel God's spirit is present.

Today we heard stories of why people have fallen in love with MCCs work, what it has done for the glory of God and why we do what we do because we follow Christ and his work. We looked over the vision, mission, purpose, priorities and principles in groups. My group was tasked with looking at MCCs priorities which is how MCC carries ot its work in disaster relief, sustainable community development and justice and peace building. It says:

Inspired by the Sermon on the Mount, we seek to follow Jesus in accompanying the poor, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted because of righteousness. 

By sharing food with the hungry, extending a cup of cold water to the thirsty, and welcoming the stranger, we join Jesus in participating in the lives of those who suffer. We show our love for others by looking out for their interests and not just our own. 

There was a couple key things that our stuck out to our group that emphasizes what or work is about. It is about participation and accompaniment. In MCC we attempt to participate with others in their suffering, bearing their burdens, not only those we serve, but each others. And in doing so we are changed, we are discipled, and we are drawn more and more to Christ and his likeness, rich, poor, black, brown, white, women, men, children, from every country and nation. I was surprised when I walked into the room to see an equal split between Asian, African, Latin American and North American service workers in the room. It was an amazing diversity of people from many countries all with the conviction of serving Christ. This sends chills down my spine and gives me so much hope. This is the vision in Revelation. This is the holy spirits work. Our work together is not just giving money and resources to those who don't have them. We were challenged in our donor relations session today that when we see the poor as only those who lack resources or the rich as only those who have resources then we diminish their humanity to what they have or don't have and our solutions come down to giving things and money. It is more then that. It is accompaniment, participation, visiting the sick, the hungry, those in war, those fleeing their lands. This is the holistic gospel that Jesus proclaimed and lived.

There will be difficult days ahead for both us and our children.  There will be days I will question this work and our decision. But today I am excited and am sure that God is present in this place and in these people.