YEAR OF MERCY IN GUAIMACA

At the Marie Poussepin Center Guaimaca, Honduras, we welcomed the Year of Mercy as an invitation to live the Merciful attitude of the Father.  In making it ours, in both spiritual and corporal works, we thought of doing with the students a brave and beautiful gesture of Charity and generosity towards children with càncer, Braiding Smiles of Solidarity with them, being donors of their hair for the children to have their wigs and does feel happy and hopeful.

In the year of MERCY 2016 the students at the Marie Poussepin Center (CMP) want to make a special gesture of altruism and generosity, donating our beautiful strands of hair to make wigs for children with cancer. After reflecting and praying, some of us took the serious and courageous decision of being Donors of Hair. Aware of what it means to us, but knowing it is for a good cause, we commit ourselves to offer what God has given us and thus braid smiles on children affected by cancer. We asked permission of our families and some agreed, others are not yet ready. Quite a few of us want, but our hair now does not meet the conditions, being too short, in layers, etc. But we do not give up and wait the time will come to see realized the decision already taken in our hearts.

 

 

 

The day chosen is the afternoon of August 11th,  at the Marie Poussepin Center. Twelve students from the seventh grade to the last year of high school: Digna Julieth, Evelyn Mariely, Lohany Gissel, Cindy Raquel, Ixi Areli, Meilin Yanori, Cenia Maribel, Lisbeth Araceli, Rosa Cristina, Alicia Mariana, Andrea Michelle and Jasmin Gisselle.

 

We donate 12 centimeters or more of our hair for a good cause.  Our hairdresser Celia, will help us in cutting it.  And our solidarity braids will be delivered directly by our friends, Volunteers from U.S.A. to the N.G.O. that makes the wigs. We are happy to be able to braid smiles on children affected by cancer, we pray for them and their families asking the Lord to grant them health. And we invite other young people to be generous with noble causes like this.

With Love,

Students from the CMP-2016

 

 

MISSION EXPERIENCE IN LA SABANA

La Sabana is one of the villages of the parish community of  Las Casitas, in Tegucigalpa, where we have the extension of our community in Honduras. A few weeks ago, Sr. Deysi Silva went for a week with a team of six members from Las Casitas to la Sabana.  

Their ages ranged from 11 to 82 years old. 

They are happy to share their experience with us:

Sindi (20 years old):

Our mission was a great success because Christ was at the center of everything that we did and lived. We left on Monday from Tegucigalpa after having early morning Mass. The day was cloudy and cold but our hearts were warm thinking about the people waiting for us in a far away village located on a high mountain.

We arrived to an abandoned house, that had been closed for a long while. We had to start organizing the house, cleaning, and dividing the work to do.

Every morning we started the day by having a time of prayer 

and receiving communion.

Each one had a group for catechesis. I had those preparing themselves for first communion. To see those people so thirsty for listening to God´s Word was a great experience in my spiritual life. I was feeling myself a real missionary with a greater desire to know him better.

People shared with us from their poverty. We received from them, joy, hope and a radiant love. How many gifts we can find in others when we share God’s Words with them. We also feel the need to give from what we have and what we are.

We left behind the comfort of our houses to live those four days without electricity, carrying the water from the well, cooking outside with wood in the middle of the cold. But we were together as a real family. It was a great joy, to live as a community.

We brought food for us but we shared it with children, adults, sick people, mothers.  Most of them were really hungry. When we saw their houses and their poverty we were amazed to see the way they welcomed us, sharing from their poverty with great joy.

Within myself, my faith has grown. I feel committed to keep praying for this community. May God save them, keep them firm and strong in their faith. I hope I´ll have the occasion to go back  and live again this experience that touched my heart so much.

Ovidia: (82 years old)

This has been a great experience for my 82 years. La Sabana is my hometown. I was feeling very well. I think it was Jesus who invited me for this great mission where I could visit the sick from the village and teach catechism.

Fernanda: (11 years old)

I was very happy when Sr. Deysi told me that I could go to the mission. At the beginning, I took it as an occasion for an outing and to know other places. It was far from a promenade, I didn´t know many places but I found wonderful people. 

I had the occasion to teach the little ones and the first day I found myself in front of more than 60 kids. I was very nervous since it was the first time that I was teaching catechism. Next day, I had more children and I wanted to cry thinking that I was giving God's Word to other children. In this mission I discovered that I want to be a catechist and a missionary.

Francis : ( 31 years old)

I feel that I renewed my faith. It is giving that we receive.  This is the first time that I go out of my town. I learned a lot. I discovered Jesus in the midst of those in want.

Natali: (14 years old)

I never thought that this mission could change my life so much, to the point that I´m not the same. sharing with others I learned that those who are really poor, can share from their poverty and give us hope and joy. I feel grateful that God chose me for this mission. It is not easy to say what is growing within me after this experience. I appreciated the Morning Prayer and the sharing after a day with people. We shared experiences, we laughed and we were feeling like a family.

Maryory: (21 years old)

It was a very good experience, with God´s presence. Now, I´m thinking why God chose me for that mission.  Before the mission I didn´t know that I was gifted to work with youth. God showed me that I can’t trust myself but I can do many things if I put my trust in Him.

As you can see with the extension of our community in Tegucigalpa, our mission in Honduras is growing and responding to other needs.  Our sisters are truely integrated in this parish commuityof Las Caistas, where they have found a place to share the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ with old and young, sick and are alos preparing others for ministry.

Now Cindy, the first one to share in this blog, started on Easter Sunday a time of Aspirancy with our sisters, to continue discovering her vocation, to conitnue listening to God´s call in her life!

APRIL, MAY AND JUNE 2014

These past three months have been very intense and full of experiences in our community and mission.  The fact that we are in two diffeent cities and in two parishes has given us the oppportunity to respond to different needs and challenges.
 

The main one is the formation of Andrea, our postulant.  We have been very fortunate to have had Sr. Marina Mejía with us, mainly in Tegucigalpa for six weeks.  Certainly Andrea has benefitted from Sr. Marina's insights and depth.  However, we as a community have also profitted from her presence. 
 

 
 
 
Two of us had Sr. Marina directing our annual retreat.
 
 
 
 
 

 
Also, we will never forget the day of prayer she facilitated for all of us with the theme of the Eucharist, which is so much in her heart and an integral part of her life. 

These months in Tegucigalpa have been a time to get to know the people and insert ourselves in the parish,  "El Divino Niño", especially in "Las Casitas", a poor village close to where we live.

 

Andrea has been able to minister to the children and youth, and Sr. Deysi has been meeting with different parish groups and giving formation to the catechists.
 
In Guaimaca, we continue our ministry to the young women at the Marie Poussepin Center and accompany them in the different aspects of their comprehensive formation. 
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
The Clinic has been welcoming different brigades from the USA that generously help us to respond to the basic healthcare and dental needs of the people.
 

The dry season has been a challenge at the farm, but thanks to the irrigation system we have been able to produce peppers, tomatoes, kidney beans, tapioca and corn. 
 

 
 

 
We look forward to a good crop of peppers and tomatoes in a few months.
 

 
 
 

 

All these activities are possible thanks to the generous support of many benefactors. 

It is a joy for us to see our farm workers, tutors and helpers at the clinic,

owning the mission and collaborating in making it a reality that benefits others.

A NEW YEAR AND A NEW PAGE IN OUR LIVES!

The following pictures depict what we have been living in Honduras

during these first months of 2014:

 

Groups coming from Massachusetts
and from North Carolina



 



A good occasion to be all together


 

Fr. Craig Pregana came back with the group
he originally came  to visit several years ago.
 

We also celebrated Sr. María's birthday

Pam and Lydia with Mariboni, a CMP alumni
who will graduate this year from the University.

 



Los "Cuatro Amigos" en La Nava

Friends from Lexington

 

Students from the US helping
students from the CMP

Making sure there is enough irrigation in the macro tunnels

Suyapa, the mother of some of our graduates gets her primary education certificate...

She was taught by her daughters.

 

Sr. Vimala Vadakumpadan,

our Vice Provincial Superior

and her councilors:

Sr. Mónica Teresa García and

Sr. Marta Inés Toro,

have their meeting in Guaimaca.

Andrea López, our first Honduran postulant,
as she asks to initiate her formation.

An occasion to celebrate together!

Sr. Vimala Vadakumpadan and Sr. María Ceballos
rejoice with our first postulant

The Honduran Community now has eight members in two houses:
four in Guaimaca and three in Tegucigalpa with our postulant!  

GRADUATIONS AND INAUGURATION!

On this Christmas Day,

 we would like to share some of the joys and accomplishments

of our mission in Honduras during this month of December:

CMP Graduation

On December 2nd, the 6th CMP graduating class presented and defended their Social Project on Alphabetization.  They had taught 11 adults in one of the three levels of Primary education.  They not only obtained a 100% grade, but were congratulated by the examining board as the best among 3,000 pupils they had examined.

 

The case of Suyapa, mother of five children, is worth to mention:  One of her daughters, who graduated from the CMP two years ago, taught her the first level. Another daughter, who graduated a year ago, guided her through the second level.  This year, it was her niece who taught her the third level, which allowed her to complete the 6 years of primary education! This niece is part of the same house hold (about 10 adults live in a two room house in the mountains, without running water or electricity).

 

The following Friday, December 6th, we had a thanksgiving Eucharist, celebrated by Fr. Jonathan, with the participation of staff and families.  Our volunteers from the USA were also present in spirit.

The graduates with Sisters Olga, Teresa María, Marta Inés and María

Rejoicing!

Potable Water for Sixty Families

Bill Kearny, from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Seekonk, MA, one of the first comers to the mission in Guaimaca with the Diocesan groups, started five years ago to move a project to bring potable water to a very deprived area. Being an engineer himself, he enlisted the commitment of the Boston Chapter of Engineers Without Borders, who throughout these years has had about twenty people working on the project in different capacities.  Many have come to Guaimaca, work on obtaining funding and together realized studies and provide technical assistance.

The project serves the families of three villages: Aguacatillo, Maraquito and part of  La Calona in Guaimaca.  Most of them only had the polluted river water for all their needs. Needless to say that illnesses were rampart in the area.

The EWB (Engineers Without Borders) teamed up during these five years with the Water Board of the three villages, the City of Guaimaca, who assisted with some equipment and materials and the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation, who acted as a liaison between groups. 

Sr. María shairng the history of the project

After these years of many trips to Guaimaca, intense work, training of the people in the area, the people started having running water on December 18th, when the project was inaugurated. 

Sr. Marta giving a financial report

Some of the families

Standing room only

 Claire Barker who coordinated the project during the last two years, and David Ramos, a Honduran native and member of the EWB Boston Chapter were present, as well as Dr. Nelson Chávez, mayor of Guaimaca, the Dominican Sisters, the Water Board and many people from the three villages.

Claire Barker speaks on the name of the EWB

Potable water at last!

Dr. Chávez cutting the ribbon

It was certainly a joyful day

that marked a new beginning

for many people! 

First University Graduate

Thanks to the openness of the University of Agriculture in Catacamas and the generosity of several benefactors, several CMP graduates went on to pursue university studies in 2010.  Now after four years of perseverance and intense study Patricia López graduated on December 21st. She has now her Bachelors in Natural Resources and Environment and is ready to move on as a professional to contribute to the betterment of her country.

  

Sisters María Ceballos, Teresa María Abelló and Marta Inés Toro, accompanied her.  It was a happy moment for her parents and family members.  We were glad to have been able to express our gratitude to the different university officials.

We thank all those who in different ways

have supported our university students!