Thoughts from Nicaragua

Hola mis amigos! Aqui estan algunos pensamientos de mis ultimas semanas (Hey friends! Here are a few thoughts from the past few weeks):

 

From the book untitled The Imitation of Christ:

“If I only knew how to persevere!”

“And if you did know, what would you do? Do now what you would do, and you shall be perfectly secure.”

 

A few weeks ago, I want to Granada, Nicaragua to study Spanish. I got to stay with a friend, Adela, with whom I studied during my year in Rome!

Each day after class, I would pass by the Cathedral and talk to a homeless man. When I met him at the beginning of the week, he was on the ground with small metal crutches. By the end of the week, he had a wheelchair (which someone gave to him), and had started a little “store”, selling gum and sweets out of a little box on his lap. He was so excited to start his new little business. But someone tried to steal his box during the night, and he ended up with a big black eye. So sad. He’s such a joyful and wise person. He told me that we all need to strive to be humble, and that when he was robbed, he tried to be humble and to say, “Well, they can take everything away, but they can’t take my joy, my love, my faith.” What a witness. He also told me how much he appreciated that I came to talk to him every day, because when most people see him, a man with shriveled legs out on the street, they don’t want to come near him. All I was doing was treating him like a human being – not really anything big – but it touched him a lot. It’s because all of us, rich or poor, want to be loved and treated like we’re worth something. And we are! Thanks be to God!

Adela’s family was such an example to me. They work so hard, and still go to Mass every day, visit sick people several times a week, and are constantly having meetings and prayer groups in their home. To me they are an example of people who give everything they have for the sake of Jesus.

My last day in Nicaragua, I got to go to Mass in the Cathedral. The priest was so passionate, and talked about how it’s so easy for us to talk to other people about any topic, other than God. He challenged us to say to one person during each day: “God loves you.” That should be so easy! Why isn’t it?! Why is it hard to say that, even to a stranger? God can really use that small phrase to plant a seed of hope in someone’s heart. Are we really so prideful and worried about our own self-image that we can’t do just a little bit to help a soul who is desperately seeking truth and happiness, just as we are?

I once heard a homily from a priest. He told how his father worked in toll booth on a toll road, collecting money. To each person who passed through, he would say, “God bless you.” One day, a car pulled up, and as always he said, “God bless you.” The man inside looked at him and said, “Yesterday, I came through this toll with every intention of committing suicide when I got home. But when you said ‘God bless you’ to me, I thought, ‘well, maybe there’s hope.’” 

Yes, it’s very difficult – for me too!!! But it’s worth it, for God and for souls.

This priest also shared about suffering, and how often times when something goes wrong in life, we immediately ask “why?” (in spanish, “porque?”). But this is the wrong question. The right question is “for what” (in Spanish, “para que?”). It’s just a small change in perspective (and in language, at least in spanish), but it makes all the difference. Instead of “porque is this happening God?”, we can ask “para que is this happening God?” “Para que are You allowing this to happen? What do you want to teach me? How do you want me to grow through this struggle? This changes our attitude from one of complaining to one of mission, seeking God’s will and how we can fulfill it.

The door is there, but Jesus said when we encounter it, it will be closed, not open. We must knock. It takes effort. And not just once, but every day. CS Lewis (author of Narnia) said that we have to give our lives in to the hand’s of God each morning anew, as if we had never done so before.

So, today is a new day. Let’s give Him our trust, today, and allow Him to be the one behind the wheel.

Peace to all!

Eric

 

 

Questioning God

The “feels like” temperature is currently 111 degrees (43.9 celsius). It’s crazy when 95 degrees feels like a nice spring day!

The other day, I went to go visit a young guy named Noe who is bed-ridden. He was shot 3 or 4 years ago, and is now paralyzed from the waist down. He has a wheelchair, but rarely leaves, and spends most of his days in his bed. Even when its 111 degrees. And yet, he is one of the most faith-filled, encouraging, and joyful people that I know! There was a medical brigade down here last week, a group of about 30 doctors that came down from the US to perform surgeries, completely for free. This occurs about once every two months, and people travel from up to 5 or 6 hours away to come here and receive free surgeries. Noe actually received a surgery during one of these brigades – one of the 8 surgeries he’s had in the past 3 years. Now he goes to visit people in the rooms, hearing their fears and concerns, and praying with them and encouraging them that everything will be just fine. To me, this young guy is a saint. He’s doing exactly what Jesus did – turning one of the most horrible things imaginable (the cross) in to something that brings life to others (the resurrection).

I visited him with another friend, and we got to talking about the US, and its strict border laws. My friend with me began to tell us the story of how his father went to the US to find work and send money home to support his family here. He paid a coyote (a “guide” who brings you across the border illegally), and went with a big group across the border in Texas. They successfully crossed the border, and then spent three days trekking across the desert, with little to eat or drink. They encountered human bones, and had to wear PVC pipes on their shins to protect from snakes. At one point when one woman could go no further, the “coyote” told them to just leave her – my friend’s dad and another carried her the rest of the way across the desert. He eventually reached New York, where his brother was staying, and moved in with him….for one day. Somehow the cops found out, and busted in unexpectedly the day after he arrived. They carted him off to immigration, aka jail, and he had no idea how long he would be there. Sometimes people stay a week, others a year. His family had no word from him for the next 3 months while he was stuck in jail; finally he was allowed to leave and go back to Honduras.

After my friend finished this story, he asked me if it was difficult for me to be to travel to Europe when I studied there. Noe answered for me – “It’s not hard for Americans to travel anywhere. The world is open to them.” How true is that; and how unjust! People from the US and other so-called “privileged” countries can travel wherever they want, while someone from Honduras is suspect at every turn. They have to prove that they have at least $7,500 in the bank to even be considered able to enter in the US! I don’t say all this to get in to politics and all of that; I know there are reasons for laws, etc. But it all just seems so unjust and unfair.

Something more – we had a TON of trash last week, so I and another missionary where taking it all out. We have a big box outside with a lock on it, where we keep our trash. I never knew why we had to lock up our trash….who’s gonna steal it?! Well, I found out this week. We had so much trash that it didn’t fit in to our box, so I put 5 or 6 bags on top of the box, and called it a day. Our director saw it, and told me we can’t do that. If the people in our neighborhood see a trashbag outside, they will immediately come and tear it open, looking for valuables or things to recycle. I was shocked. Although I have never actually seen this happening, I’ve heard many stories. Once I was visiting a family, and they told me that they don’t go to Mass on Sundays because they go out as a family to look through trash all day.

Why God? These are just a few stories of injustice. How many thousands, millions more are there? What can we do, really? How do we heal a world that is so broken, that has built itself on a foundation of injustice and death, and is bound to crumble? Why are some born in to the “privileged” world, while others have to sift through trash?

It’s so easy, in the face of so much darkness, to give up, to lose hope. It’s true, we really can’t change much. We can’t change the structures of countries and governments that allow some to live in excess while others live with nothing. The one thing we can change is ourselves. If I can change myself for the better, maybe I will inspire others to do the same.

There’s a song I like that starts off by asking God why He allows these things to happen. The singer asks God, “When are you going to do something?” And He replies, “I did. I made you.” So with faith that Jesus has already conquered death and evil, and that He will continue to do so every day, through us more than anything else, let us go forth, perfecting ourselves and our faults, so as to perfect the world.

Let us pray: Give me Lord, a faith that is deeper than feelings or consolation; a faith that truly believes in Your merciful and loving presence with me at all times, and that strives to live a life that conforms with this faith. Give me, Lord, a hope that withstands all trials and supports me through darkness, that in the face of so much suffering and madness will always stand firm and say: “Courage! God is here.” Give me, Lord, a love that has no boundaries and no exceptions; that forgets self and looks out to others first; that knows deeply that we are all one body, and because of this knowledge flees with a burning haste to heal and nourish those parts of the body that are hurting most – even those in our own back yard. Give me a heart after Your own Heart, Lord, meek and humble. How amazing it is Lord: You have a Heart! Mary, whose heart most resembles that of your Son, make our hearts like His – full of hope, and open to a world who needs His comfort and light! Amen.

“Venid a mi todos los que estais fatigados y sobrecargados, y yo os dare descanso.”

“Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Alleluia!

I don’t really know where to even begin with this blog. Well, as many of you know, I went home last week to be with my Grandma during her last days of life. I’m back in Honduras again after a whirl-wind week of sadness, joy, traveling, family, Easter celebrations…It felt like a month!

During Holy Week, our whole community went to a beach in the north of Honduras for a mission. Honduras is a Catholic country, but during Holy Week, the most important week of the whole year in our Church, many people get off from work and head to the beach. Instead of attending the beautiful processions, celebrations, and Masses that Latin America is famous for during Holy Week, many participate in activities less – holy”, we’ll say – on the beach.  So the bishop of this particular area asked our community if we would come to do a mission, talking to people about God, doing skits, talks, music, and activities on the beach, and inviting people to the various Holy Week celebrations. This is super unheard of in Honduras (well, I guess it is pretty much anywhere), but one priest put it this way: “Is Satan going to be at the beach? Well then, why not bring Jesus?!”

So, miracle number one – on Tuesday of Holy Week, a horrible storm came through, and the torrential rain meant that nobody went to the beach. So we were stuck with nothing to do. Luckily, a man we were working with used to work at a home for children that had been abandoned to live on the streets, so we went there to visit with the kids. Normally we would have stayed out on the beach until 8 or 9 at night, but this day we returned to our house at 4. I figured I would check my email to see if I had any news from my parents about my Grandma. Sure enough, my mom had sent an email saying that if I wanted to be with her before she passed away, I should come home the next day.

Miracle number, two – So, I ran to the closest ticket office to buy a bus ticket for the airport for the next day. Closed. All week. So I tried to find a ticket that I could buy online. The websites of 3 companies – crashed. Finally I found one that let me buy a ticket, after this website also failed four times!

Miracle three – The other missionaries were so amazingly supportive, praying for my Grandma and my family during Mass and with me before I left. I headed out the next morning at 4am, and a priest drove me to the bus stop, which was now an abandoned building with no one there. With only 15 minutes until my bus was supposed to leave, we frantically asked all the policemen that would could find (they stand out on the streets all night with massive guns) where the bus stop was! Finally we found it, and I took a three hour trip to the airport.

Miracle number four – I’m usually good at traveling. I’ve done it enough to have my routine and to know exactly what I’m doing. This time, I was a bit frazzled. So as I went to enter security, I realized I no longer had my passport or wallet with me – I had left them in the bathroom! I sprinted back to the bathroom, and there was a man leaving the bathroom with my things in his hand! So I politely thanked him and yanked them from his grip, and sprinted back to security. After that, my trip home was smooth sailing.

I made it back home that Wednesday night. My dad picked me up, and we went straight to the hospital. It was the first time I had seen my Grandma since her stroke, and it definitely was not easy. But it was beautiful to be there, and another miracle that I made it there to be with her before she passed!! Thanks be to God.

Miracle number five: the greatest of all – My mom and I spent the night with my Grandma, sleeping a bit, but mostly talking together and with her, and praying. I found out later that the nurses were worried about this “kid from Honduras bringing weird diseases in to the hospital.” Oops! The next day, all of my Aunts and Uncles came to the hospital, and we spent the day talking and praying more. Holy Thursday. As Jesus was preparing for His death on the cross, my Grandma was also preparing for her death. How beautiful. It made living Holy Week so much more real.

At one point, I really just felt I should pray the rosary, so we all began to pray around the bed of my Grandma. I was leading the first mystery, when the miracle happened: My Grandma had not opened her eyes in more than two days. But almost the moment that we started to pray the rosary together around her, she opened her eyes wide, and just stared at us. I know that she was praying with us, saying goodbye, and telling us that Mary was coming to bring her to Jesus in Heaven. After a minute, she began to look past us, as if she saw something. And then, she died, so peacefully and beautifully. Obviously we were all crying, but mostly out of thanksgiving and utter joy – what a beautiful entrance in to heaven! Surrounded by family, praying to God. We were all just so filled with joy that she was Home, with God and with my Grandpap again. We had been telling her constantly: “Just go Grandma! What are you waiting for!” There was a marker-board in her room that said who her nurses were, her medicines, etc, and one place that said “patient goals.” My Aunt had written: “Meet Jesus.” We kept telling Grandma, “Grandma, we’re not leaving until you meet your goals!” Well, she met them. I’m pretty sure the nurses and the people in the hospital thought we were absolutely crazy when we left. We were visibly filled with joy, talking, smiling, recounting this incredible event. Maybe we are crazy; but that’s the beauty of faith in a God of Love.

The following days were filled with ups and downs, but mostly ups. A full week at home with the entire family – what a huge blessing! Around Christmas, we had played an epic game of Uno together with my Grandma, that had lasted 7 hours. So in honor of this, we played another game, and set up Grandma’s chair. It was just a joyous and laughter-filled – she was there with us.

And now I’m back in Honduras. From 20 degrees and snow to 95 degrees and sun, all in one day. I don’t think the human body was made for that! It’s weird now, because everything is “normal” again. It’s hard to go back to normal after something like this happens! It’s in the normal events of everyday life that we come to realize more fully the absence of our loved ones. But it’s also in the everyday things of life that we can remember, if we have faith, that they are there with us, closer than we can imagine. They are there smiling, praying, and coaxing us to remember: “Only one thing matters. Love. Love God, love others, love yourself.” If we do that, we can be confident that, through the Mercy of God, we will again be with our loved ones in an embrace of ecstatic love that will never end. As tomorrow we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, let us remember the Mercy of God, His infinite Love for us. The image of Jesus on the cross speaks two words to all humanity: “Behold God.” A God whose Body and Heart were broken for His great Love for us. Let us entrust our loved ones and ourselves to this Mercy, forgetting everything else, and listening to that still, small voice that says: “Come.”

"The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father." -- Matthew 13:43. Rest with Jesus Grandma!

Happy Easter to all of you! Alleluia!

In His Risen JOY,

Eric

2 Weeks...

So much can happen in 2 weeks!

First --- These past two weeks, we had 2 different university groups down from the US for spring break missions. It was so strange to be surrounded by so many “gringos”! The first week consisted of groups from Virginia and Florida. We went to a village about an hour from Comayauga, and it was a beautiful week. We visited all the houses in the village, listening to people’s stories and prayed with them; we prayed with an 87 year old man who had been bed ridden for years but insisted that he wanted to come with us on our next mission; we led programs for kids, youth, and families; I learned that I love translating, but that it brings my brain to the verge of exploding; we got to make tortillas from scratch (mix the corn and water, grind it up, make them in to little circles, and cook them! I got laughed at because my “circle” looked more like the shape of the US…). The people were so generous and beautiful. The kids followed us around the whole week, and even got to leave school in order to see us off when we left. On the last day, two teenage girls asked one of the missionaries if he could accompany them to a woman’s house because they wanted to ask her forgiveness for things they had said to her. So, beautiful things happened; small maybe, but beautiful.

The first group from the US left, and about 4 hours later, the second group arrived! It was emotionally draining! We made some great friendships in a short week, and then they were gone, and a whole new group of 30 young people was there! But it was another awesome group, this time from Texas A&M as well as FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) from all over the country. We headed out on another mission, this time about 4 hours away. My village had no electricity and was very primitive. We had another incredible week, building relationships with the people and helping each other walk together towards our common Home.  We ended this mission with a “party” where 3 villages all came together. Fr. Gabriel of the CFR’s was with us, and he celebrated Mass and a time of adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The villages we were in only receive the Mass twice a year, and some of the people had never experienced adoration before. There were 80 year old women who had walked half an hour through the mountains to get to the church, and came hobbling forward to pray before Jesus in the Eucharist. I think someone was cutting onions in the back of the church……or were those tears? ;)

I realized something during my time in this village without electricity: the life in the mountains no longer scares me or freaks me out. On my first few missions to the mountains, the life of the people really shocked me, because it is SO different from anything we’re used to. But now, I can see it more clearly for what it is: a simple life, centered on family, friends, and God, without any distractions. Actually, I think my normal life back in the States now “scares” me more than this life in the mountains. After being away from it for so long, all of the distractions that I fill my life with seem so foreign and strange. The fact that my “normal” life now seems abnormal freaks me out! But I think the life here can teach us something profound…

The second big thing in the past 2 weeks: Habemus Papam! We have a Pope! Woo hooooooo! And incredibly, the fact that I was in a remote village without electricity didn’t stop us from finding out the news! So, here’s how it went down: I was in the process of giving a talk to a completely full church in our village – a talk on how it’s important to live our faith and not just have it as a tradition or habit. So I was saying: “Ya, these are really exciting times, because all the cardinals in the world are united in Rome now to choose a new Pope…” and a woman in the back of the church stood up and yelled, “they already did!!” I almost fell over! She went on to tell us that he was from Argentina, and chose the name of Francis. I can’t explain the feeling in that moment…discovering the election of our new Holy Father in the middle of a dark church, lit by one candle, surrounded by the faithful people in this village. It was incredible; a moment a will never forget! Thank God for our new Papa! Let’s keep him in our prayers.

And finally, the third thing that happened during these 2 weeks, not so exciting as the first two, is that my grandma had a stroke. It happened while I was in the mountains, so I didn’t find out until coming back. After praying and reflecting about it, I realized something: when tragic things like this happen, we always have two choices- we can become sad and depressed and bitter, angry at God; or we can accept it as a time when we can grow in love, service, sacrifice, patience, and remember what is really important in life- to show love to those around us while they are here. Today, not tomorrow.

After speaking recently with my parents, they said my grandma was trying to talk again, but her words were all jumbled, when, in a moment of clarity, she said the words, “Hallowed be Thy name.” How beautiful. She’s trying to show us that she’s still fighting, still has hope, still praying, and that she wants us to pray for and with her. Couldn’t really ask for anything more than that. God is good.

One final thought. When we were in one of the villages, a girl on the mission team gave a talk about Lent to young people. They were attentive enough, but maybe not suuuper interested. But at one point, she took down from the wall one of the Stations of the Cross, a picture of Jesus being tortured. And she said: “This is Jesus. But imagine if this were your mother. Or your brother, or best friend, or child; being unjustly hated and beat up and killed. How would you feel?” This got their attention for sure! But it’s true. We would do anything possible to stop this injustice if it were one of our loved ones. But with Jesus, we’re often indifferent. We hear about His death so much, that we become desensitized. Is He one of our “loved ones”? I challenge all of us this Holy Week, to reflect on this. Put the person you love most in the world in the shoes of Jesus, and reflect on what He suffered for us, out of love.

Peace and grace be with you this Holy Week and Easter!

Eric

Lent Continues...

Buenos dias/tardes/noches (depending on when you’re reading this)!

As I write this, the other missionaries and I are preparing (slightly feverishly) for the arrival of 2 mission groups from the US who will be arriving this weekend. Both are groups of university students on spring break who are coming down for a week-long mission trip. Much to do before they arrive!

As we enter more deeply in to Lent, I want to reflect a little bit on something really important, and something almost none of us have enough of: silence. I had the blessing to go on a 2 day silent retreat this past week, and although it was short, it was truly amazing. We are all surrounded by “noise” almost constantly: TVs, cell phones, computers, people, music, announcements……and other things that don’t necessarily make noise, but fill our souls with noise: stress, millions of things to do. The world speaks to us with constant noise. God speaks to us in silence. It is only when we try to separate ourselves from these things and calm our hearts that we can truly hear His voice. Mother Teresa used to say: “The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; the fruit of service is peace.” So it all stems from silence!

Entering in to just 2 days of complete silence really is like entering in to a different world. It makes you think differently, realize small things that you normally pass over, and helps you to see how God is working in little ways. It’s so hard to “tune out” all the noise in our daily lives and take time to just be. But how important it is! God is not going to try to compete for our attention. He calls us quietly.

The other day during holy hour, I was just reflecting on two things: what do I want to do; and who do I want to be? Do the things I do help me to be the person I want to be? And the answer to that, many times, is “no.” I want to be a person who loves, who tries to help others, who tries to reflect God’s light in the world. But do I really work super hard to love? Many times, no. I think all of us can agree that, deep down at least, we all know that love is the reason we are here. Do we work harder on loving than on all the other things in our lives? Often times I put more effort in to my facebook than I do in loving! How sad! Let’s try to put the things we do in line with the people we want to be.

One last thing. The other night, it was suuuper hot here, and I couldn’t sleep at all. We had a prayer vigil throughout the night, where each person signed up for 1 hour to pray in front of Jesus in the Eucharist. My hour was 2am to 3am, and I barely slept at all up until this time. And afterwards, I had to get up at 5am, like every day. I was really grumpy on the way to Mass in the morning, and just wallowing in self-pity (woe is me, I didn’t get any sleep, etc etc). Up until the time Mass started I was just in a horrible mood! And then, God spoke to me: “Eric, there are people who can’t sleep a minute because they have chronic pain shooting like lightning through their body. There are children in Africa who have to huddle together and sleep outside because they live in fear of being taken from their families and forced to be child-soldiers. And you are going to complain because you had one bad night of sleep? And on top of that, you got to spend one hour of your night with Me.” Well! Needless to say, after that loving reprimand from God, I was completely humbled and ashamed, but at the same time really grateful. My bad mood became one of peace in about 2 seconds. God is so good at doing that!

Ok, I should get going…lots to prepare before tomorrow! Please pray for us this week and next week as we serve the people in the mountain villages! God bless!

Eric

The Pope, Lent, and Mission

Hello again, from hot and humid Comayagua! Hope all of you in the north eastern part of the States are fairing alright with all that snow!

Well, we were all shocked to find out about the Pope´s resignation on Monday. My first reaction was sadness. Benedict is my Pope! I lived in Rome with him for a year, attending all the events of the Church with him, witnessing him stand in the heat of the sun for more than 3 hours during Palm Sunday Mass, cheering for him in Spain during World Youth Day, even climbed scaffolding to see him on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Some of the other students of the Emmanuel School of Mission and I even got to sing happy birthday to him (remember that guys?!)! It´s so strange that he won´t be our Papa anymore.

And yet, getting to watch him in Rome, reading his writings, and seeing the type of man he is, I´m sure that this decision comes from God. Pope Benedict is a man of deep prayer and humility, a person who seeks out God´s will, no matter how difficult it will be, and no matter how many people will oppose him for following it. Knowing this then, we can rest at peace, knowing that this decision is from the Holy Spirit, and that God will provide the guidance and wisdom for choosing a knew Pastor for our Holy Roman Catholic Church. How exciting! Who knows where our next Pope could be from? United States???.........we shall see! Let us pray for Pope Benedict and his decision, and for our next Pope. God knows he´ll need it!

And somehow or other, so soon after Christmas, we find ourselves in Lent!! How that exactly happened, I´m not completely sure…but here we are! After thinking a lot about what I can do and what I can give up this Lent to come closer to God, something kept returning to my mind over and over again – if it doesn’t help you to love, then it´s not worth it. I know someone who tried to live on bread and water for all 40 days of Lent. They succeeded, but they also succeeded in being quite impatient and aggressive with others, due to the constant rumbling of their belly! So we can reflect on that thought this Lent: is this helping me to be a more loving person? If it´s not, let´s toss it out and search for something to give up that gets in our way of loving!

Just one more quick reflection on mission in general. I had to read Pope John Paul II´s encyclical Redemptoris Missio in order to prepare myself for this mission. I´ve been reflecting lately on the following passages:

           

¨The mission demands holy missionaries. Let us remember the missionary enthusiasm of the first Christian communities. Despite difficulties, the Gospel quickly reached the ends of the earth. And this was the religion of a man who died on a cross! Underlying it all was the holiness of the first Christians……The missionary is a witness to the experience of God, and of the inner joy that comes from faith. In a world tormented and oppressed by so many problems, a world tempted to pessimism, the one who proclaims the Good News must be a person who has found true hope in Christ.¨

Well, JPII is definitely calling me out here! Thanks a lot buddy……No but seriously, it really makes me think – what does my life say to others? Does my life say, even without words, that I love God? Does it speak of that ¨inner joy that comes from faith¨? As we are all called to be missionaries, we can all reflect on this question. What does our life say? Does it express our deepest beliefs about life and love? If not, what can we do concretely in our every day life to make that happen more and more?

Sorry for giving out homework this week! But it´s Lent, right! I´ve gotta punish you somehow!! Kidding, kidding! We´ve already established, Lent is about love!

I hope you have marvelous week! You are all in my prayers. Peace of Christ!

Eric

Retreat at the Beach

Hola!

Well, much has happened in the past week since I last wrote!

All of the missionaries and some of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal piled in to a 15 passenger van and headed north to the city of La Ceiba, on the coast. This was my first trip to the beach, so obviously I was super excited! But our purpose there didn´t really include relaxing out on the sand…we were there to put on a retreat for 170 young people.

The name of this type of retreat is Pan de Vida, or Bread of Life. The purpose is to give young people a real experience of Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist. Often as Catholics, we grow up hearing again and again that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, but it never really means anything…we go up to receive that ¨piece of bread¨ each Sunday at Mass. During Pan de Vida, we try to help young people experience for themselves that this is no mere ¨piece of bread,¨ but that it is Jesus among us! So yes, there are talks and activities and such, but our goal isn’t to intellectually convince anyone of the truth of this Church teaching. It´s to help people to meet Jesus, alive today. So we have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the whole retreat! Jesus in the Eucharist is directly in the middle of the young people during all the talks, songs, dancing, activities, sharing groups, etc.

At one point, there is a vigil where all the young people sit in a huge circle, and a priest takes the Eucharist in the monstrance and lowers it over the head of each and every young person at the retreat. For me, this was the most powerful part of the weekend. It was amazing – at the beginning, many of the young people were a bit ¨too cool for school,¨ not participating in the music or activities. But during this vigil, there was such a prayerful and peaceful presence, and I definitely saw many tears shed (even from the ¨tough¨ younger guys!). Almost every single person went to the sacrament of Confession as well, which was beautiful to see.

One girl in particular, I noticed at the very beginning of the retreat, had her arms folded and a big frown on her face while we were singing some songs. By the end, she was beaming, laughing, taking part in everything. I know that God did a lot in people´s hearts during this retreat!

During the weekend, the guy missionaries all stayed in the house of the Bishop. It was really cool to eat breakfast with him, sitting there just in his undershirt and jeans. Bishops are people too, right!

After it was all over, we spent a beautiful few hours on the beach relaxing. Woo hooo!! I forgot to bring my swim trunks, but that wasn’t gonna stop me! I went in with my jeans on, and still was in paradise!

The past few days, we have been working hard to prepare things for kids going back to school. Here in Honduras, they are just starting up the beginning of their school year (they are just ending their ¨summer¨ break). School is free, but everyone has to buy a uniform, backpack, and school supplies. There are many people who cannot afford to do this, and because of this sometimes kids can´t go to school! So we help to support about 40 kids so that they can go to school. I got to go on a huge shopping spree, buying shoes, shirts, skirts, socks, etc. Thank you so much to everyone who gave me money while I was home during Christmas break! This money has gone to support these kids and their education.

Yesterday, all the kids came to pick up there brand new things. They were so excited – modeling their new shoes and shirts and skirts. It´s amazing how excited a kid can be over an eraser or some colored pencils!

On a bit of a more somber note…please pray for Honduras. The murder and crime rates are greatly on the increase. In the past few weeks, 2 mayors and one vice mayor have been killed, along with a lot of other people. It´s an election year, and here if you´re in politics, that means you have dangerous enemies. But don´t worry, I´m not going to die! I ran for mayor here, but, I lost…so I´m all good! ;)

Live in peace!

Eric