BCU students serve people in Honduras

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
December 9, 2004

A group from the Diocese of Sioux City experienced a different culture while doing service work in Honduras.

Students from Briar Cliff University along with a couple of adults traveled to Honduras for 10 days of service work, Nov. 18-27, during their fall break.

The trip came about when one student, Kendra Homan, a BC student from Gehlen in Le Mars, who had previously gone to Honduras, brought the idea to Sister Janet May, campus minister. A group from Le Mars has organized several trips in the last five years. Through Dick Sievert, a teacher at Gehlen, the Briar Cliff group arranged the trip.

The group included Sister Janet, Jim Redmond, English professor at Briar Cliff; Frank Sievert, their guide from South Dakota; Shirley Letner of Sheldon, grandmother to Erin Youngers, a student that went; and students Kayla Anderson, Ashley Hittle, Homan, Susan Hopkins, Mike Jensen, Jenny Lallie, Jenny Mohlman, Stephen Moore, Jared Solko, James Wrigg, Megan Schiltz, Jenny Volkmer, Chelsey Yoder and Esmeralda Zavala.

Homan commented that this trip she was not as struck by the poverty because she had already been there. She saw things in a different view this time and was able to interact with the people more.

"They had some real shifts in attitudes towards immigrants," said Sister Janet. "The poverty of the people hit everybody hard. Just the lack of conveniences, they have so little and yet they were so generous in sharing with us, welcoming us, trusting us, yet we sometimes don't trust them as readily."

Usually the team got up around 6 a.m. At 7 a.m., they began work for the day and worked until noon when they would be fed lunch by the people of the village they were in. Then they would continue work or go back to the compound in El Guante, where they stayed, to shower and get ready for their next activity. They experienced a house blessing as well as other religious ceremonies. In the evening, they also played soccer with children.

"I definitely saw God through the people down there," said Yoder. "They live so simple, and they don't worry about anything. They take God with them everywhere they go. On the bus there was a lady reading her Bible. We waved to a guy on the road, and he flashed us his Bible and gave us a thumbs up. They depend on God so much when we just believe in God instead of depending on him."

The group helped build a fence around a village church to protect the church from the animals that run in the street. They gathered rocks in the hills by taking a cart pulled by an ox to carry the rocks. They also made cement by hand.

They helped dig a trench for a new building next to a clinic that will house an ambulance and a meeting room for the people. This building will be dedicated to Briar Cliff student Drew Bickford's father, Dan. The family is giving the funding to build the structure.

The team spent time at an orphanage with about 600 children and at a malnutrition center where they interacted with children. Homan noted that the children at the malnutrition center had eye problems and brain problems from the lack of nutrition.

"I was touched by the beautiful simplicity of the people in Honduras - their trust in God, their open hearts to receive us," said Sister Janet. "I saw God in the children. I really saw God at work in our students and how they so generously gave of themselves. They just moved into the lives of these children. Two cultures coming together was beautiful."

Whenever the group needed someone to translate, Zavala was on hand to help them out since she is fluent in Spanish.

The group had reflection time each night when they talked about their day, how they saw God and the shock they were all going through. During this time they got to know each other and prayed together.

"I truly believe that they moved out of their comfort zones and experienced the giftedness of poor people - how much they really have to give to us as far as their priorities are their faith, relationships and they work together as a community," said Sister Janet. "The idea that we have become so self-sufficient, so caught up in materialism, it made us realize that sometimes our priorities aren't in the right place."

Yoder explained that this is something she has always wanted to do and this was her opportunity. She thought it was "awesome to do God's work with so many other people and to experience another culture." Zavala also commented that it has been a dream of hers to go to another country and help out.

"They gave us all they could out of their poverty and we gave to them out of our wealth," said Homan. "We brought down extra stuff we had. We never suffered for them but they totally suffered for us. They didn't eat the days that they fed us."

Sister Janet added that they appreciate all the people who supported them with prayers and finances.