A Letter to the Team from Paul Mandell

Dear Eileen and Mission Honduras 2011,

It is hard to believe that it was exactly ten years ago this June that I went to San Pedro Sula and El Ocotillo for the very first time. Terri

DiRaddo was the Program Director at the Cathedral and with her, Dean Reynolds, Reverend Betty Adams, Wick and Rob Rowland, Sarah Lynn, Joie Weier to name but a few, I went on a trip that was going to transform me and shape the next ten years of my life.

His name was Roger. In Spanish, it is pronounced roughly "'Rowhair."

Roger was our bus driver - or chofer, in Spanish (say it out

loud) - and he did not speak a word of English. Nevertheless every

time he met up with our team, he had a smile that lit up the room

and he could not do enough to help whether it was assisting team

members with luggage, carrying tools or individuals on and off the

bus. He could not help enough. Ultimately we were to learn that

Roger's life had been one of the many lives in Honduras that had

been dramatically changed by Hurricane Mitch. Roger had owned

a series of small businesses in Honduras all of which had been

washed away by the storm. He was one of the fortunate few to

have found employment as a driver and he was very grateful for

having found that position.

One day as we were on the way from San Pedro Sula upon

learning I spoke Spanish, Roger began to share information about

where we were, the geography nearby, the history of the area and

more. It seemed only natural to me to share all he was saying with

the rest of the team. When he realized what was happening, he

began to share all the more. The result was a week of work, during

which we started building a house for a single mother and her

children; a week that was enriched by Roger's generous

knowledge shared with the team. I found my life touched to be

able to serve in such a linguistic capacity. There were many God-touched

moments in those interactions.

I am excited. I am excited for you, for the work you will do this

summer, for the people you will meet and for the lives that will

indubitably be transformed while you are in Honduras. I warn you

though; the experiences into which you enter will be filled with love

and you may find yourselves changed in ways that may not be

immediately apparent; the changes may surprise you, may be

profound and possibly quite long-lived. May God bless you, this

trip and everyone whom you encounter.

Sincerely yours,

Paul Mandell