Pray for Honduras on Sunday, March 23, 2014

Lectionary Selection: John 4:5-42

Prayers for Honduras:
Dear God, Creator of humankind, we come to you with humility and appreciation of your creation. We know we have not always been good curators of this earth, but we ask your guidance in knowing the way forward. Help us love and protect our gifts, so our children will know the wonderment. Lead us to the well and quench our thirst with the living water. Amen.

Mission Stewardship Moment from Honduras:
Allow me to introduce Rosalina Matute. She lives in Honduras in the village of San Ignacio, two hours north of the capitol city of Tegucigalpa. Rosalina Matute is chair of a cooperative of women entrepreneurs known as Programa de Asignación Familiar, PRAM, the allocation to family program. The woman have organized to make brisas. We know them as Freeze-pops. They call their product Brisas de Cielo, Heavenly Freeze-pops. Their church, Iglesia Elim, donates space for the women to set up their equipment and work. Ten women work full time at PRAM. They purchase juice concentrate in various flavors and mix it with water. They fill plastic tubes from a hose connected to a five bucket then seal the tubes with a heat sealer. They produce 1,250 freeze pops a week which they sell to local grocery stores and street vendors at one Lempira each, about a nickel. No matter how you do the math, there is not a large profit margin in this business and the women are looking for ways to increase their productivity and profit. A major challenge is the water supply in San Ignacius is not clean. This village continues to experience water contamination from the effects of U.S and Canadian mining in the early 20th Century. At this time the cooperative purchases 50 gallons of bottled water per week for the freeze pops, but are looking to buy a water filter to avoid the high cost of purchased water. In addition, the women would like to purchase a large, industrial sealing machine, enabling them to work faster and increase the size of their business. CCD with help from Global Ministries help to develop strong leaders such as Rosalina. Leadership development is key to continuation and growth of a program and leadership is only able to develop with freedom and accountability. Rosalina is a leader. She knows her business and she is able to guide the women through an action plan.

I’m not sure if Jesus was thinking about freeze pops when he was talking to the woman at the well, but I think he knew about Rosalina Matute’s wish to drink the water of eternal life and never have to go to the well again.

(Prayer and Mission Moment by Maryjane and Don Westra)

Mission Partners in Honduras:

More information on Honduras:
http://globalministries.org/lac/countries/honduras/

Global Ministries Missionary in Honduras:
Donald Westra and Maryjane Westra, are members of Federated Church UCC, Fergus Falls, Minnesota and serve the Christian Commission for Development (CCD) in Honduras. CCD provides ecumenical theological education and support to Honduran pastors. In addition, CCD provides vocational programs for city Youth-at-Risk.