Dear Friends in Christ,

May the joy of the Risen Lord be with you all!! How wonderful that we have fifty days to celebrate the glorious resurrection of the Lord. Here in Honduras during the Easter season, resurrection seems especially poignant as the country works to rebuild itself after Hurricane Mitch. Resurrection surrounds us here, and we happily witness this rebirth by sharing the account of one family.

Five years ago when we began our work to make the Farm of the Child a reality, the Hernandez family were our neighbors. Cristobal, aged 33, his wife, Maria, 33, and their 7 children: Oclides, 13, Cristobal, 11, Delmi, 10, Erika, 3, Daniel, 6, Jovani, 4, and Jose, 2, are a precious family. They worked and cared for the neighboring property, planting, platanos, yucca, and corn. The children of school age attended our school and the eldest Oclides, was one of the best students, maintaining his grades between 90% and 100%. Maria formed part of our women's group, Women Encountering Jesus. She always took time to come to our gatherings, participating in our reflections on the scriptures, and helping to prepare our spiritual programs for the radio.

After some time, Cristobal's five older brothers came to "visit" him. Rodolfo, Nicho, Daniel, Raul, and Benjamin, collectively referred to as Los Unudos (meaning those with long fingernails), immediately disrupted the harmony of Cristobal's family with their drinking problems. One of the brothers, Rodolfo, built a house for his family in a neighboring village, but the majority of the time they could all be found in their drunken stupor around Cristobal's house. None of the brothers sought stable work, ignoring their brother's advice to stop drinking, while disregarding his wish that they leave. Their presence created problems for Cristobal and his family; they set bad examples for their nieces and nephews and took food from their mouths as well. Because of the problems caused by his brothers' violent tempers, Cristobal decided to leave with his family. 'They left to live in Coco Olanchito, about 60 miles away. Though we all knew Cristobal was right to leave, it was nonetheless a sorrowful parting for both the Hernandez family as well as for those of us at the Farm.

Cristobal had no idea what he would do to sustain his family in this new home. One day he shared with me his desire to go to the United States, which from his point of view, was the answer. From there, he would be better able to help his wife and family. I advised against it. With so many small children and in new surroundings, Maria needed the presence and support of her husband. Cristobal, however, was desperate and decided [to go]. Once he had settled his family in their new house, he headed north. After five weeks, he returned, having no luck in crossing the border. The family was happy to be back together and began to establish their life in Coco Olanchito. Cristobal took tip his work to provide for his family by planting beans and corn. The children were busy with school and Maria joined a women's cooperative there. Everything began to look brighter for them--until a disaster named Mitch arrived. What a blessing that Cristobal didn't make it to the US when he tried, because his family became in grave danger when the rivers began to swell with Hurricane Mitch. The Coco river, about 1 kilometer from their house, overflowed its banks and began to fill their little village with water. At about 10pm that night realizing their great danger, Cristobal put three of the children on his back and shoulders. Maria carried the smallest two, while the rest of the bigger children grabbed onto their parents clothing for some assurance. They began to walk and wade through the waist deep water. After a mile of walking, fighting the strong currents of overflowing rivers, they reached a piece of higher ground. Once stopped, the reality of their situation began to hit; the children began to cry and all called for help. Their pleas were heard from up above with the arrival of small boat. They climbed into the boat and later [were] taken to a temporary shelter. Once inside this safe haven with many other hurricane refugees, the hunger and sickness began. Torrents of sadness also washed over them. Everything they had was now underneath water and filled with mud. Crops were washed away. Emerging from the shelter after the rains stopped, both their spirits and the land before them were desolate.

After five weeks of struggling to make some semblance of the mess, Cristobal made his way to the Farm to ask for advice and assistance. We offered him a piece of property that the Farm owns on the other side of Trujillo to build his house. The Farm paid for the materials and labor while Cristobal organized and built it. With so many out of work, Cristobal had a lot of willing assistants. Also, a group of women from the Catholic Church's "Work for Food" program came to help as part of their commitment to that program. In exchange for this, they received food. As the house began to go up, so too, did the spirits of all who put in their part.

Now the house is finished. The children are in school and Oclides, the eldest, is part of our scholarship program to help with his studies in Trujillo. Maria once again participates in our Women's Spiritual Group, while Cristobal has a steady job as a guard. The family is settling beautifully into their new life here. Thanks be to God for each one of you who make rebirth possible for our needy Honduran brothers and sisters. Our hope and prayer for you is that you may experience the glorious resurrection in your own lives and give witness to His abundant love and mercy every day.

In Christ,

Zulena Pescatore

Constructing A Vision: A Chapel for Farm of the Child
by Michelle Deal

Central to Vincent's vision of Farm of the Child included the presence of a chapel. It was to be the center of Farm life, and its construction held primacy over all the other buildings on the Farm. While Vincent's vision of the Farm continued to take shape after his death, the chapel, with its unique design and complex structure, remained unfinished--a seemingly insurmountable ordeal. Now almost three years later, chapel construction is again underway.

Donald Du Bay, our volunteer who heads up this project, trains and coordinates the workers who are slowly giving the chapel form. With 18 pillars that will support the roof structure and the walls, as well as plans for a stain glassed window above the altar, the construction of this earthquake proof chapel is clearly exciting. So far construction continues smoothly.

Mitchel Pete, another volunteer who was on the project for a few months, had extensive construction experience and greatly assisted the project [with] his training of the local Hondurans [on] the methods of American construction, including reed bar reinforced concrete foundations. Donald continues to supervise and train the crew as needed. However, the absence of American convenience makes the details of this project quite singular from any chapel built in the United States.

Finding and bringing wood to the farm, for instance, proves to be an active challenge. The system of buying wood differs significantly from that of the United States. Instead of buying individual planks of wood, one actually must hike into the mountains, buy a tree and cut it to size in the mountains, and then trek it down. The wood used for the chapel is called  barba lote, and although it cannot be found anywhere else, it resembles teak wood.

With the roof scheduled to go on by the end of April Donald estimates that it will be another year before the chapel is completed-- furnishings, stained glass window and all. Mr. Schad, one of the volunteer's father, who is a contractor, has been working with Donald and will come down to Honduras with a crew of 20 volunteers to assist in the construction of the roof.

The construction of this chapel shall serve both as the center of Farm activities, such as morning prayer, rosary, mass, and other functions; as well as a community center for the surrounding pueblos. In this way, the chapel shall not only benefit the immediate Farm, but also the community at large; and shall assist with community outreach, an aspect of Farm life that has played a minimal role until recent events such as the need created by the hurricane. With God's grace the presence of the chapel will only enhance the strong faith of the members of Finca del Nino!

New Arrivals at the Farm: The Children from Sava
by Jennifer Gordon

When we left on the eight a.m. bus from Trujillo it was pouring rain--the kind that soaks you within seconds. It ii was still raining when we arrived in Sava three hours later. So perhaps the gray, wet day lent itself to the atmosphere of' total wretchedness that struck me as I approached the tiny mud hut and a multitude of filthy, ragged children ran out to see the odd spectacle of a gringa in their small, poor aldea.

I entered the house, about the size of my bedroom--filled with smoke from the small fire burning on the floor. In one hammock swung a tiny, skinny, naked baby girl wrapped in a piece of cloth. In the other hammock, what I took at first to be a bundle of dirty rags was actually a sleeping two year old boy, also naked. I then met the rest of the tribe, all at various stages of undress and all covered with dirt--a five year old boy, a 6 year old girl, a 7 year old girl, an 8 year old boy, a ten year old girl, a twelve year old boy, and Daisy, who was the eldest at thirteen years of age, and too quickly, becoming a young woman from the burden of caring for her siblings. Their mother was sick with cancer in a hospital in Tegucigalpa; for the past month, their father had left them alone while he remained with his wife in the hospital. He also had not worked since she had taken ill, and so the children  were without food and soap.

Jose, the house father accompanying me, and I immediately went to buy a little sugar, beans, milk, and oatmeal. When we returned, Eliseo, the father, had arrived and we showed him the Farm catalogue, discussing with him different options to take in order to ensure the welfare of his children. Part of the Farm of the Child's policy is to take only children who are in severe need of care, and to keep families together whenever possible. So, we always try to investigate whether or not there exist an extended family member(s) with whom the child(ren) can live. Eliseo told us that his family was in Copan in Northern Honduras. His wife's mother lived in El Bravo, a mountain aldea about an hour and a half from Trujillo, but he said she was a very poor widow who lived high up on the mountain with a few other grandchildren.

Another one of our house fathers, Jesus, had to make a trip to Copan so he agreed to look for Eliseo's family and report back to us his impressions about their character and ability to care for the children. His opinion was that, though (of course) poor, they were good people and even better, willing to take four or five of the kids. The grandfather was planning to come to Sava to pick them up, but since he had no phone, could not inform us of exactly when. Meanwhile, I went to El Breavo to find the grandmother. I never met her, but was able to confirm that she was indeed an elderly, poor widow who already had several grandchildren living with her.

So we made the decision to take five of the children. I went alone to pick up the children after being told that the grandfather was there. Now Maria, the baby, Deini, the five year old, Geydi, the six year old, Jose, the eight year old, and Myrna, the ten year old, are all here, very happy and gaining weight. The children so far are thriving amidst the abundance of love and attention--and most of all--the joy of a real childhood.

"Alimento por Trabajo -- Work for Food Program"
by Katrina Kimeda

Santa Rosa de Aguan was one of the hardest hit places in Honduras by Hurricane Mitch. I had heard about the horrible destruction there; now Meggan and I were on our way to see it for ourselves. We took a two hour bus ride and picked up two working companions on the way. When we arrived  there, we had to take an hour-long canoe ride to the main village. In the canoe, we took pictures of the remains of the houses and buildings washed out by the flooding. Two houses and buildings were sunk halfway into the river, and the school bus was nothing more than a pile of bricks.

The four of us went to the small Garifuna (Hondurans of African descent) village to present a "Work for Food" program to their community. This was one of the forty-five communities to be visited by our parish in Trujillo. Meggan Heppleman and I have been working with the parish in this program run by Catholic Relief Services.

This "Work for Food" program is a program in which one person from each family works three eight-hour days per week, and at the end of each month receives pay in food. The food included is: beans, rice, corn, and oil. The people construct or repair the roads, schools, buildings, houses, latrines, etc. in the village and surrounding area.

When we arrived in Santa Rosa, the local community leaders greeted us warmly and gathered everyone together within a half an hour to meet with us. Most of the people were very excited about the whole idea. Many in the community had begun cleaning up the damage caused by the hurricane. The "Work for Food" program will allow a community to rebuild itself while at the same time providing for its basic needs.

Because of the widespread destruction present in Honduras, food crops have been wiped out and thousands of people have lost their jobs. At the same time, an abundance of' food has been donated from other countries, but the donated food is only a temporary aid. The communities need to reconstruct and re-plant in order to get back on their feet and be able to independently support themselves. The "Work for Food" program aims at helping the people of Honduras regain such stability.

Every week a parish representative meets with community leaders to supervise the work and maintain good community relations. The nine-month "Work for Food" program will end in September, at which time we will continue with other community development programs. These programs include topics such as health, agriculture, latrines, running water and small loans for businesses. Projects such as these help the communities to build confidence, independence, self-reliance, and thus, hope for the future.