Young Montrealers inspire Anglican church in Honduras

A group of young people feared their trip to Honduras in July was over before it started, says the youth co-ordinator of a church in a Montreal suburb.

Four adults and six teenagers from St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church, ranging in age from 13 to 16, were just about to land in the capital city, Tegucigalpa.

“We thought we were going to die as we were landing because the plane dipped so suddenly over the mountains,” said Joel Guinness, 24, who helped lead a two-week mission to the Central American country.

The bumpy flight was just one thing they had to get used to during their stay in the developing country.

Mr. Guinness floated the idea of a trip to Honduras a year ago with his youth group in Pierrefonds.

The teenagers raised $4,000 to help pay for the trip. The Diocese of Montreal gave another $4,000 and the teens’ parents contributed $4,000.

They stayed in the homes of local families and used an Anglican church for prayer and meals.

“Our mornings usually involved some form of physical labour in and around the church,” Mr. Guinness said. “The two main projects we assisted in were building a staircase and constructing sliding doors that could be used to section off part of the church for Sunday school.”

In the afternoons, they helped out at a children’s day camp.

“God wanted our main focus to be with children. Kids have to grow up so quickly there.”

Honduran children are expected to pull their weight in the family by doing chores. There are no such things as playgrounds or arcades.

“Almost all of us were plagued at some time or another with sickness (dysentery),” Mr. Guinness said. Showers were cold, laundry was done by hand, and noisy roosters woke everyone in the early hours. But the hardships were worth it.

“Our freshness, zeal and willingness to travel such a great distance to simply come and act out the love of Jesus really inspired their church,” Mr. Guinness said.

“I really enjoyed it because it brought me closer to God,” 13-year-old Philippe Gauthier said.