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The Gift of Hope
Yes, I know that it is rude to stare but I found myself unable to walk away.
There was so much, and so little, to see. The house was one small room built out
of discarded wood, with sheet metal on the roof and a bright blue door propped
up against the side of the house. I could see a hammock hanging inside over the
dirt floor. In the yard were two children; one boy about four years old and
another boy in a cardboard box playpen. It hardly looked like he had room to
stand; certainly not enough to crawl. The boys’ mother was in the yard chopping
wood for her outdoor stove/oven that served all of her cooking needs. This woman
has probably never experienced anything other than this life, most likely
growing up with the expectation of marrying, bearing and caring for her children
and husband, cooking, cleaning. I realized that she and I live lives that are
worlds apart. This scene made me think of the girls at Our Little Roses in San
Pedro Sula, Honduras. They all come to live at the home because of abuse,
neglect, and extreme poverty; perhaps they spent some years living just like
this woman. The significant difference for them is that they are now being given
lives that offer hope; the hope of a future that includes community, training,
achievement. Their lives are filled with the promise of education, relationship
with the wider community and the world, and a life of opportunity and success.
The incredible gift of Our Little Roses is the gift of hope.
The young girls and women who live at Our Little Roses are not being raised to
forget about women and children like I observed out in the Honduras countryside.
Instead they are being raised to make a difference in the lives of their
country’s men and women. One day during our mission trip, a group of us arose
early to say goodbye and Godspeed to Lillian, Christina and Karen as they left
on a three-month-long senior project, something they must do before they finish
high school. Lillian (she was my translator as I celebrated Holy Eucharist one
evening at the home) is a very self-possessed young woman who had not been away
from the home before. She was anxious and sad but eager to tell me about her
upcoming journey. She and her two friends would be driven into the countryside,
about an hour-long drive until the road ends and their car cannot continue. At
this point they will gather their belongings and walk two hours to the village
where they will stay for the next three months. This village has electricity
only at certain hours during the day and they will have to walk for three hours
to be able to wash their clothing. While living in this village, Lillian and her
friends will offer some education about HIV/AIDS, drugs, and other social
issues. They will find out the needs of the community and will work to find ways
to address those needs. These brave young women will be giving back to their
country out of the great abundance of emotional, spiritual and physical support
that they have received. I will be eager to return to Honduras next year to hear
about their adventure.
Our Little Roses is a beacon of hope; a symbol of God’s great blessing. It
succeeds so well because of a very dedicated staff and generous missionaries who
are supported by the great generosity of parishes like St. Alban’s. We together
are helping to bring about profound change in the lives of beautiful young girls
and women who are, in turn, helping to bring about profound change in their
native country. I am quite certain that God is smiling upon them and upon us.
Thank you, St. Alban’s, for the many ways that you support this important and
life-changing ministry.
The Rev. Grayce M.
O’Neill
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