Community Development Trip
to El Pital, Honduras, June 21-28, 2004

Notes by trip leader Melissa Bride

The week-long community development trip was conceived and led by Melissa Bride, who volunteers as U.S. Director of Marketing and Sales for the Juan Pablo Segundo Sewing Cooperative in El Pital. Co-leader was Brad Clark, Episcopal minister from Arlington, Vermont, who is interested in establishing a long-term relationship between his parish and a community in Honduras.

Harvey's Reflections on Building a Swing Set
Meg's First Day in El Pital

Planning — Who and What?

As we began to put the trip together, we asked ourselves about our target audience — whom did we want to come, and given that, what were their levels of comfort in terms of work? In terms of living accommodations? In terms of work vs. pleasure? And wanting the trip to be an intercultural exchange around a community work initiative, what should the projects be? And where should we stay?

I guess the target audience became people for whom a trip to the developing world (hereafter referred to as the DW), was a first, and hopefully, a life-changing event. So we wanted them to have the most authentic experience possible. And what better way to do that than work with my friends, the Lobos and Kate Venner? I knew them, they are my friends. This would be as close to authentic as we could get. So, I asked Kate what community initiatives there were in El Pital and asked her to be our liaison. Wow. Kate is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Despite limited access to the Internet, we corresponded almost every day for 3-4 months putting this trip together. And knowing we were on the same page in re philosophy of community development, it was not hard to put together something that she and I thought would benefit both the community and our group.

Left: Rosario Lobo and Melissa Bride with Margarita Lobo (Mama),
the matriarch of the Lobo family. Right: Kate Venner

I did not require any level of Spanish. In the end, participants did say they wished I had encouraged more Spanish, as they felt that they were limited in their ability to really connect with Hondurans on any substantive topics because of their limited language ability.

In terms of specific age limitations, I focused more on maturity than age. I thought that high school age and up could travel alone. More importantly, however, I informed potential travelers of the things we would see, and particularly those things that may be difficult for young eyes and young hearts to see — poverty, sick dogs, lots of trash, etc. We ended up with twelve participants — four teenagers (one with her mom), one 22-year-old (with her mom), and five other adults. We had three from Brad's church in Vermont including him; two from my church including me; a couple from Delaware; a mom and her teenage daughter from Exeter, New Hampshire (my neighbors!); another teenager and adult from Hampton, New Hampshire, one teenager from Needham, Mass. Ten women, two men. Turned out the chemistry, mutual respect, and team work in the group were better than anyone could have planned!

The Title — Setting the Tone

There was much discussion between myself and Brad about the importance of naming/titling the trip. We decided first that we did not want to call it a mission trip. To me, mission trip implies evangelism, and not only was that not my purpose in the trip, but I also did not want to alienate potential travelers for whom that name may be intimidating or off-putting. We turned next to "community service," and I had problems with that phrase, as I think of service implying those with more serving those with less. And that, too, was antithetical to the purpose of the trip.

Eventually we decided on "Community Development Trip" as a title. But we wanted to be more specific (though I think most people who ended up coming didn't think one way or the other about this part), and gave the trip the subtitle of "Feeding Friendship, Sustaining Solidarity." With this, we meant to further define our purpose … it is not about the work projects we accomplish while there (as many community service/mission projects are measured these days … what did you DO?), but rather intentionally putting the emphasis on the long term — the friendships and the commitment to solidarity with the developing world. So, enough about the title — but, as I felt from the outset, the title was to set the tone for the trip, for the experience.

Travel Arrangements — a Good Experience!

I had decided to arrange the in-country transportation and accommodations through Holbrook Travel. They were outstanding in every respect. Their attention to detail from my first inquiry throughout the entire trip was very professional. We had a driver who met us at the airport, drove us everywhere every day, arranged lunches in El Pital as well as dinners in La Ceiba, was courteous and helpful, on top of every detail, and almost most importantly, was a true member of our group. Eli Gonzalez was personable, funny, incredibly informative about the country, and made a point of getting to know every member of the group as an individual. We all miss him and are thankful to him for facilitating so many aspects of our trip. One last comment — Holbrook was interested in hooking us up with more "touristy" day trips, and as interesting as they seemed, I declined them and had them really just arrange what I needed — transportation, accommodations and meals. When I had clearly articulated my philosophy of the trip, they embraced it and facilitated our requests without reservation. Without hesitation, I would go with Holbrook again. And would request Eli.

Philosophy — "It's not about the work"

In my many, many emails prior to the trip, I tried to ease people into the philosophy of the trip. It was not a "let's-go-help-the-poor trip," so please don't bring lots of stuff to "give away." It was not a "we-will-do-the-work-for-the-poor" trip, so with whatever limited Spanish you know, collaborate and listen. Do not steam roll. And in the end, don't worry about what we "accomplish." Though you may want to show your friends, family, or church all that you "did," remember "it's not about the work." So we were careful with what donations we did bring. For example, some felt that an Elmo toothbrush, though a good idea for dental care, was not bringing the best of the U.S. to Honduras. I required participants to read the JPII and UM websites thoroughly. I also sent them each a copy of Don't Be Afraid Gringo which, though dated, is a great introduction to campesino life in Honduras.

I guess the hardest part for me was deciding to stay at a nice hotel in La Ceiba. Though I knew most of the participants would find comfort in the Hotel Paris after a challenging day where everything, literally everything, was different for them, I felt that staying there somewhat compromised our "authenticity." If we are "doing it," we should stay with families, and really "do it." But, be that as it may, everyone was very appreciative of the nice accommodations — AC, pool with bar, breakfasts, hot showers, etc. (The last two days of the trip we did in fact stay with farming families near the city of Yoro, through an organization called Sustainable Harvest International (www.sustainableharvest.org). That was a great eye opener for everyone on the trip. A night they will never forget. There, we really "did it.")

With that spirit in mind, the projects we collaborated on with Kate were all focused on the recently donated kinder building in El Pital. We were to paint a mural on the outside, another on the inside, construct a play set with swings, slide and climbing area, fix the latrines,  build a fence around the lot, and plant several flower beds.

One of the moments that most beautifully illustrates the philosophy of the trip was the first day. When we had been hard at work all morning, we came back after lunch only to be greeted by a huge, and lasting, thunderstorm! As we all poured inside to avoid the rain, Hondurans and gringos huddled together — some over coloring books, some with Spanish/English dictionaries, gringo teenagers holding sleeping Honduran babies. And we quickly realized — "It's not about the work." These trips, if done well, are about intercultural understanding, respect, trust and a lasting friendship that is developed through time spent together.

Our Time in El Pital

Most days, we had breakfast at the hotel at 7-7:30, headed up the mountain road by 8:00. We would work from 9:00-1:00, break for lunch and work again in the afternoon.

We spent a good amount of time at the co-op, seeing the finished product. The award-winning Juan Pablo Segundo Cooperative. Very impressive! A dream come true!! We even spent our last afternoon in El Pital at the co-op, playing soccer, learning how to make tortillas, and gathering for a blessing of the co-op,  followed by dinner. What a night! What a feast!

And the blessing was incredibly powerful. Brad, clothed in wet T-shirt and shorts from having ridden the rapids across the river, donned a colorful Guatemalan stole, and with me as translator, blessed the co-op as "something new, something good, something life giving." After he blessed the water, everyone present participated in blessing the machines, the walls, the windows, the bathrooms, every part of the co-op. We then celebrated a short Eucharist followed by a passing of the peace. It was an incredible moment for me to be there, participating in such a meaningful event for Rosario, one of the most influential women in my life.

After the Trip — They "got it"

One of the most interesting conversations we had was in the Miami airport when our plane to Boston was delayed. I just sat back and listened as participants reflected on their experience. They had "gotten it." They knew their lives would never be the same. They would never think of the developing world in the same way. They realized that it is not about the work, but rather the relationships. They realized that the real work needs to be done first in our own hearts, and then here at home. We need to share our experiences and our personal feelings about our experiences with as many will listen. As Heart of Christianity author Marcus Borg suggests, real change in terms of social justice in the world will only come when we change the systems that are currently in place that oppress the poor — power and control that multinationals are allowed, economic systems that benefit the wealthy nations, etc.

Participants were returning home not only changed, but also committed to making social justice work, either domestically or internationally, part of their life work.

I cannot thank Kate enough for all her work on this trip. I know the logistical arrangements and the community relations work took a heck of a lot of time. But the success of the trip is a reflection of not only her ability to organize and facilitate projects, but her deep sensitivity to people and intercultural understanding. I cannot say enough about Kate's commitment to what she does and her gifts with people. She is absolutely amazing. The respect she has earned from the community was clear in every interaction and conversation she had. Kuddos to Kate!

Other notes:

1. Group size was ideal. We could all fit in one van. We felt intimate and connected.
2. Nice to have a mix of ages. I would not do it with teenagers only, as I think adults and teens can learn from each other and get different things out of the experience.
3. I would encourage more Spanish study/knowledge beforehand.