Hello to All,
The following is taken from a book, The Jesuit Guide by Fr.James Martin, S. J., and it might be good for us to reflect on what he has to say as it relates to our mission next spring. What you will be doing is very wonderful and prayerful. You need to be aware of your gift and responsibility.
The author is talking about how we can care for and learn from the poor. He mentions three things at first.
1. Being grateful for what you have
2. Helping out in a church community
3. Really stretching yourself when you give charitably.
You will all be doing those three things. As members of our mission trip you will be doing all three. Get ready to learn what is before you as you prepare and during the days you are there.
The author adds a final goal when working for the poor. Get to know the poor one-on-one, rather than as objects of charity. The poor are able to invite the wealthy to think about God in new way.
Finally he suggests to prepare to serve the Lord in the Poor by carving out a time for prayer and a time to be alone, finding God around you, practice a degree of detachment from the “things” of your life. As you prepare for the trip you will grow from the trip in years to come.
It is great to have you all with us. Remember to get your passport, save up some money, get used to living with lots of new people and to enjoy a short shower with cold water.
Heelan Students: We have five that have signed up for Don de Maria. We need eight. Any questions or if you wish to sign up let Fr. Cosgrove know soon. Give it some thought and talk it over with your friends. Both places will be great times to serve the Lord in the people of Honduras.
Fr. Cosgrove
Francis Seivert greets assessment team in Montaña de la Flor
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Mission Honduras / Items Needed
Springfield Catholic, St. Thomas More, Heelan, and Gehlen,
Greetings again from Mission Honduras.
I hope you have been able to read my first email.
I wanted to let you know a few more things and then send you an attachment.
Please open, print, and keep.
Our chosen theme this year is: Heart So Full - Can't Explain
As we go forward I wanted to share with you the 'Items Needed' information. These are the things we would like to carry in your travel bags when you go to Honduras. I think the theme fits so well this year and what we try to do. Within each of our schools I hope we can collect a great amount of things. If we collect too much we will simply ship it later or hold onto it for the future.
As in my first email remember to get your passport as soon as possible. Then, please send a photocopy of it to me. I will need it to secure your seats with the airlines. Do Not get a 'passport card'. These cannot be used for international air travel.
If you already have a passport you may send it to me anytime. If you want to scan and send it by email to me that is fine. If you don't feel comfortable doing that then just photocopy it and get it in the regular mail. For all of you veterans - you do not need to send another photocopy. I have yours from previous years.
If you have not sent your final application please do so promptly.
I have placed both of these emails of today on our blog for your parents and other family members to read. Please keep all of them informed as we progress toward our mission.
Take Care,
R. Seivert
Mission Honduras
---------------------------------------------- Items Needed List Below
List of Items Needed for Honduras 2010-2011
Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras ‘Changing Lives’ continues to need the help and support of everyone. Please consider helping our trips this year with the following items. Nothing old please.
Soap, shampoo, skin lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, vitamins of all kinds especially childrens chewables and prenatals, tylenol (cannot be outdated), flip flops and sandals, shoes and socks, childrens clothes especially baby clothes, cloth diapers/rubber pants, baby blankets, other shirts and blouses, underwear, shorts, t-shirts, caps, small toys, bubbles, stickers, gum, hair ties for girls, fingernail polish, soccer balls, twin size bed sheets, and school supplies of all kinds: notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, crayons, coloring books, rulers, glue, Spanish childrens books, and erasers. Just contact Gehlen if you would like to donate items to one of the trips.
Concerning all trips this year, Seivert commented that on his classroom wall at Gehlen is a quote from Mother Teresa that continues to motivate this entire program. It reads: If you pray - you will believe, if you believe - you will love, if you love – you will serve.
Contact: Richard Seivert, Gehlen Mission Honduras, 709 Plymouth St. N.E., LeMars, Iowa 51031 712-540-3062 (cell) 712-546-4181 (school)
Greetings again from Mission Honduras.
I hope you have been able to read my first email.
I wanted to let you know a few more things and then send you an attachment.
Please open, print, and keep.
Our chosen theme this year is: Heart So Full - Can't Explain
As we go forward I wanted to share with you the 'Items Needed' information. These are the things we would like to carry in your travel bags when you go to Honduras. I think the theme fits so well this year and what we try to do. Within each of our schools I hope we can collect a great amount of things. If we collect too much we will simply ship it later or hold onto it for the future.
As in my first email remember to get your passport as soon as possible. Then, please send a photocopy of it to me. I will need it to secure your seats with the airlines. Do Not get a 'passport card'. These cannot be used for international air travel.
If you already have a passport you may send it to me anytime. If you want to scan and send it by email to me that is fine. If you don't feel comfortable doing that then just photocopy it and get it in the regular mail. For all of you veterans - you do not need to send another photocopy. I have yours from previous years.
If you have not sent your final application please do so promptly.
I have placed both of these emails of today on our blog for your parents and other family members to read. Please keep all of them informed as we progress toward our mission.
Take Care,
R. Seivert
Mission Honduras
---------------------------------------------- Items Needed List Below
List of Items Needed for Honduras 2010-2011
Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras ‘Changing Lives’ continues to need the help and support of everyone. Please consider helping our trips this year with the following items. Nothing old please.
Soap, shampoo, skin lotion, toothpaste, toothbrushes, vitamins of all kinds especially childrens chewables and prenatals, tylenol (cannot be outdated), flip flops and sandals, shoes and socks, childrens clothes especially baby clothes, cloth diapers/rubber pants, baby blankets, other shirts and blouses, underwear, shorts, t-shirts, caps, small toys, bubbles, stickers, gum, hair ties for girls, fingernail polish, soccer balls, twin size bed sheets, and school supplies of all kinds: notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, crayons, coloring books, rulers, glue, Spanish childrens books, and erasers. Just contact Gehlen if you would like to donate items to one of the trips.
Concerning all trips this year, Seivert commented that on his classroom wall at Gehlen is a quote from Mother Teresa that continues to motivate this entire program. It reads: If you pray - you will believe, if you believe - you will love, if you love – you will serve.
Contact: Richard Seivert, Gehlen Mission Honduras, 709 Plymouth St. N.E., LeMars, Iowa 51031 712-540-3062 (cell) 712-546-4181 (school)
First Message To All
Greetings from LeMars, Iowa and Gehlen Catholic Mission Honduras 'Changing Lives.'
On behalf of our entire school, Gehlen Mission Honduras, Mission Honduras LeMars, and Then Feed Just One, I would like to welcome all of you to our mission program next spring. It promises to be hard, challenging, and hot. But, make no mistake - worth it. Worth it beyond measure. From those I work closely with I also extend a warm welcome: Francis Seivert, Carolyn Bickford, Sister Joan Polak, Linda Reichle, Fr. Jerome Cosgrove, Merica Clinkenbeard, Mary Casey, and Katie Falkowski.
To the 22 students and chaperones from Springfield Catholic High, Springfield, Missouri, thanks for your commitment to this program, and stay in close contact with Mrs. Clinkenbeard.
To the 20 students and chaperones from St. Thomas More in Rapid City, South Dakota, thanks for your commitment to this program, and please stay in close contact with Mary Casey and Katie Falkowski.
To the 16 students and chaperones from Bishop Heelan in Sioux City, Iowa, thanks as well for your commitment to this program, and please stay in touch with Fr. Cosgrove.
And finally, to the 24 students and chaperones from Gehlen Catholic, LeMars, Iowa, thanks for your commitment to this program.
I have placed all your cell numbers in Carolyn Bickford's phone. When I wish to communicate with you by email I will notify you by text message from her phone. Please stay close to your email from here out. Very soon I will activate our 'blog' at www.gehlenmissionhonduras.org
I will post many of my communications right on the blog so that parents and family members can keep up to date with all the information.
We have a great deal of work ahead of us. I will be in touch with you on a regular basis and keep you posted on all developments. We are still in pursuit of the actual flight arrangements but I do not see a great deal of problem from here on out.
At this time I would ask all of you to get your passport process started. You may also look into your shots. To all Missiouri and STM, I have sent the main packet of information - please get those from your directors. All information concerning the shots and med's you need is in the booklet. I will get copies of the packet out to all Heelan and Gehlen missioners very soon.
Remember the deadline for paying for the trip - it is in the packet. There might still be some changes in cost because this is a group ticket. I will keep you posted and let you know the final cost sometime yet this fall.
On the front wall of my classroom, sandwiched between two large cut-outs of Mother Teresa, I have one of her famous quotes. It reads: "If you pray you will believe, if you believe you will love, and if you love you will serve." Keep praying for the good people of Honduras and around the world that so much need our help. I deeply believe in the 'power of young people like you.' You are a great testament to your generation.
Once again thanks for your belief and trust and welcome to this program.
Take Care,
Richard Seivert
Mission Honduras
On behalf of our entire school, Gehlen Mission Honduras, Mission Honduras LeMars, and Then Feed Just One, I would like to welcome all of you to our mission program next spring. It promises to be hard, challenging, and hot. But, make no mistake - worth it. Worth it beyond measure. From those I work closely with I also extend a warm welcome: Francis Seivert, Carolyn Bickford, Sister Joan Polak, Linda Reichle, Fr. Jerome Cosgrove, Merica Clinkenbeard, Mary Casey, and Katie Falkowski.
To the 22 students and chaperones from Springfield Catholic High, Springfield, Missouri, thanks for your commitment to this program, and stay in close contact with Mrs. Clinkenbeard.
To the 20 students and chaperones from St. Thomas More in Rapid City, South Dakota, thanks for your commitment to this program, and please stay in close contact with Mary Casey and Katie Falkowski.
To the 16 students and chaperones from Bishop Heelan in Sioux City, Iowa, thanks as well for your commitment to this program, and please stay in touch with Fr. Cosgrove.
And finally, to the 24 students and chaperones from Gehlen Catholic, LeMars, Iowa, thanks for your commitment to this program.
I have placed all your cell numbers in Carolyn Bickford's phone. When I wish to communicate with you by email I will notify you by text message from her phone. Please stay close to your email from here out. Very soon I will activate our 'blog' at www.gehlenmissionhonduras.org
I will post many of my communications right on the blog so that parents and family members can keep up to date with all the information.
We have a great deal of work ahead of us. I will be in touch with you on a regular basis and keep you posted on all developments. We are still in pursuit of the actual flight arrangements but I do not see a great deal of problem from here on out.
At this time I would ask all of you to get your passport process started. You may also look into your shots. To all Missiouri and STM, I have sent the main packet of information - please get those from your directors. All information concerning the shots and med's you need is in the booklet. I will get copies of the packet out to all Heelan and Gehlen missioners very soon.
Remember the deadline for paying for the trip - it is in the packet. There might still be some changes in cost because this is a group ticket. I will keep you posted and let you know the final cost sometime yet this fall.
On the front wall of my classroom, sandwiched between two large cut-outs of Mother Teresa, I have one of her famous quotes. It reads: "If you pray you will believe, if you believe you will love, and if you love you will serve." Keep praying for the good people of Honduras and around the world that so much need our help. I deeply believe in the 'power of young people like you.' You are a great testament to your generation.
Once again thanks for your belief and trust and welcome to this program.
Take Care,
Richard Seivert
Mission Honduras
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