(scroll down full information on this special ministry. ~Your Webkeeper)
Update from Mary Kelsey, Episcopal Relief and Development Coordinator Final preparations underway for the next trip to Our Little Roses
Home for Girls From: "Mary Kelsey" <marykelsey@chartermi.net>
As many of you know, we are now making final preparations for the next
trip from
our diocese to Our Little Roses Home for Girls in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
We'll be down there from January 18 through 27. In our group (from the
diocese)
will be: Also going will be Sr. Pamela Clare (who will be helping to lead our ECW
Winter
Gathering Feb 3-5), Eveline Koch (from Western NY), Peg van Brunt &
Christen
Webster (from New Jersey), and Annie von Rosenberg (from East Tennessee). As always, we are grateful for the many ways our diocesan family supports
this
mission in Honduras. I'm writing this note to invite your help for this
trip, in
case any are in a position to contribute towards arts and crafts projects,
field
trips, and special meals with the girls. Those of us traveling in the
group do
our best to pool our resources to make these sorts of offerings while
we are
there, but this time around, the plane tickets and other travel expenses
are
higher than usual, so we thought we'd invite your partnership in our project. You can send any financial donations to the Diocesan Office (131 E Ridge
St,
Marquette, MI 49855), noted in the memo line: "OLR Trip".
And don't forget to pray for us and the girls throughout the time we are
away.
We'll return with lots of pictures and stories to share at the ECW Winter
Gathering, in the Church in Hiawathaland, and in other settings, I'm sure. Thanks! See you when we get back.
Date: 2006/01/02 Mon PM 06:33:16 GMT
To: <upchat@epicom.org>
Subject: Upcoming trip to Our Little Roses in Honduras
Our Ministry with Our Little Roses
In addition to being a special
ministry for girls at risk, Our Little Roses or Nuestras Pequeñas
Rosas, as it is called in Spanish, encompasses several interrelated
ministries within the community. They include a health clinic, community
for poor single mothers, bilingual school, Jubilee Center for justice
issues, retreat center and a bed and breakfast and hospitality house.
There are no governmental social services or funds for Honduran children who become victims of violence, poverty, disease and oppression. The need was desperate in 1988, and it is even more compelling today. Children are often forced onto the streets to fend for themselves when their families cannot or will not care for them. Poverty produces abusive situations for many pre- adolescent girls who are deprived of an education by being kept home to take care of younger siblings, with no adult supervision or oversight.
At Our Little Roses Homes, every girl is given not only shelter but education and love. Uniforms and school fees are provided, and a staff of teachers helps newly-arrived girls catch up with their peers. The sense of family at Our Little Roses sustains all the girls, who are active in church. Many are members of the choir, youth fellowship leaders and acolytes.
Related information and links:
Official website of Our Little Roses: http://www.ourlittleroses.org
Frank Podkokomorka sponsored by Church of the Ascension of Ontonagon