December 13, 2005
Christmas greetings from Honduras!
At year’s end we are drawn to reflect on the many happenings
of a busy year, including the challenges, the achievements, what
could have been, and what may be in the year to come. We have
had a full year with many activities.
Gloria hosted 16 mission teams and Heifer study tours with great
dedication. These proved to be edifying experiences for team participants,
for receiving communities and project sites, and for ourselves.
Tim has continued his leadership with Heifer Honduras and the
team of 12 people. Projects have grown to reach more than 500
rural communities, 4,400 families actively participating.
2005 was to be a transitional year in which a new country director
would take over the leadership of the program, and we both would
play more of an advisory role in Honduras and other countries
in Central America where both Heifer and PC(USA) have a presence.
At year’s end we can see that steps are being made toward
this end, but things are still in process.
We would like to express our appreciation for not only achievements
and projects but for the people behind the scenes who have made
things happen. We give thanks for the people we work with and
for the people we reach out to in our mission activities. We give
thanks for our family and the growth and well-being of our daughters
as each finds her path in the world in a different way. Grace
is doing well in her second year as a biology major. Marsha has
started masters degree program in entomology, and Pamela is beginning
to take pre-requisites in order to go into the field of nursing.
As we talk and reflect about people we often think of people
in Honduras as common, ordinary people, and no doubt they are.
They have lives full of hard work and struggles that are in many
ways beyond our ability to comprehend. Sometimes it takes a big
effort just to fulfill basic needs and enjoy some of the simple
pleasures of life. People here are endowed with a huge hope for
a better future. Nevertheless, ordinary people can be thrust into
situations and, to their own surprise, are able to rise to the
occasion and act heroically. We note the similarity here to Bible
figures of a few millennia ago. A common Jewish girl, a new mother
placed in a heroic role in which, “henceforth all generations
shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
When working in communities, we ask ourselves, “What is
my challenge? How can I share the good news in the midst of so
much poverty, the lack of health and education?
The answer can be the same one we share at our staff meetings
and reflections on Mondays: We have to do the best that we can
in our work, but if our work can be an instrument in taking the
“good news” to the communities, we should also be
open to receive the “good news” and listening to it.
It is in those special moments that we experience a type of reversal,
when we are giving but actually receiving far more in return.
Rufino, a (heroic) village leader from the Chorti-Mayan community
of Estanzuela, an ordinary person in so many ways, provided us
with one of those special moments. Addressing a visiting group
he said, “All of our projects are important, but two of
them have given us life: the cattle project and the housing project.”
We rejoice in moments like these, feeling part of a world in which
people are struggling successfully to improve things so that others
too will have a dignified life. The act of accompaniment, both
materially and in spirit, allows us to be a small part of others
and to celebrate with them the renovation of their faith.
Our hope this Christmas is for the realization of the “peaceful
kingdom” in our midst whenever and wherever that may take
place. We pray that we and others experience those special, magical
moments of self involvement and meaningful outreach to the lives
of others. May you be strong as you reach out and humble as you
receive.
Peace,
Tim and Gloria Wheeler
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, P.
59 |
