March 08/year 2
in Honduras
Janet Alcántara

“There are varieties of gifts… of services… of activities… It is the same God that activates them… for the common good.” --1 Corinthians 12:4-7

The nice thing about working in the Lutheran Church in Honduras is that there are so many needs that I have a chance to use all of my different skills and abilities at some time or other—no specialization here! For example, March alone looked like this: (Photos courtesy of Robert Grindahl)
Mar08 Liturgist
Liturgist
I participated along with Pastor-President Armindo Schmechel in two baptisms in one of “my” communities. The very tactile and visual aspects of liturgy are particularly enriching for worshippers with limited reading skills. Providing guitar music really livens up the singing!

Medical Interpreter
A medical team from Michigan annually trains our promotoras (health care volunteers). This year included a 2-day medical clinic where doctors daily attended over 40 patients each. Reminiscence for me: working again as a Medical Interpreter!

Chauffeur
The team from Michigan let loose gasps of alarm from the back of the 15-passenger van on the first day I drove them to the rhythms of Honduran traffic, but by the end of the week they stopped singing Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me—at least not loudly enough for me to hear.

Theologian/teacher In the annual 2-day training of the promotoras (volunteer preventive health volunteers that serve in their own com-munities), I presented an interactive lecture on the Theology of Presence—the model for our own ministry of presence to the sick and dying.

Writer/actress
Role plays helped promotoras apply what they learned about confronting death and dying. I wrote the roles, and ended up acting when one woman took ill. Through their treatment of the dramatized situations, the promotoras proved their solid growth and maturation over the past several years.

In faith and service in Christ, --janet
Mar08 Medical Interpreter
Mar08 Chauffer
Mar08 Theologian Teacher
Mar08 Writer Actress
Deaconess Janet Russell Alcántara/Iglesia Cristiana Luterana de Honduras/ dcsjanet@hotmail.com


Ambiance

And now for something completely different...

Cornish Coast
Tintagel, Cornish coast

My eldest daughter, Wendy, and I planned for a long time to travel together in Britain. We set the date for summer, 2006—then I ended up coming to Honduras, instead.

Wendy’s paternal grandmother left her some money when she died, and Wendy decided there was no better way to honour her grandmother’s wander-lust than to use those funds for a trip.

So vacation this year took me far from Honduras.

Wendy and I wandered the Cornish coast, explored Bath, Oxford, the Lake District, and then headed north to Edinburgh, Scotland, planning to spend the final two days in London. But in Edinburgh, the trip crashed to a halt when I broke my right ankle (see attached bulletin).

Oxford
Oxford

Janet Alcántara
I.C.L.H., Apdo. 2861
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
C.A.