BSoR students show willing hearts on mission to Honduras

Last June, 13 Saint Gertrude and Benedictine students accompanied Saint Gertrude Theology and Spanish teacher Mrs. Miesha Vargas on a mission trip to the town of Comayagua, Honduras.

The trip’s purpose was to mirror the Missioners of Christ, whose dual purpose is to serve the material and physical needs of the area and evangelize young adults, which is accomplished through individual conversations and retreats, sharing with them the love of Christ. Benedictine Commandant Major Richard Ramos and Saint Gertrude Music teacher Joy Weaver accompanied the group. 

Mrs. Vargas is appreciative of the number of students who signed up. “More people meant that we could visit more towns and encounter, bring sacraments to, and assess the needs of more people,” she explains. “After visiting homes in the mornings, we held children’s formation and fellowship in the afternoons. Each group had huge groups of dozens of kids come out for the program each day, sort of like a youth revival.” 

Vargas says she admires the students' spirit and behavior while encountering real third world poverty. “Comayagua is not a vacation spot. The poverty and challenges that exist there are extreme. The students dove right in with compassion, love and energy! I never heard one complaint, despite the many sources of physical, mental and emotional discomfort they dealt with all week. They heard stories of trauma during home visits, crying and hugging these people as if they were their own family members. They witnessed real faith, which is an ability to say ‘God is Good’ even in hardship and suffering. Among the students there was no arrogance, no superiority, no savior complex. They just showed up each day with a willing heart and did the work … with joy. I was and remain proud of them.”

Vargas adds, "The sheer joy that comes from serving others was evident in the students throughout the week.”  

“A takeaway from the mission trip to Honduras is that despite my shortcomings, wrongdoings, and sinfulness, the Lord meets me in my mess!" shares Ella Massie '26. "He finds me where I am and loves me regardless of my flaws. In a society where we are tempted to make idols of the world, Jesus calls us to find peace in His love and His way. This message was evident in how the Hondurans approached their lives. That, despite their situations, Christ knows them as His beloved.”