FW: Final Mission Trip Update to post on googlegroups - Sunday - March 20
Charlotte Lees
Charlotte Lees
Parish Administrator
Saint Joseph's Episcopal Church
3300A S Seacrest Blvd.
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
From: Father Marty
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2011 7:30
AM
To: Charlotte Lees
Subject: Final Mission Trip Update
to post on googlegroups - Sunday - March 20
Saturday became a time for a lot of people-to-people sharing both within our own group and beyond. After celebrating the feast of our patron St. Joseph at morning prayer, we traveled to see the Miraculous Caves, a 25-minute drive from the Kellogg Center. Fr Alvaro and his wife Angela Maria, our hosts at the Kellogg Center, had never seen the caves, so we were delighted when they agreed to come as our guests. The administration keeps improving this site, and now not only are the caves as tremendous as before, but they are adding elements of a zoo, with huge enclosed roaming areas for iguanas and other "dinosaur-like" creatures from the island. There is even a horse-riding area, and the two Shannons and Debra were very excited to be able to ride horses for a spin around the path. We had a picnic lunch under the new gazebo before returning to the Kellogg Center.
The afternoon was left open for all to finish writing their collects. We gathered upstairs for a prayer session, where everyone shared the prayers they had written. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit has touched each one of us this week in a special way.
Last night, after an early dinner, we traveled back to Boca Chica to St. Joseph's Church, where Fr. Sandino's congregation had the finale of their 3-day revival. It was moving to see the nursing home residents and nurses waving at the group from across the street, hopeful that the team could come by for one more hug. The revival was a spirited service led by a youth band known as Adonai, which is largely comprised of youth who are children of Episcopal clergy. Our hands are sore from all the hand-clapping with the music. Fr. Sandino called up each mission team member individually to present a certificate of gratitude to each. The congregation applauded loudly when he said, "These are our friends from St. Joseph Boynton Beach, who are now also from St. Joseph's Boca Chica." This applause was only exceeded by the roar that came when he announced that we are the church that has given the money for the cistern project that is underway at this very moment.
Marty Knight came forward to accompany the singing of Here I Am Lord for the sequence hymn, and Fr. Sandino was overjoyed to receive the keyboard from us as a gift from our congregation to theirs. (They had no piano nor organ for their services.) After a short celebratory reception with the congregation, we boarded the bus for the late night trip home, as we all admired the huge full moon.
It is now early Sunday morning, and most are still asleep. We will gather to walk over to St. Stephen's for Sunday morning Eucharist with Fr. Alvaro and Angela Maria. After lunch, we will prepare the bags for our departure. We are scheduled to arrive into Fort Lauderdale tonight at 8:04pm on Jet Blue 1798. By the time we clear immigration and customs, we should be on our way to Saint Joseph's by around 9:00pm. We will pass cell phones around so families can be aware of our anticipated arrival time at the church.
We could not be prouder to belong to a church that provides for such a focus on outreach and partnership with our brothers and sisters in our companion diocese of the Dominican Republic. We have pretty much exhausted our mission fund with the important projects we accomplished on this trip. Pray with us that God will send us generous donors so that we can continue to share in these blessings.