Search
-
San Lucas 2026Faith in Action Mission Trip
-
-
On January 30th, fifteen intrepid travelers went to San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala to experience the life and work of the local mission. Thanks to the generosity of our St. Thomas Becket community, we had enough in donations for the purchase of two hybrid homes (a combination of wood and concrete blocks). We were able to work on one of the homes, as it was in the last stages of construction. The other home was literally in the first steps: we arrived as the workers were digging a trench for the footings. We spent our time moving sand and gravel from the delivery site to the area for mixing it into concrete. The home is being built on a steep tiered hill which will require an eight-foot retaining wall.
Often the homes in the San Lucas area require creative construction designs due to some unique topography of the available land. As is frequently the case, large boulders are often buried in the path of construction, and one of the workers spent a good part of the morning chiseling into a boulder until he was able to crack it in two! Amazing! We also spent time with the construction of a new visitor’s center that is being built near the current mission location. This project is being funded primarily through a large donor from Kansas City and will be needed as the parish associated with the mission is in need of the current mission building for its own use.
We were able to experience the full continuum of the coffee process this trip, as we were able to help a farmer with the picking of his coffee beans. We picked nearly 150 pounds worth in one morning – the farmer was very impressed and we were very proud of that! We also had a new experience of a demonstration of the roasting process, given by the chief roaster for Juan Ana Café, the mission’s coffee cooperative. Finally, we had the opportunity to walk up to the coffee-drying platforms where the farmers brought in their coffee for the day. While some had vehicles, many had to walk great distances with 100 plus pounds of coffee on their backs. As always, the mission pays them above market rates so that they can provide a dignified living for themselves and their families.
Another experience was working with the Charity Program to deliver food baskets to the poorest of the poor in some of the surrounding communities that the mission supports. While the mission has always worked to address the root causes of poverty, the mission has recognized the need to provide immediate support for some families to help them simply survive. Unfortunately, they can only provide enough for a small number of families for one week out of a quarterly cycle.
This experience brought our group both hope and sadness.
One of our favorite experiences was visiting the family whose home we purchased and began building in 2024. We had developed a great connection with Rony, Maria and little Rony, as well as Rony’s young cousins, all of whom helped with the work on the house. We were there at the very beginning stages of this construction, tearing down the old structure, digging a trench for the foundation, and tying rebar for the concrete forms. We didn’t get to experience much of the construction beyond that in our short time there, so never got to see the finished home.
The mission staff were kind enough to facilitate a visit for us. We met Maria and little Rony at their home (Rony was off at work). She was so proud to share her new home with us – 2 bedrooms (with beds and mattresses!), a separate room for her to work, and a stove on the patio outside the home. We were able to present the family a gift of framed photos – one the mission had sent us of the family receiving the keys to the home, and one of our crew and the family from 2024. As Kristi, one of our crew, shared, “It was wonderful to see how a roof, four walls and a solid floor truly brought change to their everyday life. The smiles, hugs and words of Maria and Rony Jr. and his cousins were very special.” We asked Maria what her favorite part of her new home was, she said, “My family is no longer cold at night.” She also wanted the whole parish to know how grateful her family is for the new home, and that though they can never repay us financially, she will always pray for us.
-
-
-
