Sep 23

Written by: reh
9/23/2005

Saturday September 23, 2005 
Driver and interpreter picked me up at the Maya Hotel at 8:20. Finalized arrangement:

• Vehicle, gas, driver, interpreter for $90.00 per day plus one room for both and food.

Picked up Pastor Jones at the airport. Jorge talked with the Director of Airport Security and we ushered Pastor into the Director’s office. We were through customs and on our way 10 minutes after the bags arrived. Drove directly to the Lutheran Church (Iglecia Cristiana Luterano de Honduras at Av. Centenario 19 Calle #518, Comoyaguela). We were graciously welcomed by a lay lady and a lay man that (I think) did clerical/administrative work for the church. We were told that services are at 3:00PM on Saturday and Sunday. I called Lindsay Mack on her cell phone and left a message. Went to the Hotel Maya, signed in, cleaned up, changed, and headed back for the service.

At the church we were met by Rev. Armindo Schmechel, President of the ICLH. A very humble, quiet Brazilian of German decent. He is 58ish with thinning light brown hair. He was clearly unaware of any communications we have had with the bishop of the Michigan Synod, our bishop, or with Lindsay Mack. He showed us through the church compound which consists of several offices, bedrooms, and baths. There is a third floor balcony. Went to service. Pastor Victor is in his last year of seminary in Costa Rica. Our interpreter is really bad. His English is no better than Pastor’s and my Spanish. Liturgy is similar to ours but no communion. No piano, seats are plastic lawn chairs. Approximately 30 in the congregation. Only one lady with gray hair. Most adults were between 20 and 35.

After service Rev. Schmechel and Pastor Victor, and we went by the church council to say Hi. The oldest was 30+/- and the youngest was 22+/-. Then went to Rev. Schmechel’s office to talk.

• While there are 11 “congregations” in Honduras, there are only 4 or 5 church structures, the rest are “primitive” churches that meet in homes.
• When war stopped in El Salvador in the ‘80’s, most Lutherans went back. Since the Honduran congregation could not support itself the Missouri Synod dropped all support.
• The Honduras Lutheran Church floundered for the next 20 years. Education standards among the clergy were non-existent.
• When Rev. Schmechel came on the scene from Brazil 1.5 years ago, the church was in shambles. He said people ask what the structure is in the Honduras Lutheran Church, well there is none. Rev. Schmechel became “President” by default and reluctantly serves as Pres. out of affection and respect for the Honduran members.
• The Honduras Lutheran Church operates on a survival mode with $125,000 per year that is donated by LWF, Bavarian (German) Lutheran Church, and ELCA. The ELCA portion is $25,000.

We tried to explain (lousy interpreter was of little to no use) what we are doing in El Amatillo and explained that we simply wanted to come by and meet with our fellow Lutherans in Honduras. There was a visible positive emotional response to our interest and our taking the time to visit. We arranged to meet with Rev. Schmechel at the airport at 10:00AM. Went to the hotel and slept till 8:00.
Finally realized that the interpreter would be more harm than good, that we would be better off using our pigeon-Spanish than have him misinterpreted. Called Esell to see if she could come (9:00PM before I reached her). She could not come but would check around. At 12:00AM she called back with the name of a person! They would be by at 8:00AM.

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