1. Honduras Youth-to-Youth Missional Partnership July 9-16, 2015
Jon – open meeting
Purpose – outline how Westminster Youth are at work serving in the image of Jesus
Outline what it is we are looking to achieve; some of our experiences and talk about how you can get involved

2. Youth to Youth Missional Partnership: what is it and what’s different about it?
The Honduras Youth-to-Youth Partnership is the on-going friendship between Imago Dei Youth Ministry of Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Presbytery of Honduras. We strive towards mutual learning, honest dialogue, supportive relationships, and shared mission as we follow Jesus in our communities.
Anne
What is the youth to youth partnership? Why is if different from a mission trip?
For many years Missions have been about “doing things for or to people” rather than with or alongside people.
Short term missions have assumed that we as Americans or Westerners know more, maybe we have the answers, we can go to a poorer nation, community and DO what is right, build schools, build churches and the world will be right – we have responded to God’s calling.
In some instances building a school can do more harm than good – takes local construction jobs, no teachers to fill the school…no resources for the students, so the schools stand empty
Also develop dependency and US seen as a meal ticket…
Instead we need to understand the local culture, develop our knowledge of how a country / community works, the underlying beliefs before we can help and partner. Its about knowing the personalities in a community to get things done – take time and developing relationships
So, Partnership implies working together, living together as Jesus did
We want to share today some of our experiences of learning and developing the partnership

3. Honduras Capital: Tegucigalpa Population: 7.9 million (2012)
The second largest country in Central America, Honduras shares its borders with Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua
History: Declared independence from the Spanish in 1821
Language: Spanish
Demographics: 50% of population are under 19
Economy: The economy was dominated, until the mid-20th century, by foreign-owned banana companies that wielded outsized influence in politics and controlled wide swaths of land. Still a major exporter of the fruit, Honduras is also Central America's second biggest coffee producer
3% unemployment, but 60% of the population live below the poverty line
Anne
Any one want to tell me the location of Honduras?
Bonus question – capital?
Average annual income is under $2,000
Challenges – an inheritance of poverty, and lack of dreams…
Drug trafficking – as Columbia clamps down on drugs so the trafficking is squeezed into Honduras – young men promise of $$
80% of drugs from S Am come through Honduras
One of the highest murder rates in the world

4. Anne
Tegucigalpa

5. Tegucigalpa
Anne

6. Where we stay
Karen
Security
Jose / not out after dark
Villa Gracia

7. Missional Partnership: our shared mission
Tim and Gloria Wheeler
Mutual Learning
Work alongside PCUSA Mission co workers who live in Honduras
Tim and Gloria Wheeler and Mark and Ashley Wright
Honest Dialogue
Heifer Project International
Association for a more Just Society (AJS)
Supportive Relationships
Presbytery of Honduras, Pena de Horeb
Ongoing connection through social media, Facebook, Skype
Retreats with the Youth
Mark and Ashley Wright
Karen

8. Honest Dialogue: AJS Evan Trowbridge, Director of Communications
The Association for a More Just Society (AJS) is a Christian organization dedicated to answering God's call to "act justly" (Micah 6:8).
Vision
Christian communities doing justice and mercy close to home and globally.
Mission
To accomplish the vision, AJS:
Invites others to join in doing justice and mercy.
Enables others to work for justice in their own society.
Anne

9. Supportive Relationships: Youth Retreats
Attending the Youth Retreat
Building a Youth Retreat
Anne
First time many youth had left the city
Some walked 5 hours to be at the retreat
Bible study
Games
Developing relationships – see if in video at the end
Beauty of the countryside, alongside the poverty and injustice…

10. Shared Mission: Eco Stoves
Eco Stoves are a more healthy, fiscally prudent and environmentally friendly way of cooking
The stoves are built outside with better ventilation and burn less wood
Building the stoves is a joint effort with our brothers and sisters in Honduras
Karen

11. Shared Mission: Eco Stoves
Karen
Honduran church members have been trained to build the stoves and share their skills with their neighbors

12. Life in Honduras Guaimaca Anne
Rural Honduras – 4 hours from Tegus – small holding helped by Heifer
Homes built with PCUSA and Heifer support
Guaimaca – 1st Presbyetrian church in Honduras
Church and homes
To give and to receive - coconuts
Guaimaca

13. Logistics
Dates: July Meetings: one per month Book to read: TBC Applications and Deposit: due March 1, 2015 Passports: Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. Immunizations: Issue a packing list Youth Benefit dinner – April 19
Jon

14. Video from our 2014 Youth-to-Youth Missional Partnership
Play video clip
Jon

15. Questions?
Jon / All