Last April, over 20 Methodist missionaries got a first-hand lesson in the hardships of Honduran life on a visit to the Caribbean country. They helped to build a chain link fence around a church to deter thieves; thieves who stole chairs because there was nothing else to take.

The travelers, embarking upon their second Honduran mission this coming April, know their work is secondary to the connections they build with the Honduran people.

On Jan. 21, the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church raised about $700 for the supplies they’ll need to build a new church in the city of Talanga, Honduras this spring. The group is charged with raising money for the materials they’ll use on their mission. Last year, they raised over $2,000 to help build a chain link fence around a church; this year they’ll raise money to build a new church.

Though 17-year-old Cape Elizabeth High School senior Ben Pomeroy had done some research, he was not prepared for the abject poverty in the streets. The homes were shacks, he said. There were no recliners or flat screen TV’s, or even drinkable water. Though lacking in amenities, the humble homes were well loved. Some homes were even decorated with flower boxes in the windows, said Pomeroy.

“You could tell that there was pride in them,” said Pomeroy, “the people obviously cared for what they had, even though it was so small.”

Pomeroy is the student leader for the upcoming trip, one of two people organizing the excursion. Last year, the entire Pomeroy family went to Honduras. Ginny Pomeroy was also unprepared for the overwhelming poverty, where the average wage is $3 a day.

“When you’re driving in the bus, you see these shanty towns, literally cardboard boxes. There’s no water, no latrines, it’s unbelievable,” she said.

This poverty only seems to bring families closer together, said Ben Pomeroy. “The emphasis on objects is so much less, said Pomeroy, “in the absence of that, the relationships between people seemed stronger.”

However, Hondurans are part of the new wave of immigrants deserting their homes in hopes of a better future. Ginny Pomeroy said it is common for the Honduran people to leave Honduras in search of a piece of the American dream. “The draw is really strong to get out of Honduras,” she said, “People are splitting up their families, it’s terribly sad.”

The United Methodist mission Web site states, “Poverty, unemployment, low salaries, high cost of living are the causes why thousands of Hondurans migrate to the United States, the majority illegally, and risking their own lives. This at the same time causes chaos and family disintegration.”

Ben Pomeroy’s friend Nelson is just one of many Hondurans with similar plans. Since last spring Pomeroy has been corresponding with Nelson, who plans to come to America to help support his family in Honduras; Pomeroy hopes he can help him.

Pomeroy plans to take a year off after graduating this spring to teach English in a Central American country. Right now, he hopes to teach in the Dominican Republic. A Spanish student at Cape high, he said he is “half-way” to fluent in Spanish.

The people of Honduras, with little material wealth, are rich and generous in spirit. The Honduran children approach strangers in the streets offering hugs and smiles. “They seemed to know we were there to help them out,” said Ginny Pomeroy.

Though they were cautioned against accepting food because of possible contamination, Ginny Pomeroy couldn’t say no when a Honduran man offered her fruit in the street. “He came out of his store to give us oranges,” she said.

The water must be boiled to drink and food must be washed before eating. The missionaries were provided with bottled water, though the Hondurans don’t regularly enjoy the same.

Methodist missionary groups entered Honduras after Hurricane Mitch devastated the nation in 1988. Many Hondurans lost their homes. The church helped rebuild them.

The Methodist church now has 12 congregations in Honduras. They’ve built a clinic, a children’s nutrition center, and some churches have bought medicine for the sick.

The Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church will hold a fundraising concert featuring the Maine humor band “A Wicked Good Band,” March 18 at 7:30 p.m. For more information contact Stephen Bither by e-mail at sdbither2gwi.net.

Ben Pomeroy and his mother Ginny, both of whom will be part of the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church mission to Honduras in April, talk with Pastor Ruth Morrison, right, during the Jan. 21 Honduran Fundraising Supper at the church. Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church member Stephen Bither and Honduran boy Gustavo bend rebar for the chainlink fence they built around the church in Talanga, Honduras last year. The Methodist group will travel to Honduras again this April to help build a new church.Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church members in front of a Honduran Ceiba tree.Honduran children at Sunday School.The streets of Talanga, Honduras. Talanga is located in the South central region of Honduras.