Jul 22 2012

Parish group from Colorado finds loving reception in Guatemala

Posted on July 22, 2012 by admin

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies mission awareness trip participants. You can see Bob’s full update on his Facebook page.

I find the group from Risen Christ Parish as hopeful and dynamic as its name. Here in Guatemala, we are deeply grateful for their love of our people, their presence among us, their example.

Seems like their long-term pastoral plan flows into a very natural outreach toward their neighbors at home in Colorado and in Guatemala.

These friends encountered a richly green and fertile country, but a country heavily burdened by social problems.

Entrusted with the good will and the economic help of their fellow parish members, they worked hard (sometimes under good rains) to offer three sponsored friends and their families a more dignified home. Read more

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Jul 2 2012

Want to visit your sponsored child or aging friend in Chile?

Posted on July 2, 2012 by admin

Do you sponsor a child or aging friend in Chile? Or are you just interested in going to Chile with CFCA? If so, we’d love for you to consider coming on our Sep. 28-Oct. 7 mission awareness trip!

We need a minimum number of travelers to go on this trip in order for it to be cost-effective. If we do not meet this minimum requirement, we unfortunately have to cancel the trip.

(Quick note: A CFCA trip is not a traditional mission trip. You will not be building houses or working in CFCA projects. A mission awareness trip is an in-depth immersion experience that will bring you face to face with the realities of CFCA families. If you also sponsor there, you’ll have an opportunity to meet your sponsored friend.)

So far our trip this year is just one person away from our minimum requirement. A few sponsors who originally signed up have had to cancel because of other time and scheduling conflicts.

The trip cost is $475 per person. Food, lodging and most in-country transportation are included. Airfare is not included.

If you’re interested in going, you can always download a registration packet from our website. Complete one application form per participant, read and sign the code of conduct, and return them along with a non-refundable $100 deposit per person to: CFCA, 1 Elmwood Avenue, Kansas City, KS 66103, Attn: Trip Coordinator.

Other ways to sign up are to call our trip coordinators at 800-875-6564 or email trips@cfcausa.org.

We’d love to know before July 23 whether anyone else is interested in coming. Feel free to share this information with anyone else you know who may be interested.

Thanks so much!

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Jun 9 2012

Trip to Colombia: ‘An honor to be a sponsor for your children’

Posted on June 9, 2012 by admin

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies mission awareness trip participants. You can see Bob’s full update on his Facebook page.

From my recent report from Medellin and Cartagena, please allow me to offer a little general information about CFCA in Colombia:

From the northern border with Venezuela to the southern border with Ecuador, we’ve walked every kilometer of Colombia, this wonderful country.

(Editor’s note: This is a reference to Walk2gether, the nearly 8,000-mile solidarity walk that Bob and CFCA staffers undertook through 12 Latin American countries. The walk lasted from December 2009 to June 2011.)

I remain deeply grateful for all the blessings, prayers and solidarity.

Colombia is a big piece of the Lord’s creation. In size it is number 4 in Latin America after Brazil, Argentina and Peru.

Colombia is special to me and to my family. I first landed here in 1960 as a Christian Brother missionary teacher.

I was assigned to Colegio La Salle, Cartagena. I have many wonderful memories of my students and fellow teachers at La Salle.

Since Cristina and I sponsored the first CFCA child, Florelia Delgado (Bogota project), CFCA-Colombia has grown to include 19,349 children and 2,179 elderly friends.

In addition, we currently have over 1,000 Colombian children on our waiting list for sponsorship. Project Bogota serves some 6,500 families in both urban and rural areas.

Before the sponsors arrived

Cristina and I enjoyed an inspiring day at the CFCA Center in Bogota on the Friday before the sponsors’ arrival. Read more

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May 25 2012

Colombian mother to sponsors: ‘You represent hope for our families’

Posted on May 25, 2012 by admin

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies mission awareness trip participants. You can see Bobís full update on his Facebook page.

From the northern border with Venezuela to the southern border with Ecuador, we’ve walked every kilometer of Colombia, this wonderful country.

I remain deeply grateful for all the blessings, prayers and solidarity.

CFCA in Colombia

Colombia is special to me and to my family. I first landed here in 1960 as a Christian Brother missionary teacher.

I was assigned to Colegio La Salle, Cartagena. I have many wonderful memories of my students and fellow teachers at La Salle.

Since Cristina and I sponsored the first CFCA child, Florelia Delgado (in the CFCA project in Bogota), CFCA in Colombia has grown to include 19,349 children and 2,179 elderly friends.

In addition, we currently have 1,552 Colombian children on our waiting list for sponsorship.

Our CFCA family in Colombia includes five major projects (Antioquia, Bogota, Cartagena, Cali and Quibdo).

All staff members at our Antioquia project (together with a few spouses and babies) were on hand to welcome the sponsors at the CFCA central office in Medellin. Read more

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May 14 2012

Enveloped in the love of Guatemalan sponsored children, families

Posted on May 14, 2012 by admin

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“Bob’s notes” are reports from CFCA President Bob Hentzen, who regularly accompanies mission awareness trip participants. You can see Bobís full update on his Facebook page.

The sinsonte birds are singing their hearts out, welcoming the early rains. They also welcome 35 CFCA sponsors, their hearts ready to learn and to share.

Excited children, elderly and families lift their hearts in prayers of gratitude for their sponsors.

In nine different regions across Guatemala, a dedicated CFCA staff serves an estimated 89,000 children and elderly. More than 500 families wait in hope to belong to CFCA.

God knows this is sacred ground, made so by the sacrifice of countless martyrs and the daily sacrifices of humble, hard-working people.

We are here to listen. May we see much more than poverty. May we see firsthand the realities of our families.

May we remain open to learn about their heroic efforts to walk that path out of poverty, hand in hand with our sponsors.

Remembering the martyrs

We remember in a special way the testimony and martyrdom of Bishop Juan Jose Gerardi 14 years ago: April 26, 1998.

Our attendance at Holy Mass at the Cathedral de la Asuncion Guatemala City draws our attention immediately to the thousands of names, mostly indigenous, etched for years into the massive pillars surrounding this historical structure, etched for life into our hearts. Read more

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