"Greetings from Honduras!"

These are exciting days at Project Transformation in Honduras. People from all over the country have come to Tegucigalpa to protest and riot against the Honduran government. The US Embassy has given us directions to stay in our homes all day and we feel very safe here.

If you could see all the children of AFE relishing the meals supplied by Washington Cathedral or sitting attentively in classrooms that we helped to build, then you would know how vital the health and growth of Washington Cathedral is to those who have little hope. Our church’s development is imperative not only for those in Washington State but also in the emerging world.

If you have ever been on a mission trip with me (Elise) you know that I guard all mission funds like a junkyard dog named Rufus with spikes on his collar. If, on a mission trip, we eat at McDonalds: “Don’t super size! All left-over funds go directly to kids in Honduras!” When the youth collect auction items: “You need to collect much more than the amount to go on the trip, because the excess goes to kids at the AFE school!” Perhaps we can borrow from the Charity Alliance Organization’s funds to support a needy charity in Redmond? You have to go through me first (and the CAO Board which prayerfully votes on all funding applicants).

So why is it that I am the strongest proponent of using the Mission Auction to raise funds for the ReCreation Center? Before this idea blossomed in the minds of Washington Cathedral’s leadership, I was communicating to the Charity Alliance Board that it would be a while before the school we support in Honduras is be ready to receive greater donations. Every organization that receives a donation from the CAO is required to present a financial and progress report to ensure the money was used efficiently and effectively. We have received some great reports from well-developed organizations; however, AFE (Amor, Fe, y Esperanza) is a brand new project that is just getting organized. Last year’s auction raised support for a nursery and a food program for the kids. We donated the money but did not get the sort of reports we had hoped for.

This is where I come in. My primary job in Honduras is to help AFE get organized. To help them develop a financial and reporting structure. AFE is currently receiving funds from churches and individuals all over the US. Donors who don’t require the high standards of reporting and accountability that the CAO does. However, the director of the school, Pastor Jeony Ordonez, reminds me that the sooner we can get these reporting structures in place, the sooner the doors will open wide to more funding.

In the meantime, I can think of no better use for the mission auction than to keep AFE’s greatest donor to date – Washington Cathedral – functioning, serving, and blessing the world.
This is a very special time in the history of Washington Cathedral. I have been there since it began, when I was 5 years old. Completing our commitment to build the ReCreation Center – for this generation and those that will come - is very important! We must complete what we set out to do! It was God’s will when we started and it is still God’s will today. The only difference is that we can see the impact a little more clearly today. The whole team is behind the new purpose of the auction this year. Rey and I look forward to our furlough and returning to Washington Cathedral to help with the auction. We believe in Washington Cathedral now more than ever and we see the impact more clearly than we ever have before.

Your friend in Christ,

Pastor Elise White Diaz