Honduras featured in CLC Cultural Thursday program

The first Cultural Thursday program of the Central Lakes College academic year will feature Honduras at noon Sept. 6 in the Chalberg Theatre.

Admission is free.

Presenters will be Greg Meyer of Deerwood and CLC student Gabriel Colindres from Morazon, Honduras. The program will feature images from their experience in Honduras.

Meyer, an associate in ministry at Salem Lutheran Church, Deerwood, is co-chairman of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Honduras Missions outreach.

"Our synod began working in Honduras in 1999, in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch," Meyer said. "Our congregation and synod has been working there, repairing the 10 duplex houses, installing a gigantic septic system, a drilled well and 25,000 gallon water tank, repairing and installing electricity and plumbing and cleaning up."

Working with the Christian Commission for Development, Meyer and others have focused on social justice and education, particularly for women.

"Our focus is to bring awareness of the plight of poverty, awareness of social justice and what we each can do in our day-to-day lives, and to see the joy and experience the hospitality of another culture," Meyer said.

Meyer met Colindres when the latter was a translator.

"My wife and I worked for two years through the legal nightmare to bring him to Minnesota to provide him with an education. With the assistance of Gabe and others, we have been able to provide kidney surgery for a local Honduran pastor, cancer treatment for two Honduran friends and open-heart surgery for a 9-month old baby, where we needed to file legal paperwork and bring him to Guatemala City for the surgery."

Cultural Thursday is held the first Thursday of each month during the academic year and is open to the public. For more information, call (218) 855-8183.