Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Emmanuel, God with Us

What can make a hot, cramped room full of teenagers sitting on the floor absolutely silent?

What can soften the heart of the most hardened, abandoned, and drug-addicted teenager?

What can strengthen us in the daily struggle of remaining faithful as disciples?

What can move us to tears of joy, gratitude, forgiveness, awe, surrender?

The Eucharist!

Last weekend we lead the Pan de Vida (Bread of Life) retreat here.  Wow. God did some incredible things in the lives of the youth that came. How incredible that each day we have the opportunity to receive our Lord and Savior into our very beings. God’s word brings about what it says. Let there be light. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Be healed. Your sins are forgiven. This is my Body. God’s Word shapes reality. He’s there in the Eucharist, really! And when a human heart opens itself to that reality, God responds!

I remember during one of the missions last summer a woman was sharing her story with me. She had what the doctors thought was cancer in her neck, but, since she lives in a mountain village it was not possible to go to Tegucigalpa for treatment. And besides, she was too scared to go. In addition, she had young children. With tears in their eyes, the woman and her grown daughter told me about how they were watching a Mass on TV one day. In this particular village they get Mass once a year. As the Eucharist was shown on TV, the woman put her hands on the screen and, looking at Jesus, simply said, “Have mercy on me.” She was healed.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Big Changes

It is funny how we think we have everything figured out and then God changes our plans. That happened to me a couple weeks ago. If you didn’t know, I studied to be a teacher in college and that is my dream. But I knew God was calling me to serve here so I chose to trust Him and came. It was a wonderful year, but it was always a little difficult to temporarily sacrifice my dream of teaching. Well, when I least expected it and in the way I least expected it, God handed me an opportunity. I am still living in the mission house and am serving as part of the community, but each morning my ministry is now at Instituto Católico Belingue, one of the bilingual schools in Comayagua. I teach a variety of subjects including 4th grade math, science and grammar. Last Tuesday was my first day and I loved it! It is crazy how fast God can change our plans in completely unexpected way. Just another illustration that He’s really in charge of things.