Truth is Always Truth

I wanted to share a poem that is on a bookmark I was given. It is quite beautiful.

Truth is Always Truth
You know My Way is simple
There is no black and white
Truth is always truth
And right is always right

So keep it simple, Christian
Don't sugar-coat My Word
I've shown you what to say
Now stand up and be heard

This is not an option
There is no other choice
This is My command to you
It's time to use your voice

Go forth and preach the Good News
Let others see Christ's light
Share your hope and joy
It's time to set things right

I do not want to complicate
Your life throughout this day
But only if you do my will
Your peace in me will stay

Littleness

Littleness. A theme that has been coming up a lot lately. It is so contrary to what we learn growing up, but I am more and more convinced that it is the way of God. After all, the God of the universe became a baby, grew up in a poor town, humbly taught the people, and died on a cross. When we stop and think about that, it should probably blow our minds. And little seems to be the only way to live here. Daily we rise, we pray, we serve, we pray some more, we rest. We try to make a small difference for those who cross our path. The problems of this neighborhood and world are so big that if we look at the big picture, we become discouraged extraordinarily easily. It is like the story of the boy and the starfish.

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?" The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean.  The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die." "Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!" After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "I made a difference for that one."

Like yesterday, I got into a random conversation with a fellow volunteer tutoring the kids. I think she just needed to talk because she told me her life story and all her difficulties. I just listened and nodded. I may not have changed the entire world, but I hope I helped her. Mother Theresa also exemplidied this. We showed a video about her to a group of young adult leaders from one of the parishes. She was so little and humble in her service to the poor and God used her for incedible things.

Yes, littleness seems to me to be somehow, contrary to reason, necessary to be a missionary.

Finally Here

I am back in Honduras now after being in the States for a wedding. It is so good to be here and to be able to start settling in. I've been getting to know my fellow community members and adjusting to our daily routine. I am with some incredible people.

We started work on our ministry schedules the other day. I will be doing a lot of work with the scholarship program so neighborhood kids can go to school: tutoring, correspondence between here and the States, working with the kids on their required community service, and home visits. I am really excited about this work because I view education as key to a better life for the individual and a more human world for us all. In addition, I will be helping with a couple of the youth groups and whatever other stuff the Missioners are doing. For example, I know that there are a couple retreats to put on, training to lead, and mountain missions to do before December. Estoy muy emocionada para empezar.

Fotografías

As promised, here are some pictures from my first eight weeks in Central America.

Click here for the pictures!

Community and Travels

The Missioners of Christ live and work as a community. Sometimes, it seems like this focus on our relationships with one another takes valuable time away from our ministries. Like this is a one-or-the-other issue. But it isn't. Relationships are absolutely essential. I learned that during my time in Antigua when I was separated from the community. Community life, though hard, holds us accountable to growth. It is so easy when one is alone to gradually slip back into the habit of listening to the voice of the world as opposed to that of God. But when I returned to Comayagua the fact that I was living and working with others gave me hundreds of little opportunities to serve and grow. And the community nourishes us so that we can go out to serve others faithfully.

Okay, that was my little reflection of something I have been thinking and reading about, but now for a practical update. I have finished Spanish classes (166 hours), returned to Comayagua for a couple of days, and am now in Helena, MT to be in my good friend's wedding. I am enjoying my time here, but am also excited to get back to Honduras and really get into things there. Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures soon.

God is Strength in Our Weakness

I will admit, these last couple of weeks at the language school have been really tough. I want to back in Comayagua serving, but this is where God has me right now. It is sometimes hard to enter into the lives of the people because life is complicated and so often difficult. I just want to be able to change the situations I see, but I can´t. It is a great frustation to me and a cross that I will carry during my time here: knowing how much my fellow human beings suffer and being powerless to change the structures and situations that have caused that. I guess, as Christians, we put our hope in God that He can still work in this broken world and can, as St. Paul says, use our weaknesses and make them into strengths. What I can do is humbly let the Lord guide me as I walk with the people here for a short time and pray that He will use me as an instrument of His love, even if I am unaware.

A Land of Contrasts

Once again, hello from Guatemala. There isn't much new to report. Basically, I am just going to class and trying to master Spanish. It's funny, the more I learn, the more complicated it seems.

Something that has really struck me since I arrived is seeing how Central America is such a land of contrasts. You see the best and the worst of humanity, the super rich and the destitute, hope and despair, good and evil side-by-side. In a first world country there are a lot more gray areas that we have created. I am still not sure how to reconcile some of these contrasting realities, but a friends of mine once told me to love the questions themselves. And someday, God will show me how all these pieces fit together.