Friday, May 31, 2013

Ready, Set, Go!

Sorry it has been so long since I have written. I don't really have a good excuse. But now I am writing again.

We are just gearing up for summer, by far the busiest time of the year. There is a lot more that we do now than what we did three years ago when I came as a summer-termer: more, missions, more teams, more retreats, more activities. Plus, I don't think as a summer-termer I quite grasped the amount of behind-the-scenes things that happen.

In one of our meetings we have had, Carol challenged us to remember that we are not here for ourselves, especially this summer.  It isn't bad to see how you are growing, but we can't focus only on that. We have to give. This summer I will meet hundreds of people both from the States and from mountain villages. How sad if they don't leave a bit closer to Christ, because that is Who we all hunger for. They don't need Jamie; they need Jesus. Please pray for us that we will be able to serve selflessly this summer.

Friday, May 10, 2013

St. Therese

Something that has always surprised me is that St. Therese is one of the patrons of missionaries. St. Francis Xavier makes sense; he traveled the world sharing the message of the Gospel. But St. Therese lived her entire short life in France, she entered the Carmelites when she was very young, and she never did anything that would make anyone think of her as a "missionary." Yet, she has a lot to teach us about being missionaries in our everyday lives.

I think the main things that strike me about St. Therese are her simplicity, her incredible love of God manifested in love of neighbor in all the little things throughout the day, and her total trust that He will take care of her, guide her, lead her, form her, etc, etc, etc. Slowly God is showing me though various books I am reading and conversations I have had the importance of these things. We must rely totally on Him. And He will slowly teach us how.