Do Everything for His Glory

As inevitably happens in life, there are times when everyone else seems to be busy, but we have nothing to do. I think what choice we make in that moment is really important. We can chose to fill our time with the distractions of TV, Facebook, or whatnot. These things are not in and of themselves bad, but they really can distract a person from their faith and from life in general (You realize this when you suddenly no longer have access.) OR, you can find little ways of serving God by serving those closest to you. Sometimes that means doing the dishes or sweeping. Is that fun? No. But St. Therese was all about small things with great love. That way, the little action is transformed into a prayer.

I think that especially the Americans come here hoping to serve God in an "exciting" way. But the reality is that we do have to wash dishes because we use them to eat. We do have to sweep, even though it is a loosing battle against the dust. That is just part of life, but it is also serving God and neighbor if we do it with love. It is a difficult lesson to learn, especially when it happens somewhat frequently within a week. I am learning that there is more than one way we are missionaries building the Kingdom of God. Yes, there are talks and groups and retreats, there are one-on-one conversations, there is time to lift our ministries and neighbors up in prayer, there is time for us to be strengthened in our own faith to be able to serve better...but we are just as much missionaries in the ordinary day-to-day stuff. There is a song that says, "do everything you do for the glory of the One who made you." I am not there yet, but I want God to be able to work through me in everything throughout the day for His glory. I pray that we can all grow closer to this goal each day.

Weekly Update

Well, another week has come and gone. It was mostly normal. I had my regular tutoring schedule. I am starting to get to know the kids better. (And they are starting to remember my weird American name.) The kids are really fun to work with. They make me smile, even on days when I don't really want to tutor. I have also been going with the director of the scholarship program to visit the families of the kids and to check up on them. All of our kids come from great poverty and most come from very broken families. But in general, they are so much more joyful and loving than the kids I know in the States. There is a family that comes to daily Mass frequently and the kids ALWAYS hug every single person in the chapel and wish them peace. Saturday mornings, all of the kids from the scholarship program help with community service. Usually, we visit the house of an elderly person to help clean and to just visit them. I think this week we will be helping the Friars sort and package food for their distribution program. The kids are usually great about helping out, with a couple exceptions.

I think there were two highlights in my week. Last Friday I went with the Missionaries of Charity to help with a faith formation group in one of their aldeas. It was beautiful, and though fairly close to Comayagua, totally remote. And there is certainly mission work to be done there. When the Missionaries of Charity arrived four years ago, the people had absolutely no formation or faith of any sort. There is still a long way to go, but the people are growing and seemed grateful for our presence. Hopefully I will be able to go most Fridays.

Also, yesterday we went to visit the clinic run by the Friars. There is a medical mission here right now doing surgeries and they wanted us to come pray and talk with the families. We prayed a rosary and then talked and prayed with several families as they waited for their loved ones. It was definitely out of my comfort zone, but absolutely beautiful to see!  Stuff like that would just not work in the States, but the people here are so open and grateful, sometimes practically sharing their whole life stories and faith journeys with us.

Well, that about sums up my week. I hope everyone back in the States had a great one too!

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.