Hospitality,Generosity, Hut Homes and Dirt Floors
Just about every day I venture out of our mission house here in Buenos Aires to visit and evangelize the poor in their simple homes. We mainly visit the sick since they cannot leave their homes to attend church and they are usually very glad to receive visitors. We sing Spanish church songs, read the bible and end by praying for their healing. Many times people open up and share their problems or the particular needs of their family. It is not uncommon for a little crowd of nearby children to gather once they hear the music. And sometimes the neighborhood kids want to follow us to the next home. I have been touched by the people here and their sincere hospitality and cheerful generosity. Most of these people are very poor and have dirt floors, hut roofs and use thick plastic to create walls to divide spaces that resemble rooms in their adobe homes. But even though they have so little and struggle to feed their families, they still want to give us something. People give us fruit from their chacras (farms), snacks or may invite us to stay for lunch. And we gladly accept because it makes them happy for us to receive their expression of gratitude.
One of the most beautiful things for me is when I walk out on our street and hear the children call out to me "hermanita" (a term of endearment for sister) and run up to me to give me a big hug, beautiful smile and a kiss on the cheek. That simple gesture warms my heart and reminds me that I am here to show them who Jesus is by my loving example. These people are dear to my heart and have become my friends and family here. The Lord has such a way of providing all that we need when we say "yes" to his will in our lives. And when we serve him in the poor we cannot help but to be blessed and fulfilled and the fruit is peace and joy. Our God is so good and generous and he does not need our gifts but he allows us to share in the beauty of the ministry of bringing his salvation to the ends of the earth. It is amazing how quickly this place has become my home and how natural it feels to live here among God's dear children. God gives us the grace to live in his will and blesses us with happiness to keep living our vocation as foreign missionaries in the midst of poverty and suffering.
The things that were such a huge struggle when I first got here such as the lack of clean running water, the annoyance of constant mosquito bites and missing the food back home have all somehow just faded into the background and now all I can hear is the music of God's voice telling me that I need to keep loving, evangelizing and not miss an opportunity to share Christ with the people here. I only have four months left at this mission post and my time here is going by so quickly. I have been in Peru for six months now and it has been a great blessing to be sent here to meet all these beautiful Peruvians and tell them about Jesus! The Lord has taught me so much and there are so many beautiful moments and great conversations I have had with special souls here. One of the things I have learned here in this little corner of the jungle is how important it is to truly give people my attention, a listening ear and to be present to them and allow my heart to be involved in my interactions with the poor. That is one of the greatest gifts that a life of simplicity allows for, time to have real conversations with people and get to know them and truly listen to them. As a missionary, I feel that God calls me to take it a step further and to try and see them through his compassionate, merciful eyes.
The beautiful moments I have had with the people here cannot be relived or reproduced they are a gift from God and are meant to be remembered in my heart forever. I know that my mission here is to make Christ known and loved so that after I am gone they will remember Him. My time here is a gift and I need to finish strong just like St. Paul says in scripture: "Run so as to win." (1 Cor. 9:24-27) We are all called to make Christ known and loved, this life is passing by very quickly and all that will matter in the end is if our loving witness brought others closer to Christ. My prayer for you today is that you will live out the call of your baptism and live as a missionary right where you are. May your witness make Christ known and loved! Please keep the people of Buenos Aires, Peru in your prayers and ask God to help me persevere and be a faithful witness of his love. I will be praying for your intentions as well. Thank you so much for reading this and God bless you!
I leave you with a quote from Mother Teresa:
"If we pray, we will believe;
If we believe, we will love;
If we love, we will serve."
One of the most beautiful things for me is when I walk out on our street and hear the children call out to me "hermanita" (a term of endearment for sister) and run up to me to give me a big hug, beautiful smile and a kiss on the cheek. That simple gesture warms my heart and reminds me that I am here to show them who Jesus is by my loving example. These people are dear to my heart and have become my friends and family here. The Lord has such a way of providing all that we need when we say "yes" to his will in our lives. And when we serve him in the poor we cannot help but to be blessed and fulfilled and the fruit is peace and joy. Our God is so good and generous and he does not need our gifts but he allows us to share in the beauty of the ministry of bringing his salvation to the ends of the earth. It is amazing how quickly this place has become my home and how natural it feels to live here among God's dear children. God gives us the grace to live in his will and blesses us with happiness to keep living our vocation as foreign missionaries in the midst of poverty and suffering.
The things that were such a huge struggle when I first got here such as the lack of clean running water, the annoyance of constant mosquito bites and missing the food back home have all somehow just faded into the background and now all I can hear is the music of God's voice telling me that I need to keep loving, evangelizing and not miss an opportunity to share Christ with the people here. I only have four months left at this mission post and my time here is going by so quickly. I have been in Peru for six months now and it has been a great blessing to be sent here to meet all these beautiful Peruvians and tell them about Jesus! The Lord has taught me so much and there are so many beautiful moments and great conversations I have had with special souls here. One of the things I have learned here in this little corner of the jungle is how important it is to truly give people my attention, a listening ear and to be present to them and allow my heart to be involved in my interactions with the poor. That is one of the greatest gifts that a life of simplicity allows for, time to have real conversations with people and get to know them and truly listen to them. As a missionary, I feel that God calls me to take it a step further and to try and see them through his compassionate, merciful eyes.
The beautiful moments I have had with the people here cannot be relived or reproduced they are a gift from God and are meant to be remembered in my heart forever. I know that my mission here is to make Christ known and loved so that after I am gone they will remember Him. My time here is a gift and I need to finish strong just like St. Paul says in scripture: "Run so as to win." (1 Cor. 9:24-27) We are all called to make Christ known and loved, this life is passing by very quickly and all that will matter in the end is if our loving witness brought others closer to Christ. My prayer for you today is that you will live out the call of your baptism and live as a missionary right where you are. May your witness make Christ known and loved! Please keep the people of Buenos Aires, Peru in your prayers and ask God to help me persevere and be a faithful witness of his love. I will be praying for your intentions as well. Thank you so much for reading this and God bless you!
I leave you with a quote from Mother Teresa:
"If we pray, we will believe;
If we believe, we will love;
If we love, we will serve."
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