Each of us has a heart for a different need in the world, its beautiful how God has created each of us with different gifts and desires. Our ministries and projects here are varied because we are varied. And what is beautiful, although sometimes challenging, is that we have the freedom to discern what God is calling us to, what is prudent, and what it is that we personally have to offer. Frederick Buechner described it beautifully when he said, "The place that God calls us is that place where the world's deep hunger and our deep desire meet."
In this update we wanted to share with you a new ministry we've begun due to the open heart of one of our missioners. Always at the heart of all we do is love, especially for those most in need: the poor, the broken, the abused, the sick and...the imprisoned. Tracy had been feeling a very strong call to serve vulnerable men, almost to the point of looking for another mission or ministry, she had been thinking about homeless ministry, but God had another plan for her. Erika, a friend of the Missioners (and sister of Etelvina) expressed interest in visiting the prison here in Comayagua, but she hadn't yet found the path by which to do so. When Tracy heard about the opportunity she knew it was God speaking to her desire. She (along with a group) has been going faithfully once a week to visit and pray with the men there. This is her reflection on her experiences so far:
“Don’t judge another squaw until you’ve walked a mile in her moccasins”...... they’re not quite squaws and it’s more flip flops than moccasins but anyway….the guys inside the depressing edifice that is Comayagua’s local prison are doing time for an interesting variety of crimes: murder, rape, armed robbery, kidnapping….to name but a few. I try not to dwell too much on the reasons for their incarceration, or to judge, remembering the often pitiful circumstances and poor example in these lives, not to mention the powerful enemy we are all battling. I try to focus more on the truth that each of them is a soul created by a loving Father, for love, and for an eternity spent in a peaceful place very far removed from where they are right now.
Their souls, like ours, are thirsting for God, and in an environment where drugs and prostitutes are readily available, the prison guards busy themselves lounging around chatting (when not openly watching pornographic films) and rosary beads joyfully handed out by naïve missionaries become currency for indulging vices……the thirst is that much more intense. I thank God for the many good men I have encountered in the prison who are striving in the midst of such darkness to lead others to conversion and holiness through daily scripture study, prayer and good example.
I am blessed to be a witness to our wonderful Lord, who paid the price for all our sins, in such a crazy place, and implore your intercession for this new ministry we are undertaking. Please pray that God might use us as His instruments to help set the captives free from the sin, fear, doubt, despair and false masculinity that poisons the hearts of His poor children and keeps them from His tender care.
St Dismis, Patron Saint of Prisoners, pray for us.
-Tracy McGee, Scotland
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Mountains and Teeth
The Friars host 6 Medical Brigaides a year in their hospital San Benito. A medical team of doctors, dentists, nurses, surgeons etc is brought in for a week to provide surgeries and medical care to the poorest of the poor. Each brigade brings new faces, new cases, and new challenges. We as Missioners support the Brigades by preparing food for the patients and their families, helping prepare patients for surgery, translating, and visiting with the patients after their surgeries. Two brigades ago we were finally able to realize a hope we've had for quite a while to bring dental care to the mountains. There are several priests with whom we work that had been asking for dentists for quite some time. God definately provided because an American dentist with years of experience working in the mountains of Central America had been consistently arriving with the brigaides to work out of San Benito's clinic but had at the same time been expressing interest in returning to work in the mountains. With the help of a portable dental unit he is able to go anywhere there is electricity, light, and water to work, he can work then even, as he says, "on somebody's front porch." So he and three of us Missioners (to help assist and do intake, translate) set off for a trial day. We drove the three hours into the mountains of San Luis, set up all the equipment and attended to 10-12 children, basically just doing extraction dentristy. It was my first experience assisting and I learned very quickly it takes patience, a sense of humor, and a strong stomach...sucking blood and spit and being handed extracted teeth is not for the faint of heart. It went very well and Father Balthazar was really excited to finally be able to offer the service to his people.
So...this last brigaide we set out again for three days working in two different villages of Father's this time. We worked again in San Luis but then traveled for the day to the even more remote village of San Rafael. Its really incredible the need in the mountains. A combination of poor education, lack of supplies and lack of dentists makes for some pretty unhealthy mouths. It was difficult to see at times the results years of lack of care can produce. We worked on a young girl who was only 12 years old, already her four front teeth were false and we removed three more permanent teeth, if we had had time we could have removed more. Many many people even at a young age wear dentures. We took 7 teeth out of one woman, finishing off her upper teeth. The majority of the people we saw had seen a dentist maybe once or twice before, some never. It is really convicting as always to experience the lives of the poor first hand, to see what becomes normalcy when living without. In many ways their lives are more simple and more beautiful but we cannot lapse into idealizing the situation. There lives are also very hard and burdened; there is a great amount of suffering and struggle that exists that we have no concept of. We must be honest and real about our responsibility to love them and serve them. Our hope is to continue to return to these aldeas and to not only treat the emergencies but work on prevention and education, to improve their quality of life and quality of care. Hopefully they will experience the love of Christ in us in this humble opportunity to care for them, as always we returned more changed and affected by our encounter with the poor than they ever will be by us. We hope to return in June to the mountains, this time making two different trips and hopefully bringing along a Hygienist for more cleaning and prevention work...as always keep us and the poor in your prayers.
So...this last brigaide we set out again for three days working in two different villages of Father's this time. We worked again in San Luis but then traveled for the day to the even more remote village of San Rafael. Its really incredible the need in the mountains. A combination of poor education, lack of supplies and lack of dentists makes for some pretty unhealthy mouths. It was difficult to see at times the results years of lack of care can produce. We worked on a young girl who was only 12 years old, already her four front teeth were false and we removed three more permanent teeth, if we had had time we could have removed more. Many many people even at a young age wear dentures. We took 7 teeth out of one woman, finishing off her upper teeth. The majority of the people we saw had seen a dentist maybe once or twice before, some never. It is really convicting as always to experience the lives of the poor first hand, to see what becomes normalcy when living without. In many ways their lives are more simple and more beautiful but we cannot lapse into idealizing the situation. There lives are also very hard and burdened; there is a great amount of suffering and struggle that exists that we have no concept of. We must be honest and real about our responsibility to love them and serve them. Our hope is to continue to return to these aldeas and to not only treat the emergencies but work on prevention and education, to improve their quality of life and quality of care. Hopefully they will experience the love of Christ in us in this humble opportunity to care for them, as always we returned more changed and affected by our encounter with the poor than they ever will be by us. We hope to return in June to the mountains, this time making two different trips and hopefully bringing along a Hygienist for more cleaning and prevention work...as always keep us and the poor in your prayers.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Dinner for Two
Candles. Flowers. A little Frank Sinatra...
the ingredients for a romantic dinner for two. For couples in the US its something we take for granted, a nice meal in a nice restaurant once in a while, to celebrate, to take time to for each other, a much needed night spent together away from the kids and the noise.
But what about here? I didnt realize until the other night just what a rarity it is for the poor to be able to spend a quiet evening together with their spouse.
On Sunday the friars held a day long couples retreat with the purpose of helping couples from our neighborhood refocus on each other, center their relationship on God and recieve grace as they struggle for their families. At the end of the day they closed with Mass and Holy Hour and then....Dinner.
We missioners were responsible for one romantic, classy dinner. We transformed the dining room of Casa Guadalupe into an elegant banquet hall...with candles and fresh flowers and white tableclothes. We hung pictures and sheets and Christmas lights and at the end it was a completely different room. Alba and Natalio, with lots of helping hands, prepared an amazing meal. We served as waiters and waitresses, all dressed in our finest black tie garb.
When the Mass finished we all waited at attention for them to arrive. And...
It was beautiful. To see their faces as they entered, especially the women. Women who have never, ever had the opportunity to be treated to a romantic dinner out, never eaten in a nice restuarant, who work and fight hard for the survival of their families at the cost of their own needs and desires. It was beautiful to see their faces light up at the sight of the flowers and the cards that were just for them and to be waited on as if they were the most important people in the world. For the couples it seemed such a gift just to have one night away from home, with out the kids, just to talk to each other.
As dinner finished several couples shared their testimonies. One man shared that the retreat had touched him very deeply and though he and the mother of his children had been together for over 15 yrs they were not married (very common here) but that he hoped that very soon they could recieve that sacrament. Others shared how beautiful it had been to share the day with other couples and learn from each other.
Finally one women confessed that the dinner, the evening had been "the best gift she'd ever recieved." Looking back on it now it seems such a perfect image of Christ's declaration that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last, and of what heaven will some day look like, when the poor and the wretched take a seat of honor at the head of the banquet table. I hope one day I am there to witness it.
But what about here? I didnt realize until the other night just what a rarity it is for the poor to be able to spend a quiet evening together with their spouse.
On Sunday the friars held a day long couples retreat with the purpose of helping couples from our neighborhood refocus on each other, center their relationship on God and recieve grace as they struggle for their families. At the end of the day they closed with Mass and Holy Hour and then....Dinner.
We missioners were responsible for one romantic, classy dinner. We transformed the dining room of Casa Guadalupe into an elegant banquet hall...with candles and fresh flowers and white tableclothes. We hung pictures and sheets and Christmas lights and at the end it was a completely different room. Alba and Natalio, with lots of helping hands, prepared an amazing meal. We served as waiters and waitresses, all dressed in our finest black tie garb.
When the Mass finished we all waited at attention for them to arrive. And...
It was beautiful. To see their faces as they entered, especially the women. Women who have never, ever had the opportunity to be treated to a romantic dinner out, never eaten in a nice restuarant, who work and fight hard for the survival of their families at the cost of their own needs and desires. It was beautiful to see their faces light up at the sight of the flowers and the cards that were just for them and to be waited on as if they were the most important people in the world. For the couples it seemed such a gift just to have one night away from home, with out the kids, just to talk to each other.
As dinner finished several couples shared their testimonies. One man shared that the retreat had touched him very deeply and though he and the mother of his children had been together for over 15 yrs they were not married (very common here) but that he hoped that very soon they could recieve that sacrament. Others shared how beautiful it had been to share the day with other couples and learn from each other.
Finally one women confessed that the dinner, the evening had been "the best gift she'd ever recieved." Looking back on it now it seems such a perfect image of Christ's declaration that the last shall be first, and the first shall be last, and of what heaven will some day look like, when the poor and the wretched take a seat of honor at the head of the banquet table. I hope one day I am there to witness it.Wednesday, March 5, 2008
First Impressions
Chloe one of our newest members to the community has been with us a little less than 2 months now, but she has jumped right into ministry, serving with her whole heart and all of her talents....which have turned out to be many. This her reflection, in her own words on how its been going so far, what she's experienced and some of the projects she's taken on.
Honduras is such a beautiful place. It's so entirely different from what I'm use to so there's been a lot to learn in these first weeks of my time here. Everything is new and exciting and bewildering and wonderful.
Coming from cold Wales (UK), the tropical climate here is like living in a dream-I have to remind myself that it is March and that on the other side of the world it continues to rain and feel like winter.
Traveling through Tegucigalpa on my first day with Friar Damiano and two of the missioners who had collected me from the airport I saw how "immediate" the peoples lives are. The streets were packed with men, women, and children talking, shouting, and practically all trying to sell something: many of them sitting on the pavement with their goods spread out in front of them and the traffic roaring past. The chaos of cars and bikes and people weaving in and out was incredible, along with so many things that are forbidden in England and Wales like entire families riding open air in the back of a pick up truck along fast roads, and men carrying machetes in their belts.
Joining the community of the Missioners of Christ is like becoming a part of new family. Each person is so different and has so much to offer as well as to learn from the others. Its such an amazing grace to have Mass every day, morning and evening prayer, and a whole hour in Adoration each day in the very house where we live. Since the chapel walls are only railings, with the fresh air (and dust) constantly blowing through, Jesus' presence is all through the house. Its an incredible haven of serenitiy in the midst of a poor, chaotic neighborhood.
After my two weeks in Guatemala at language school, I began to help Tracy in the program "Ninas del Rey" each week. The girls are beautiful, full of life and appreciation and interest for the lessons. Things that I have always taken for granted -like pencils- mean the world to them. Their immense love and yearning for education is an amazing example and witness after being surrounded by a culture of young people who constanatly complain about school. Two weeks ago when I mentioned to Carol that I took ballet classes, she suggested I start a class with the girls. So I spoke to Erica who used to figure skate and we held the first class on a Saturday morning two weeks ago. It was lots of fun and a great success! Having worried beforehand about where to start and about what steps to teach, I soon realized that it didn't matter to them at all; they have no experience of learning to dance, let alone ballet, and their big smiles as they copied the movements were enough to tell me that they enjoyed it. Erica and I are hoping to organize a show for their parents to come and watch what they've learned which I am looking forward to very much!
Time is going by so fast however, every day flies by and I know this 6 months is going to be gone too soon. So I am trying hard to appreciate every moment.
- Chloe Fawcett
Honduras is such a beautiful place. It's so entirely different from what I'm use to so there's been a lot to learn in these first weeks of my time here. Everything is new and exciting and bewildering and wonderful.
Coming from cold Wales (UK), the tropical climate here is like living in a dream-I have to remind myself that it is March and that on the other side of the world it continues to rain and feel like winter.
Traveling through Tegucigalpa on my first day with Friar Damiano and two of the missioners who had collected me from the airport I saw how "immediate" the peoples lives are. The streets were packed with men, women, and children talking, shouting, and practically all trying to sell something: many of them sitting on the pavement with their goods spread out in front of them and the traffic roaring past. The chaos of cars and bikes and people weaving in and out was incredible, along with so many things that are forbidden in England and Wales like entire families riding open air in the back of a pick up truck along fast roads, and men carrying machetes in their belts.
Joining the community of the Missioners of Christ is like becoming a part of new family. Each person is so different and has so much to offer as well as to learn from the others. Its such an amazing grace to have Mass every day, morning and evening prayer, and a whole hour in Adoration each day in the very house where we live. Since the chapel walls are only railings, with the fresh air (and dust) constantly blowing through, Jesus' presence is all through the house. Its an incredible haven of serenitiy in the midst of a poor, chaotic neighborhood.
After my two weeks in Guatemala at language school, I began to help Tracy in the program "Ninas del Rey" each week. The girls are beautiful, full of life and appreciation and interest for the lessons. Things that I have always taken for granted -like pencils- mean the world to them. Their immense love and yearning for education is an amazing example and witness after being surrounded by a culture of young people who constanatly complain about school. Two weeks ago when I mentioned to Carol that I took ballet classes, she suggested I start a class with the girls. So I spoke to Erica who used to figure skate and we held the first class on a Saturday morning two weeks ago. It was lots of fun and a great success! Having worried beforehand about where to start and about what steps to teach, I soon realized that it didn't matter to them at all; they have no experience of learning to dance, let alone ballet, and their big smiles as they copied the movements were enough to tell me that they enjoyed it. Erica and I are hoping to organize a show for their parents to come and watch what they've learned which I am looking forward to very much!
Time is going by so fast however, every day flies by and I know this 6 months is going to be gone too soon. So I am trying hard to appreciate every moment.
- Chloe Fawcett
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