Compassion

Three years ago, I spent a year in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, doing mission work with the organization, Heart's Home USA. So many memories came flooding back as I remembers all the people that made such an impact of my life. It was such a challenging, rewarding experience. Honestly, I sometimes am surpriesed by how much I miss my time there. So many simple, beautiful memories. I have been blessed.  

For as long as I can remember,  I knew I had wanted to serve and live among the poor in another part of the world. It was Sr. Regine who found my profile on a Catholic volunteer networking site.  I clicked on the information video in her simple e-mail, and just a few minutes into it I knew I had found what I was supposed to do. Through my time of formation, I found a community that spoke to my heart. A place where we were taught to love others not for what they can do, but simple because they are. Formation taught me that I was everything I needed to make a difference in this world through this time of mission. My only goal was to love. And I knew I would do that whole heartily.

My time of mission in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was difficult as I adjusted to so many differences. Our home in La Colonia Trinidad was simple, and I learned to wash clothes by hand, take cold showers, and eat the simple foods day after day, just like our neighbors. I struggled to learn Spanish, and repeatedly felt that I was not able to live my mission fully because I had no idea what was going on around me. Slowly, however, I found myself more engaged in my mission because of my struggles. So many of our neighbors were bitterly poor. They struggled to get by with little education and little opportunities.  They worked as hard as they could, but were not able to change their circumstances. I was able to relate to them in ways I would not have expected. I too did not have a voice. I too was not able to change my circumstances. They needed someone to recognize their significance in this life, as we all do. I found that my simpleness allowed me to connect with them more closely than I could have imagines. 

Coming home, I have found that so many people here in America are suffering from other forms of poverty. Loneliness. Poor self-esteem. Hopelessness. We may try to pretend that everything is all right, but on some level each of us is poor. I have found that my time with Heart’s Home has opened up my heart to see and respond to the hurt around me. To family members and friends who are dealing with the challenges that come with deployment. To women who cannot have children. To young people who have been laid off and cannot find work. To a co-worker whose husband passes away after a sudden, unexpected illness. So many people are hurting and desperately need someone to take the time to show them that they are loved and valued. I am thankful that my time of services has taught me how to do that.

La Semana Santa durante mi mision

Last year at this time I was celebrating “La Semana Santa” in Honduras, and with each special Mass and service, I find myself back at out parish of San José Obrero.

We began Holy Week with a mile long procession to remember Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem. Let by a dozen alter boys and our beloved paster, Padre Ricardo, we walked around the neighborhood with our large palms, singing and praying. The church was filled to over flowing and many of the little old ladies waved their palms for the majority of the Mass.

We celebrated Holy Thursday with many of the children at our house. Rita and Regina read from the bible and explained what happened on Holy Thursday, then Memo washed the feet of each child as I led the singing. It was a beautiful blend of shyness, joy, and giggling.

  

Good Friday was amazing. It was already blisteringly hot as we left our house around 9:30 to the starting point of Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross. With several hundred people we made our way through the streets, climbing to a high point of the city. Dozens of adults from the church were dressed as Christ, Mary, Roman Guards, and the sorrowful woman. As we came to each station, one of the priests read the scriptures and spoke about the station, as we watched it depicted before us. (By “Us,” I mean those taller than me, or quicker. I missed most of it, too sun sick to push my way through the crowds until the very end!) The most beautiful moment was the crucifixion…Christ hung above the whole city as we watched on in tears. It was truly beautiful.

The Easter Vigil was awe-inspiring. The entire band from “El Camino” (a catholic movement incredibly popular in Latin America) was there with over a dozen guitars and as many other instruments….the church was overflowing with people singing and dancing in their seats and I loved every minute of the nearly 4 hour Mass!!

What a blessing to have celebrated such an important aspect of my faith in an entirely different culture. The Catholic Church is Universal!! How cool is that?? Happy Good Friday, everyone. :)

Blessings

Here are a few Videos about Life in Heart's Home!! Pretty Cool!

The photos they used are about 98% mine, too. :)

An Offering

While I was Honduras, my Aunt Rita used to send me care packages with old cards the missions sent her. We would cut the front off the cards and make birthday cards for our neighbor or create craft projects with the kids. Once we made fans by gluing two card to a jumbo popsicle stick and cutting the edges out with funky scissors. What a hit!

She would always include holy cards in the packages too, and as often the prayers were in English, I used to keep many of them for myself.

One in particular really spoke to me, and still turn to it most mornings.

An Offering of Self

Oh Lord,

May my soul be flooded with your light

And know you more and more profoundly!

Lord,

Give me so much love,

Love forever, serene and generous,

That I will be united with you always!

Lord,

Let me serve you

And serve you will,

On the pathways that you wish

To open to my existence here below.

~Pope John Paul II

I love this prayer. Pope John Paul seems to identify not only our need for God’s graces, but more importantly our roll in living our own lives….to know, love, and serve. The temptation for me, and many, is to wonder WHY God isn’t “holding up to his end of the bargain,” if you will. “He’s all powerful….why can’t he find me a job, help me not to sin, fix these problems in my friends lives, make it easier- doesn’t he know I’m trying???, yada, yada, yada.” It is as if we want God to be a cool babysitter who will make everything ok. But God is a loving parent, who sometimes needs to shower us with tough love to help us learn. He gives us the grace we need, the skills to be successful, the example to follow both from His life on earth and from those around us, then sends us out into the word to “get ‘er done!”

Sometimes I look at my life and get frustrated by how much good still needs done. But if I focus on each day, each can be a masterpiece, and my life will be what I want it to be. And what God needs it to be.

Happy World Day of Prayer. What are you praying about today?

I'm pretty excited about this!

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