Myself and two other missioners outside of Mass on Sunday
I firmly believe that God works in mysterious ways and places people in your life, even for a short while, for a specific purpose. As I travelled to New York for training and orientation I couldn't help but feel butterflies in my stomach. I am very excited about this path God has laid out for me, but I would be lying to myself if I said that I did not have many anxieties. Anxieties about meeting my site partners for the first time, discovering what "training and orientation" entails, and about what to expect while on mission in Bolivia. As I began my 3 weeks of training and orientation in New York, I was nervous about everything. I had anticipated that as my questions about my mission were answered my anxieties would decrease, however as the weeks progressed and I talked with previous missioners about the good and the bad of mission, my anxieties only grew. I knew God called me to mission, but I was having a hard time putting my full trust in Him. God told me twice while in New York that I needed to put my faith and trust in Him. Little did I know that God would use the people I had just met to tell me.
Don Bosco Community Center where I met Mercedes.
When we were eating at the soup kitchen the first week of training I had met Mercedes, who is from the Dominican Republic and is an absolute delight to talk to. I enjoyed my time talking to her, and during our service week I was grinding coffee beans for the food cupboard and I hear a voice behind me exclaim "I recognize that face!" There was Mercedes with her arms open walking over to me. As she embraced me she also gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me how nice it was to see me and that she would save me a seat at lunch. I was able to enjoy two more days talking and laughing with Mercedes. When it came time to say our goodbye at the end of the week she told me something that struck me. She said, "I will remember your name and pray for you everyday. All you need to do is trust in God. Trust in Him and you will be okay. He will take care of you. Remember just to trust in Him." Wow. Talk about God speaking through other people. I took her words to heart and I know I will carry them forever with me, and I will always keep Mercedes in my prayers. I knew God was telling me to fully rely on Him, but some of my anxieties were still nagging at me.
At the end of training while we were on our retreat with the Salesians of Don Bosco, we were blessed with the opportunity to attend Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina is a contemplative prayer of the scriptures. The passage is read four times. After the first time you reflect on a phrase or word that stands out to you in the passage. After the second time you share with a small group your word or phrase and explain why it stood out to you. After the third time you share a prayer or intention based on your word or phrase, and after the last time each person is in silent prayer and reflection. Our passage was Philippians 4:4-9:
"4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren,whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever islovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,dwell on these things.9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."
Me being commissioned the last day of training and orientation.
The phrase that stood out to me was "be anxious for nothing". I knew in my heart as I reflected on that phrase that God was speaking to me specifically and was telling me to put my fears and anxieties to rest. Since that day I have fully depended on God, and as the number of days days until I leave lessens, my heart gets more and more excited. That excitement has replaced the anxiety. Jesus I trust in You!
Life is a journey, and God will take us on an amazing one we can't even imagine if we just listen to what He tells us in our hearts. This journey for me began a few years ago when I became involved at my student parish, St. John, at Michigan State University. I participated in many activities at St. John, but what touched my heart the most was the Alternative Spring Break trips I was blessed to go on. My favorite part of these trips was being able to work with the families we were helping. I met many people who clearly were following God's call in their own lives, and people who were blessed to know those people.
For as long as I can remember, I have tried to live my faith through my actions and through the values of faith, humility, and love my family has brought me up with. Mother Theresa said, “Like Jesus we belong to the world living not for ourselves but for others. The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Recently I have turned to her for guidance and have been building a relationship with her through prayer. I always knew that Mother Theresa was an outstanding Christian and Catholic example of living the sacraments, but after spending time on mission in Mexico I finally understood her ministry on a whole new level. I have always believed that it is important to show every person I meet that I care and give them my time, even if they are in my life for a short period. Sometimes the only thing a person can give someone else is their time, but I learned in Mexico that giving your time speaks more than words ever can.
My decision to apply to the Salesian Lay Missioners program has been a long one involving much prayer. My sophomore year at Michigan State was a great year of growth, especially because I went on my first mission trip. It was during that trip that I started thinking about possibly going on mission abroad after I graduated. I spent a lot of time talking with my campus minister about various opportunities. I kept this idea in the back of my mind and started my own research on organizations. I looked at the Peace Corps but I knew that I wanted to volunteer through a Catholic organization where I could share my Catholic faith with my fellow missionaries.
During my senior year at Michigan State I was attending the 9:15 Mass on Thursday night and praying my usual prayer for God to let me know what he was calling me to do next in my life. At this Mass a former Salesian Lay Missioner, talked about the Salesians and something in my heart stirred. I recall calling my mother on my walk home and told her that I knew the organization I wanted to volunteer through. An organization felt right for the first time. I went to Mexico in the spring on mission and I knew early on that mission what God’s next plan for me was. During the summer, I decided that I needed to make a move. I had a feeling in my heart that I would regret not following through on these feelings that I had felt when talking about the Salesian program. I looked at the Salesian website and fell in love. Everything about the Salesian spirit fits into my vision of what my mission would look like. I love working with children and I strongly believe that God has a specific purpose for each of us, we just have to discover what that purpose is.
Now that you know a little about how my journey began, I should also shed light on why I chose the Salesian Lay Missioner program. Don Bosco is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL Saint whom I have been blessed to come to know through my mission discernment. He lived in Italy in the 19th century and began his ministry with the youth in Turin. "It is not enough to love the young; they must know that they are loved" are his famous words. He opened an Oratory, which served four purposes for the youth; a home that welcomes, a school that teaches, a parish that evangelizes, and a playground for children to play. As I was told by the Salesian Lay Missioners (SLMs), his mission was simple, "to be a friend – a friend to kids who were poor, kids abandoned, kids at risk – and, in so doing, to be a friend to Christ." It is with that purpose that I begin my mission.
As a member of the Salesian family, I will be headed to Okinawa, Bolivia in September, which is a small community of 4,000 people. While on mission I will have many jobs, including teaching English at the Salesian school, San Francisco Xavier, and playing games with the children. St. John Bosco believed that you had to find a way to get children to come, build a relationship with them, and it is then that you can evangelize to them. My mission, like St. John Bosco, is to be the witness and presence of Christ to the children and community through teaching and helping at the oratory. On the weekends, we will travel to 12 rural communities to teach catechism, run a bible study for the children, and of course play games. We also translate for visiting programs, help with Confirmation classes, and help with Christmas Camp.
I have decided to keep a blog so that friends and family
can follow me on my journey. Every ASB trip at St. John each year chooses a quote to use as a model for their mission. Ours in Mexico was from Hebrews 13:2, "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it". This mission in Mexico changed my life by helping me realize God's plan for my life. Through this experience, God helped me change my dreams to realize that His dreams for me are my new dreams for myself. I have kept this quote close to my heart as a reminder of how to live my life the way God intends. Since Mexico is where this journey began and this quote embodies my mission, I decided to name this blog "Entertaining Angels" because that is what I will be doing in Bolivia, entertaining strangers and angels. I am excited for this path God has laid out for me, and I ask that you keep me in your prayers. Anyone interested in learning more about the Salesian Lay Missioner program, please check the video above. God Bless!
