Dignity of Work
We have been able to employ some of the local men here. Four of them have been able to work full time, which has changed their lives in such a wonderful way. We have also found Mr. Sanchez, who is a woodworker, living a bit further up the mountain. We have employed him to make the home’s 19 windows and 19 doors by hand from his little humble dirt-floor home.
Keep Sending Them, Lord
With the arrival of the new missionaries in February we found ourselves working together in what we now call “Team Picota”
Sacraments, Concrete Floors, and Lives Changed
The mission trip participants, full-time missionaries, and local volunteers labored together to lay concrete floors in two homes and to beautify a chapel with a new coat of paint. They held prayer services in two pueblos, and did many home visits, talking with the locals and praying with them for their needs and intentions.
A Missed Opportunity and a New Friend
I was so sad I didn’t get any information about Telmita. I’d been praying that God would send me a friend during this transition, and I felt I had missed this opportunity.
More Than Just a Handout
In an effort to assist the poor in a sustainable way, several missionaries have helped those in need to build their own sources of income. Starting a business can be a slow and patient process, but it’s also fairly straightforward and common in many of the countries in which we serve. People simply need some starting cash, perhaps a little training and guidance, and a good dose of encouragement.
Awake Us from Our Slumber, O Lord!
Waking from our slumber and running down the long hallway to the front door was a bit scary. As I was trying to open the door, Gabriel yelled out, “God will save us.” Trying to dodge the fragments of adobe, plaster, and rocks falling from the walls and roofs above us was a sight to see.
His Fidelity and Our Desires
Growing up, I never imagined being a foreign missionary and serving in this way—but now I can’t imagine doing anything else!
Unexpected Joy in an Uncertain Year
Only five months after our family’s arrival at our new post, we found ourselves in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, locked away from those we were sent to serve. Jesus, being who He is, still led us to the poorest of the poor. He opened so many closed doors—both literally and figuratively—for new ministries to flourish, despite the repercussions of the virus.
Open to Being Interrupted
Today I encourage you to be open to interruption— allow yourself to encounter whatever the Lord has for you today!
Tami’s Reflection – 3rd Week of Advent
Do we struggle to recognize Christ when He is not clearly visible—whether it be in other people or hidden in the Eucharist? Tami, a missionary in Peru, reflects on the Sunday Gospel and on how Jesus comes to us in sometimes surprising ways. #advent
Solidarity in Peru
Peru shut down fast. With less than 24 hours notice, all flights in or out of the country were cancelled and everyone was ordered to stay home. In the cities, the quarantine and nightly curfew were being enforced by police and military.
Learning the End of the Story
Isaura asked me what the Resurrection was. Angela and I looked at each other shocked, realizing that this couple, who had a large image of Jesus’ Cross on a poster above their table, had never heard of the Resurrection. The Resurrection changes everything, and this man was about to die without knowing about it.
Why Did You Stay?
When we talked about whether we would stay [in Peru] during this time or try to get back to the States, Robert and I were both on the same page. God, in His mercy, gave us clarity and peace about staying and continuing to serve the people—our own friends and neighbors—during this difficult time of uncertainty for many.
Lockdown Ministry in Peru
I never knew living in solidarity with the poor meant being locked away from them for weeks! I think about what St. Paul must have felt when he was imprisoned: his ministries were halted by the authorities and he was unable to share the Good News as he planned. However St. Paul did not sit idle during his confinement.
Gabriel and the Wooden Airplane
I looked in his eyes and told him he was a special young man. I asked him why he did it; His response was simple, “It’s what Jesus would have done.”
Forget Not the Poor
I burst into tears. Perhaps one of the hardest things about being a missionary is seeing that, in spite of our efforts to live in solidarity with the poor, there exists a world of difference in the opportunities available to us and to them. Try as I might, I’ll never truly understand the plight of the poor.
When the Poor Became My Family
I began to cry quietly in my little spot in the dark. It was an invitation. An invitation to poverty and generosity in a way that I had not yet known. An invitation into this part of Jesus’ life––and it felt impossible.
How Kids See the World
We’re in a large port city off the Amazon River called Iquitos. One of the poorest areas that we’ve been visiting often is called Belén. I just learned that Belén is the Spanish word for Bethlehem. That realization was so profound to me because we have encountered Jesus in His poor and lowly stable every time we’ve gone to this Bethlehem.
