This is a lot easier to do on a computer that doesn't shut down and has a decent keyboard! This will be a summary of our last day of service. Later I will offer some "big picture" conclusions.
We headed out to Tahauntinsuyo (I will need to check the spelling) for our last day of service. There the Sisters of St Joseph of the Third Order of St Francis have been engaged in ministry for about 40 years, since the district was first formed. They had taught in a school until they gave it up but the convent still remains next door to the school. Other ministries have included a library and study center with books and internet access, a soup kitchen, and a senior citizens' daycare center. Our job was to paint both at the convent/library and down the street a bit at the house of a lay family who have been at the center of their mission. This couple have informally run a shelter for homeless folks at their own cost for decades. Now that they are getting elderly, they are not as active, but it was their initiative which caused the American sisters to get into adult care. When we arrived with our paint and supplies, Genaro and his wife were not quite ready for us. In particular Peruvian fashion, the supplies and one month's notice were not enough to get the couple to begin the preparations in advance. Instead, we arrived to two workers sanding and preparing the walls of the patio/garage, causing a delay to our work. Even so, we got to work as soon as we could compelled by the news that the couple had recently taken in 5 children from a family whose parents had died. These children were living in the patio/garage area where we were to paint and one of the children, Rodolfo, about 8 years of age, was around to help and socialize. Some of our group members talked with him, allowed him to paint, and played a bit of "futbol" with him.
The work was as one would expect; nothing exciting. But it is worthy of note that the most difficult area to work in was the part of the garage by the bathroom which reaked heavily of urine. It was there that the few possessions and the beds of the children were located. It was a long, tedious day of work in less-than-ideal conditions, but we were happy to see the results by the end of the day.
A note on the Sr Josephine, the only one of the three sisters present during our visit (the other two had returned to the US for a congregational meeting). She was very impressive in her warmth and patience, just a warm-hearted, loving, welcoming, and grateful person. She warmly embraced each of us as we dis-embarked and, later, got into the bus. I wondered about the "effectiveness" of her mission but she did convince me of the power of the "ministry of presence," that is the ability to minister to her community by BEING Christ, not trying, as we North Americans are wont to do, DOING for Christ. Like Edmund Rice, she sees "Christ present and appealing in the poor" and responds with a ministry of presence. I could learn much from that as one who simply wants to SEE results. May her ministry and that of her colleagues continue to prosper.
No comments:
Post a Comment