The other evening, one of Carmen's sons showed up at our door. I asked him how his mom was doing, as I knew she wasn't feeling well the other day. He shared with me that Carmen's cancer was back and stronger than before...
Maria very humbly called from Con-solatio to ask if she could stay with me for 10 days at the end of July, while her community traveled outside the country. Looking at the calendar, I knew it was going to be a busy time for me, but I said, "Sure! Of course you may come, Maria!"...
In September 2018, I began to study English to improve my speaking and understanding. In this class, I had the chance to meet many lovely people. The teacher always said to us, “Make yourself comfortable. We come here not only for study, but also to help each other, to become friends, and to share life.”...
We recently returned from visiting our daughter Rhiannon and the mission house in El Salvador. Rhiannon arrived there in December of 2020 and quickly fell in love with the mission and the people. During our brief visit, it became clear why!...
Although I have witnessed many saddening things in the lives of the children, I have also seen much beauty and life. Sometimes this has entered into my soul and brought life back into it. Many of these encounters are small, little things...
A dear friend recently invited me to a movie night and pot-luck supper with Con-solatio in Brooklyn, of which she is a long-time member. I have occasionally attended these events and always enjoy my evenings with this group. I was certainly not disappointed this time!...
The intensity of this past year left me feeling pretty drained. While I looked forward to returning to "normal," I also felt exhausted, and unsure of how to move forward without completely abandoning the lessons learned during the pandemic. I said to God, "I wish I could find a retreat or somewhere that would give...
Going into my mission, I was a little nervous because of how little I had to offer - my clumsy French, my inexperience, my total naivete and ignorance of the culture and what this mission would look like. But it is truly only within our emptiness that we can be filled...
There is something so simple yet radical about Con-solatio’s mission. Reaching out to people who others have neglected to love in the ways that they should is...
I will admit with no shame that I spent my last Indian rupees on a large fries at McDonald’s before boarding my flight home. Yes, I was that person who hopped onto a plane in the nick of time with slightly obnoxious aromas wafting through the cabin...