We needed bread for breakfast one day, so I let the others know that I was heading the little sale stand down the street to buy some bread, where Ramona works. It was hard for me to gain any sort of trust from Ramona to really form a friendship, but little by little, we have...
Arriving for Thanksgiving dinner at Con-solatio in Brooklyn one felt welcomed even before reaching the front door. Father Paul was there, reaching out and greeting us as we arrived. Once inside, the young mission volunteers extended another warm welcome. We smelled food cooking in the kitchen, saw the warm glow of the rooms, and heard...
One day in the last two weeks of my mission, I knew it was going to be super full—this was my second to last chance visiting one of the neighborhoods in Deva, “Pe deal Sus,” a neighborhood behind a grocery store on a hill, with a beautiful view. Yet, ironically, it is totally unseen by...
I met Rick on my second or third day of the mission. He has both a mental and physical handicap but that does not stop him from sharing his light with others! He has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen....
When I was assigned Uruguay, they told me that it is a very secular country, and that the people are not religious. In our neighborhood, one of the most difficult ones in Montevideo, I have found that people are in fact, in some way, religious. Many people are open to praying with us, they join...
Day and night they come, the little children of Honduras. They come calling our names, “Maria, Maria!” “Noellia Noellia!” “Zophia Zophia!” “Naomi, Naomi!” They come to be met, met with something new, something different than the life they are so accustomed to. A life of broken families, a life of violence committed against their bodies,...
On October 21, we had the great joy of celebrating our 20th anniversary of Con-solatio. These twenty years have been a grace—an amazing grace! Countless encounters, generous support, and deep friendships have blossomed—all these have been given to us beyond our efforts or our desire to serve. Many friends and some Alumni missionaries joined us that...
My community sister and I went to visit a woman and her four children. I had visited this family before, but this particular visit stood out to me. Most of this woman's children have mental disabilities. The oldest child is in school and from what I can understand is doing quite well! For the two...
We arrived at Senhor José's house and saw through the window that he was all alone, resting on a hospital bed. The other missionary, Valeria, and I got worried because he was lying under a blanket, covering his entire body, even his head. We realized he had the blanket that way because he thought he...
