Eight Arms, One Mission

By Sofia L., Volunteer in Brazil

Every day, I learn a lot from Laura, Agnieszka, and Taymara, my fellow missionaries. We have moments of laughter, disagreements, and reconciliation. None of us are here for ourselves; we are all searching for a greater love, and that unites us in a distinct and profound way. I am deeply grateful to have them because I know I wouldn’t be able to do anything we do if I were alone. They take care of what I can’t, know things I don’t, and we complement each other, help each other, and thus we manage to bring a presence to our friends, which is greater than ourselves.

We have an eight-year-old little friend who comes to our house every day to play. His family’s situation is very difficult because his dad has issues with drinking, and although he has tried to go to rehab, he always ends up relapsing. One morning, we ran into our friend on the street. We knew his dad had just returned from rehab a few days before, but we never talked about it with him. As he walked, he had a very serious face, and we could all see that his heart was hurting, even though he didn’t say anything. I approached him and gave him a hug, and he stayed there in silence for a moment before parting ways. In that moment, I realized that he didn’t need a hug from each one of us, just one was enough. I also understood that the hug didn’t belong to me, but to all of us, and especially to Jesus. God knows that none of us are sufficient on our own, and that’s why He gave me the gift of having a community where we are all one. In this life, where many people need a compassionate presence by their side, I’ve experienced how incredible it is to have not just two arms, two ears, and two eyes to welcome our friends, but eight. Many times, people get confused and call us by each other’s names, and that reminds me that I’m not here for myself. In each act of love from my fellow missionaries, I am also present, and they are present in mine, because Jesus is in all of us.