“For we cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard…” (Acts 4:20)

By Mara W., Outreach Manager

What is outreach for me? Well, quite simply, it is one of the best ways to give thanks! It’s an invitation to share the overabundance of graces I’ve received through mission with Con-solatio with hearts that are hungry for the beauty of Christ. Being invited to organize an “outreach trip” with Con-solatio is a great joy for me. With my suitcase packed, a few handfuls of brochures, and a heart eager to encounter those the Lord was preparing for my path, I arrived in Indiana to be caught up again in the warm arms of Providence. My days were filled with simple but profound encounters with students, friends of missionaries, current mission sponsors, professors, campus ministers, university staff, and high school students. When asked what was the purpose of my visit, I couldn’t give a better answer than this: I received so much of the Lord’s mercy through this mission – I have to share it with others!

I spent one evening at a post-graduate service fair, where students considering long term service can come to meet dozens of wonderful organizations. As I saw hundreds of students eagerly milling through the room, I was reminded again to hope in the beauty of our humanity, wounded as it may be. We are made to be given away – to lay our lives down, in one way or another. I was struck that the desire that led me to mission – to give of myself – isn’t anything extraordinary, but quite simply something written on all of our hearts. How beautiful it is to be able to offer young people and others a chance to give of themselves in this way – next to Mary at the foot of the Cross, the Cross that is the school of love.