Hello! My name is Elizabeth Poynton from Hickory Hills, Illinois and I am a 2019 graduate from Marian University in Indianapolis with a degree in Theology. After graduation, I won’t be diving into a career right away, not because I am unprepared but because my heart is postponing those plans for a while. Instead, I will be living out my desire for community life, service, and solidarity in a mission home in Simões Filho, Brazil for 14 months, starting in September.
The “ministry of presence” that characterizes the mission of Con-solatio has been an important component to my formation throughout college. Recognizing this language was what initially prompted me to look into the missionary program further. When I experienced how Con-solatio uniquely embodies this during my Come and See weekend in Brooklyn, something new was awoken within me that I could not ignore. It has been a long journey of discerning my call to serve in this community and I believe that it is the next step God has invited me to take to continue drawing closer to his heart.
“That is the hope that inspires Christians. We know that every effort to better society, especially when injustice and sin are so ingrained, is an effort that God blesses, that God wants, that God demands of us.” -St. Oscar Romero
So here I am, preparing to embark on this grand new adventure and to give of myself more fully than ever before, yet knowing deep down that I will inevitably receive so much more. The prayer to St. Francis of Assisi captures this beautifully when it says, “For it is in giving that we receive.” I am excited to deepen my understanding of this way of love and join the Con-solatio family who have been like Mary, “standing by the cross of Jesus” through accompaniment and friendship with those who suffer all over the world (John 19:25). A call to serve with Con-solatio is not for a missionary alone but for their entire community. So, I ask now: Would you consider joining me in this mission to Brazil through your prayers and support?