Hi, my name is Emma. I grew up in a Catholic family, being one of seven kids. All my life, I’ve lived in a town called Franklin, about an hour from Boston. I graduated from Trivium School in the Spring of 2018. While there, I was taught many valuable things. In particular, my Ethics and Philosophy teacher gave me a deeper understanding of the Faith that still helps me so much today. This example and wisdom from my teachers, combined with my upbringing from my parents, has shaped my path of life. Since graduating, I have done two shorter mission trips, a one-week long trip to Dominican Republic serving handicapped children with some school mates, and a month and a half in Kolkata, India, serving with the Missionaries of Charity with my brother and some friends. My experiences deepened my love for this work. In between trips and now, I have worked a few jobs, while trying to find what my future holds. I came across Con-solatio online and I was instantly drawn to the idea of a long term mission.
While learning more about Con-solatio, the thing that drew me so much to it, is the humble and seemingly simple mission, that in reality holds such a strong force of love. When you think of a mission trip, you think of doing huge things, like building homes or churches, or bringing water to a country where children have never experienced anything that would come close to “clean”. We quickly forget that it is the small things that matter most to God. This is why I love Con-solatio. They don’t forget about every person’s longing for friendship and attention. They pay attention to small details of these peoples’ lives. A quote from the Bible that always sticks in my head is, “As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love.” While on mission, I will be able to give love to people through these simple friendships that will form during my time there.
I have committed to 14 months in Chile, and will be leaving in January. I am so excited to experience this trip: meeting new people and seeing the work of God move in mysterious ways!