Our First Two Weeks

Dear Friends,

We are two weeks into our mission in Caruthersville, MO.  Our first week was very much about orientation to prayer life, living in community, and familiarizing ourselves with the area.  This was not difficult for Don, but for me, it was a first in many ways.  It’s one thing to “feel sympathy” for the poor.  It is quite another thing to actually enter into the home of the poor. 

I’ve met generous and hospitable people who welcome you in and share what they have.  I’ve driven past hard times that you just won’t find in Turlock or Hughson, no matter how hard you look.   Everywhere we drove, there were tiny community, perhaps just a few miles apart.  Each had a church, the community gathered around.  A Baptist church here and a Methodist church there, was not uncommon.  Join this with Presbyterian and Church of God and you pretty much have the big picture.  These are hardworking people united by the land, faith, and hospitality.

In Pemiscot County, Caruthersville is the county seat.  There is exactly ONE Catholic Church in the county and it is, of course, in C’ville.  Twenty-five miles down the road, in Blytheville, Arkansas, is Immaculate Conception Church.  North of us about 35 miles, and in another county, is St. Eutachius Church in Portageville, MO.  We also have the option of a noon Mass once a week at Holy Angels Church in Dyersburg, TN. 

These parishes are all no more than 30-40 minutes away from us, so we have the blessing of being about to attend Mass multiple times during the week.  On Friday evening, we drive to Arkansas for Mass and Adoration.  Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings may find us in Portageville.  Weekends and Wednesday evenings are here in town.

We share a priest with Immaculate Conception Church (yes, another IC) in New Madrid, MO.  Different county but same diocese.  The Immaculate Conception in Arkansas is a different diocese.   Father Jaroslaw Skrzypek (affectionately known as Fr. Yorick) is from Poland.  He offers Saturday evening and Sunday morning Mass as well as returning here for Wednesday evening Mass.  He is a hardworking priest who, in addition to managing two parishes, also has a school to oversee in New Madrid.  He is a much loved priest here and the community is very grateful for his presence.

The temperatures here have ranged from the (feel like) -3° - to a warm and balmy 43°.  We’ve had snow flurries but no snow (much to Don’s disappointment) and it rained today (which was actually more like driving through a really dense cloud).  So, of course, this week was also the week that we spent three days working and serving at Mother’s House.  Brrrr.  All of your generous donations have been sorted and hung or set aside for warmer weather.  Don is working on house repairs at Mother’s House, patching up entry ways to the various rooms and putting in weather stripping around the doors.  It’s a cute little house but not at all snug.  Hopefully, by the time we leave, it will be safer and less drafty.

And so ends our first two weeks on mission.  Please pray for us and pray for the many people here we are serving. 

God Bless you all,

Anne and Don Jeffries