Mission Post # 19

Omigoodness. I'm tingling with chills. We are six days from Christmas. We are nine days from the wedding. And, we are 21 days away from leaving for our mission trip. 

Over the past few months, we have collected so many donations of children's clothing and maternity clothing that, in all likelihood, we will have to ship some of it to arrive ahead of us. We have also received a few cash donations that people have told us to use as we like and/or for trip expenses. 

Then. TODAY. A Christmas card arrived with another donation enclosed. The donation was cash. The card was anonymous. I'm still feeling chilled and pleasantly shocked, by what we found inside. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I am so grateful for the goodness of so many. Never, in my wildest dreams did I see any of this coming. God bless you all.

Mission Post #18

This week and last brought us some exceedingly generous donations.  I met the Millers in the church parking lot and bags of food, baby cereal, wipes, diapers, and much more (all new) transferred from their car to mine.  The big surprise though was a brand new EvenFlo car seat.  I was floored.  Sister needs car seats and I knew that one very lucky mother was going to be very happy.

Then I met up with a good and long-time friend for lunch a few days ago.  In between caring for her very ailing mother, she still was able to find time to go to Walmart and gather up $200 in gift cards for sister to use for stocking the most needed ongoing items.

Today we received a phone call from another lady from the church who, as it turns out, lives just a few blocks away from us.  She brought by ANOTHER car seat.  It's used but in very good condition.  Score!  Two car seats for sister; another lucky mother.  Sister Darlene may bust out in a happy dance.

Mission Post #17 - Gifts of the Spirit

The First and Highest Gift of the Holy Spirit is Wisdom.  Wisdom is the perfection of faith. As Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., notes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, "Where faith is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief, wisdom goes on to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves." The better we understand those truths, the more we value them properly. Thus wisdom, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, "by detaching us from the world, makes us relish and love only the things of heaven." Through wisdom, we judge the things of the world in light of the highest end of man—the contemplation of God.

II am nowhere near perfection and actually, the amount of wisdom I possess may be equal to what is needed to know when I've taken a step backwards.  Today I realized that I was taking forward steps towards wisdom without even knowing it and that bit of awareness lead me right to what I'm going to call "my error of the day".  Yeah.  Just one.  But wisdom tells me that an "s" can easily be added to "error".  So I guess I should count my blessings that today's insight came in one long protracted lesson.

Committing to going on a mission takes a lot of thought and later, preparation.  And then practical actions (like applying to be a volunteer).  And then there are recommendations, criminal checks, background checks, and online classes to be aware of child abuse and elder abuse.  Reality check time.  This just going out and doing something good for others is not a simple process in the 21st century. 

But with that all behind me, other areas started to open up.  I found myself praying more, becoming more conscious of my actions, and following breadcrumbs that pointed out behavior that needs to change.  Which brings me to today.

The Walmart Neighborhood Store was not very busy and I got everything I needed that was on my list.  Then I wandered around and decided to pick up a few more things that I had reserved for Raleys.  Win/Win.  Then I got to the checkout stand. 

Stand one - there is a problem so I go to

Stand two - and met a big load of groceries to be checked so back to

Stand one - where I discover the problem will take a while and it's back to

Stand two - where a full basket from another shopper is now in line.

At this point, I start to wonder when they will open checkout stand three because people are gathering; everything else is Self-Checkout.   I make a comment about opening Stand 3 but it falls on deaf ears.  Then, Stand 2 shuts down too and still no one responsive about getting someone to open Stand 3.  I'm not shy about stating my feelings.  Then in undisguised exasperation, I go to Self-Checkout.

Self-Checkout at Walmart is easier than it is at Raleys; I'll give it that.  There is no machine beeping and speaking at you.  Nice.  BUT, reaching deep into the basket was hard on my back and by the time I was finished with my very full basket, I was a sore and crabby mess.

To add insult to injury, another couple who had been there with me when this mess started (and had only five items) was just finishing checking out at Stand 2.  Yes, they had finally reopened.  A few growling words later, aimed at the clerk, and I was gone.

Okay, so you had to be there.  Bad customer service at the checkout after a good in-store experience and a nice clerk at the meat counter, just plain soured me.  Walmart!

So, I went home, cooled off (literally and figuratively) and then headed out to Raleys.  First stop, Starbucks (and the beginning of my breadcrumb trail fed by my moderate supply of accumulated wisdom).  There, I ran into John, a young man I had not seen for a while.  We chatted and caught up and I admired his Spanish language Catechism of the Catholic Church.  I told him about my and Don's upcoming mission and what we would be doing and at the same time consider that I need to start paying attention to my Spanish self-studies again.  It occurred to me that reading the Catechism in English and Spanish might be a helpful learning aid.  It also got me thinking about Walmart and my actions there.  God was sending me a message and His Wisdom was moving in and taking over.  I then moved on to Raleys and quickly discovered that God wasn't finished with me.

So, no sooner did I go into Raleys than I saw two nuns.  Now, this isn't an everyday occurrence around here and to add to the recognition factor, they were wearing traditional habits.  One of the nuns was hurrying down the aisle and rounded the corner.  She disappeared but then I turned around and there was another nun, with a laywoman.  I had to speak and said "hello".  The breadcrumbs turned into an entire loaf of bread.

She was Sr. Maria Santana of the  Irmas Missionarios dos Pebres.  Their mission is to help and serve the homeless, sick and destitute among the children of Brazil.  This naturally lead to me sharing our upcoming mission to serve the poor in SE Missouri and our work with Sr. Darlene.  It was an amazing and unifying moment and God's message and His grace was received loud and clear.

Wisdom is teaching me take a deep breath.  Look at what is going on around me.  Take inventory.  Be patient.  Recall the wisdom of keeping your mouth shut when the words that want to come out will wound someone or, worse yet, make you look like an idiot.  And just to make sure that I knew who was in charge, He gave me one final test and after some thought and deliberation, I said just the right thing.  I spoke from my heart.  I was direct, honest and didn't compromise my beliefs.  End result?  A nice conversation with a former student and an opportunity to teach a little bit about taking information about the Church from the source, not from media or other uninformed interpreters.   Thank you, God, for the gift of wisdom that gave me just the right words to make everything end A-okay.

Mission Post #16 - What Unites Us?

What unites us as human beings?  What is it that we all have in common that makes us one?  In answer to this question, at its most essential, what unites us is blood and bone.  We are all human.  We are men and women.  We may come in various shapes, sizes, and colors, but, we are all human.  We all experience joy, satisfaction, and the desired to do good.  We suffer pain and sorrow, know hunger, want, and thirst, and we all experience the impulse to commit acts for good or evil.  We are complicated creatures that act on more than instinct.  Sometimes this sense of unity comes home in a very real way and we find that we may be the sum of our individual parts but we are all also brothers and sisters beneath the skin.

This weekend Don and I took our next big step in preparing for our mission to southeastern Missouri this coming winter/spring 2014,  Saturday and Sunday we spoke at all of the English and Spanish Masses telling our community of Catholic brethren at St. Anthony's of our upcoming mission; we introduced them to the small community of Glenmary nuns, priests and brothers who serve Appalachia and the South and their mission to serve the poorest of the poor in areas where there is often no Catholic presence at all.

We spoke of Mother's House in Caruthersville, MO and Sr. Darlene's mission to serve the many impoverished single moms of the area.  We asked, not for money but, for donations of maternity clothes, baby clothes and baby food and baby toys.  In a community where children wear uniforms to public schools, we asked for navy and khaki pants and red, blue and white  polo shirts that would fit teenage pregnant girls.

After seven Masses, I found myself reflecting on what unites us.  We of St. Anthony's are a community of people where some have great wealth, many are ordinary middle class, and more than a few are the working poor and not a few who are undocumented and living in the shadows.  We are Anglos, Latinos, and Filipinos.  But at the end of the Masses, at the end of our appeal, I felt so united with all of them.  The response was so overwhelming and positive.  People understand need no matter their "station" in life.  Giving is something we can all do.  There is always someone who has less than we ourselves have and giving fills the need to reach out and help another even if we have a hard time helping ourselves.

Mission Post #15

We have been accepted.  We are going on our mission.  The official word has been sent to us.  We've spoken to Fr. Marcelino to start our planning on the parish end; we have spoken to Sr. Darlene and we think we will be staying with her; we have spoken to Fr. Armando - our pastor - and the details of our appeal to the parish for contributions have been settled.  

We will make our appeal at all the Masses on September 14th and 15th and then once a month after, until we leave, there will be an announcement that we will be outside after Mass. 

Fr. A. also mentioned that La Favorita (a Spanish language radio station) has an English and Spanish Catholic program and we may be able to arrange to make an appeal through there.  

Athens (a friend) is setting up a radio interview for us on her radio program later in September or early October.

Now is the time for me to touch base with Sue again (in Mineral Wells, TX) and start the ground work for a news article and connect with the Catholic Church there.  

We are going to be meeting to make a presentation to Knights of Columbus, YLI, and the Rosary Ladies' group, and others.  Just those three alone will make a deeper connection with parish members.

Our friends Alicia Ruelas and Sara Fontana will translate for us at the Spanish Masses.  So - we are set to go.  I'm excited.

Mission Post #14

My path was set and I thought that with age, that path was cast in stone.  How short-sighted of me.  Age flung the door to my path wide open. 

The walk on this path has been ambling and without special purpose.  Each corner and curve revealed new choices and possibilities. 

Each threshold leads to a new path, some short and some longer.  But no matter the length, each was ambled upon and carefully examined. 

Creativity

Theology

Political Philosophy

Each takes their turn, in turn. 

My daydreaming self-achieved some completion – showing my photography, completing a class on the basics of my faith, exploring political thought and the why of our society’s current conflict.

Satisfaction followed by satisfaction followed by dismay.  I had to ask myself, “What path is right for me?”  Epiphany flared up, dropping glittering awareness, like shining confetti, creating a path of an entirely new direction, a quest, if you will, to live a new way by following:

The corporal works of mercy - feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked; shelter the homeless; visit the sick; ransom the captive; and bury the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy – instruct the ignorant; counsel the doubtful; admonish sinners; bear wrongs patiently; forgive offences willingly; comfort the afflicted; and pray for the living and the dead.

This new path will lead me to new places in the coming spring.  Now I plan the endeavor, prepare myself emotionally and pray for spiritual guidance and a willing heart to accept what is asked of me. 

Mission Post #13

We are simply waiting now.  The application is in.  The clearances are completed. The personal recommendations are received.  Now we are simply waiting for final approval to volunteer with the Glenmary Sister at their mission post in Caruthersville, MO.

Lately, I've started to make lists of what I need for basic packing and living on the road for a few months.  I ran across a blog a while back that, in part, talks about this as well as economizing on sleeping and eating on the road.  I also discovered a couple of creative journaling books by Vivian Swift.  One that has been especially helpful is Le Road Trip.  As you might suspect, this has a French twist to it but traveling is traveling and it doesn't take much tweaking to use her ideas as a fun and useful guide to getting myself organized.  Most of it is common sense but having it laid out here, and in such a fun way, helps me focus, not to mention the reduced brain power I need to use to get it right and not think, down the line, "How could I have not thought of that?".

Post-mission we are now fine tuning our adventures.  Civil War sites and Catholic shrines are high on our list.  Shiloh National Battlefield in Tennessee is just three hours from where we will be in Missouri.  Later, after leaving Indianapolis, we will be heading east visiting Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and Antietam in Maryland.  In between is The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.  There are so many historic sites so close together that the mind boggles.  I'm already thinking forward to 2015 and another mission and trip.

The other nice news is that three of my blogging/Facebook friends have volunteered to host us as we travel through their area.  Texas, Maryland, and Michigan friends - "Thank you so much".   Sue, Dave, and Jeanie - so looking forward to meeting you face to face.

Bye for now.  More soon.