Comboni Lay Missionaries

The third day of our CLM continental meeting of America

LMC

The Morning Prayer marked the beginning of our day with a very dynamic and colorful day that filled us with optimism.  Then we worked in groups, CLM were divided into five different groups in order to contextualize and synthesize on previous points that were previously agreed on.  The second part of the morning was used to form us in how to properly manage our web site: www.lmcomboni.org.  Alberto de la Portilla, our coordinator of the central committee facilitated a training on how to access our web page and showed us the great advantages it offers making it possible for CLM to be connected from around the world.  Also the functions, the benefits it offers such as all the useful content that can be of interest, that can be found through this medium of communication.

LMC

In the second part of the day, we have been anxiously waiting to visit the Sanctuary of the Virgen de Guadalupe, (an emblem of the Mexican town).  Our pilgrimage began in the late hours of the afternoon and went throughout the evening.  The mass which was presided by the Provincial of Mexico and concelebrated by four participating Comboni priests it was a very exciting time in which we all participated. This visit to the Sanctuary injected in all CLM a spirit of mission in all of us.  At the end of the day we concluded with a visit to the Comboni Sisters at the Provincial house.  We celebrated with them their special moment of the new election in a new chapter in Rome, the election of their Mother Superior.

LMC

(Valentín y Yessenia)

The second day of our CLM continental meeting of America

rosario misionero

Today we started the day with a mass celebration with everyone carrying out our commitment as CLM.  During mass the idea that predominated was that a CLM is always a missionary, not mattering whether or not the CLM is carrying out mission work in or outside of his/her country of origin.  The activities of the day began with group work based on a previous study guide that was presented to the CLM for completion before our IV Continental meeting in Mexico. Each of the groups presented and informed according to the topics that were included in the study guide. We were enriched by the constructive information that all groups exposed and shared of what goes on in each of their countries. It is always enriching to see what others are doing in their countries and how they have progressed in this area of mission work since our last continental meeting.  Each representative of each country exposed and presented with such clarity on topics that were previously chosen for discussion.  In the second part of the morning we moved on to discuss the agreements that were previously made in Guatemala in   2014 for each country.  CLM from Columbia is the only country that was not able to send a representative to our meeting but they have sent their report via email and was read out-loud by Alberto.  Fisher, the coordinator of Peru presented theirs with such clarity and after is followed by a brief discussion of the same.  Yessenia De La O, representative for Paul Wheeler presented the report for Nap.  Cristina both a member of our International Committee and the representative for Brazil presented their report.  Mexico also presents their report with clarity and it’s followed by a small dialogue.  The next presentation is done by Mirella the coordinator of Guatemala.  More group work follows after to answer aspects not yet discussed based on the study guide. In the discussion floor groups exposed what was agreed in their respective groups that they were assigned too, in order to make a follow up on the agreements made in Guatemala 2014, whether if agreements were accomplished or not. After each presentation an enriched dialogue followed which helped to clarify some aspects of past agreements made in the meeting of Guatemala in 2014.

Valentín y Yessenia de la O

IV Continental meeting CLMs of America (18-24 September)

LMC America

Our CLM’s Gathering began Sunday 18th with the presentation by the Continental committee and by Father Erasmus, Provincial Comboni Missionary in Mexico.  Then we had a very original Dynamic directed by Leticia in order to learn more about each other as a group.  We then assigned group activities and practical responsibilities for these remaining days.  We started Monday with a very colorful mass that the Latino missionaries organized.  The Eucharist is the center and force of all missionaries, this was presented through words and gestures in the offerings that were presented.

LMC America

The activities of the morning were marked by the memory of our previous meetings and our commitments that were made especially in the meeting in Guatemala, which served to remind us of our lay community and our commitment to it. We reviewed the agreements previously made in order to live better our commitments in our various countries.  Achievements in these past years have been remarkable, especially in the area of communication.  Nevertheless, more commitment of our CLM and provincials are required in order to ensure a good follow up in all provinces.  The Central Committee updated and specified what their function and role are within the International movement. Alberto, Coordinator of the Central Committee exposed its operation and clearly presented and reminded us of the various agreements that had been made by the different Continental Assemblies in a very concise and clear manner leaving no room for questions. In the Maia Assembly, the base of its performance was set, and it recalls for much coordination between the different agents within the mission of the CLM’s.

The CLM are present in 20 countries.  Today we have various challenges as CLM in different continents.  One of the challenges is that is necessary to clarify our relationship within the MCCJ at all levels.  Another aspect that was emphasized on was the economic contribution that each member and country can give in order to help facilitate economic resources to those who have less.  It is necessary for all MCCJ and Provincials to have the capacity to accept and collaborate with the CLM in those countries.  We have major challenges today as a group in various levels and it is important to be conscience of them and be more coherent.

LMC America

Alberto de la Portilla recalls the challenges

  • Consolidate those groups (CLM) in our countries and promote vocations of same.
  • Involve everyone in a systematic way so that we all are an International CLM family.
  • Achieve a smooth communication process and be more corresponding in the decision making.
  • Carry out the challenges and commitments of Maia.
  • Enable a stability in the international coordination.
  • Enhance further knowledge and background that will help us grow.
  • Procure a style of Comboni family that Comboni would have liked.

The reflection of the evening was to care for the creation of the vocation as laity in the church and to protect it, this was presented by Cristina from the Central Committee.  The Comboni Lay Missionaries are called to continue the Kind of Life that Jesus led as well as Comboni.  We are also called to continue and with the making of Missionary animation. In the afternoon each country presents its responses according to the previous questionnaire that was sent to each coordinator: Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, NAP, Brazil and in the evening Peru presents with two very interesting testimonies by Arequipa and Trujillo.

(Fr. Valentín García and Yessenia de la O)

 

My experience in the Peruvian Andes

Adriana en Peru

Hello everybody. I want to tell you about my personal experience with children in the mountains of the Andean highlands, during my missionary service of 6 years. Most of those children are shepherds, responsible for various tasks. The girls are also in charge of caring for the little ones and even tied them on their backs with a blanket when they go out to play. They are ingenious; with just some small stones and a marble they make a game called Matatena.

Children take the sheep to graze near the river, before going to school (which is often far from their village). They also help in the family´s fields and school´s one, to sow, clean the groove and harvesting. The main food are potatoes and various types of root vegetables like carrots, goose, root vegetables, sweet potato, yacon and maca, because of the high altitude of the mountains it just germinate the plant underground.

The lives of the children is not easy, because most do not live within an integrated family. Some parents go to the jungle to work (where coca is grown) and they do not know of them in 10 and / or 15 years, because they bind with another woman with whom they have more children and only return when the kids are big enough to take them to help in the work. This cause serious injuries and resentments within the youth. Because of the need, the mom goes to the city to work as a house cleaner and leaves the children with the granny and they (the mothers), in the city, also establish a relationship with another man. Most grannies speak Quechua and their activity is to care for animals, sow to eat, and it is not a priority for them to send the children to school because it is better for them to be helped in the field. I met a teacher, who once started the school calendar, spends fifteen days visiting the students house to house to convince the grannies that allow the children to go to school.

I share with you that my father pass away when I was in mission and I was warned the third day that this happened and they had already buried. I was working with the children and all I thought of was to thank the Lord for giving me such a good father, loving, attentive and respectful with all his children (we were 10). And that I had his blessing and moral support in this work; (because of the children with whom I was at that time they most hardly enjoyed a father).

There are desperate and sad moments as when Susy, a girl who for helping her mom to cook burned herself with boiling water behind the knee and the medical post diminished the number of cures, because only with her they were going to finish gauzes they had in existence and had not the unguent needed. This allows me to reflect and apply a training course and preparation in first aid. Knowing their crops and/or plants that occur is that population and see if some of them were medicinal.

In the mission, I got to know a little girl who was infested with fungi in the chest and died from unsanitary conditions in her home. She slept on the floor on sheepskins, her very dark house was located where the small canals down with all the dirty water from the village and therefore was very wet, all this favored worsened her health. And later on she died. Modesty from her part, lack of confidence and ignorance was the reason for her illness was not treated in time.
On another occasion, I had the need to call attention to children that were playing soccer with an orange, because the soil were infected with pork´s feces and as ends the recess, they took the orange, peeled with their dirty hands and they eat among those who participated in the game. But, don´t they know of balls?!
Boys or girls, when they accompany their mommies to the river to wash clothes is when they have the opportunity to take a bath.

They are welcoming children, as when we arrived they run to prepare a hot drink to offer with a little cake. And when you help them, as a gesture of friendship, they invite you with their roasted beans kept in their pants pocket, this in thanks.

Also, a day we were walking through the square, a tiny 5 years old shouted us from the other end of the square: missionary, God bless you! Imagine how nice feeling conveyed to us as missionaries, once we began the day’s work

Adriana

As they do not have toys, television or cellular, they live with their friends and brothers, look after each other. They like to participate in the village feast where people attend from the hamlets and villages around the town. There is a dance held in many towns called Auquidanza where they make a representation of the death of the Inca by the conquistador Pizarro and women singing pray for the life of the Inca. It is a nice experience.

In several villages, on December 25, children go to worship the baby Jesus dancing and singing.

I admire the strength of their convictions, because when they invited Luis, a boy who attended church, to participate in a joke of lies, he refused saying he could not lie, as he would receive our Lord Jesus Christ in his first communion.

One day knocks at our door a boy of 5 years, bringing his friend of seven years who were crying inconsolably as he hung the bus that were coming and fell, striking his forehead from which emerged a great bump. To be attended, we gave the instruction to go with his mother to take him to be attended to the medical post. The child cried harder, afraid of the posible punishment of his mom. There is much intra-family violence in the environment, upon entering in each room there is a belt or a stick over the teacher’s desk to establish discipline.

My dear missionary companion Josefina, applied a slice of onion on the front head but the child was crying inconsolably, we offered him a cup of chocolate and taking the drink the onion felt into the cup which provoked the laughter of those present and also the injured child, this made him forget about the incident. Everyone were impressed by the solidarity of the little boy who brought his friend to be healed.

It is very nice to work with children, because they assimilate very quickly the new things and what they learn they want to implement at home. Try to give happiness to the little ones, it is not difficult because they are not demanding and are very grateful.

And what can I tell you about my “legs” (young people), who suffer so much trying to find work in the city, sleeping in parks, without eating and only acquiring diseases.

Once, some engineers came to the village, they want to open a gap in the mountains. They attracted the young people, inviting them to eat at the bar and offering them work and good food during the work period. They were excited and accepted. Walked away for a large canyon, forced to walk thorough slopes to measure sections, with the danger of falling from the mountain. As it was rainy season, their blankets and firewood get wet, so they only ate raw potatoes and noodles soaked. Half evening of the third day they escaped and one of them cried saying: what kind of sin they had committed to deserve such punishment, one of them had a cup of aluminum and filled with spring water for drinking, that helped them to return home.
They are enthusiastic and sensitive guys, but their work is very heavy.
They expect you to communicate them the Good News.

Fondly
Adriana Salcedo Margarita Cabello

Comboni Lay Missionary of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

 

A Family history in Villa Ecológica

LMC Arequipa

Andrea is a warm and beautiful 3-year-old child who lives in a small house in the poorest region of Arequipa, Peru. She shares her living space with her parents and two older brothers. Her life has always been difficult since her parents are very poor and her house has only one light bulb, no running water, two beds for everyone to sleep on, and the house is missing most of its windows. Consequently, her home is very cold during the days and especially in the nights.

LMC Arequipa

However, things became much worse for her and her family when her father fell and hit his head approximately six weeks ago. He has a history of chronic seizure disorder and needed hospitalization for a hematoma he received after his fall. What little money the family had prior to this injury was spent for medical costs.

The house is equipped with a small propane stove, yet little money exists for purchasing gas and, thus the children are not fed proper meals. A hole in the ground serves as a toilet and the family shares a garden hose with the local community, in order to receive any water for drinking. Andrea’s first words to me after meeting her were not, “I’m hungry”, rather “My father is in the hospital”. I was moved to tears by her strength and acknowledgement that her father’s situation was direr than her own.

In Andrea I can clearly hear Jesus’s words (Mt 5: 3,6):

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Andrea and her family are not seeking pity, rather some of the basic necessities that we all may take for granted: food and water. Karissa, I, Sister Yanibell, and our friends are using some of the funds given to us by Dr. Barbara De Lateur- thank you so much for your continued support of our efforts. We are going to build the family a small kitchen, in order to provide meals and bring water closer to the home. We also hope to do more for these wonderful people in the future, for example construct a proper bathroom, if our funds will permit this. We have also asked permission from her parents, in order to have Andrea visit with us on weekends so that she, too, may share in the comfort of a safe and warm environment.

LMC Arequipa
Andrea´s home

God bless you all for your prayers for Andrea and her family and please remember equality begins with the first step of sharing.

Peace,

Matt, Karissa, Lydia, and Violet Misner