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Encountering God in the Face of Missioners

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While our missioners encounter God in those we serve, we often find ourselves experiencing God through our missioners themselves. Development Director Br. Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, shares how our missioners inspire him:
Br. Paul O’Keeffe, OFM, with some of our missioners in Bolivia: Kitzi Hendricks, Lynn Myrick and Joel Vaughn

“My ministry with Franciscan Mission Service has involved a lot of traveling to new and interesting places in the United States and to visit our missioners in Bolivia and Kenya.

I felt the presence of God in a special way when I visited our five missioners in Bolivia. The community they share, and the work each one of them does has inspired me, and has given me greater hope that mission is still relevant in this day and age.

Though many of our missioners do important work that is life-giving and vital to the communities in which they live, the greatest gifts they have to offer is their presence, and the love of God they reflect in the little and small things they do for and with the people they serve.

God has been an ever-present companion on my travels this past year, and I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience God’s presence in our missioners and in the many people they live and work with.”

Like Br. Paul, you have several opportunities to journey with our missioners:

Your support makes it possible for our missioners to continue to reflect God around the world.

We prepare and support lay Catholics for two-year international, one-year domestic and 1-2 week short-term mission service opportunities in solidarity with impoverished and marginalized communities across the globe.

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