Cross-Cultural Living Archives | Page 3 of 5

Annemarie Barrett, Activist Artist

Editor’s note: Annemarie Barrett—a returned FMS missioner who now lives in Cochabamba, Bolivia—shares the art that was inspired from her time on mission and that continues as an integral part of her life and activism. ” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″] Annemarie Barrett was an FMS missioner in Cochabamba, Bolivia, for four years, so readers of…

Were You There: Bearing Witness

Editor’s Note: Mary Grace Donohoe—a San Damiano Award candidate and a senior at Stonehill College in Easton, MA—reflects on how our Catholic faith and Jesus’ own suffering call us to stand up for all those around us who are suffering or persecuted. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -Dr.…

Were You There: Showing Christ’s Love Amongst Pain

Editor’s note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects back on her time on mission in Jamaica, recounting how she felt called to witness to the challenges and the joys of her students there. When I was given the topic for our Lenten blog, “Were you There,” the first thing that came to mind was working with the 4th grade class…

Meatless Meals For Lent: Bolivian Llajwa

Editor’s note: FMS Missioner Maggie Van Roekel expands her hot sauce horizons with this staple Bolivian condiment. One thing that many people know about me is that I absolutely love hot sauce. It’s a staple for me that goes on almost anything that I eat. When I arrived in Bolivia, I was eager to try llajwa,…

Were You There: Am I Just a Bystander?

Editor’s Note: Missioner Misty Menis-Kyler reflects on her first weeks in Guatemala and how she has found herself called more and more to take action rather than remain a simple bystander in the face of the suffering and needs of those around her. During Lent we often hear the question, “Were you there?” or “What…

Meatless Meals for Lent: Sopa de Maní (Peanut Soup)

Editor’s Note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble has been serving in Carmen Pampa for just over a year. She shares a taste of Bolivia that can be recreated anywhere. One of my favorite traditional Bolivian dishes is sopa de maní, or peanut soup. This soup can be served with or without meat, but since the volunteers in…

Were You There: He Provides

Editor’s note: A friend of FMS and a Franciscan-hearted individual, Elizabeth Green reflects on how her trip to Haiti with Engineering Ministries International taught her a deep lesson in God’s providential care. Children. Chickens. Roosters. Roads. As I woke up for the first time in Pignon, Haiti, I was surprised by how pleasant these…

The Stripping of Tradition, One Pollera at a Time

Editor’s note: Missioner Allison Dethlefs reflects on the parallels between the stripping of Christ’s clothing with the societal stripping of the cultural dress that she has witnessed in Bolivia. As I reflect on the Stations of the Cross in preparation for our coming Lenten season, my thoughts have come to dwell on the Tenth Station—Jesus…

Were You There: Lightening the Load

Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi reflects on the painful reality of child abuse experienced by her students at Valley of the Angels and other children in Guatemala. After two years on mission, I have come to the harsh realization that one of the most difficult things I face is the abuse of children. When I…

Home is Where the Hugs Are

Editor’s Note: Before returning to the United States for a holiday visit, Missioner Amanda Ceraldi recalls a conversation she had with a Valley student and how it made her return to Guatemala all the sweeter. Nearly three months ago, I prepared to leave Guatemala and return to the United States for the first time in…

Only in Bolivia…

Editor’s Note: Missioner Allison Dethlefs reflects on some of the cultural practices in Bolivia, both those that cause her frustration as well as those that she has been deeply touched by. Nearly once a day, I find myself uttering the phrase, “Only in Bolivia…” For my line of ministry work, I volunteer with a rural…

Oatmeal and Tomatoes

Editor’s Note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan relates how sharing a Christmas party with two of the Bolivian women who work at the Cochabamba market has brought her to a deeper recognition of the blessings of their friendship. Every Saturday in Cochabamba is market day. In the outdoor markets of the city, things are cheaper, more vendors…

Mis Hijos – My Sons

Editor’s note: As four students from Valley of the Angels prepare to graduate, Missioner Amanda Ceraldi shares how her friendship with them over the last two years has impacted her and her time on mission. I must have said goodbye to George* at least ten times. Every time I saw him I would squeeze him…

Sharing Culture

Editor’s Note: After sharing about US culture with Jamaican preschoolers, Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the differences and similarities between the cultures. I was invited by the guidance counselor of the St. Aloysius Infant School (preschool) to give a presentation about the United States. The children were learning about world cultures and had hosted visitors…

Love in the Midst of Tragedy

Editor’s Note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble shares how a tragic event in the community brought her back to the realization of the urgent importance of love. “There is a small but significant chance that this will be my last year – but whether or not this is so, my life will certainly be transformed, in a…

Be Not Afraid: Something Wonderful

Editor’s note: Alumna Bridget Higginbotham reflects on an experience she had while on vacation in Guatemala this summer that changed her outlook on life. Standing on a plywood platform, I looked out over a lush, misty valley full of coffee plants. My chest still heaved and my shirt (okay, all of me) was damp from…

Be Not Afraid: Consumed by Fear

Editor’s note: As Missioner Erin McHugh prepares to return to mission, she shares how the fears that she faced over the last few months brought her to a deeper recognition of what it means to trust unconditionally. The past six months have been an unexpected and challenging journey for me, what with having to return from…

Be Not Afraid: “Therefore Will I Trust You Always”

Editor’s note: Missioner Anna Klonowski reflects on her past experience studying abroad in Guatemala and the fear she overcame in traveling to a new country. My sophomore year of college, I was accepted into my university’s study abroad program in Guatemala for the following spring semester. I felt so excited–ready for a new journey and…

Be Not Afraid: Strength in the Aftermath

Editor’s Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes reflects on the Nepalese earthquake in 2015 and how she was able to move past her fear for her own security in order to serve and assist in the relief efforts. When I read the headlines on April 25, 2015, describing the major earthquake that struck Nepal, fear immediately welled…

Come Grocery Shopping With Me

Editor’s Note: In order to provide a glimpse into her life in Cochabamba, Bolivia, missioner Catherine Sullivan takes her readers with her on her weekly grocery shopping experience. Every Saturday morning, my site partner Allison and I head out to do our weekly grocery shopping. With a list in hand (along with a price ‘guestimate’…

Presence in the Everyday

Editor’s note: Missioner-in-training Maggie Van Roekel has an encounter that gives her a new perspective on the practice of ministry of presence in daily life. During the first few weeks of formation, we’ve talked a lot about ministry of presence. FMS really embraces not only serving, but also opening our ears and our hearts to…

Telling Their Own Story

Editor’s Note: Missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on the experience of accompanying women in the Santa Rosa community as they tell their stories through a sequence of videos produced entirely by the women themselves. For the past year our garden project has been involved in the process of making videos participativos or participatory videos with the…

Breaking the Chains

Editor’s Note: Inspired by recent holidays celebrating independence in Jamaica, missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the ideas of intolerance versus emancipation and how they manifest universally across all different cultures. Jamaica celebrates two holidays in the first week of August: Emancipation Day remembered since 1834 and celebrated on August 1, and Independence Day on August…

A Buzz of Excitement in the Prison

Editor’s Note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan shares her experience of the visit of the Virgen María de Urkupiña statue in one of the prisons in Cochabamba, Bolivia. A few weeks ago, my morning began the same way it usually does – I walked through the large green metal doors of the women’s prison, said good morning…

Lord, Teach Me to Pray

Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the challenges of her first few months teaching in a primary school in Kingston, Jamaica, and how she has altered her mindset to fit these challenges. Prayer isn’t so much about making something happen, but asking how I may accomplish my best within what is happening. St. Francis…

Relaxation Is Not Always What the Doctor Ordered

Editor’s Note: Missioner Brandon Newland shares how a particularly bad month in June gave him a deeper appreciation for his blessings as well as a greater awareness of the lasting effects of many people’s struggles in Jamaica. Relaxation is not always what the doctor ordered. Before June started, I felt pretty good about the upcoming…

Taking Down Fences

Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi shares how the kids she lives with and teaches at Valley of the Angels in Guatemala have challenged her to reexamine her emotional barriers and allowed her to be her full and complete self. When driving nearly anywhere in Guatemala City, I am constantly surrounded by fences. Wooden fences, wire…

The Making of Miracles

Editor’s Note: Missioner Annemarie Barrett shares how the experience of accommodating unexpected guests led her to think about the nature of hospitality and its differences across cultures. Recently a group of friends and I decided to grill fish together. It took us a couple of hours to prepare the meal and soon the patio filled…

The Bolivian Way

Editor’s Note: In Bolivia, missioner Tom Little oversees and works in a meat packing plant on the campus of Carmen Pampa University. In this post, he shares how he’s had to adapt to a very different understanding of time and deadlines than what he was used to in the US. My main job at the…

Reflecting on the Race

Editor’s Note: Though FMS missioners do not return to the US during their two years on mission, if they end up renewing for a third year or longer, they are allowed to return home to visit family and friends. Fourth year missioner Jeff Sved returned home in May to run the Pittsburgh marathon and attend his…

Sorry I Forgot the Camera

Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on some of the new sights she’s seen in Jamaica and how sometimes it’s less about getting the photo and more about engaging the people and sharing bits of each other’s stories. There was an old Saturday Night Live skit, probably in the 70’s, with (I think), Buck Henry…

Introducing Eli

Editor’s Note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan shares how a trip to the marketplace in Cochabamba, Bolivia, turned into an experience of solidarity and deeper integration into the culture. I have been working at Manos con Libertad three to four days a week for three months now. Manos con Libertad is a co-operative of inmates from San…

Letting Go of Our Independence

Editor’s Note: Transitional Deacon and Capuchin Franciscan Friar Br. Albert Carver reflects on his first trip to Papa New Guinea where he was struck by the importance of community and by the the strength that often comes from admitting our own limitations. As someone who was born and raised in the United States the biggest obstacle…

Letting Go of Everyday Life: A Video Reflection

Editor’s Note: In this video reflection, returned missioner Valerie Ellis shares how during her experiences on mission in Bolivia as well as her transition back to the US, she’s had to let go of what she thinks everyday life should look like. [su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbMnhpTwcjA&feature=youtu.be”] Reading this in an email? Watch the video here. Reflection Question: What opportunities are…

Letting Go: The Power of Just Being There

Editor’s Note: Returned missioner Claire McGarry reflects on letting go of the desire to “fix” problems and instead using that energy to focus on the importance of accompanying others and presenting them with hope. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galations 6:2 As long as I…

Comfort and Joy: The Cyclical Process

Editor’s note: As part of our “Comfort and Joy” Advent/Christmas blog series, missioner Jeff Sved shares how his experiences of prison ministry in Bolivia have shown him how comfort and joy are often fruits of initial discomfort. Francis – brother, not pope – is quite a remarkable example when it comes to the relationship between comfort and joy. What…

Culture and Travel in Bolivia Part 3

Editor’s Note: Second-year missioner Nate Mortenson currently serves as a teacher and head of the English department at Unidad Carmen Pampa in Bolivia. This is the third and final installment of a special series in which we will share some of the work from students in his class. My Typical Day at Palos Blancos By Veronica Otoya One…

Culture and Travel in Bolivia Part 2

Editor’s Note: Second-year missioner Nate Mortenson currently serves as a teacher and head of the English department at Unidad Carmen Pampa in Bolivia. This is the second installment of a special three part series in which we will share some of the work from students in his class. Sharing Experiences – Intercarreras By Graciel Quino Calle My name is Graciel Quino…

New Series – Culture and Travel in Bolivia Part 1

Editor’s Note: Second-year missioner Nate Mortenson currently serves as a teacher and head of the English department at Unidad Carmen Pampa in Bolivia. In alignment with our “Comfort and Joy” Advent/Christmas blog series, today launches a special three part series in which we share some of the work from students in his class. Every day my English…

Some of My Favorite Moments with the Kids in Chilimarca

Editor’s Note: Missioner Valerie Ellis shares some of her favorite moments with the pre-school children she works with from impoverished families in Chilimarca, Bolivia. When counting, it was commonplace for one little girl to say, “1…2…8,” so I asked her if “8” was her favorite number and she responded with a resounding, “Yes!” Since then,…

Marching with Survivors of Sexual Violence

Editor’s note: Missioner Valerie Ellis describes two events she participated in for the recent Bolivian National Day to Support Victims and Survivors of Sexual Violence. As we began the climb through the mountains, so did the sun. When our trufi got high enough to see the snow, we took chilly pictures over the landscape of…

Through the Eye of the Needle, Part 5: Putting it into Practice

Editor’s Note: Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett finishes up a special five-part series, “Through the Eye of the Needle: Unpacking White Privilege in the Journey Towards Racial Reconciliation” on how her time in mission in Latin America is shaping her understanding of racism and privilege. I want to wrap up this series with a short list of concrete…

Through the Eye of the Needle, Part 4: Realities of Cultural Imperialism

Editor’s Note: Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues the special five-part series, “Through the Eye of the Needle: Unpacking White Privilege in the Journey Towards Racial Reconciliation” on how her time in mission in Latin America is shaping her understanding of racism and privilege. I have lost track of the number of times that I have been…

“¡Gano, Gano!”

“I win, I win!” These words most often associated with sports games recently became the anthem of my second grade classroom. When I first started teaching I blogged about the challenges I was facing as a brand new teacher with no teaching background and a simple desire to give my best to my students. There…

Through the Eye of the Needle, Part 3: Acknowledging Affluence and Structural Racism

Editor’s Note: Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues the special five-part series, “Through the Eye of the Needle: Unpacking White Privilege in the Journey Towards Racial Reconciliation” on how her time in mission in Latin America is shaping her understanding of racism and privilege. For much of my life, I was not aware that I was being…

Through the Eye of the Needle, Part 2: I Am Not A Saint

Editor’s Note: Lay missioner Annemarie Barrett continues the special five-part series, “Through the Eye of the Needle: Unpacking White Privilege in the Journey Towards Racial Reconciliation” on how her time in mission in Latin America is shaping her understanding of racism and privilege. One part of my reality as a white person that I took for…

NEW SERIES – Through the Eye of the Needle: Unpacking White Privilege in the Journey Towards Racial Reconciliation

Editor’s Note: Today lay missioner Annemarie Barrett kicks off a special five-part series on how her time in mission in Latin America is shaping her understanding of racism and privilege. Learn about the significance of the title. Every day I am learning more about what I do not know, my own ignorance. In choosing to…

Accepting Differences and the Right to Fight

A perspective from Brandon Newland, first-year missioner in Jamaica Recently, the U.S. Supreme court has decided on some very large decisions. Living outside the U.S., in Jamaica, I witness what is happening in a unique way, and I have become frustrated by where we, as Americans, choose to focus our energy. Even though the political…

Throwback Thursday: “A ‘Gringa’ makes Tortillas—Cross Cultural Cooking”

Editor’s Note: In celebration of our 25th year of preparing and supporting lay missioners, we look back to our archives at a World Care newsletter from 1993 with an article from returned missioner Jodie Abbatagelo from Class Three serving in Guatemala from 1992-1993. To the rat tat tat of tin, I opened my door that first…

Black Lives Matter Bolivia

It was February 12th when I received the first email. The subject line was “First Steps Towards a Worthy Cause”. The email talked about coming together as a US community in Bolivia to voice our concerns around the racial injustices taking place all over the US. My first reaction? Why are we doing this now?…

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