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Month: June 2015

Dave El Pulpo

For many people, my name is difficult to pronounce. It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, someone will manage to mispronounce it. I became used to this at a young age and I don’t mind gently correcting people. Many of the kids in Guatemala find my name especially difficult to say due to…

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Food on Mission

Nate writes: Here is a photo of our weekly food consumption for one week. FMS supports us with a monthly stipend that compares closely to the minimum wage of an average “official” work sector job of a Bolivian. And it’s worth noting that the majority of Bolivians work some where within the bounds of an unofficial…

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Creating New Lives

When I came to Bolivia, I had the idea that I was coming to fight poverty. I thought that that poverty would take the face of a lack of material possessions. The other great ambition I had was to support the fight against violence. Although I have seen poverty, and I am supporting those who…

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Throwback Thursday: “Rekindling the Mission”

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 2009 with an article from returned missioner Katie Mulembe from Class 19 serving in Zambia from 2004-2006. This article was written after she visited Zambia for the first time since…

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Bolivian woman on mic

Handing Over the Microphone

“Les invitamos a escuchar a nuestras hermanas. Abrimos este espacio para que ellas puedan compartir sus experiencias. Ahora este espacio es para ellas.”  “We invite you all to listen to our sisters. We open this space so that they can share their experiences with you. Now this space is for them.” I was holding the…

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Throwback Thursday in honor of Laudato Sii: Mother Earth Teaches

Today Pope Francis releases his environmental encyclical “Laudato Sii,” whose name comes from Saint Francis’ of Assisi’s Canticle of Creation. In celebration, we reshare last summer’s series “Earth Mother Teaches: Digging Deeper into Faith, Community and Justice” in which Franciscan lay missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on what she has learned from working with communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia,…

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¡Romero Vive, Vive!

“Sentir con la iglesia,” to feel with the church. This was the motto of Blessed Monseñor Oscar Romero. Oscar Romero lived out this life motto as a way to draw himself closer to God through prayer, as a decisive love and service to others, and as a fidelity to the teachings of the Church. When…

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Would you Choose Hard or Soft?

The other day I found myself in a situation. I needed to buy toilet paper but all of the regular places to buy were closed. I was left with the option of buying really soft, really expensive toilet paper. I did what I had to do, but it was painful. Although what I had was…

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“Something’s lost that must be found” – Celebrating St. Anthony of Padua

Editor’s Note: The following post was written by Br. Brian Stacy, OFM  Cap. in honor of the June 13 feast of St. Anthony of Padua. “Tony, Tony, turn around! Something’s lost that must be found!” It’s probably one of the most widely known Catholic prayers alongside the Our Father and Hail Mary. St. Anthony of…

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Throwback Thursday: “A Letter from Vietnam”

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 2004 with an article from returned missioner Hao Nguyen from Class 19 serving in Vietnam in 2004. This article was written during his time serving in Vietnam.   Hy Vong means…

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Street Art – Cochabamba Style

I’ve always been a fan of street art. After all, I grew up in NYC in 70s and 80s. The time when hip-hop was born and you couldn’t walk down a street or onto a subway platform in NYC without spotting a piece someone had worked on the night before. Admittedly, even though I loved…

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2015 World Care Benefit and Celebration Recap

When 190 people gathered in St. Francis Hall on May 1 for the 2015 World Care Benefit and Celebration, they expected to celebrate Franciscan Mission Service’s 25 years of sending lay Catholics on mission. No one, however, expected to be given drawing from a school in Guatemala or to be part of an impromptu sing-along…

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Live with Purpose

We recently finished the Easter Season with Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descends from heaven on to the disciples. The disciples start speaking in many languages and are told to go out and preach the Gospel to all people, and they do—they go to the edge of the known world to spread the message to…

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There’s More – Committing to a Fourth Year

It is official: I am extending my contract to stay in Bolivia for a fourth and final year. With this decision, I have a sense of excitement and joy… as well as a bit of relief. In my discernment, I had my pros for staying in Bolivia and my pros for returning to the U.S.…

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Welcome Emily and Mercedes!

We are happy to announce that earlier this month we welcomed two new members to the FMS staff: Emily Norton and Mercedes Matthews. Emily Norton will be assuming the role of Programs Manager, supporting our missioners in the field, coordinating short-term mission trips, and directing formation for new missioners. Born and raised in Portland, Ore.,…

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