Mission and Service Archives | Page 4 of 14 | Franciscan Mission Service

Disney, Dreams, and Divine Intervention

Editor’s Note: FMS missioner Hannah Hagarty reflects on the meaning of a dream that brought up a childhood longing for global service and justice. I found myself walking down the street with three stone goblins. I don’t remember the topic of conversation, but we were strolling along and chatting. I woke up. Who were those…

Invitations to Dance

Editor’s Note: Sabrina Portner recently moved to Cochabamba, Bolivia to embark on a mission of love and accompaniment through FMS Overseas Lay Missions. Sabrina reflects on the ways God is inviting her to encounter Him in this new environment. Everyday I wake up amazed by God’s love. This is most definitely not an exaggeration. I…

Embracing Littleness

Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Amy Brandt, reflects on the purpose behind the smaller details of her daily routine and how they play a powerful role in the bigger picture. I’m a big picture kind of gal. I have dreams and I long to dive into them. My community members can attest to this,…

2019 Re-Commissioning Mass

On January 27, Franciscan Mission Service held its annual Re-Commissioning Mass celebrating three recently returned missioners Anna Klonowski, Cindy Mizes, and Misty Menis-Kyler, who lived in solidarity with the marginalized of Bolivia, Jamaica, and Guatemala, respectively, for two years. The special Re-Commissioning Mass not only brought a close to the missioners’ time serving with FMS…

Time To Celebrate!

Editor’s Note: As Tim Shelgren approaches his one year anniversary in Kingston, Jamaica, he shares a selection of photos that express the main themes he has experienced thus far during mission. Reflection Question: Which moments from your past year capture strong themes of your spiritual journey?

Las Manos Femininas | The Feminine Hands

Editor’s Note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo reflects on the beauty and strength of the women she has encountered in Cochabamba, Bolivia. An ode to the working women at Hogar Nuestra Casa, who have introduced me to the Feminine God I have learned to see God as feminine in the working hands of women— hands that create,…

Lifelong Missioner Highlight: Nora Pfeiffer

One of the beautiful aspects of the Overseas Lay Mission Program is that when our lay missioners are commissioned each November they are committing to lifelong mission. Our missioners serve for 2-6 years with FMS, but their commitment to live out their call to mission goes well beyond their time with FMS, and how each…

Beginner Level Transformation… In the Soup Kitchen

Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Tim Shelgren describes the transformation and change of perspective he experienced through serving at a soup kitchen in Kingston, Jamaica. Every week, I spend a few hours serving at the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) soup kitchen in downtown Kingston called Jesus the Redeemer. Recently, a group of volunteers from the…

My Time at the Father McKenna Center

Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Nayeli Garcia describes some of the experiences and lessons she has encountered through serving at the Father McKenna Center. It has been a few months since I’ve moved down to DC and started my time at the Father McKenna Center. With the amount of time that I have been…

Embracing Humility

Editor’s Note: Maggie Van Roekel, current missioner in Bolivia, reflects on a moment that invited her to embrace humility and cast aside shame. “¿Quién necesita carpicola?” What I thought I had asked was, “Who needs toothpaste?” I stood in the kitchen with several kids who were about to brush their teeth before going to class.…

The Weight of Surrender

Editor’s Note: Current DC Service Corps volunteer, Amy Brandt reflects on the transition and surrender that accompanied her move from Washington State to DC for a year of service. Moving almost 3000 miles from home, I am often confronted with the unfamiliarity and newness of my surroundings here in Washington, DC. I find myself searching…

The Power of Intentional Listening

Editor’s Note: Current missioner in formation, Hannah Hagarty reflects on a life-changing conversation she had while serving at Christ House in Washington, DC and the beauty that can unfold when we truly listen to our neighbors. As a missioner in training, we are given the opportunity to go out into the community and practice what…

Finding Comfort in Our Limitations

Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Anna Klonowski reflects on her own limitations that guide her response when faced with the suffering of others. “Me duele el alma.” “My soul hurts,” Desi told me as we were sitting on a bench together during a beautiful morning in September. Despite the fact that she doesn’t sleep well, has…

A Blessed Ending

Editor’s Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes reflects on the beauty of life as she led an art project for the patients at Consie Walters Cancer Care hospice in Kingston, Jamaica. On one of my recent visits to Consie Walters Cancer Care hospice, I gathered the patients in a circle on the veranda to begin the day’s…

Letting Go in Love

Editor’s Note: With the end of a school year, missioner Erin McHugh reflects on the relationships she built at Valley and the surrender required as she says goodbye to the kids. This time of the year is the always emotional for everyone at Valley, as the school year comes to an end. For the graduating…

My Time at FMS

Editor’s Note: Derek Slaton reflects on his time with DC Service Corps as he has recently discerned out of the program in order to pursue a different path. My time at FMS has been short but filled with many ups and downs. The downside, being far from home and far from all the people I…

Adios?

Editor’s Note: Current missioner, Misty Menis-Kyler invites us into the process of hearing God’s voice through times of transition. Saying goodbye is never an easy thing to do, especially when it’s not something we choose. We shove our hands deep in our pockets and look down at our shoes. We shift our weight back and…

Surrendering to the “I Am” in the Womb of the Jungle

Editor’s Note: Current missioner, Tim Shelgren reflects on his experience at Mt. Tabor’s Beatitudes, a home for children who were born with different abilities. Since coming to Jamaica last February as an FMS missioner, I have spent most of my time serving primary school boys in the city of Kingston. Though I have learned to both tolerate and…

Meaningful Encounters

Editor’s Note: Development Associate, Derek Slaton, shares a conversation he had with current missioner in formation, Becky Kreidler, regarding her love for intentional encounters with those in her life. By talking to Becky I was able to develop a deeper understanding of what motivates her and what matters most to her. In this blog I…

Walk Good

Editors Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes shares beautiful memories created alongside Mr. M, a gentleman at Consie Walters Cancer Care Hospice in Kingston, Jamaica. Consie Walters Cancer Care Hospice is a place where impoverished men and women with terminal cancer are lovingly cared for. This summer, I had the privilege of ministering there. On my first…

Braids of Love

Editor’s note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo reflects on the importance of receiving within the act of serving through an experience she had at Nuestra Casa, one of her ministry sites in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I am only human, and so last week I went to Nuestra Casa a little worn-down. It was Friday afternoon, and I was…

How I’ve Grown with Franciscan Mission Service

Editor’s note: Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School student Laura Almonte works with the FMS staff every Wednesday as part of the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. FMS has a mutual partnership with DBCR as they host a DC Service Corps volunteer year-round. In this blog, Laura shares some of her experiences working in the…

“Loosening the Choke on the Development of Young Children”

Editor’s note: Missioner Tim Shelgren shares some of the progress he has seen in his 3rd grade classroom in Kingston, Jamaica, and reflects on the source of overactive behavior in the young boys. Since I arrived in Kingston, Jamaica four months ago, I have been serving as an assistant in a unique 3rd grade classroom…

Come to the Table: Kinship

Editor’s note: Missioner Maggie Van Roekel continues a three-part blog series on how kitchens and cooking have become important to her on mission. In part three, Maggie shares her relationship with her host mom, Anita, and how they first bonded over baked goods. There have been many times during my lifetime where a kitchen has brought…

Walking in Jesus’ Feet

Editor’s note: Missioner Cindy Mizes shares insights into a new ministry she has started in Kingston, Jamaica. I never imagined what it could be like walking in Jesus’ feet until I started walking along the city streets and narrow back alleys of Kingston, Jamaica handing out food and water to people living on the streets. …

Learning Humility and ‘The Sacrament of the Present Moment’

Editor’s note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo reflects on her ability to be present to those she serves in Cochabamba, Bolivia and the graces God has given her to do so. “If you have come here to help me… you are wasting your time. But, if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine,…

Shuffling the Cards: On Spades and Disinterested Love

Editor’s note: DC Service Corps volunteer PJ Herrera shares a reflection on his ministry work at So Others Might Eat (SOME). One of the things I’ve learned the most about through my year of service with FMS is the importance of relational ministry. When starting my year here, I wasn’t quite sure what to make…

Love and Brotherhood are Offered and Received

Editor’s note: Missioner Tim Shelgren recounts Immaculate Conception High School’s Dramatization of the Crucifixion in Kingston, Jamaica and reflects on his role in the process. Setting Campus Minister Donna Haynes set the stage in the school’s “quadrangle” where the student body meets for assemblies. She placed several small palm trees and a cross to represent twelve…

Finding Hope

Editor’s note: Missioner Anna Klonowski shares a poem about hope and reflects on how it relates to her mission work in Cochabamba, Bolivia. A while ago, Nora, Cochabamba’s in-country site advisor, led us in a reflection centered around a poem she found meaningful for her life on mission. I was inspired as well, and thought that…

The Mountains Above the Fog

Editor’s note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo shares a revelation she had about God’s omniscience and goodness after her first few months serving in Bolivia. I live in Cochabamba, the fourth largest city in Bolivia. We are in something of a fish bowl, surrounded by the mountains, and with all the emissions from cars, trucks, and buses……

Come to the Table: Patience

Editor’s note: Missioner Maggie Van Roekel continues a three-part blog series on how kitchens and cooking have become important to her on mission. In part two, Maggie shares a time she learned patience in the UAC campus kitchen in Carmen Pampa, Bolivia. Another kitchen that has made an impact on my experience on mission was the…

Update from the Field: Food Changes Lives!

Editor’s note: DC Service Corps Volunteer PJ Herrera shares about a new health and wellness program he helped develop at his ministry site, So Others Might Eat (SOME). Food changes lives. Think about it! Likely some of your best memories have revolved around a dinner table, right? What about the times when someone shared a…

DBCR Is Not Like Any Other School

Editor’s note: DC Service Corps Volunteer Anne-Marie Elsinger shares her admiration for her ministry site, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School. Tucked into a corner in Takoma park, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School and Corporate Work Study Program seems like an ordinary Catholic high school; however, DBCR is not like any other school. It…

Seeing Clearly: The Mysterious Gift From Jesus

Editor’s note: As Part of FMS’ Lenten blog series, Programs Manager Emily Norton shares the insights she gained from a surprising gift that she received during two FMS retreats she coordinated for our lay missioners during their 3-month long Formation Program, preparing them to serve overseas. One of the privileges of being the Programs Manager…

Come to the Table: Community

Editor’s note: Missioner Maggie Van Roekel begins a three-part blog series on how kitchens and cooking have become important to her on mission. In part one, Maggie shares her memories around the Carmen Pampa volunteer house kitchen table. To some extent, I’ve always been pretty comfortable in the kitchen. Growing up, I spent a lot of…

Gangs, Gunshots and God’s Grace

Editor’s note: Missioner Cindy Mizes expresses hope for the children she is serving in Jamaica after she reflects on a difficult experience in the classroom. On my first day in my new ministry as a Teacher’s Assistant at St. Francis’ Primary School, I gingerly walked into the classroom of 21 young boys (ages 8-10) not…

I’m Going To Live In A Convent, Oh, My Nerves!

Editor’s note: Missioner Tim Shelgren shares a connection he discovered between FMS and his hometown—a connection he will take all the way to Jamaica. For thirty-eight years I lived, worked, and raised my children in the Olean/Allegany area in Upstate NY, home of St. Bonaventure University. Across the street from Bona’s is a big building,…

The Incarnate Christ in All I Meet

Editor’s note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo shares “an experience of letting go of my controlling nature, and learning to depend on others. Christ presented Himself to me in those who helped me along the way in my travels [to Cochabamba, Bolivia].” Lord, I am a stranger traveling in a brutal, yet wondrous land — far from the…

A New Year… A New Beginning

Editor’s note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects on her mission in Guatemala at the Valley of the Angels school: past, present, and future. As this New Year begins and I embark on year two of mission in Guatemala, I have found myself reflecting on the journey of mission and this new beginning. I recently came across…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: The Feeling of Hospitality

Editor’s note: As a part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, missioner Anna Klonowski reflects on the moments of hospitality she’s experienced in Bolivia. I have experienced hospitality this year on mission in so many new and unexpected ways. This makes me think of a quote from Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said,…

Faith Calls Us to Be Neighbors: Christmas Night with the Shepherds

Editor’s note: Elizabeth Hughes is the Executive Director of FMS. After our Advent reflections on experiences of hospitality, she invites you to join her in a Christmas imaginative prayer, accompanying the shepherds to welcome Jesus to the world. What gifts and graces might have unfolded during the journey of welcome? “O, Holy Night…the thrill of…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Aymara Hospitality

Editor’s note: As a part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, returned missioner Lee Lechtenberg shares an experience of hospitality while adventuring the Inca trail with fellow missioners in Bolivia. Our journey began in the falling snow at the top of a mountain, trying to find the beginning of the Inca trail that would take…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: When the Advent Promise Has No Resonance

Editor’s note: As a part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, reflects on the meaning of Advent and the need to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Christian-Catholics identify closely with each of the Church’s liturgical seasons. We rejoice at Emanuel—God-With-Us—during Christmastime; we recognize our need for…

Faith Calls Us to Be Neighbors: Seeing God in Others at Catholic Charities

Editor’s note: As a part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, Programs Associate Rose Urankar shares a few reflections from people associated with Catholic Charities, including Barbara Fortson and Madonna Enwe. There is something about the Christmas season that motivates people to give. Monetary and in-kind donations are made to charities throughout the nation and…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Our Call, Our Challenge

Editor’s note: Sister Pat Klemm, OSF, a Franciscan Sister of Allegany for 54 years, has ministered in education, healthcare, parish ministry, formation ministry and leadership. As a guest blogger for FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, Sr. Pat shares her experiences serving (and being welcomed) abroad and reflects on the story of the Nativity. A number…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Open Doors, Here and Abroad

Editor’s note: As part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, missioner Janice Smullen shares her experiences welcoming refugee families with open doors. When the churches in my area first met with Catholic Charities to hear specifics about the Refugee Resettlement program and to decide if we wanted to participate, Catholic Charities brought a man from…

Faith Call Us to be Neighbors: In Thanksgiving for Community

Editor’s note: As part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, Programs Associate Rose Urankar reflects on the past year and how community has welcomed her during that time. “Where were you one year ago today?” As we sat around the table, bellies full from our “Friendsgiving” feast, the FMS Casa community reflected on how our…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: A “Thank You” Letter to Bolivia

Editor’s note: As part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, missioner Catherine Hope Sullivan shares her gratitude to Bolivia, who has welcomed her in a variety of ways for the past two years, as she leaves the country today. Dear Bolivia, Today, I leave you and I cannot believe it. You have been everything to…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: “Welcome” Has No Language Barriers

Editor’s note: As part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, missioner Maggie Van Roekel describe a time when she was patiently welcomed by her students in Carmen Pampa despite the challenges of the language barrier. When I think about being welcomed, one of the biggest ideas that comes into my mind is my first few…

Faith Calls Us to be Neighbors: Open Wide the Doors of Your Heart

Editor’s note: As part of FMS’ 2017 Advent blog series, missioner Erin McHugh reflects on the meaning and application of true hospitality and shares what happens as a result. It is such a beautiful God thing to me that our Advent theme for us this year is hospitality and welcoming the stranger, as I have…

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