elderly

Give the Gift of Presence on World Alzheimer’s Day and Every Day

Editor’s note: Missioner Anna Klonowski reflects on her personal connections to people with Alzheimer’s on World Alzheimer’s Day. In 2010, I was on the brink of newfound freedom, sitting in the backseat of a Driver’s Ed car waiting for my turn to cruise (or rather, slowly and nervously jolt) down Main Street. My friend was…

Conversations with Desi

Editor’s note: Missioner Anna Klonowski experiences the ministry of presence with a new friend at a ministry site. I met a woman named Desi the other day at Hogar San José, the nursing home in Cochabamba that is one of my ministries. She was sitting alone in a courtyard, and I said hello as I…

Taste and See: Surrendering My Will

Part of our mission preparation program includes regular volunteering with impoverished or vulnerable populations in the area. Today missioner-in-training Valerie Ellis talks about the first few weeks of her volunteer experience. My dream for going on mission is to work with children, and I was thrilled when I received the email from Franciscan Mission Service …

Mission Monday: Share A Lifetime of Experience

Long-term overseas mission isn’t just for young people. After decades of work and life experience, those of you in your 40s, 50s and 60s have something to share with the global community. You have skills. You have compassion. You have love. Our program prepares you for service abroad, supports you while you’re in the field,…

Encountering God in the Human Family

Our domestic volunteers commit a year of serving full time in our office supporting our organization in areas such as communications, development and programming. But on Wednesday afternoons, the domestic volunteers go out and serve directly in the community. Today’s Advent story of encountering God comes from domestic volunteer and communications coordinator Bridget Higginbotham who…