mission class 31
Michel’s Madrina
Editor’s note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan reflects on the role of “madrinas” in the Bolivian culture when she is asked to be a baptismal godmother for a friend’s daughter. Madrina is a very important term in Bolivia. There is actually an entire day and festival dedicated to madrinas, because here the word refers to a friend…
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One Bread, One Body
Editor’s note: Missioner Janice Smullen shares her reflections on the Eucharist and how the sharing of Holy Communion has brought her to a deeper understanding of community. Much to my surprise, one of the questions that I have found myself pondering throughout my time on mission has been the meaning and mystery of the Eucharist.…
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Self-Compassion Through Struggles
Editor’s note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble shares a prayer and reflection on self-compassion which have brought her peace and healing in times of struggles. Lately, I’ve been struggling a lot. This isn’t something I usually talk about, and it’s hard to share here. But I want to be honest and authentic, and if I am to…
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To Choose Neither
Editor’s note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan shares a poem juxtaposing the societal norms of the US and the societal norms she experiences throughout her time on mission and her ministry in the Bolivian prisons. These lives continue to baffle me. They are lives lived entirely for others …
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The Ascension: Stepping into Service
Editor’s note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on how passages from the Ascension parallel her own experiences of being called to mission and her time in service. Each time I revisit the Ascension in the Gospels, I find numerous points that relate to mission and service. Throughout my own time on mission in Jamaica, I see…
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The Weight of Waiting
Editor’s note: Missioner Allison Dethlefs reflects on early mornings, long lines, and the frustrations with the healthcare system in Bolivia from her experiences on mission, and how—through these encounters—she has felt called to deeper solidarity with the families she accompanies. The darkness pressed in on me as I fumbled to shut off my alarm. I used…
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The Importance of Giving and Receiving Help
Editor’s note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble reflects on how helping others is a two-way interaction that requires the openness not just to offer but also to ask for help. A few weeks ago, a veterinary sciences student at the university where I teach ended up in the ICU in La Paz. Suffice it to say that…
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Reflections on a First year on Mission
Editor’s note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble reflects on how lessons learned from her physical exercise relate also to mission and spirituality. While organizing the living room in the volunteer house one day, I came across a Jillian Michaels yoga workout DVD. Since I’ve been determined to exercise more, I decided to try it. Now, I am…
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Learning to Receive
Editor’s Note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects on the blessings and graces to be found in giving as well as allowing others to give. After December’s season of giving, I have found myself reflecting on the beauty that can come from receiving. I am not trying to sound selfish or greedy, but I have begun to…
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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…
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