spanish
Beyond Language
Editor’s Note: Missioner Sabrina Portner reflects on language barriers and ways she can better connect with her surroundings as she begins her ministry in Cochabamba, Bolivia San Martin, the home for boys that has become my new place of service and source of contentment, cares for one singular cow, Betty, and her bull calf. Beyond…
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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.…
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“Hermosa”
Editor’s note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects on moments during teaching that have brought up questions for her about privilege, beauty, and unjust societal standards. I recently had a lesson in my English class about beauty and I asked my students, “How do you define beauty? How would you describe a beautiful person?” All the girls…
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Lessons from my Hometown
Editor’s Note: Missioner-in-training Anna Klonowski shares a poem about the Native Americans who lived in her hometown and reflects on how learning about other cultures – both near and abroad – has opened her to new experiences. This past Monday, the United States celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day, or Columbus Day (a name which many are…
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“¡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…
Read MoreDave 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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Making the Comfortable Uncomfortable
In July, 2009 I attended a social justice immersion summer camp with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The week long camp challenged high school students from different parts of Maryland to learn about the injustices that were affecting Baltimore City and how we could be advocates for justice and change. During the week we visited many…
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Embrace language on International Mother Language Day
Editor’s Note: The following post is written by Nate Mortenson. Viviana (mentioned in the post) is fourth on the right in the featured image. I want to share a story from a former teacher of mine at the Merryknoll Language Institute in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Her name is Viviana and she was born and raised in…
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Mission Monday: A Helpful Guide on How to Get Lost in a New City
In today’s post, missioner Valerie Ellis proposes a satirical guide to urban navigation. Although new missioner Valerie Ellis was having an awfully hard time adjusting to the new city in January, she is happy to report that she only occasionally gets lost in the Cancha, and might not be the best guide anymore for getting lost…
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Visiting Christ the Prisoner: “Plantas”
Editor’s Note: This is Part I a series called “Visiting Christ the Prisoner: A Look into Prison Ministry in Bolivia”. Read Part II and Part III. Jeff shares a story of his time in El Penal de San Sebastián. Home to 800-900 men along with their wives and children, San Sebastián is one of the six prisons that Jeff regularly…
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Meet Our New Volunteer, Jason!
A Spanish-speaking Anglo kid from Oregon who studied Theology in New Jersey and is working on a career as a web-based Catholic cartoonist: the life history of Jason Bach is nothing but varied. The latest chapter brings him to Washington, D.C. for a 13-month volunteer position as a communications associate with Franciscan Mission Service. Jason…
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Meet Our Newest Volunteer, Chanda!
This National Volunteer Week is a special one as we welcome our newest full-time domestic volunteer to the Franciscan Mission Service team. Our volunteers serve in our headquarters doing administrative work for 35 hours a week and then spend five hours doing direct service in the community. From the far lands of Zambia, where she…
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Mission Monday: Patience in Solidarity
To kick off week three of our Lenten Walking in Solidarity series with its theme of”Living Solidarity: Work, Family and Citizenship,” new missioner Jeff Sved writes about his experiences so far in Bolivia. Paciencia. With time and practice I’ll be able to communicate adequately in a new language. Paciencia. With time I’ll get used…
Read MoreNew Mission Candidates get a taste of Bolivia
Over the Labor Day weekend the new mission candidates started arriving from all over the country. And what good timing! It just so happened there was a Bolivian festival going on at the Prince William County Fairgrounds in Manassas, VA. Many of these candidates are interested in going to Bolivia for their two years, so…
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“To be understood, as to understand” – Teacher learns a lesson in Guatemala
Today’s mission story about David LaDuca teaching in Guatemala (2004-2007) illustrates two important characteristics of FMS. The first is that we ask the community what they need — we do not try to force help on them, and we do not want to take their jobs away. The local community knows their needs better than…
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Mission Monday: Nature’s Lesson in Persistence
New missioner Michael Redell is in the middle of language school in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He shares today the lesson nature taught him about facing challenges, such as learning Spanish.I remember last week being quite frustrated with what seemed to me slow progress in learning Spanish. So, I decided to take some time and sit outside to…
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Prayers for Christmas: Joy
On this Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, we rejoice that Jesus is almost here, that our wait it almost over! Today’s joyful prayer for Christmas comes from Sr. Erika, one of missioner Lynn Myrick’s students in Bolivia. Sr. Erika is a St. Joseph sister studying to become a physical therapist. We’ve included her…
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