"O Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to happen to me, make me only know Your Will."
-St. Gianna Beretta Molla-
-St. Gianna Beretta Molla-
Peace, peace of Christ to one and all in this Lenten season...
How I hope each of you is very well and blessed, in the midst of whichever mission you may be. As far as the mission of this little soul in Ecuador, I must say that life is beautiful.
Maribeth and I journeyed to Quito last week to welcome our new nurse and fellow Franciscan alumna, Sara Ogrodnick. To be back in my old stomping grounds of Quito is always great...I think I was born to live in the mountains! It was great to be with Sara and our Quito host family again, and hopefully, we successfully oriented dear Sara to life in Quito, where she will be in Spanish classes for the next few weeks.
We were also going to take our second planning trip for Franciscan University´s medical mission to the Amazon region of Ecuador, but as things often work out in Ecuador, it ended up that our priest friends there who we need to finish up the plans were in another province for an eight-day retreat. Sometimes you just need to laugh. Ha.
Oh, but all this typing without yet telling of my new loves. We returned to the Santuario, our home away from home, on Saturday morning, and basically headed directly to one of the family houses to be the mothers of the house while the missionary mom needed to be away for a few days. Wow. To be a mother at all I am sure is an immense experience, but to all of a sudden be a mother to thirteen children was indeed an adventure! More than the love and patience needed to be a mum to these very special children, I was impacted by the minimal resources that the houses run on. There is always food, but not always the best food that little children need. There are clothes, but keeping enough clean by hand-washing and hanging on the line in the rainy season while new not-toilet-trained toddlers have arrived is another story. Buying diapers, water, very simple things often is a stretch. This foundation and their mission is so special. We must find a way to back it the best places for these beautiful children.
And my loves. Well, we arrived back to the Santuario to the news that three new children had arrived: four-year-old Steven and his two-year-old twin sisters, Sarita and Ximena. I have yet to learn their complete story -- we may never know all the details -- but their family lives in the streets, searching through garbages for the necessities of life. Steven is four, but he only speaks a few words. He arrived very ill. The beautiful news is that an amazing and loving family has already taken Steven into their home with arms wide open. His little sisters...oh, my. How I wish I could offer them a home! The first day we spent at their house, they were crying off and on all day; I did not see a single smile. The next day, by afternoon, they were dancing with us and playing tag, with smiles that consumed their entire little faces and laughter that could lift the saddest of spirits...being the precious little girls that they were born to be. Sarita and Ximena. They soon will be leaving to stay with a foster family, but these precious babies will be so very special to me always, always. If I had the means, I would keep them forever. Alas.
And so my life continues in this little corner of the world. The missionaries have a week of vacations soon, so Maribeth and I will return to the maternal life, caring for the eight children who will not be living with families for vacation time. Lots of prayers to St. Gianna for us please!
I love you all. I have finalized my plans for a trip home from March 28th-April 14th, first in Minnesota than a few days in Steubenville. Hope to see many of you!
Peace and blessings,
m
PS: Poll of the week...should I go to medical school? :)
