Wikipedia defines a First Responder as a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, natural disaster, or terrorist attack. First Responders typically include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, fire fighters and rescuers.
I am more than
confident that you know what a First Responder is. But I had a strong feeling that God was asking
me to read the definition and to really reflect on its meaning. I was a bit
reluctant to look up such a elementary word. I, of all people should know what
a First Responder is, after all two of
my sons Mason and Maccray are just that. Mason is a fire fighter for the large
city of Dallas Tx and Maccray Is a fire fighter for a smaller rural community
in Boyd Tx. As a fire fighter’s mom I spend a good amount of time in prayer for
both of them.
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| Mason called to a head on accident |
The
two of them are so fearless. So eager to jump in the engine, flip the lights
and sirens and race to the scene of a car accident or fire. They don’t hesitate
for one reason, because someone is in distress needing them. They are trained so
well that; when everyone else is running out of a burning building they run in.
When someone is in need of an IV they mustard the courage to insert a needle
while at the same time holding their hand and reassuring them. When pulling up
to a car accident they hustle to the smoking car to find the victims and pull
out whoever may be trapped. They walk along the roadside after a violent head on
collision searching for and picking up body parts. They make welfare calls to the elderly who
have fallen, they respond to the call to check on the homeless
sleeping in the parking lot. Or that dreaded call to the home where a person
has taken their own life. Which I hear about so very often from my son Maccray.
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| Huge fire a couple of month ago in Dallas |
As you can imagine,
I look up to my two sons as Heros. With
the same kind of breathless awe & wonder that a 1st grader gets
when they have firefighters come out to their school to teach their class about
fire safety and eagerly waiting for a
chance to sit in the driver’s seat of the engine or try on their mask.
Reading to a group of school kids
So you can see
that when my family and I hear a knock at the door of our little home here in
the Jungle that I would never had thought it was for an emergency. Emergencies
are for first responders. But one night, Julianna open the door, and was
greeted with a woman who was crying and was utterly passionate to get us to
come quickly, to follow her to her house saying that it was an emergency. Just
as my two firefighter sons have to do, we dropped everything and wanted to make
it to her home as quickly as possible. It did not matter that we just wrapped
up a two hour long ministry with the youth and that we were hot, tired, and dinner
was on the stove cooking. The call came in and we had to respond. Just as a firefighter,
the needs of others come before the needs of our own.
Gabriel trying on his brothers mask
As we were
running out the door we had no clue what the emergency was, but as we were
hustling to the house I was already asking questions . “ What’s wrong” ,“Who is
it” . Julianna and I were taking mental notes. We were going to her house
because her dad is dying. Julianna quickly said mom you go, I will go back to
turn off the stove and get Gabriel who was playing down the street. So our team
split up. As I was walking into the unknown I was terrified. I had no Idea what I was about to see or do. As
I entered the home, I came upon women weeping uncontrollably. I became even
more nervous that maybe a terrible accident had happen. I said to Jesus “You
have mistaken, I am not the right person for this. If there is blood or bodily fluids
I cannot handle it.” Without uttering a word to the woman I was following, I
went through the 1st door of the mud home and entered in to the back
of the home, where I was taken to a small hot room, wherein laid an old frail
man on the floor. The smell and the heat was strong enough to knock a person
over.
I had an image come upon me of my sons. They
had their gear on, they had their medical supplies and tools in hand. They had
their radios on, communicating to their team
outside. I had nothing in hand. I had no way to call Julianna and Gabriel to
explain were the lady had taken me. I could not radio for back up. I had no
medicine or lifesaving equipment. I cannot lie I was in a bit of a panic
because this family called me to help and this man was dying. I thought to
myself, I am just a missionary. Someone more qualified like a First Responder
should have been called, not me.
I could do so
little, I thought. I kneeled down beside
the man and placed my hand on his forehead making the sign of the cross with
Holy Water. Everyone in the room was
watching me. Waiting for something more, and eagerly expecting me to do
something. So many things went through my head I could not make since of it; So
I closed my eyes and asked for help. I needed to have confidence and needed to
act quickly. I called again for the Holy Spirit to come upon me, and all the crying women who had followed me into the little hot mud
room.
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| Maccray at the scene of a house fire |
Stepping up from the man, I used the best
equipment I had, which was to pray the rosary. I asked the women and children in
the room If they knew how to pray the rosary, they responded with a “no”. So I
asked them in a different way, “do you
know the prayer of the Our Father and the Hail Mary”? This time they responded quickly with a “yes”. So I told them “ok”, we are going to
pray the rosary. By this time praise God Julianna and Gabriel found the home
that I had been taken too. I can not tell you how much of a relief that was. So in came, the rest of my team and in perfect
time to begin the rosary . Gabriel even though he is nine took charge and led
the rosary. Getting on his knees and holding the hand of the frail old man with
love and compassion. While Julianna consoled the women and the children whom
were crying. It was amazing to see how the Holy Spirit took charge of the little
mud room and those in it.
The joy that
enter that room was divine. The hot air became fresh, suddenly the smell was
not there and the room became such a serene place. I could not help but smile
at Jose, the dying man; at first I told myself not to, in fear of what his family
would think of me, but as the holy spirit came upon me I could not hold my
joyful heart back. I asked the man’s wife if he had received the sacrament of
baptism. She nodded yes, “Wow, how wonderful was that” I said. I asked the women
in the room to stop crying, to be joyful that he had lived a long life and now
its time for him to rest. That Jesus was waiting for him with open arms. Unlike
my two oldest sons who deal with death daily my two youngest children and I
have never seen a person die. I had always told my 4 children since they were
young that we should not be in fear of death. That it is a time of peace a time
of rest. When God is calling us home it’s the most exalting time in our lives. That
we should rejoice that our Lord is calling us home after serving Him here on
earth.
“If we’re so afraid of death
and dying, I have to wonder if we’re also afraid of life and living.” Juile Masters professor University of Nebraska, Omaha.
“It is not Death
that will come to fetch me, it is the good God. Death is no phantom, no
horrible specter, as presented in pictures. In the catechism it is stated that
death is the separation of soul and body, that is all! Well, I am not afraid of
a separation which will unite me to the good God forever.”
St. Therese of Lisieux
After the scene of the emergency was under control, my children and I needed a time to reflect or as my sons would say have a debriefing of the call. The three of us were reflecting on the fact that we must be prepared at all times, ready to assist when the call comes in. We reviewed the things we should have done better, like turn the stove off before leaving the house. Perhaps figuring out a plan on how we can reunite when we are separated. But the part that hit hard for us to digest was the fact that in the eyes of those we live among and serve; we are considered and seen as the 1st responders. That thought hit hard because in our minds we cannot save a person’s life as my two older sons do on a daily basis. But we can bring the love of our Lord, joy and peace among those who have so little. For the poor here even in the time of death, they die just as they have lived. They die in poverty with no medical care, no doctors, no diagnosis and no treatment plans. With most of the families torn apart and living in two different worlds, with their indigent beliefs and their unpracticed and uncultivated faith that has been planted among them from temporary Christian missionaries over the years that leaves them sobbing and with broken hearts for their loved ones. Looking to us, the missionaries, asking if there is more that we can do before their love one dies.
We think sometimes
that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being
unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. Mother Teresa
Jose has not yet went home to the Lord. He as of the time
of this blog lays in his tiny mud home with his wife sitting by his side day and
night. For 3 weeks now Jose has laid waiting unable to move, talk or sit up.
Much less eat. There is no IV in his hand, no nurse to check on him and to help
make him comfortable as he lies waiting to die. Each week we visit Jose and his
wife to bring them all we have which is the love that is flowing from us from
the Lord himself. Are offering seems so small in the world which we come from.
But in the eyes of those we serve it means so much to them. 2 weeks ago Father Francisco was able to come
to our tiny pueblo to give Jose his last rites. Even though Jose can not speak
and his body lie almost lifeless one could feel and sense an overwhelming
gratitude coming from this man , having received
a visit from Father. Its not easy to know that this way of death is the reality
here among everyone we live among. But the fact is that this is the reality, We
cannot bring 1st world hospitals and nursing homes here but we can bring our
love and share of faith and the goodness of the Lord to each of them.
Perhaps
missionaries could be included in the definition of First Responders. For
almost two years we have been living here and many times we are the 1st
who are called to
provide assistance at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, natural
disaster. Although we are not medically trained or have the emergency equipment
to respond to the call with, as my two oldest son’s do. But we must not forget
that we have much more than those who we live and serve among. That’s why the
poor have the same kind of awe for missionaries that many have in the states
for Firefighters and Policeman. They see us all as Hero’s. We as missionaries
must be ready at all times to respond to the cries of the poor. We must remember
that we have the skills and the training to help the people we live among. That
are spiritual tool kit is endless and our faith and are knowledge of the radical love of Christ is all we need to
respond to the call. Understanding that we are not here to save their earthly
life but to help their journey to the everlasting
life with the Lord.
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| Father with Jose mistering his last right, sitting next to him Jose's sister Maria. |
Thank you for
reading, please pray for my family, I especially ask for your prayers for my
two oldest sons, who are pictured above. May God protect them, physically,
mentally and spiritually as they serve as firefighters . Please pray for my two
youngest children Julianna and Gabriel as they learn to live and serve in a
humble way among the poor here in Peru. May God continue to mold them and may
they both learn Gods desire for them both. Lastly please pray for all FMC
missionaries all over the world, that
they will continue to be brave and in the center of God’s will, so they can serve without limits to those they
live among.
Karen, Julianna and Gabriel
Catholic Lay Missionaries
Serving in Peru
Contact us with your
prayer intentions, follow our blog, or make a donation at the following links.
Web Site: delcastillo.familymissionscompany.com
