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| From Left to right, myself, Franclin, Jackson, Father Gilber, Sergio , and Yoiner |
7 years of not merely choosing to spend a few hours of our free time, nor
even a week, but years of our lives accompanying just three souls. In our human
way of thinking, such an investment may seem inefficient, even impractical. Yet
in the eyes of God, it is a perfect plan. For our Lord is not concerned with
numbers alone; He is concerned with persons, with hearts, and with salvation.
As Jesus reminds us in the Gospel: “What does it profit a man to gain the
whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36). The salvation of even one soul
is worth every sacrifice.
Pope Leo said:
“No Christian can regard the poor simply as a societal problem; they are
part of our family. They are one of us.” (Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi, On Love for the Poor: §.104.) He continues by affirming that we are
called to devote time to the poor, to listen to them, accompany them, and, if
necessary, to spend “hours, weeks, or years of our lives” with them.
Perhaps nowhere have I understood these words more deeply than today. Exactly 7 years ago, on this very day, the Holy Spirit led me to the small caserío of Buenos Aires only a few days after arriving at our current mission post. 7 years ago today, we had our first encounter with Yoiner, his older brother Franclin, and their father, Sergio. Looking back, I can only describe it as a divine encounter, because our meeting must have been God's desire, as I in the past year found out that this family of three lived not far from me in my old mission post and they moved just a few months before I unknowingly followed the Holy Spirit to them. (You can follow this link to my original post 7 years ago, when I first encounter this small caserio and these sweet boys https://unbrokenarewe.blogspot.com/2019/10/fromjungles-of-peru-to-heart-of-amazon.html)
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| Gabriel and Franclin years ago |
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| Yoiner and I back in the day |
Since that first meeting, nearly every Saturday has been spent with these
boys. We played games together, shared sweet treats, laughed, listened, and
slowly built a friendship rooted in trust. Alongside the other children of the
caserío, they received simple catechism lessons, but more importantly, they
experienced what Pope Leo describes: the loving presence of people willing to
walk with them over time.
Missionary work is not simply about teaching lessons or organizing
activities. It is about accompanying people. It is about doing what Christ
Himself did when He “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). True
mission requires presence, perseverance, and patience. It requires sharing in
the joys, struggles, hopes, and sufferings of those we serve.
For 7 years we have come to know these boys and the challenges they face.
7 years of prayer. 7 years of friendship. 7 years of standing beside them in
moments of hardship and moments of joy. 7 years of attempting, however
imperfectly, to live the words of Saint Paul: “Bear one another's burdens, and
so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).
And today, of all days 7 years exactly from the day I was led by the Holy
Spirit to the little caserio, God granted me an extraordinary gift. I witnessed
not only Yoiner, and Franclin, but also their father Sergio, along with two
other boys that I had the opportunity to teach receive the Sacrament of
Reconciliation and, for the first time, receive Jesus Christ in the Most Holy
Eucharist.
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| Yoiner, receiving making his 1st confession |
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| Sergio, Franclin and Yoiner's Father |
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| Franclin |
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| Jackson |
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| right after receiving Jesus |
What a reminder that the seeds planted by missionaries often grow slowly
and silently. As Saint Paul wrote, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave
the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). For 7 years there were no dramatic
milestones, no headlines, no visible successes. There were only ordinary
Saturdays, ordinary conversations, ordinary acts of love. Yet God was at work
the entire time.
Pope Leo teaches us through his own years of service among the poor in
Peru that authentic missionary discipleship requires long-term commitment. He writes:
“This loving attentiveness is the beginning of a true concern for their
person which inspires me effectively to seek their good… Only on the basis
of this real and sincere closeness can we properly accompany the poor on their
path of liberation.” (Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi, On Love for the Poor: §.111.)
He goes on to express gratitude to those who choose to live among the
poor, not merely to visit them occasionally, but to share their lives with them,
that it is a journey that must be made.
Today, 7 years after arriving at this mission post, I am reminded that
missions are rarely about extraordinary moments. They are about thousands of
ordinary moments offered to God in love. Missions is about having Holy patience,
and a lot of perseverance. Missions
is about showing up again and again, long after the excitement has faded. It is
about remaining present to the poor when no one else notices and when you have
become a distance memory to those back home.
Pope Francis, who uses the art of
accompaniment in Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), states "The
Church will have to initiate everyone, priests, religious and laity, into this
'art of accompaniment'..." (Evangelii Gaudium, 169). This phrase
the art of accompaniment is not merely
helping poor. Instead, it is remaining with them over time.
7 years ago, these three souls entered our lives. Today, I watched those
same souls kneel before the mercy of God and receive Our Lord in the Eucharist.
In that moment, every mile traveled, every Saturday afternoon, every muddy road, every challenge,
every disappointment, and every prayer became worthwhile.
For this is the mystery of mission: we
go thinking we are bringing Christ to others, only to discover that Christ has
been waiting there all along. And sometimes, after 7 long years, He allows
us a glimpse of the fruit. Not statistics on a spreadsheet, not a project
completed, not a report or blog written. But something infinitely greater: a father
and his sons receiving the sacraments and taking one more step toward heaven. A
father who lost his wife 7 years ago to infidelity who chose to raise his boys
the best he knew how after their mother left them. Moments like today remind us that the heart of
missions is not success, but about faithful accompaniment, it is about trying to master the art of accompaniment no matter how many years it takes.
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| Gabriel and Franclin when they were both short |
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| Franclin, myself and Sarah Ourso |
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| Yoiner and I many years ago |
From my gracious heart I thank each
and everyone of you who support the mission here with your prayers, sacrifices and
financial support. Without you there would be no mission, without you today
would not have been. Thank you!
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