Unbroken Are We: Bitter and Sweet Coffee Harvest

A few weeks ago, the 1^st harvest of coffee at Santa Maria Magdalena’s home was ready to pick. And before I had a chance to pick the coffee; I was made aware of the fact it was time to harvest it, by many different people who always walk up and down the small gravel road in front of the home. Many stopped to ask if I would hire them to pick the coffee, others wonder if I was leaving it to rot, and perhaps most believed I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to picking coffee. And to be honest the latter is very true. Short of realizing that every time I gazed out an open window or walked outside I could see the huge amount of small bright red fruit hanging on the coffee trees and could smell the sweet crisp aroma of the coffee in the air, much as if one walked into a Starbucks, this gringa had no idea how to grow or pick coffee, but there was one thing in their thinking that was wrong, I knew what I was going to do with the coffee and that was to give it away!

I had been so excited for this day to come ever since Jesus allowed us to purchase this land for his mission. I asked my friend Maritza a single mother if she would help teach me how to pick the coffee, I also explained that she would be able to sell it and keep the proceeds for her and her children. It was so sweet to see how excited they all were. More so their unbelief of why I would just give her all the coffee. She kept saying to me, “it’s too much, just pay me a day’s wage”. (A day’s wage is 20 soles which depending on the exchange rate is roughly $6.00 US dollars.)

EVERYONE GETTING FITTED FOR A BUCKET

I know it seems foolish to many and it makes absolutely no sense to those looking in from the outside why I felt called to give the harvest away and well if you study economics, you would for sure say we are doomed. In reality, we could have used the money for the construction expenses and to help maintain the list of needs here. But I cannot help but recall in Deuteronomy 15:9 about the fact we should not count the cost and not to listen to the selfish voice within us. So, to work alongside my poor humble friend and her 3 children was so priceless and so sweet and it filled my heart in such a wonderful way. It was such a confirmation for me that I am to toil in the fields alongside those whom Jesus leads here, such as Maritza and her children, to ensure that they have enough to eat and to ensure that they truly are granted an opportunity to meet Jesus himself.

Though often I fail miserably at loving others like Christ, I can at least say on this day I may have not missed the mark too bad, and it felt so, so good. I am even more confident that is why Jesus is building this home, to give all we have away, everything we have, even our lives for the sake of the poor and abused unwed mothers and their children. I know in my heart that this is the only way that this home will grow and succeed in its mission to bring Unwed mothers and their children to the foot of the cross.

I cannot lie, though the day brought about a sweetness to it. There was a bit of bitterness that came along with it.

ALL OF MARTIZA CHILDREN WORK HARD

It was a bitter day we harvested the coffee because It was cold and raining. But it was the only day we had to pick the coffee, if we waited longer the bright red fruit would fall on the ground and rot. It was bitter in the fact that I never have seen three children so eager to work in the rain and mud. It was bitter to see the young children at work because one could tell that they had spent many other days working in the fields to help their mother but only to make a small daily wage. There was a bit of bitterness due to the effort of having to crawl through the coffee trees and escaping death time and time again as we tried not to fall on the slippery slopes of the field. There were many bitter moments when one of us would fall with a full bucket of coffee due to the wet terrain. It was also bitter in the fact that as just as much coffee we had in our buckets we also had almost as many spiders ranging in all colors and sizes. Some were fast and others were slow, and well many prayers were said, that they would not crawl up, and out of the buckets onto us, some still managed to find their way up our arms and even into our clothes. The next day Gabriel, Sarah, and I also experienced the bitterness of picking coffee and that was due to the fact that little, tiny insects from the coffee plants bored a home into our skin and took up residence deep within causing us to itch immensely.

It was bittersweet to know that Maritza and her sweet children were able in one day to make enough to sustain them for a month! Bitter, for the fact that this is the reality here in Peru for unwed mothers. And sweet for the fact that Jesus loves them so much that we are here to help them and to Love on them in this way.

MARITZA IS HUMBLE AND SUCH A GOOD FRIEND, AND SHE TEACHES ME SO MUCH!

I often reflect on how life as a Christian is challenging and living in the foreign mission field even more so. Many seek a comfortable life and desire to reap the benefits of their hard work. In fact, the way the world nowadays reveals this to us makes one believe that we have a right to obtain material goods and money and that we even have a right to store these things up for a later date. Though we must remember it’s not at all a sin to be rich, nor is it a sin to have possessions. In fact, the Catechism states clearly that man has a right to have private property and goods. However, in the same breath, it reminds us of the fact that “ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all his family.” CCC 2404

And in scripture, we can learn what Jesus said about this very thing.

The young ruler was told by Jesus to “Go and sell what you own, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Mark 10:21 Or how about Jesus’s parable of the rich fool who built bigger barns to store his grain in abundance found in Luke 12:16. We even have the disciples give witness to the fact that they also had everything in common that they shared their possessions among one another. Act 4:32

I never once thought that going into missions would be easy mentally, physically, or financially. So, what propels me? What has kept me here in a foreign land for almost 6 years? To be honest it’s these exact types of bitter-sweet moments with the poor unwed mothers here which rekindles my hope. This renewed hope is extended by my faith in Jesus, His resurrection, His forgiveness of our sins, and the life to come! Like Saint Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:18-19, “then those who have fallen asleep in Christ are utterly lost. If it is for just this life that we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable of all men.”

Perhaps our lives are to reflect the title of this blog, Bitter and sweet! We are all called to live a life for Christ and to not count the cost of doing so which indeed can at times be bitter, but how sweet is it to be able to be confident in the fact that we one day will be awarded a place in the kingdom of heaven!

I have been reading a book written by Father Sean Davidson about the life of Santa Maria Magdalena. And I have been reflecting on what he wrote, “that the words found in Psalms 73:25 have become the words of Maria Magdalena”, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing upon earth that I desire besides you.”

How impactful these words are! To love only Christ, in the same way, that Maria Magdalena did is a goal I pray we all are striving for. To live only for Jesus! That there would never exist a possession, nor any amount of money that would distract us from fully loving Jesus and his beloved poor!

It is in my holiest prayers that I pray we all can reflect on these words and what it means to love like Christ. For us not to count the cost of following Christ nor the act of giving everything we have, even our own lives to the poor. I pray that we all can see beyond this at times very miserable world, full of hatred and unjust situations, and focus our eyes on the kingdom that awaits those who follow Christ in his mission and who help others to do the same.

The miracles that Jesus is performing here are indeed a sight to see. It is through all of you, that Gabriel and I have the opportunity to love these sweet, sweet people! Thank you for your prayers and financial support.

We still have a long list of needs here and projects that need to be completed before we can fully open. Such as beds, tables, chairs, linens, fencing, driveway, front gates, and three more small one-room homes for our long-term mothers.

If you feel called to make a donation, please feel free to follow the link.

SANTA MARIA MAGDALENA'S HOME

To the Santa Maria Magdalena's new webpage to make your donation/send an email/ or to read about the mission of this incredible home.

We love you all!

Karen and Gabreil Del Castillo

Mission post : Santa Clara, Amazonas, Peru -

Santa Maria Magdalena's Home