Shared from my journal entry dated June 29, 2024 | Saturday just 2 days after
we were forbidden from leaving Peru.
Yesterday
we celebrated the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Paul
I find it only fitting to
share the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ with you. After finding out that migrations
will not allow us to leave Peru and return to the States for a short-term rest.
Our idea was to find a place where we could lament and rest in the Lord and
well, heal from the disappointment of our situation. Praise the Lord we have indeed found that place.
It is a little fishing town
where we encountered the nicest lady named Milu, she is a spitfire and she is so
in love with the Lord, and the poor. She has taken Gabriel and me in and has
made sure our every need has been taken care of. She seems to be a very
important figure in the small town. She is constantly on the phone planning the
pickup and drop-off of donations. When she meets people on the street, she
tells them she will be at their house later to drop off different items like
baby clothes, strollers, and other items. All at the same time making sure that
the townspeople are not polluting the beach or ocean all while taking Gabriel and
I under her care and treating us like family. It is incredible and I am in awe watching
her minister to the people here.
I told Gabriel she is such a
role model for me and watching her defend the Gospel and the poor without shame
and with such boldness gave me such encouragement. Gabriel told me that I would,
soon be the Milu of Santa Clara when I am her age. (not sure if it was a
compliment or a dig at how old I am due to the fact I just turned 50). He said instead of the beach town, I would be
the spitfire old lady known for defending the mountain and its poor people.
If Milu and her love for the
Lord and for us was not enough Jesus made sure to shower us with so many days
of wonderful Gospel Messages to encourage and fill our hearts. We as a family
have always prayed each day with the Gospel reading for the day. And well the
theme for the time we spent in the little fishing town once again seems to have
been planned just for us.
Each day we were able to enter
right into the Gospel readings. It is as if Jesus was speaking directly to us.
Encouraging us, loving on us, being personal and intimate with us, and ensuring
us that he was with us and that we are at the center of his will. It seemed we
were living out the Gospel once again which if you know you know! There is no
better place to be than where the Gospel takes you.
One of those days Gabriel and I
were reflecting on the daily Gospel, which was the Solemnity of Saint Peter and
Paul, and as we reflected on the lives that these two men had before coming
Disciples of Christ, reflecting on their call to missions and what they were
able to achieve for God’s Kingdom, we really had no idea what the Lord had planned for us.
As we meditated on the fact Peter was a fisherman, and Paul
was a tentmaker. Peter denied Christ, but then turned and strengthened his brethren;
Paul persecuted the Church, the Body of Christ, but then turned and brought the
Gospel to the ends of the earth. Their encounter with Jesus and their
conversion of hearts leads them to a life of missions of sharing their
testimony with others. They both lived to win souls for Christ including dying
to themselves, and up to their martyrdom in Rome: Peter was crucified upside
down on the Vatican Hill; Paul was beheaded.
 |
| Milu her niece and I |
And as we prayerfully reflected on the fact that Peter was a man who was aware
of his sin and how it offended God. His awareness of his sin would bring him
tears of repentance and a contrite heart. Paul enjoyed a struggle and was ready
for a battle, and to fight the good fight, he knew he needed the Lord because
without him he was weak. He trusted not himself but in the Lord who could
conquer all things.
These two amazing missionary
disciples brought Gabriel and me a lot of hope and renewal of our faith and the
love for our mission here in Peru as we prayerfully reflected on the Gospel
Message and what it meant for our own lives. But you cannot imagine what came
next. During our prayer time, the open doorway allowed the breeze and sweet
smell of the sea and the sound of the ocean to accompany our morning prayer and
as we wrapped up with a song, Milu appeared in the doorway to invite us to a
procession in honor of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. With a bit of hesitation, we said
yes. What a gift the Lord had for us, it was as if it was Jesus himself inviting
us as we were living the Gospel, we were on the shore being called to follow
Him, we were in the boat with Him, we were with him when he calmed the sea, and
we were just like the disciples, ordinary people who because of his mercy and
love were changed forever and were empowered to share the Good News to those they
encounter.
Gabriel and I have been to many processions since becoming foreign missionaries, but we never dreamed the procession we were invited to would be along the shoreline of the ocean, among whales, sea turtles and so many different fish, not even Milu who was born in the small sea town knew all their names. It was as if we were transported into another world. And it is safe to say that our broken hearts and disappointment of being forbidden from leaving Peru turned into sweet Joy and a new invitation to enter into our mission here in Peru in an even deeper way.
You may already know I am not one to
take many pictures, so we have Milu to thank for these. I pray you enjoy them,
and I also ask you to keep Milu in your prayers as we give thanks to the Lord
for this incredible holy, and divine encounter and new friendship.
I pray this unbelievable, incredible, yet real testimony strengthens your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ! No matter where you are at, no matter the afflictions you encounter, or the denials and trials you face, be confident that the Lord is with you. Seek him in the Gospels and in the Sacraments. Be brave enough and dare to live out the Gospels each day! You may just find yourself in the middle of one of them, and all you have to do is reach for his hand, Jesus will be there, and he won't let go, he won't let you sink he won't let you drown! Just fix your eyes on him and be brave enough to give your life completely to him! I am confident you will not be disappointed.
Mission Post: Santa Maria Magdalena's Home
Caserio Santa Clara, Amazonas, Peru
Wow! Praise God for you and Gabriel's refreshment and for the wonder of new friends. I love the sight of the procession with the saintly statue all the way into the sea. :) :) :) Thanks for your uplifting story and words Karen. I'll be keeping you in my prayers. Nancy
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