Guatemala Missionary Experience – Saying Yes To A Call
It could have been a No but being a Yes we experienced a reality that we can hardly describe. We can understand why Jesus was sad when the young rich man did not say yes because he was rich and bound to earthly commodities. A YES in answer to a call leads to experience Jesus in a unique, personal way. There are no reserves, no retreats, and no regrets. Just follow Him to pastures green, laying the hand on the plough and moving ahead in the Lord’s continuous presence. He leads, it is His plan and definitely this results in a mutual identification of vision and values.
It was August of 2017 when together with a group of young adults, we left for the Holy land for a longed-for pilgrimage on the footsteps of Jesus. Fr. Anton Grech joined us, a surprise gift from the family.
When we came back we had a meeting with Fr.Anton at Dar Guzeppa Debono, a residential home for single mothers. We invited him to talk to us about his mission. We took him around the home and before he left he invited us to Guatemala to present the work we do regarding the issue of teenage mothers, sexuality education and the promotion of the beauty of life in the womb. This opened a door on a wonderful possibility to do voluntary work in the missions in line with our charism. And an open door led to another and another!
The Process
The first door: The YES.
The second door: Embracing the unknown.
Guatemala was unknown to us.
The third door: The joy of being with the poor, to discover that the poor are rich!
Going to the villages and even down at Izabal, you are confronted with the beautiful surroundings, so green, so colourful, the rich rain forest, pure air, surrounded by so many friendly animals, chicks, turkeys, ducks, pigs ,dogs and cats. They live in harmony with Mother Nature, the best environment for children to grow in, for a fruitful conception.
The fourth door: Educating the youth to value and appreciate life.
Here we experienced receiving more than giving. Bishop Domingo welcomed our suggestion. He has presented the Spiritual Adoption Programme as a pilot project to be carried out at Christ The King Secondary School to the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala. They all agreed to promote the project. They will even be working on a text book for their schools.
The fifth door: The gift of life … life in abundance.
The blessing of the child in the womb has now started to be celebrated in the parishes and in the villages. A group of volunteers, Life Promoters and Educators from the different villages can be trained to attend to the needs of the young teenage mothers and mothers to be. Many volunteers are needed to work in this area.
The sixth door: The joy of being with the Lord busying ourselves with His project.
We need to funds to train a group of volunteers and professionals to give such a valuable service to couples and mothers to be through a new project named “Welcome”.
The seventh door: Peace
This is the joyful peace of a definite yes, overshadowed by A Presence. What generosity! What love for the unborn child, the poorest of the poor! This is not just a door that is opening. This is providence, an abyss of love to be delivered through us humans to the little of the littlest. May we be a good instrument in God’s hands.