The Power of Words

Words have power – to build up or tear down.  What choices am I making – in what I take in and what I give out?

I became aware of how I would feel after reading some comments people would write after an article that was posted online.  I was amazed at how vile people could be – maybe because they could do it anonymously?  I decided I would stop at the end of the article and not scroll to the comments section.

It made me think about how after an event or project I was responsible for, a dozen people could say something nice about it, but often times it is the one negative comment that stuck with me.

In a daily reflection book I read every morning was the following quote:  “Words of love and affirmation are like bread.  We need them each day, over and over.  They keep us alive inside.”  - Henri Nouwen

I also read about an experiment done by Dr. Masaru Emoto (he is featured in the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know”).  In this experiment, Dr Emoto placed portions of cooked rice into two containers. On one container he wrote "thank you" and on the other "you fool". He then instructed school children to say the labels on the jars out loud everyday when they passed them by. After 30 days, the rice in the container with positive thoughts had barely changed, while the other was moldy and rotten.

Sometimes our LMH question the “effectiveness” of their service.  Did they make a difference?  Has anything changed because of their presence?

Alicia Johnson, one of our Veteran LMH, who served in Cameroon with her husband Chris and sons Keaton & Quinn, wrote to us about how she had started something positive in her classroom.  She would have the students compliment the student who sat in front/behind of him/her – she did this row by row each week.  They were not used to giving compliments, but over time, she saw the difference this made to the students.

This is just one example of the difference our LMH are making.  And it is a difference we can make as well.  A kind word to someone, a word of affirmation, and positive thoughts towards others and ourselves can go a long way in making a difference in this world.  Building up people rather than structures is what LMH is about.

To read about how our current LMH are doing this, check out their blogs on our website:  www.laymissionhelpers.org

  

Set The World On Its Ear

Yesterday marked the 50^th Anniversary of the death of Msgr. Anthony Brouwers, founder of Lay Mission-Helpers.  In his short life, Msgr. Brouwers accomplished so much.  In addition to founding LMH, he also founded Mission Doctors Association and started Mission Circles in nearly all of the parishes of the Archdiocese.  I, along with my co-workers and a few LMH Veterans, visited his grave at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles and had a small prayer service.

Standing at the graveside, looking at his headstone, I realized that I am the same age today as Msgr. Brouwers was when he died.  It caused me to reflect on what have I done to make a difference these past 51 years.  It was humbling.

These thoughts also resonated with something that has been on my mind since New Year’s Eve.  I attended a Kristin Chenoweth concert and she sang the song “I Was Here” by Diane Warren.  It was accompanied by images on a big screen of her (and others) charity work and other contributions and how we should make a difference.  A line repeated throughout the song is: 

I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear

It is something to strive for, but can seem a bit intimidating.  However, the line following the one above is:

I wanna do something better
With the time I was given
I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life

That is something we can all do – and what our LMH are doing.  They will improve the education and healthcare of others, implement social service programs, provide clean water in villages, and much more.  But what will have the longest lasting impact are the hearts they touch.  I hear this all of the time when I visit our mission sites.  We are not just humanitarians doing good work – we are sharing the love of Christ with our brothers and sisters around the world.

If we would all do that – share the love and compassion of Jesus with those we meet – in our homes, parishes, neighborhoods, workplaces, on the street – we will truly “set the whole world on its ear.”

Striking A Balance

Christmas is in just a few days and I, like many people I’m sure, are not ready for it.  There are so many things to do: shopping for presents, cards to send, baking, decorating, etc.  There just doesn’t seem to be enough time to get everything done – and the pressure is on – self imposed pressure.

I’ve been reflecting on my experience of Christmas in mission and how different it was.  I was away from family and friends which was difficult.  I missed listening to Christmas Carols on the radio, decorating the Christmas tree, the Christmas specials on TV (we didn’t have TV), shops decorated and offering great bargains, etc.  It didn’t “feel” like Christmas. 

And while I missed all of that, I also received the gift of celebrating Christmas in Sierra Leone.  On Christmas Eve, the choir at Church had a mini “concert” before midnight Mass – and after not having heard any Christmas music the month prior, it was an extra joyous celebration.  After Mass, people would ride in the back of trucks banging pots and pans exclaiming Happy Christmas.  Then we all got up the next morning for Mass on Christmas Day. 

Gift giving was not common.  But I did usually find something small to give to the people I was close to.  And because there was no pressure to give, or expectation to receive, there was genuine joy in giving and gratitude in receiving.

I try not to romanticize Christmas in Sierra Leone – just like I had to learn not to romanticize Christmas back home when I was there.  There is an upside and downside to both.  But I am, at the 11^th hour, trying to strike a balance between the two.

My hope and prayer is that those of us here at home, and our Lay Mission-Helpers who are in mission, will remember that the Spirit of Christmas can be alive no matter where we are – if we get out of the way.

Christmas Tree in Zimbabwe

Be The Eyes, Ears, Hands and Feet

After having emergency surgery for a torn retina last month, I've been slightly preoccupied with my eyes.  I was given the all clear to travel to Tanzania to visit our LMH serving in the Diocese of Mtwara with the advice that if I experienced certain symptoms I was to go to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.  Easier said than done. 

During my first few days in Tanzania, maybe because it was very bright, I became aware of more floaters in my eye.  I kept swatting the air thinking they were insects.  I became a bit anxious  wondering what I should do?  Am I overreacting and this is nothing?  Should I turn around and fly back home immediately?  Is there anywhere in this country I could go to get checked - and if my retina was tearing again, do they have the sophisticated equipment they have in the US to handle it?  I took a chance and said many prayers that if anything was wrong, it could wait until I got home.

This experience, and my momentary panic, got me thinking beyond myself.  What about the people here?  What would they do?  What could they do?  For the vast majority of people, there is no option – they will lose their sight.  For some, they don’t have the money to pay for tests or operations.  But for most people, even if they did have the money, the services aren’t available.  

Even simple procedures like checking vision in children is not common.  Very few students at Aquinas Secondary School wear glasses.  Do they just have exceptionally good vision?  Or is it because they don’t have optometrists in the area or the money to pay for an exam or glasses even if they did?

So this is what has been on my mind lately.   How unfair it is that I have access to so many services, regardless of whether or not I can afford them, and how unfair it is that so many of our brothers and sisters around the world do without.

What can we do?  Can we look at things with different “eyes”?  After feasting on turkey and the trimmings on Thursday, finding bargains on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we can do something for someone else on Giving Tuesday?  Can we be the eyes, ears, hands and feet of Jesus here on earth?

Give the gift of education, healthcare and social services through the work of Lay Mission-Helpers.  Help us change the world.  http://www.laymissionhelpers.org/giving-tuesday

Thanksgiving Memories

Experiencing the holidays in mission isn’t always easy – missing family and friends and the traditions we grew up with can initially be overwhelming.  However, the holiday celebrations in mission can also be the source of our fondest memories – they were for me.

While we didn’t have turkeys, we did have chickens, and I managed to make most of the other trimmings – mashed potatoes, dressing, and even pumpkin pie – from fresh pumpkin.  Numerous people came to the feast – Irish, British, Italians, and on occasion, other Americans.

One year, I had about a dozen people coming to celebrate.  Eva, a volunteer from England, said she had passed an American volunteer she did not know on her way to my house.  She felt bad because this was an American holiday, but she didn’t think it was her place to extend an invitation since there were so many people coming already.  We immediately sent someone to find this volunteer and invite her to the party.

Mary was that volunteer.  She had been in country, in the capital, for several months and this was her first Thanksgiving away from home.  She said she had woke up that morning feeling a bit sad to be so far away from home, with no hope of celebrating Thanksgiving, and prayed the rosary for her family.  Now, here she was, not only celebrating Thanksgiving, but eating pumpkin pie.  Her enthusiasm and thankfulness was infectious.  We became fast friends.

Now, 20 years later, Mary and I always send each other a message on Thanksgiving – remembering it as the best one we ever celebrated.  The British volunteers, when they went home the following summer, said they were so disappointed that they would miss Thanksgiving that year.

I give thanks for all of our LMH in the field – and pray that they find a way to celebrate in one form or the other and make new and lasting memories – not only for themselves but for others.

Happy Thanksgiving!