If not you, than who?
Missionary Groups of the Home of the Mother
When men grow close to God, they discover their brothers' needs because they no longer see the world with selfishness but with charity. Our Lord moves the human heart so that men may not remain indifferent, so that they may not justify their selfishness with the generosity of others, so that they may not say, "No!" when in reality they have too much of everything and no longer know what to do, what to buy, what to have in order to reach the happiness they are seeking in the wrong places. My God, may they not make excuses! May they not make excuses!
I am writing from Play Prieta, Ecuador. We now have twelve families who are sponsored through the Missionary Groups of the Home of the Mother. Every month we give them a food packet with rice, sugar, salt, corn, milk, chicken, meat, cleaning supplies, vegetables and all that can be bought with the 20 Euros that the generous donators give us every month for these families.
At Christmas time we also give them a special packet with sweets, cheese, more rice, etc. so they can celebrate Christmas with a few extra things. This year on the feast of the Three Kings we were also able to give them gifts. You should have seen the surprised faces of the children! It was the first time they had ever received such a wonderful present. When we gave it to the children, they could not believe that it was really for them. They asked us permission to open it, not fully taking in the situation and believing that it was for them. They could not stop smiling and thanking us. This year once again they had accepted not having a toy at Christmas, and now "Diosito" (their affectionate way of saying "God") gave it to them, thanks to the generosity of people from other countries, whom they might never know but for whom they pray every day.
During the rainy season, many families who do not live in cities are completely isolated because of the mud. They can only go to the store with some rubber boots at the beginning of the season, but later on not even that is possible because you would get stuck with the mud up to your knees.
I truly enjoy taking the food packets to the twelve families. We prepare the bags, fill up the car, and in three trips our task is completed. Last month, because of the rain, our habits were soaked and covered with mud when we returned home. The car had been hard to control because of the mud, but we were shining with joy because, with our rubber boots and in spite of the slips and slides of the journey, this month twelve families had a bit more to eat.
When they saw us arrive, they kept looking at our stained habits and our boots covered in mud and all they could say was, "Thank you, Sisters, thank you." But we interrupted them saying, "Pray for the families in Spain, Italy, the USA, Ireland and other countries that make it possible for this food to come to you." And they replied, "We already do that, Sister, we already do that." While I said this, I thought: "Don't thank me! Why? Thanks to you for your poverty and simplicity that invite me to forget myself, to overcome all possible obstacles in order to help you and to see that there is more joy in giving than in receiving."
I am not ashamed to ask for help because it is not for me. It is for our poor people. I am not ashamed to ask for help because I know that when you give, it is goodyou receive as well. I am not ashamed to ask because it is right for those who have to share with those who do not have, and who on occasions do not even have what is absolutely necessary to live. Am I not right?
If you do not believe me, come and see. It is not the false tale of a missionary, nor do I want or have the need to lie. It is a reality. It is not a moving fable. It is a true necessity that exists, and while you doubt in giving, one of your brothers is in great need. Those who have not lived through this do not know what it is.
We see the children of these families come out of malnutrition and the parents smile, thankful because they have something to give to their children. We see them share, because the poor are not selfish. They know how hard it is to be needy and also how much good you can do in sharing.
If you read this article, do not remain indifferent. You can sponsor a family for only 30 dollars a month (20 Euros). One bottle less of perfume, one less pair of pants, on lipstick less, one less whatever will become a plate of rice for a family here.
Our Lord is the one who moves human hearts and I hope He moves many. I would like to thank you ahead of time. May God bless you and repay you for all you do for those who need your generosity, for those who need you.
This past year has been full of many happy moments, but also of many moments of struggle in our work to get the school up and working. Our Lord is sending us more and more children so that we can help them to grow humanly, but above all so that we can teach them to find true happiness in the encounter with God. We are very privileged to work in the educational field, able to lead the children to God. Childhood is a decisive moment in a person's human and spiritual formation.
We foresee that in the coming school year, which will begin in April, we will have around 300 students. As the number of students grows, the number of children in need of scholarships also grows. Our heart is broken every time a mother comes to us saying that she wants to bring her child to our school but that she doesn't have enough money. On one hand we do not want money to prevent a child from receiving a good education in a Catholic school, but on the other hand we see the responsibility of keeping the school in existence. We have to pay the teacher's salaries, keep the school buildings in good conditions (as much as possible), etc.
This is why we would like to once again call upon your generosity!
We need your help to be able to give scholarships to these children who come with great enthusiasm and without possibilities of going to other schools. The monthly prices are very low, but here in Playa Prieta there are families who barely have enough money to pay for food, and sometimes not even that. Would you like to help?
The scholarship for one child in Kindergarten-7th grade is 14 dollars (10 Euros) a month. For students of 8th and 9th grade, 16 dollars (12 euros) a month.
We count on your help. May our Lord give you a generous heart to help children to grow closer to Him.
Here we would like to thank all of you who have helped us, whether economically or spiritually.
©HM Magazine No. 141 March/April 2008
