Update Long Overdue

Yikes! It has been a while since I last wrote. Well, I can give an update as to what has happened to me. I celebrated my birthday in November. It is a birthday that I will remember because it was the last one in the United States until I come back from mission. It was special in that the focus was spending time with my brother and his family rather than gift giving. For a brief weekend, it was as if I had been living in New Jersey for my entire life. I was absorbed into all of their family activities. We went to their garden and planted autumn vegetables. I went grocery shopping and chose what I wanted for my birthday breakfast which was raspberry whole wheat pancakes and soy chocolate milk. I went trick or treating my niece who was dressed up as Lady train from Thomas and Friends. I attended mass and received many kisses and hugs from my brother and his family. I went to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese because it was my niece’s friend’s birthday. After the birthday party, my niece and I played at lot of games while my brother made dinner. Then, after playing and eating dinner, we all walked to CVS and picked out birthday ice cream. It was amazing because my gift from brother involved just being present to him and his family.

Another event in November involved my commissioning as a Franciscan Lay Missioner at St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Md. This experience was absolutely incredible. I as well as my other missioners stood in front of this community. As I stood in front of this community, I was thinking that I am doing this. There is no going back now. I am going to Bolivia to learn a way of life that is completely different from my own. I am going to be present to a people that are strangers to me now, but soon they will be part of my community. I am going to be transformed in ways that are unknown to me right now. My capacity to love is going to increase because my heart will be open to receiving love. I am answering the call to mission.