Update and Retreat

Greetings from the Amazonian city of Iquitos in Peru! 

The last few months have been challenging for me, but with God´s grace I now feel so much more acclimated to the pace of life here, the food, the colloquialisms, customs, and the weather.  I have also formed some good friendships with several missionaries. 

At work, I´m learning more each day about what it takes to work with projects requesting financial assistance for the many needs of the vicariate.  There are many administrative details required when writing, submitting, and managing these projects. Then when the project is completed, we need to submit a final descriptive report along with a financial report along and all receipts to show how the funds were spent.  All paperwork for closed projects needs to be kept in our files for a period of 10 years due to audits donor organizations may request.  After many years of teaching, I am enjoying office work again and using my business administration skills for the good of the vicariate’s mission.

I had not written a blog for a while because I suffered an accident.  On June 4^th I was walking with two other missionaries to go eat supper at a local restaurant.  As we were quickly crossing the street to avoid oncoming traffic, I tripped on broken asphalt and came down hard!  I came down hard on the right side of my face, mostly on my cheekbone, which I thought I had broken.  Needless to say, in no time I was bleeding profusely. The two other missionaries helped me up to my feet and one of them lent me her scarf to help stop the bleeding.  They stopped a motokar and we came back to the Mission House.  They helped me clean up, nursed and bandaged my wounds. The right side of my face swelled up quickly.  I looked like I had lost a boxing match!

The following day I had an X-ray done on my face and was informed that no bones were broken or splintered.  I then went to see an ophthalmologist who informed me that there was a considerable amount of swelling in the back of my eye near the retina.  His concern was that if it continued to swell, it could burst and cause hemorrhaging, which could damage my retina. He said that this would mean I could lose my eyesight in that eye.  He prescribed some eyedrops and pain killers.  In addition to medication, he insisted that I needed to rest, NOT go to work or do any kind of housework for about 3 weeks.  Also, for about a week I was not to use screens of any kind, no writing, nor reading.  I could not carry heavy things and was told NOT to bend down from the waist nor bow my head to look down!

Not being able to do anything was very difficult!  After a week, I returned for a follow-up check-up and the doctor was pleased with the progress my eye was making and told me I could again look at my cell phone but not with my head bent down and for no more than 15-20 minutes at a time. After three weeks, the doctor released me to return to work and full activity, except carrying heavy items, and not bending from the waist.  I resumed my work at the office on June 25^th. 

I did much praying during these days and felt God had given me a small mission within my larger mission, as one veteran wrote about my accident.  I kept asking God if in fact this was where He wanted to be.  Soon God´s answer came to me in the form of a comment that an LMH veteran to our director in response to a prayer request for my healing.  He said that his period of healing and inactivity was a “small mission within my larger mission.”  I felt that my small mission was to offer up my pain and sacrifice of inactivity for others.  So that is what I did, I would pray and offer up my boredom, anxiety and pain for the needs of the vicariate and of the missionaries as well.  I also prayed for all in LMH and our families.  I came to realize how just BEING, not so much DOING, helped me draw closer to God and evaluate my commitment to mission work.  Now, my face and eye area have healed well and only some stains under my eye.  The doctor assures me that in time this will fade.

The weekend of August 3-6, I participated in our annual Gathering of Missionaries at our retreat center in a small town called Indiana about 2 hours travel by boat.  The purpose of this gathering, as our Bishop told us, was “to gather and share Christ´s presence and Word in fraternity so to grow as missionary disciples and return to our pastoral labors filled with enthusiasm.”  We also had a presentation by a sister and a man who is working on his doctoral degree in theology.  The theme of their presentation was "Towards a Fully Pastoral Amazonian Church".

Leaving the mission house headed to the dock.

On the boat riding up the Amazon to the retreat house.

It was great to see and spend time with my fellow missionaries.  These days were spent sharing a half day retreat, daily Mass and prayer services, meals, group work, good conversations and fun!

 

Group work and discussion.

Stretch break... dancing and Conga line.

We also had the opportunity to discuss issues and challenges of being a missionary in the Amazon region. We were asked to separate in groups based on our cohort, i.e. lay persons, religious women and men, priests and deacons.

Lay missionaries' cohort discussion

All missionaries standing in front of the Amazon. Here I am! (see red arrow)

On the last day, we celebrated the closing of our gathering with a delicious supper followed by karaoke.  Songs were sung from all the countries represented by missionaries present. We also did some dancing.  A fun time was had by all, and the party ended around 11:30 p.m. It is always great to celebrate together, and this group of missionaries really knows how to do that well!  It is great to be among folks who share the same mission and love for our Amazonian brothers and sisters.  We are one large family of missionaries where everyone is valued for who they are and their ministry.  

 

Dancing at closing celebrations

    

Our gathering was truncated a bit because the plan originally was that we would end the gathering on Tuesday with a Mass, lunch and then riding the boat back to Iquitos. However, the bishop received word that Cardinal Pedro Barreto, Archbishop Emeritus of Huancayo, Peru, would be traveling to this area and had time on Tuesday morning to come and talk with us.  Cardinal Barreto has been an educator and a staunch environmetal advocate, especially for the Amazon región.  

The gathering had to be at the Missionary House in Iquitos because he had other commitments in this area.  Since he was scheduled to come at 9:00 a.m., we were told that the schedule would be changed. The change was that we were to be packed and ready to leave Indiana by 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, walk to the dock and board the 6:00 a.m. boat back. We arrived back at the Mission House, had breakfast, freshened up a little bit, and headed off to our gathering space to wait for Cardenal Barreto to arrive.

Although it was hard getting up earlier than usual, and especially because we had the closing celebration the night before, the sacrifice was well worth it. Cardinal Barretto is a friend of Pope Francis, and is participating in meetings with the Pope and other cardinals (from this region) and men and women theologians at the Vatican on the issue of how the Church can be more missionary to meet the needs of the people of the Amazon region. He spoke for about an hour, and I was really enthralled with what he had to say. He also communicated to us that Pope Francis cares deeply about the church here in the Amazon region.  I´m sure I'm not doing him justice, but that was the basic topic that he covered with us and thanked us for our service for being willing to minister in one of the most difficult vicariates to serve in due to its enormous size and great challenges missionaries and the Amazon natives deal with on a daily basis. He gave an uplifting talk! Here is a picture of us missionaries, our bishop and our vicar general with Cardinal Barreto.

The green arrow points to Cardinal Barreto and the blue arrow points to me.

 

L-R: Fr. Cesar (Vicar General), Cardinal Barreto, and our bishop, Jose Javier

That is all I have to share for now.  Be assured of my prayers for you and your loved ones, and I humbly ask that you remember me, and all missionaries, in your prayers.  God bless you!  Until next time…stay blessed!