We are hearing incredible stories of Maryknoll Missioners. I'll share a few that have made an impression on me. Again I'm sure that I'm not getting all the details correct, but what follows are what I think I heard.
Sister Meg is a nun who travels into The City (New York City) three days a week to work at the United Nations. She is currently an advocate for women and children's issues. When she was serving in Thailand she tells this story . . . There was a beautiful young girl from a poor family that was working as a waitress in a respectable restaurant. An older man, a general, fell in love with her. They married and had a daughter. She then discovered that he already had another wife and several children with her. The first wife was jealous when she found out about the younger wife. The older woman came to the newest wife's home with some male relatives. The men held her down while the first wife threw acid on her face and upper body. Due to her severe injuries she was brought to the Maryknoll Sisters for medical treatment. There was no one who could do plastic surgery to help her. She stayed with them for about eight months while she healed. She couldn't return to her own family because they wouldn't be able to feed two more people. She was missing her baby daughter so much that she returned to her husband only to discover that the older wife and changed the birth certificate of the child to show that she (the first wife) was the mother! The young woman had no recourse and couldn't prove that she was indeed the mother. As if that wasn't enough, she brought charges against the first wife. In court, the older woman got off scott free! She said that it was an accident.
Brother Jack was telling about the importance of having women in the mission field. His example was that priests had been in Central America for years but hadn't realized that there was a huge domestic violence issue because the women wouldn't talk about it to men. When the Sisters got there, they found out about it. Not only did they learn about it, but they devised a plan to help the women. All the local women were given bells. When their husbands started to beat them they were to ring their bells. All the village women came running to help to end the violence. What an ingenious idea!
Brother Bill was telling about his work with lepers in Egypt, Yemen and now China. Did you know that leprosy is an airborne disease? You breath in the germs, but only 3 - 5% of the population are susceptible and actually get the disease. Lepers get irritations and sores on their feet much like diabetics. In addition, they lose feeling in their extremities as the disease progresses. Often these sores aren't allowed to heal because they don't hurt and continue to get worse until the point an amputation is needed. A type of shoe insert has been developed that can fit into their shoes much like an orthotic that will take the pressure of these sores so that they can heal. With today's knowledge, if a leper seeks medical attention shortly after developing symptoms, medicine will stop the progression of the disease so that sores won't even evelop.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
You're Not in Kansas Anymore
We have heard that statement several times within the past two weeks. As if that wasn't enough, we have also experienced it numerous times. The funniest incident occurred last Saturday morning. We were still on the way to Maryknoll and had spent the night in Hyde Park. That is where the FDR homes and presidential library are. They have several hiking paths and decided to go on one to stretch our legs and get some exercise. While hiking, we met two gentlemen. We assumed they were park employees because they were measuring the path's distance and chatted with us about a 5 K walk/race they were hosting the next day. When we returend to our car there was a note: "You're not in Kansas anymore. Welcome to Hyde Park." I thought New Yorkers were supposed to be so snobbish. Just a few hours later we arrived in Ossining Village where Maryknoll is located. We hadn't had lunch yet and were hungry. The only place we knew was a wonderful pizzeria that we had eaten at during our interview. As we were pulling in another car pulled up right beside us. I wasn't really paying attention, but realized that the driver of the other car was talking to me when I heard, "You aren't in Kansas anymore, Dorothy." I laughed and said, "I'm not Dorothy, but she is my mother-in-law!" The third event happened the next day. Sam Stanton is the executive director of MKLM. Proving that it is indeed a small world, he grew up in Council Grove, KS and is a K-State grad. He commented that it was great to see a Kansas car parked in the parking lot.
We were told to bring clothes for three seasons to New York: summer, fall and winter. I think we could have skipped the summer. The weather here has been beautiful, crisp fall-like temperatures and mostly sunny. It as been too cool to wear shorts. This morning it is 46 degrees, while it looks like Tonganoxie is 61. The trees are beginning to turn with some reds showing up. We've continued to walk early in the mornings and are enjoying the beautiful trees and scenery. There are trees and trees and more trees. Who knew that populace NY was full of woods. And then there are those hills. At home we would always try to get in some hills as we walked. Tonganoxie hills are nothing compared to New York Hills. Whoa! My heart rate really is up after walking around here. Between the hills and climbing three flights of stairs many times a day, I ought to be a little firmer when we leave here.
The restaurants are small and cozy here. Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are the only chains we have seen. Instead, they seem to have locally owned small family establishments. We found a nice Mexican restaurant last night. Last weekend we found a great Chinese place but were surprised that they only had eight tables in the entire place. You should have seen how many people came in for carry-out while we were there. My guess is that they do mostly take-out business. We have fallen in love with New York style pizza. One of our catered meals this week was pizza (by the same pizzeria we ate at on Saturday). We had eggplant pizza, Sicilian (with chicken and spices), vegetable (green peppers, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms), and tomato and garlic. All were good. There isn't any pizza sauce. The crust is also good and different.
Yesterday we wanted to find a retail store to get some essentials. Thanks to the computer we found a WalMart about 20 minutes (12 miles) away in White Plains. To get there we traveled on four different highways and parkways. The store was in downtown White Plains. Have you ever parked in a parking garage at WalMart? How about taking an elevator down several flights to get into the store? The store was on two levels. To get to the lower level you put your cart on a special ramp to take it down while you rode the escalator down about two feet beside it.
I think we can say that we are already experiencing a different culture. It should be good preparation for the changes ahead of us.
We were told to bring clothes for three seasons to New York: summer, fall and winter. I think we could have skipped the summer. The weather here has been beautiful, crisp fall-like temperatures and mostly sunny. It as been too cool to wear shorts. This morning it is 46 degrees, while it looks like Tonganoxie is 61. The trees are beginning to turn with some reds showing up. We've continued to walk early in the mornings and are enjoying the beautiful trees and scenery. There are trees and trees and more trees. Who knew that populace NY was full of woods. And then there are those hills. At home we would always try to get in some hills as we walked. Tonganoxie hills are nothing compared to New York Hills. Whoa! My heart rate really is up after walking around here. Between the hills and climbing three flights of stairs many times a day, I ought to be a little firmer when we leave here.
The restaurants are small and cozy here. Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks are the only chains we have seen. Instead, they seem to have locally owned small family establishments. We found a nice Mexican restaurant last night. Last weekend we found a great Chinese place but were surprised that they only had eight tables in the entire place. You should have seen how many people came in for carry-out while we were there. My guess is that they do mostly take-out business. We have fallen in love with New York style pizza. One of our catered meals this week was pizza (by the same pizzeria we ate at on Saturday). We had eggplant pizza, Sicilian (with chicken and spices), vegetable (green peppers, onion, broccoli, and mushrooms), and tomato and garlic. All were good. There isn't any pizza sauce. The crust is also good and different.
Yesterday we wanted to find a retail store to get some essentials. Thanks to the computer we found a WalMart about 20 minutes (12 miles) away in White Plains. To get there we traveled on four different highways and parkways. The store was in downtown White Plains. Have you ever parked in a parking garage at WalMart? How about taking an elevator down several flights to get into the store? The store was on two levels. To get to the lower level you put your cart on a special ramp to take it down while you rode the escalator down about two feet beside it.
I think we can say that we are already experiencing a different culture. It should be good preparation for the changes ahead of us.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Prayers
St. Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every many who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Draw Me to Yourself
In this moment
draw me to yourself, Lord,
and make me aware
not so much of what I've given
as of all I have received
and so have yet to share.
Send me forth
in power and gladness
and with great courage
to live out in the world
what I pray and profess,
that, in sharing,
I may do justice,
make peace,
gorw in love,
enjoy myself,
other people,
and your world now,
and you forever.
The Morning Offering
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of this morning.
I offer you all that I am this day.
I offer you:
My mind that it may be open to your understanding of the meaning of life,
My mouth to speak your words of peace,
My feet to follow where you would lead me,
My eyes to see the world as you do,
My sensitivity to the pain of people around me,
My faith to believe in God in the midst of suffering,
My hope to heal those you would heal through me,
My love of others to reflect your live of everyone,
My whole being that I may grow through your spirit.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Abundance - to see deeply, to live boldly, and to share the truly abundant life in the midst of want and worry.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Openness - to share your whole self and to receive freely the gifts and challenges of new moments in new mission.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Abundance - to continue to live the beauty and journey of mission, to share the stories of hope in the midst of want and worry.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Openness - to embrace the present moment; its uncertainties, promise of responsibility, bittersweet endings and new beginnings.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Abundance, which transcends all difficulties, to live and work from a place of possibilities.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Openness - to hear and respond to the movement of all that calls us closer to the Source of Life.
O God,
Who am I now?
Once I was secure
In familiar territory
In my sense of belonging
Unquestioning of
The norms of my culture
The assumptions built into my language
The values shared by my society.
But now you have called me out and away from home
And I do not know where you are leading.
I am empty, unsure, uncomfortable.
I have only a beckoning star to follow.
Journeying God,
Pitch your tent with mine
So that I may not become deterred
By hardship, strangeness, doubt.
Show me the movement I must make
Toward a wealth not dependent on possessions
Toward a wisdom not based on books
Toward a strength not bolstered by might
Toward a God not confined to heaven
But scandalously earthed, poor, unrecognized . . .
Help me to find myself
As I walk in others' shoes.
Kate Compston
Blessing for Equilibrium
* Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore, may the music of laughter break through your soul.
* As the wind wants to make everything dance, may your gravity be lightened by grace.
* Like the freedom of the monastery bell, may clarity of mind make your eyes smile.
* As water takes whatever shape it is in, so free may you be about who you become.
* As silence smiles on the other side of what's said, may a sense of irony give perspective.
* As time remains free of all that it frames, may fear or worry never put you in chains.
May your prayer of listening deepen enough to hear in the distance the laughter of God.
Prayer for Discernment
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I will do this You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
Dear Lord,
I do not ask to see the path. In darkness, in anguish and in fear I will hang on tightly to your hand and I will close my eyes so that you know how much trust I place in you.
Blessed Mary Elizabeth HasselbladI
I turn this situation over to you, knowing you love me and are in control of my days. Help me to live believing you are constantly working in my behalf. And let me be on the lookout today for evidences of your miracle touch.
Shared by Lyn Smith
Go forth in peace
Don't fear the darkness,
Your life and ours
Are one in the Lord.
Though you don't know this road
He walks before you
And waits ahead with open arms
To welcome you.
So lift your eyes
Set down your burden
Make your step light
And greet this day with joy.
When we are weary
And cannot face the morning
He carried us safely
Within his loving arms.
Wherever we go now
We're never alone.
Wherever we go now
We're only going home.
Vicki Armour-Hileman
Christ be with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every many who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Draw Me to Yourself
In this moment
draw me to yourself, Lord,
and make me aware
not so much of what I've given
as of all I have received
and so have yet to share.
Send me forth
in power and gladness
and with great courage
to live out in the world
what I pray and profess,
that, in sharing,
I may do justice,
make peace,
gorw in love,
enjoy myself,
other people,
and your world now,
and you forever.
The Morning Offering
Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of this morning.
I offer you all that I am this day.
I offer you:
My mind that it may be open to your understanding of the meaning of life,
My mouth to speak your words of peace,
My feet to follow where you would lead me,
My eyes to see the world as you do,
My sensitivity to the pain of people around me,
My faith to believe in God in the midst of suffering,
My hope to heal those you would heal through me,
My love of others to reflect your live of everyone,
My whole being that I may grow through your spirit.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Abundance - to see deeply, to live boldly, and to share the truly abundant life in the midst of want and worry.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Openness - to share your whole self and to receive freely the gifts and challenges of new moments in new mission.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Abundance - to continue to live the beauty and journey of mission, to share the stories of hope in the midst of want and worry.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Openness - to embrace the present moment; its uncertainties, promise of responsibility, bittersweet endings and new beginnings.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Abundance, which transcends all difficulties, to live and work from a place of possibilities.
May you be blessed with the Spirit of Openness - to hear and respond to the movement of all that calls us closer to the Source of Life.
O God,
Who am I now?
Once I was secure
In familiar territory
In my sense of belonging
Unquestioning of
The norms of my culture
The assumptions built into my language
The values shared by my society.
But now you have called me out and away from home
And I do not know where you are leading.
I am empty, unsure, uncomfortable.
I have only a beckoning star to follow.
Journeying God,
Pitch your tent with mine
So that I may not become deterred
By hardship, strangeness, doubt.
Show me the movement I must make
Toward a wealth not dependent on possessions
Toward a wisdom not based on books
Toward a strength not bolstered by might
Toward a God not confined to heaven
But scandalously earthed, poor, unrecognized . . .
Help me to find myself
As I walk in others' shoes.
Kate Compston
Blessing for Equilibrium
* Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore, may the music of laughter break through your soul.
* As the wind wants to make everything dance, may your gravity be lightened by grace.
* Like the freedom of the monastery bell, may clarity of mind make your eyes smile.
* As water takes whatever shape it is in, so free may you be about who you become.
* As silence smiles on the other side of what's said, may a sense of irony give perspective.
* As time remains free of all that it frames, may fear or worry never put you in chains.
May your prayer of listening deepen enough to hear in the distance the laughter of God.
Prayer for Discernment
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I will do this You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
Dear Lord,
I do not ask to see the path. In darkness, in anguish and in fear I will hang on tightly to your hand and I will close my eyes so that you know how much trust I place in you.
Blessed Mary Elizabeth HasselbladI
I turn this situation over to you, knowing you love me and are in control of my days. Help me to live believing you are constantly working in my behalf. And let me be on the lookout today for evidences of your miracle touch.
Shared by Lyn Smith
Go forth in peace
Don't fear the darkness,
Your life and ours
Are one in the Lord.
Though you don't know this road
He walks before you
And waits ahead with open arms
To welcome you.
So lift your eyes
Set down your burden
Make your step light
And greet this day with joy.
When we are weary
And cannot face the morning
He carried us safely
Within his loving arms.
Wherever we go now
We're never alone.
Wherever we go now
We're only going home.
Vicki Armour-Hileman
Sunday, September 13, 2009
When You Can't Laugh It's Time to Leave
John has enjoyed telling people that he will have to behave himself in East Timor. Why? Because there are five nuns already living there. He says they will help me keep him in line and out of trouble.
When he told that to Bill and Eileen, regional coordinators for East Timor, they laughed and laughed. Their response was that the nuns wouldn't make John behave, they would corrupt him even more!
Sister Susan is here at Maryknoll raising funds. I think she will be here for another month. We met her after Mass on Sunday. Bill and Eileen are right! She is an ornery one. She reminds me of John's dad with a twinkle in her eye and a quick laugh. In fact we were standing in the back of the Sister's Chapel when we started talking and were laughing so much and so hard that we had to move out so as to not distract others inside still praying. Who knows what kind of mischief she and John will be able to cook up together. As we parted we were talking about the importance of laughter. She said, When you can't laugh any longer it's time to leave." We are looking forward to visiting with her more when she returns from a trip to Washington.
We met another Sister who will be returning to East Timor in a year, Sister Dora. We remember her from the Discernment Weekend last summer. Although she might be tiny, she too has a great sense of humor and quick smile. I think we will be joining like minds. That could be a dangerous thing!
Tonight (Sunday) was the beginning of our orientation. We started with a tour of Ossining. Joe R. pointed out grocery stores, ATMs, video rentals, pizza shops, delis, reasonable restaurants, post office, train station, churches, walking paths and of course Sing Sing, the notorious prison. That will be a great help as we will need to get out to get groceries and supplies in the next day or two.
There are an even dozen of us in the Class of 2009, nine lay missioners and three Sisters. We had a chance to visit during a social hour and then cookout where everyone was expected to lend a hand. That is going to be the theme as we form a missioner community. That seems to be the term used by the nuns and lay missioners for groups of people who live and work together.
It's not just John and I going to East Timor, there are three of us going in January. Minh (pronounced Ming) is also a candidate. Her story is fascinating. She was born in Vietnam. Tonight she was telling wonderful stories about her childhood in a suburb of Saigon. Two of her brothers were able to get out before the fall of Saigon in 1975. The rest of her family couldn't leave until they were sponsored by her brothers and other relatives already living here. Because her father had worked for the Americans during the war she wasn't allowed to go t college or have a job. To survive she learned to cut hair and sold donuts as a street vendor. In 1988 her brothers and other relatives living in the United States were able to sponsor the rest of the family so they could come to America. Because she and her sister were over the age of 21, they were separated from the rest of their family and sent to the Philippines for English training and cultural adjustment. They were there for six months before being allowed to rejoin their families. She hated it there and was so homesick for her family. She decided to keep herself busy and started working with a youth group in the refugee camp. Since she has been in the US in 1989 she has been able to go to college and receive a degree. She has served an English tutor in her parish and as youth minister in another parish. She is a quiet calming presence in contrast to our louder more boisterous personalities. We will be a great team. She has already taught me a better way to cook corn on the cob! We have already learned so much for her.
When he told that to Bill and Eileen, regional coordinators for East Timor, they laughed and laughed. Their response was that the nuns wouldn't make John behave, they would corrupt him even more!
Sister Susan is here at Maryknoll raising funds. I think she will be here for another month. We met her after Mass on Sunday. Bill and Eileen are right! She is an ornery one. She reminds me of John's dad with a twinkle in her eye and a quick laugh. In fact we were standing in the back of the Sister's Chapel when we started talking and were laughing so much and so hard that we had to move out so as to not distract others inside still praying. Who knows what kind of mischief she and John will be able to cook up together. As we parted we were talking about the importance of laughter. She said, When you can't laugh any longer it's time to leave." We are looking forward to visiting with her more when she returns from a trip to Washington.
We met another Sister who will be returning to East Timor in a year, Sister Dora. We remember her from the Discernment Weekend last summer. Although she might be tiny, she too has a great sense of humor and quick smile. I think we will be joining like minds. That could be a dangerous thing!
Tonight (Sunday) was the beginning of our orientation. We started with a tour of Ossining. Joe R. pointed out grocery stores, ATMs, video rentals, pizza shops, delis, reasonable restaurants, post office, train station, churches, walking paths and of course Sing Sing, the notorious prison. That will be a great help as we will need to get out to get groceries and supplies in the next day or two.
There are an even dozen of us in the Class of 2009, nine lay missioners and three Sisters. We had a chance to visit during a social hour and then cookout where everyone was expected to lend a hand. That is going to be the theme as we form a missioner community. That seems to be the term used by the nuns and lay missioners for groups of people who live and work together.
It's not just John and I going to East Timor, there are three of us going in January. Minh (pronounced Ming) is also a candidate. Her story is fascinating. She was born in Vietnam. Tonight she was telling wonderful stories about her childhood in a suburb of Saigon. Two of her brothers were able to get out before the fall of Saigon in 1975. The rest of her family couldn't leave until they were sponsored by her brothers and other relatives already living here. Because her father had worked for the Americans during the war she wasn't allowed to go t college or have a job. To survive she learned to cut hair and sold donuts as a street vendor. In 1988 her brothers and other relatives living in the United States were able to sponsor the rest of the family so they could come to America. Because she and her sister were over the age of 21, they were separated from the rest of their family and sent to the Philippines for English training and cultural adjustment. They were there for six months before being allowed to rejoin their families. She hated it there and was so homesick for her family. She decided to keep herself busy and started working with a youth group in the refugee camp. Since she has been in the US in 1989 she has been able to go to college and receive a degree. She has served an English tutor in her parish and as youth minister in another parish. She is a quiet calming presence in contrast to our louder more boisterous personalities. We will be a great team. She has already taught me a better way to cook corn on the cob! We have already learned so much for her.
It Feels Like Home
As strange as this sounds, it feels like we are home. Early yesterday afternoon we arrived at Bethany, the place where we will be living and learning for the next thirteen weeks. Everyone that we have met thus far is great.
We were met by Dorothy, the full time resident. It's her job to look after the building in a house mother type role. She was a great welcoming committee. Just as she was invaluable when we were snowed in last December (helping us find food to eat, computers to use, Mass to attend, transportation to the city when we had found a flight out, etc.) she filled us in on our home for the next three months.
Bethany was originally built as a summer home for the wealthy. It burned and was abandoned. The Maryknoll Sisters bought it and 26 acres. Since families of nuns couldn't stay on convent grounds, it was used as a guest house for their visitors. Then they saw a need for assisted living and a nursing home for the aging Sisters. They added on a wing to meet that need. In the 1980s it didn't meet Medicare standards so they decided to build an entirely new building on convent grounds. The Maryknoll Fathers bought it from them and used it as a headquarters for the new organization, Maryknoll Lay Missioners. We are now in the process of buying the building from the priests.
Remember moving into the dorm during college? Bethany is shaped like a capital L. The ground floor has a huge institutional kitchen, dining room and classroom where we will be meeting, laundry room, and computer room. The first floor is taken up with offices and a chapel. The second and third floors are living quarters. One wing contain tiny rooms for single people (newest addition) while the other one has apartments for married couples (original building). Our apartment is small and cozy. We have a tiny kitchen, living room and two bedrooms. Since we are on the top floor, we have tiny dormer windows. They add great character to the apartment.
We are sharing the third floor with Steve, the only other male. John is thrilled to have someone to talk sports with. Ever since Andrea left home, he has missed being able to share games and talk strategy. I'm afraid that I just don't speak the lingo. Steve is an environmental engineer that will be going to Kenya. Together we discovered a great Chinese restaurant last night. The girls all are down on the second floor.
We had just gotten our belongings moved up to the apartment when there was a knock at the door. It was Bill and Eileen, the regional coordinators of East Timor! What a delighful couple. They invited us down to their apartment for tea. Time just zipped by as we chatted the afternoon away. They told some wonderful stories about their time in East Timor. They admitted that is has been their most favorite place to live having also served in Tanzania and Cambodia. You can tell that they love East Timor.
I'm not going to get all of the details correct, but Bill related this story about how they got involved in making tricycle-wheelchairs for disabled. Polio is a huge problem. There aren't recent cases, but many disabled people are living with the results of having had it as a child. One gentleman was working with Bill in his workshop making prosthesis. He lived in an outlying village and rode a horse to work each day. He could not walk and had no muscle control in his legs, so riding a horse was extremely difficult. At least four different times he fell or was knocked from his horse getting seriously injured with broken bones or needing stitches. He finally gave up and decided that he could no longer work.
That got the others in the workshop thinking about what they could do to improve mobility for this man so he could continue to work. They had seen wheelchair vehicles from other countries, but knew that they needed something more sturdy due to the difficult terrain in East Timor. That led them to design a unique chair. They now make about four chairs a month. It has drastically improved the lives of many Timorese. It has also made an impact in their society since these polio victims are no longer a burden to their families, are able to leave their homes and hold jobs. In fact, in Dili an NGO organization holds a 5K run each year to raise funds. They now have a wheelchair division!
Last night there was another knock on our door. It was Nan. We met her last July when we were here for the Discernment Weekend. We made a real connection then and spent quality time visiting. It was interesting to hear about what she has done in the last year that lead her here. She did a great job summarizing what we have found to also be true, "Everyone here is so joyful. It's a great place to be!"
We were met by Dorothy, the full time resident. It's her job to look after the building in a house mother type role. She was a great welcoming committee. Just as she was invaluable when we were snowed in last December (helping us find food to eat, computers to use, Mass to attend, transportation to the city when we had found a flight out, etc.) she filled us in on our home for the next three months.
Bethany was originally built as a summer home for the wealthy. It burned and was abandoned. The Maryknoll Sisters bought it and 26 acres. Since families of nuns couldn't stay on convent grounds, it was used as a guest house for their visitors. Then they saw a need for assisted living and a nursing home for the aging Sisters. They added on a wing to meet that need. In the 1980s it didn't meet Medicare standards so they decided to build an entirely new building on convent grounds. The Maryknoll Fathers bought it from them and used it as a headquarters for the new organization, Maryknoll Lay Missioners. We are now in the process of buying the building from the priests.
Remember moving into the dorm during college? Bethany is shaped like a capital L. The ground floor has a huge institutional kitchen, dining room and classroom where we will be meeting, laundry room, and computer room. The first floor is taken up with offices and a chapel. The second and third floors are living quarters. One wing contain tiny rooms for single people (newest addition) while the other one has apartments for married couples (original building). Our apartment is small and cozy. We have a tiny kitchen, living room and two bedrooms. Since we are on the top floor, we have tiny dormer windows. They add great character to the apartment.
We are sharing the third floor with Steve, the only other male. John is thrilled to have someone to talk sports with. Ever since Andrea left home, he has missed being able to share games and talk strategy. I'm afraid that I just don't speak the lingo. Steve is an environmental engineer that will be going to Kenya. Together we discovered a great Chinese restaurant last night. The girls all are down on the second floor.
We had just gotten our belongings moved up to the apartment when there was a knock at the door. It was Bill and Eileen, the regional coordinators of East Timor! What a delighful couple. They invited us down to their apartment for tea. Time just zipped by as we chatted the afternoon away. They told some wonderful stories about their time in East Timor. They admitted that is has been their most favorite place to live having also served in Tanzania and Cambodia. You can tell that they love East Timor.
I'm not going to get all of the details correct, but Bill related this story about how they got involved in making tricycle-wheelchairs for disabled. Polio is a huge problem. There aren't recent cases, but many disabled people are living with the results of having had it as a child. One gentleman was working with Bill in his workshop making prosthesis. He lived in an outlying village and rode a horse to work each day. He could not walk and had no muscle control in his legs, so riding a horse was extremely difficult. At least four different times he fell or was knocked from his horse getting seriously injured with broken bones or needing stitches. He finally gave up and decided that he could no longer work.
That got the others in the workshop thinking about what they could do to improve mobility for this man so he could continue to work. They had seen wheelchair vehicles from other countries, but knew that they needed something more sturdy due to the difficult terrain in East Timor. That led them to design a unique chair. They now make about four chairs a month. It has drastically improved the lives of many Timorese. It has also made an impact in their society since these polio victims are no longer a burden to their families, are able to leave their homes and hold jobs. In fact, in Dili an NGO organization holds a 5K run each year to raise funds. They now have a wheelchair division!
Last night there was another knock on our door. It was Nan. We met her last July when we were here for the Discernment Weekend. We made a real connection then and spent quality time visiting. It was interesting to hear about what she has done in the last year that lead her here. She did a great job summarizing what we have found to also be true, "Everyone here is so joyful. It's a great place to be!"
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