Home Is Where the Heart Is

We traveled for almost a day – a three lay over flight to our final destination.  As an urban planner, what I deeply wanted was to build houses.   So, I did. Thanks to Juan Carlos who gave us specific instruction on how to build a house out of bamboo, wire and plywood – a team of nine (9) Commissioned by Christ members set forth to construct a house for a family of four members Mayra and Jasón and young son, plus one on the way.  From start to finish, we dug wholes for the bamboo stilts and attached bamboo woven fabric (the walls) with metal wire.  ¡Misión cumplida!

I melted over my fellow missionaries’ stories on food and clothing distribution.  I was in heaven by the cultural exchange of singing bilingual songs and dancing to Marc Anthony’s salsa “Vivir mi vida” at the Buen Consejo School. Then, we ended the day with the group’s discussion of the highs and the lows along with a prayer.

Home is in the present.

Home is in the now.

Home is with whom you are sharing that present.

Poverty Can Break Your Heart

There is no experience in the world like going on a mission trip to a foreign country. Last summer I joined Commissioned by Christ on their mission trip to Piura, Peru and I know I will never forget that week. I realized quickly that Piura was not only a large region but one in great need. The other missionaries and I stayed at Santisimo Parish where we were comfortable and well-fed. The staff at Santisimo run impressive relief efforts. Every day they would give us a list of jobs to choose from.

One day a group of us helped a man and his neighbors build a house for his family. A few months prior Piura had faced severe flooding and many people had lost their homes and possessions. Another day we sat in the bed of a truck as we were driven to different homes where we delivered groceries to help the families that month. Some of the time the entire CBC group would do things together. For example, we had a fun night at an orphanage for girls. After a mass, in which the girls sang beautifully, we played volleyball with them. Before leaving for the night some very talented girls performed a few dances in costumes they had sewn.

All in all each day was a new adventure full of joyful kids, grateful parents, faith-filled Catholics and welcoming Peruvians, but one experience was especially impactful for me. I spent one morning with a few others from my team helping a mother with work around her house, though by American standards it hardly was one. The floor was dirt and uneven, the walls and ceiling were mud and reeds, and their chickens wandered through its three rooms. The woman had six children, the youngest of whom spent the morning playing with the only toy I saw there.

The truth is that on a mission trip the poverty can break your heart but the charity you partake in and the joy it results in can put it back together.

Can You Do More….?

Have you ever felt like you can do more to help those who are less fortunate? I have always wanted to do a missionary trip. However, there was always an excuse preventing me from volunteering such as school, work, family, or expenses. I heard about Commissioned by Christ (CBC) from my neighbor’s son who went to Banica in 2017. Michelle Haworth is my neighbor and executive director for CBC, so I asked her if there was a need for a family nurse practitioner on any of the trips. I learned that there is a Parish clinic at the Peru mission site, Santisimo Sacramento. The Parish clinic staff also supports a long term care facility and home healthcare visits.

The outpatient clinic at Santisimo Sacramento is a non-profit charity clinic that caters to pregnant women. I spent one day working in the clinic catching up on my OB/GYN skills. The nurse that runs the clinic is quite knowledgeable and seems to really enjoy her job. The women are referred to a physician only if there’s a complication or when the mother is ready to give birth. The long-term care facility is also a charity facility with three residents currently. It was a facility donated by an American named Mark who was terminally ill himself and knew how important a facility like his is for end of life patients. We made home visits to several ill patients without health insurance or money for much needed medications. Thanks to Santisimo Sacramento staff and missionaries who donate medications and medical supplies, the patients receive healthcare and help not ordinarily available to them.

My mission trip to Piura was an incredible experience. I was impressed by the Peruvian pride in country, family, and faith. It may look like they don’t have much from an outsider, but after spending a week in Peru it seemed that they have more connections to their Catholic faith and community than most of us in other parts of the world. I was blessed to travel with a nice group of missionaries who made the experience even better. Not to mention the pre-med students Julia and Megan from St Louis who assisted me with medical care and interpreting. I highly recommend a trip with CBC. But next time I’m bringing my family with me!