Three years ago today, I said 'yes' to going on mission with Con-solatio, and I still stand in awe to this day at how this one decision has opened the door to the greatest source of joy in my life. Encountering the face of Christ in the faces of the the Con-solatio community has gifted me with a gaze of compassion that continues to make everything new.
I will always treasure my 16 months as a volunteer in India - the land where I fell in love with a people and with Christ in a hidden life. I learned the difficulty and deep joy of choosing to love, even in the dirt, the heat, and the intense beauty. The experience of mission is one of education - an education in what it means, concretely, to love another person through friendship.
I think of one friend in particular who I met at the beginning of my time in India. My community and I visited her home almost every week, and kept in touch during the Covid-19 lockdown. She spent most of her day tending to her elderly mother, and would always ask us, "But why would you leave your beautiful countries to come here to India?" Our answers never quite satisfied her (or us, for that matter) -- until the very last visit before I left. As she hugged me goodbye she simply said, "Thank you for opening your heart." That is when I realized why I came with Con-solatio - to offer an open heart and be surprised by the love that rushes in.
Con-solatio is a wonderful organization with a beautiful mission. Our daughter served with Con-solatio in El Salvador for 8 months this past year and the experience transformed her. She was deeply moved by the witness of so many living in such poverty yet with such joy and generosity.
As her parents we are grateful that Con-solatio took such wonderful care of our daughter; we never for a moment felt that the difficult life that she was entering would ever become a dangerous life. When we visited the mission house in El Salvador we witnessed first hand the professionalism with which the house was run. Every penny (yes, the use U.S. money in El Salvador!) was carefully accounted for and the missionaries were all _very_ conscious of the fact that the money they used to purchase food, toiletries, or other necessities was a gift and sacrifice from someone who believes in their mission.
Our daughter had such an amazing experience that she hopes to visit her friends in El Salvador again. My wife and I are such believers in the organization that we will continue to financially support Con-solatio even though our daughter's mission has ended.
In everyone's lifetime, there are a few experiences that leave a lasting effect. My time in Perú with Con-solatio was one of those.
While in college, I had the opportunity to join a number of students on spring-break service trips; they always left me wanting more. One week, or even two seemed to barely scratch the surface. At the time, I had always hoped that I would have the chance to offer a more substantial amount of time in service to those in need.
Fast forward a few years, I found myself on the website for Con-solatio, reading the stories of the many volunteers who had given fourteen months or more of their time amidst the poor, the hungry, and the lonely. My heart was on fire. I wanted to do the same and the time seemed right; so I took the plunge and never looked back.
Those two years saw me sitting on the streets in conversation with so many different types of people, like Señora Ida, who passed her days in her wheelchair watching others pass her by. She had suffered a stroke and so couldn't speak easily or well and often sat alone. It always brought a smile to her face to see these two 'gringos' walking towards her, with a knowing glance that said "So good to see you!"
Then there was Gloria, who had come to the city with her three children, hoping to find a way to provide for her children while she sought a medical procedure that would leave her recovering without any help for several weeks. Not knowing what to do, exasperated and afraid, she showed up on our doorstep when some of the women in the market next door said we might be able to assist her. Little by little, we helped her put the pieces together, very simply, listening to her, spending time with her kids, as she told us her story. Over the next few weeks we would help her navigate the often inscrutable healthcare system, find care for her children during her recovery, and offer emotional support throughout the whole process.
And then there was... The reality is, there are far too many stories to share. Even after these ten years, I continue to find myself talking about the many incredible people I was graced to serve, who changed my perspective, my heart, and my life in ways for which I will be eternally grateful. I hope and pray that Con-solatio will continue to offer the same opportunity for many other volunteers in the years to come!
Where do I even begin to share my experience with Con-solatio? From the first time I met the volunteers in New York, I knew God was calling me to share my life with the poor in this way. I was sent to Honduras in 2007. The people there were truly my teachers of love. I was and continue to be shaped by the mission of Con-solatio. I entered a family that is forever. I would encourage anyone who feels even a spark of a desire to serve those who are the poorest, to follow that spark and be brave. God just might be calling you to this beautiful and joy-filled life of friendship and loving God's littlest ones.
It is through the friendship of the Con-solatio community that I was brought back to the faith of my Baptism. Christ made Himself visible and tangible in my life through Con-solatio, and I learned (and I'm still learning!) to walk with Him through the living example of this community. Daily worship and prayer are the source of their ministry of presence and friendship. In time, especially after living with the Brooklyn community for more than a year, I have learned about the importance to dedicate time to daily prayer, and I have experienced the consolation and transformation it brings. Our weekly meetings, during which we reflect on spiritual readings, continuously educate me on the Catholic faith and help me perceive the presence of Christ in my life. Through their friendship, community life, and visits you learn to love the people God places in your life. Go on mission with them and see for yourself!
My encounter with Con-solatio has transformed my life. Through their accompaniment and presence in my life I've learned more about friendship; what it means to give and receive love. They really meet people where they are and walk with them in a loving, non-judgmental way (while also being honest and direct when it is for one's benefit). They nimbly help those in need, whether they be spiritual, physical, or psychological. They are truly unique in this and many other regards.
Every time I visit Con-solatio in New York, I give thanks to God having put them in my life. I first met them when I was doing my masters through a simple talk they gave at the parish I belonged to at that time. The charism of meeting with those that were lonely in the world deeply touched me. As much as I wanted to become a missionary with them, God had other plans for me. I eventually moved to the US and was able to visit them and participate in their apostolate some times. It was always so beautiful to see the way they treated the abandoned people in NY; to participate in they simple but very familial daily lives; to share in their joy of being close to those in need; to pray the hours with them and to hear their stories about the friend they made. I always felt so welcomed/loved there. Although I wasn't able to partake in their life as a missionary, I've felt that I partook in their love as a friend (and what a gift that it for me!). May God bless them and may make them holier and holier so more people like me can join they godly joy!
When our soon-to-be-a-college-graduate daughter shared that she was seriously considering going on mission with Con-solatio, my husband and I were skeptical. What was this Con-solatio? How long would she be gone and where on earth would she be?
She went on to spend a year and a half in Peru and we were blessed to visit her while she was there. I experienced firsthand how Con-solatio is truly about making Christ's love more visible in the world. And this was just the beginning. Through our daughter's connection with Con-solatio, we have met so many wonderful people of faith - other young missionaries from different countries, the Brooklyn community of missionaries and supporters of Con-solatio.
This organization lives it's mission in real, tangible, everyday ways. Our initial questions melted away in the light of faith Con-solatio brings to the lonely and struggling.
I've had the opportunity to encounter the Con-solatio way of life by visiting my sister in Peru and New York. Each time I am struck by the firm foundation of prayer which gives life to their ministry. The morning routine of mass, liturgy of the hours, and adoration sustains joy, peace, and meaning in the afternoon while visiting their friends.
As I have continued pursing my own calling in life, Con-solatio and its community members inspire me to find nourishment in continual and devoted prayer. For anyone seeking a life style rooted in Christ and encounter of others, consider going on mission.
I spent a year and a half on mission with Con-solatio in Lima, Peru... to say "life-changing" would be cliche, but it was entirely "life forming." I had a desire to give of myself entirely to Christ. So I arrived to mission in Peru looking for Christ’s face—and I found myself looking into the eyes of little nine-year-old Esperanza as she tried to “puppy dog face” me into giving her some chocolate, the eyes of Abuela Lily as she laid in her bed and contemplated the ceiling, the eyes of Jasmine as they darted back and forth at the same rate as her confused thoughts that sprang from mental illness . . . Christ became concrete.
Through my brothers and sisters in community from around the world, the many, many people suffering deeply that I came to know, the hours of time we spent in daily Adoration, Mass, Rosary, and Liturgy of the Hours, I came to see all of life as a prayer. I discovered that a simple life with intentional meals around the table together, an attention to beauty in the small things, and time given to listening to others transformed my gaze on the world and the people around me.