As the weeks and months passed by, I found myself asking the universe when I can see my husband and daughter, and hug my twin boys again. It was a painfully sad time.
LAY MISSION ARTICLES
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Perhaps that was the scenario when the lepers were asking Jesus to heal them. They must have been in pain, crying for help like her. And perhaps the only free medication for them was to turn to Jesus in faith.
Lockdown kicked off in Karachi, Pakistan on March 23, two weeks before the end of our Urdu language classes. The whole area where we were was in total silence which was very unusual. We don’t get this kind of silence during ordinary days.
“It is hard to acknowledge and accept yourself for who you truly are but as I learned to let go of my ego and pride, it was very liberating.“
A virtual Eucharistic celebration was held on October 6, 2020 to commemorate this milestone and celebrate the blessings and gifts received and the challenges encountered along the journey.
One of my favorite Mandarin phrases is 加油 (jiā yóu). The first character ‘加’ (jiā) means "add" and the second character ‘油’ (yóu) means "oil”. 加油 means "to add oil" or “refuel”. In Taiwan, you will see the sign, ‘加油’ in gasoline stations but 加油 is also an expression of encouragement and support such as "Go!"; "Come on!" and “Keep it up!".
Two first-term Columban Lay Missionaries arrived in the Philippines last February 22, 2020. On February 27, they traveled to Davao City to begin their six months of full-time language studies (Binisaya). On March 11, the World Health Organization had declared COVID-19 a pandemic. On March 15, a modified lockdown had been declared in the different provinces of the country. Barely four months in the Philippines, Latai and Mereani share how they are coping with all the uncertainties.
"Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of those who are poor and hungry..." -Pope Francis
As a staff member of the Columban Lay Missionaries (CLM), I have heard many of these stories, some of difficulty and danger, some heartbreaking, and others of disappointment. However, these stories are outweighed by stories of hope, inspiration, joy, gratitude and love.
One of the initial challenges I encountered was learning their national language, Urdu, which I found difficult because of the many rules to follow. As a student, I have to keep in mind the correct usage of male and female nouns and to learn how to pronounce words with nasal sounds.
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