Lay Mission Articles

Lay Mission Articles

Be Quiet: Listening to Jesus of Nazareth

By Joan Yap, Columban Lay Missionary in Taiwan   What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” These words struck me deeply because they reflect what I feel whenever I am confronted by something unfamiliar and uncomfortable.  I have been a lay missionary for almost fifteen years now,

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Lay Mission Articles

A Shoot from the Stump: Life, Loss, and Mission

By Lilibeth Sabado, CLM, Philippines   When I first arrived in Negros Occidental as part of a team of three Lay Missionaries, I carried with me a mixture of gratitude, hope, and uncertainty. Each of us brought varied and common experiences from overseas mission and from here in our home region. But coming to Negros

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Lay Mission Articles

Returning to the Philippines

Encountering the Presence of God in Everyday Life   By  Noh Hyein, Anna – Philippines   A small bird flew in through the sunlit window. It rested for a moment near the ceiling above the altar, then flew away again. Seeing this little creature during Mass reminded me deeply that I have truly returned to

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Lay Mission Articles

Finding Hope in Unexpected Places

By Jao Resari, CLM in Taiwan   Last December, I received a message from Mark (not his real name), a foreign worker who arrived in Taiwan just a few months earlier. He was inquiring about where and how to take an HIV-antibody test. I arranged a time for us to go to the hospital so

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Lay Mission Articles

The Joy in Nurturing

By Michael Javier, Columban Lay Missionary   The Columban house in Myitkyina, Kachin state, is located within the compound of Eden. It is surrounded by bamboo and a variety of trees that provide more than enough shelter for the different kinds of animals, including birds, snakes, bees, and more. There is also space for growing

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Lay Mission Articles

A Humble and Compassionate Caregiver

By Febie Gonzales, Columban Lay Missionary in Taiwan   “Compassion is a language of God” -Pope Francis. When I asked, “Why did you choose to come to Taiwan?” Adi, an Indonesian caregiver, replied, “To earn money for my family, to provide for their needs and well-being, to send my children to school, and to have

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