Are you doing all you can for those in need?

I know some of you reading this may already know this about me, but for those that don't, I love to spend one week out of my summer vacation (at least for the last 2 summers) going on a mission trip with the Mission of Hope ministry group from my parish St. Joseph in Strongsville, Ohio. It’s my way of spreading the Gospel message, and sharing our baptismal call with others throughout the state.

Each year a number of us from the parish, and sometimes other parishes, travel together to different areas of our great state of Ohio, and surrounding states (past trips include West Virginia and Kentucky and even New Orleans) giving of our hearts, time and talents to those who need assistance or those who live in poverty (sometimes through no fault of their own). 

The main goal of the Mission of Hope is two-fold: first, to seek out areas to work where a need exists either from a natural disaster or poverty; and second, to commit and respond to this need as a community of faithful believers in Jesus Christ as directed by the Holy Spirit. 

This mission work has greatly enriched my life in many ways. When I first went on one of these trips I had very little skill in anything, from painting, to landscaping, to cleaning, to carpentry, to cooking. You name it and it was not a skill I had. Through lots of patience and time on the trip thanks to the various people who come on the trip with us, I can paint a house, wall, shed, room, floor, or ceiling almost as good as a professional. I can also cut insulation, do some demolition, landscaping and floor tiling as well. My faith has also grown since taking my first trip. I discovered I was rather selfish and stingy with my catholic faith by not sharing it, or sharing it with only certain people. These trips often make you leave your comfort zone and challenge you in ways you'll never imagine.

The work is often hard, and tiring, and dirty, but even through all that, the joy and often peace you take away with you and find each day is invaluable. We don't have deluxe accommodations, we bring air mattresses with us and sleep on floors in churches, rectories, classrooms, meeting rooms, old sacristies, or church libraries but even in that there is joy and peace to be found in the experience of sharing it with others. We also eat very well on these trips! The sense of family and community you take away with you each day and from each trip is amazing.

We not only work hard, but we play just as hard. Sometimes it's a simple quiet night in playing various board and card games with one another, talking to one another, going to a concert in a park together, visiting a site of interest in the areas where we work, having a picnic in a park, making a run for ice cream or even an impromptu game of kickball. Those moments change you as an individual and change each of us on the trip as well. Laughter and exhaustion are abundant but so is our love and joy we have for God and our catholic faith and for each other and the work we do. 

Anyway getting back to this Baptismal call thing. God calls us all go out, to love one another, serve one another and spread the Gospel to one another, and if necessary use words (though if memory serves me correctly that last part is from St. Francis of Assisi). 

It's through these mission trips that I have grown by leaps and bounds. I have met so many people, not just within my parish but within the larger communities that we work and been to many different areas in our state. I've learned that just because someone isn't catholic like I am or like all of us missionaries are, our common bond is usually our love for God. We may all pray to Him, and worship Him in different ways, but He is still the same God. I've met Methodists, Baptists, Non-Denominational Christians, Church of the Nazarenes' and even some who don't believe in God at all, but by the time the work that our little group does for these people (whatever you do for the least of these you do for me...) hearts and lives are changed forever. We become a part of those we assist, and they become a part of us as do the communities we visit each year as well.

The experience of these trips has been very life changing. I no longer just walk past people, I really look at them, make eye contact, smile or say "hello" or "good morning." We all want the same thing in life, a roof over our heads, food to eat, a way to take care of our families, and most importantly we all just want to be loved, and have someone love us in return, whether it be for a week, a day, or a lifetime.

So remember, it doesn't have to be something big. It could be something as simple as sitting around and listening to a lonely older person sharing a story with you on a beautiful summer day under the shade of a big tree in their backyard, or it could be cleaning up a yard for an old man on a mobility scooter who doesn't believe in God and thinks religion is nonsense, or it could simply be participating in Mass with a community of believers from Guatemala, or listening to the laughter and singing of a group of teenagers from Burundi Africa outside an open window. Whatever it is, get out and do something by experiencing it. 

I plan to go on my third trip this summer. Where our destination will be only God and the Holy Spirit know, but I am sure that wherever it is, lives and hearts will be changed, the Gospel message will be spread and the love we have for our God and each other will be shared. 

May God Bless you always,

Carol

If you'd like to learn more about the mission work that the Mission of Hope team from St. Joseph in Strongsville does, please visit http://www.sjohio.org/missionofhope. Or if you'd like to help with our fundraising efforts please join us for:

Pancake Breakfast with Santa
December 1, 2013, 8:30am to 12:00pm

Menu includes: Pancakes, eggs, hash browns, sausage, fruit,

Danish, coffee, juice and milk.

Suggested Donation: $5.00 for children (10 and under) and

Seniors, $10 for adults

PLEASE JOIN US

All proceeds will be used for local and outreach mission work. Thank you for your support!

Free picture with Santa! (per family with children)

Please note: All fundraising events usually take place at St. Joseph Church in Strongsville located at 12700 Pearl Road. Come and see how we as not only the Mission of Hope live out the Gospel message to love one another but see how our parish does this as we gather as a community of believers for Mass on the weekends or by exploring one of the many activities and events we host throughout the week.