My desire for you

My photo
Jinotepe, Nicaragua
Hello, friends! I hope this story reaches you well and that God touch you in the depths of your heart. All we need to do is open them and our world CHANGES! Blessings, Pat.

July 16, 2008

A little News on the Mission Front

Peace and greetings to all!

Once again, I want to thank you all for your being a part of this adventure in Mission.

Over the past few days, I have been busy. Organizing, visiting and planning our work here.

The first recipient of the Catholic Spanish Youth Bible in the Orphanage is Brenda. She is 15 and has a serious kidney condition, with about a 9 % functioning rate. I went to visit her the other day with Jose Luis, the Director of Our Little Brothers Orphanage here in Managua. As we prayed with her, he said to her: "Some times our Cross is an invisible one. You, Brenda, are carrying that cross with such faith and strength... you are a witness to us. Thank you!"

I was very moved and a sad, after our visit. Such a young life... God has His plans for her.

Last night we had a good debate on Social drinking versus Alcoholism with the Youth of this organization who also live in Managua. We then reflected on a few passages from Scripture that reveals Gods plan for our future... full of hope and life!

In one word, our God continues to be a God of Life who walks with his people and in a very special way with the poor and little ones of this world.

God Bless you all,

Pat.

July 08, 2008

Retreat experience

July 8th, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

I would like to thank those who prayed for us during these past few days and those whose support make this Ministry possible.

The experience of the Retreat that I shared with some of the Directors and key personal of the Our Little Brothers and Sisters Orphanage over the past few days was a blessed time.

We prayed, reflected and tried to penetrate and discover in depth the dream of Fr. Wasson. What a truly amazing man and Priest! He started in Mexico in the early 1950´s with 12 abandoned children and soon found himself taking on 600 kids.

Soon afterwards there was another request for to care for another large group of kids, who were orphanged as a result of a natural disaster. His response to one of the adult helpers in the program who informed him that it was ¨impossible to feed any more kids¨, was that first before deciding we ¨must consult¨with the kids and see what they think!

The childrens repley was ¨we will share ¨the little that we have with them, let them come¨!

The amazing discovery was, as we studied the Sermon on the mountain and listened to stories of the directors and participants in the Retreat (many of whom were raised by Father Wasson) was that it was the poor who taught the Master, as much as the Teacher who gave lessons to the children. Blessed indeed are the humble and simple of this earth.

Since the beginning of this groups existence, Fr. Wasson said to his kids, time and time again: ¨I am your Father. You are my son. We are a family¨. And that is how they got their names as little brothers and sisters.

This is a family of the little ones of this earth, of the poor, the children of the poor. The kids in this place have not only been given the hope of a new future, but also the hope of a new family where the practice of Jesus message of the Sermon on the Mountain is the heart of the Mission.

My work is to try to teach this in Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos. Thank you for being a part of it.

And for us, how can we make these words, the core meaning of life as disciples of Jesus, take on a new meaning in our life?

" Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you."

July 03, 2008

Preparing for a Retreat with Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos

Greetings to all!

Right now I am preparing for a Retreat with the organization who cares for over 350 kids and teenagers. Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters).

The orphanage here and the organizatioin was founded by a Priest named Fr. Bill Wasson over 50 years ago. They are an impressive group and most of the directors come for the Orphange and are in charge of carrying on the Mission of Fr. Wasson. They have orphanages in many different countries of Latin America.

They have asked me to assist them in the area of Faith Formation and Scripture and this has brought me great joy, and allot of work. It is a small world and an amazing connection for me, because it touches at the heart of what my vocational journey led me into since my first days in Sao Paulo Brazil: the world of abandoned children, working kids, street kids and orphans. I have always felt that these kids were as if they were my own. My family is growing! Christopher and Damarys have visited this Organization with me several times. It is now part of our family mission to visit them once a month. During the week I am visiting and organizing Scripture Study in few of their half-way houses here in Managua.

It is an honor for me to be part of this group and to share with them some of my experience and reflections after my 15 years of working in the area of children at risk in four different countries. I feel blessed to be assisting them on an upcoming Retreat this week. We are going to reflect on the life and mission of Fr. Wasson and take some time to stop, reflect and pray with the Sermon on the Mountain. Please keep us in your prayers this coming weekend.

To conclude, in a few words, in spite of the tremendous poverty here in Nicaragua and the very difficult economic situation there exists in this world good human beings, followers of Jesus of Nazareth, who desire to strive, work and to give their lives to share the Good News and make this world a little more human place to live and where it is easier to love one another.

You, my friends and family, who are a part of this Partners in Mission Nicaragua effort should feel good, because you too have become a part of the work of building up the Kingdom of Go and serving the poor.

May God Bless you this day,

Peace and all the best,

Pat Duffy, Jr.