The Lord Loves St. Lucia and the Sun is Rising!

               (Reflecting after a week of Violence and Murders) 

So many of us imagine St. Lucia as a paradise in the Caribbean, warm weather all the time, tropical rain showers daily, fruits and vegetables in abundance, a beautiful variety of flowers in bloom, seemingly little to cause worry , and yes, so beautiful!  Yes it is all these things and more. The people are welcoming and warm, helpful and kind. They are ready to help us find our way around town. Our parish in Marchand, Sacred Heart Parish, gave us a such a warm welcome, even though no one knew we were going to show up that Sunday for the first time. We have met the parishioners around town, on the street vending, or in a fabric store,  they are equally welcoming there too. Here we are with Monsignor Bonifacio,                                                  the priest at Sacred Heart. This used to be a vibrant parish, but things have changed. The community surrounding the parish has changed. Families are falling a part.  We found a local cookbook a few days ago (this and a bunch of kid’s books, another surprise blessing from the Lord last week). On the back of the cookbook it is says “St. Lucia, One of the last truly unspoiled Caribbean islands.” From what we hear the change started about 40 years ago and much has culminated in the last 10.   

       In fact as I was working on this blog post we were interrupted by the sound of gunfire. The kids were not alarmed by this, not knowing that gunfire in a city is not the same as target practice at Grandpa’s house. So we gathered and prayed for the city and St. Lucia. At the time of first composing this post I included the link below, trying to illustrate the changes taking place here, but the actual event of hearing actual gunfire and hearing a woman screaming and crying in the distance make the point just as well. This gunfight was revenge for the Friday shooting mentioned in the link below.

If you have time look at this link: Friday’s St. Lucia Star on the violence

   As we ponder and pray about what the Lord wants done here, I keep asking myself what has happened in the last 40 years? What part are we called to do? I am confident the Lord will show us. This is His work and He knows what He wants to accomplish here.  I am not saying this over confidently, but because  I am reminded of a scripture we have leaned on through out the process of becoming full time missionaries. Isaiah 42:16 says

   “I will lead the blind on their journey; by paths unknown I will lead them. I will turn the darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. These things I will do for them, and I WILL NOT FORSAKE THEM”

In a college creative writing course, I remember a lecture where our teacher explained how if you feel stifled at times, be at peace, maybe you have not had the life experience that will allow you to complete your intended writing. While not feeling stifled, I did run out of time to complete this post, and it seems more life experience will add to the second part where I intended to show that  there is hope and the sun is rising. Many who read this post may pick up on my intended Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers imagery from the phrase “the sun is rising”        

     Just before Sunrise just out our front door, this is what we see as we go down to our chapel for prayers and mass.

                           

The Signs of Hope:

      “God Love You!”  For many of us we have heard it said so many times that it has almost become clichéd. One of the many wonderful things about missionary life is that you really get to experience the hand of God and see Him loving on people, cities, and entire countries. So many times we live in protected little corners of the world, we strive to protect ourselves from danger and harm, but this can prevent us from seeing God do things. The poor MUST rely on the Lord and He moves. St. Lucia is not a rich nation, unemployment is a way of life for many here during the off season of tourism (about 6 months of the year), many are stuck in the ghettos. But God Loves these people! HIS Heart is for them and here is a list illustrating some of the signs of hope I see.

• He is sending many missionaries here. Missionaries bring encouragement just by their presence. They bring the palpable love of God with them. It is awesome.
• not just us, the Good News Project and others.
• We met a group from the Diocese of  Venice in Florida that is bringing 30 kids down here in August
• FMC is trying to organize a month long mission school here.
• We will be living in the south of the Island in May because other missionaries who come each year will stay in this residence.
• Archbishop Rivas is not sitting around, he is busy!, His heart is with the people, the day we went to Choiseul he not only called on the people to live their faith, but to make this Lent a special time of prayer, penance, special peace marches,and more. Yet he takes time to know those around him.
• The Lord brought us here, provides for all our needs through our generous donors
• I put up a simple blog post about basketball and the response is amazing, I hope to get a basketball hoop up this week!
• The Priests are not silent about the problems, but calling people to change and make a difference

                The Sunrise looking from the same spot as above on morning after I was praying about what the theme for this blog post should be.    

     The Lord loves St. Lucia as He does all his children, with an everlasting love! There is hope! We can all make a difference when we are seeking to do God’s will each moment of each day!

Read some of these articles the Family Life Secretariat’s office and others are putting in the local newspaper.

• Whatever Happened to Fatherhood?
• Father! Teach your children values
• We need the Family
• The restoration of Fatherhood
• The Myth of Overpopulation

If you look at these articles and follow what we are doing you will see that there are many battles left to fight, but Hope is begin to dawn, The Sun is rising!

                                     Come Lord Jesus!, Come Holy Spirit!

Limiting our time on the Internet

     As part of our initial year in missions not only do we commit to no Alcohol or tobacco products, we also limit our use of the internet and other means of communication with those back home to Sunday. We are not to use the internet  for “Chit-chatty” stuff. We use whatever means of communication are applicable to the place we are sent, so there may be times when you see us on Facebook  or see a post and think we are available for chats. We are not……sorry. Please don’t be hurt or offended, look for us on Sunday.

      Sometimes I will use twitter and update my Facebook status because this updates, the side panel on my blog and my Facebook status at the same time without facing the temptation to respond to peoples comments, which we view on Sundays.  The twitter panel on our blog allows those who don’t want to join Facebook to get some updates as to what we are up to.

      This may seem strange or a bit too much, but we see that it makes good sense. Missionary life is not just helping people with physical needs, the primary good we do is sharing the GOOD NEWS and that there is GOOD NEWS in Jesus is exactly the area the our enemy the devil would love to see us fail in. Therefore an emphasis on home,  families, friends, and in general the things of life before saying “Yes” to the Lord in Missions can cause some to loose focus on God’s calling, and sometimes even lead to people leaving missionary life. The founders of Family Missions Company want to see the Gospel succeed and us succeed also.  Remember Jesus said “…and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.”  Matthew 19:29 This is what we are all to be shooting for – eternal life.

      So if you wish you could talk to us or are waiting for us to respond, please remember to pray for us, that we remain  strong in the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and His call upon our lives

Short Update from St. Lucia

Well, so many things happen so quickly. We have been busy in the last two weeks building our life, making friends, meeting people, praying with people around town, and much is going well. It is easy to be looking for the "Big Ministry" when the everyday ministries are everywhere! There is more need here than I first imagined, from mother's contemplating abortion to young boys with out active fathers coming over and having supper with us. We are praying that the Lord would put it on some benefactor's heart the funds for a basketball hoop and back board, so we have more active stuff to do. The young boys belong to a woman, who works in the Marian home and whose husband drinks too much and she had to legally keep him out of the house, a very common story here.  They are good boys however, and have been participating in our night prayers and stay till around 8pm before they go home. They will also come over next Saturday, our work day, and help us clean up the tree mess left from hurricane Tomas.   
   One young man, had never met an American and is not sure if he really wants to be a Christian, though he did not say this out right. He asked the kids that were around if they wanted to be a Christian.  I had a "what if" conversation and asked him if he did not want to be one, why? He mentioned the Gangsters, so as you can see the youth here are tempted by many things. He also wants to go to America some day and marry some model or singer he has seen on TV, some temptations are universal :).

       Also pray for us to only do those things that the Holy Spirit wants done. It is easy to see all the needs and want to take it all on. As Mr. Frank can testify we are smack dab in the middle of a very poor part of town, with a bar just outside our compound, I should say two. I saw a short street fight yesterday and from talking to the locals it happens a lot. We have gangs around us, in 3 directions, as the young man who sees them and contemplates a life like theirs can testify. The Holy Spirit, as the principle agent of missions, knew what He was doing, but the challenges are great. We are protected here on our compound and the Lord knew we would need this place to retreat too and renew our strength.
      We had a meeting at the chancellery office earlier this week. Our friend Peter Fevrier shared how he and Fr. Clovis( a wonderful priest) have been praying for more people  to come and work with them. They run the Family Life Secretariat and they have a passion for building and yes, even saving the family here on St Lucia.  The Lord is Good!  We did not know we were being sent to this unknown place (to us) in an answer to prayer of people here.  Not only can we testify to family but our mission partner Sid can testify to being a young man devoted to God and doing His will.
    The Lord knows what He is doing. Pray that we won't let the little things cloud our vision of all that the Lord is wanting here and that we would have eyes wide open and on Him, to be thankful for all that the Lord is doing and has done and to rejoice, always!
    Lastly, we will be on TV tomorrow at around 10:30am on February 4th. (We are on Atlantic time here, that means 4hrs a head of the west cost of America, Prayers, Prayers, Prayers.....
We are asking ourselves, who are we that the Lord would ask this of us so soon. It will be His grace!