We are a large Catholic Family, that though we were trying to live a Holy life, heard the Lord calling us to live the Gospel more fully. About 7 years ago through a simple "Google" search of the words "Catholic Lay Missionaries" and at that time this returned very few results and of those only one seemed to have Catholic families, Family Missions Company. After hearing back from FMC we found ourselves really considering a calling to missionary life, that up to that point, seemed just a dream. Now we have served in three different countries and are preparing to go out again in 2016. Life in Christ is conversion and learning to fall on the Cross of Christ. Thanks be to God He does not wait until we are perfect to shower His mercy on us and bless us in more ways than we can imagine. Our first 8 months were spe
nt in St. Lucia and all through learning to simply say "Yes" to the Good Shepherd. Lora and I watch with great joy as we see our children growing closer to the Lord as they see real people living so differently than we do in America. Missionary life is a wonderful life where the Good News really can be lived out, we find ourselves being blessed and stretched daily, where putting the Sermon on the Mount into practice is not really an option but a necessity. Our next post came at the end of 2012 and we spent 3 1/2 months in the Philippines exorbitant unexpected Visa fees and through prayer we came back to the states. What a wonderful place and we learned so much about ourselves and the poor. Next we had the first of our 9 dau
ghter wedding at the end of 2014 followed by 9 weeks in Mexico in 2015. This was followed by the hardest season of our life so far, our 3rd son, our 12th child Mark-Jerzy Marcelino Eckstine was diagnosed with a "condition incompatible with life" (his condition turned out to be Trisomy 18). We walked a sort of "Way of the Cross" as we waited for his birth a
nd death. His 40 hours of life on August 1, 2015 and August 2 were such a blessing and a mystery at the same time. We seek to know God in all things, this is the hardest to understand... We are working to another mission in October, 2016.
nt in St. Lucia and all through learning to simply say "Yes" to the Good Shepherd. Lora and I watch with great joy as we see our children growing closer to the Lord as they see real people living so differently than we do in America. Missionary life is a wonderful life where the Good News really can be lived out, we find ourselves being blessed and stretched daily, where putting the Sermon on the Mount into practice is not really an option but a necessity. Our next post came at the end of 2012 and we spent 3 1/2 months in the Philippines exorbitant unexpected Visa fees and through prayer we came back to the states. What a wonderful place and we learned so much about ourselves and the poor. Next we had the first of our 9 daughter wedding at the end of 2014 followed by 9 weeks in Mexico in 2015. This was followed by the hardest season of our life so far, our 3rd son, our 12th child Mark-Jerzy Marcelino Eckstine was diagnosed with a "condition incompatible with life" (his condition turned out to be Trisomy 18). We walked a sort of "Way of the Cross" as we waited for his birth and death. His 40 hours of life on August 1, 2015 and August 2 were such a blessing and a mystery at the same time. We seek to know God in all things, this is the hardest to understand... We are working to another mission in October, 2016.
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