Transitions

by Emily Ruskamp, IWM serving in Chimbote, Peru

Two years seems like a lot when I’m sitting on the dawn of my fifteenth day in Peru (ten in Chimbote), but already those two weeks have flown by. In that time, I’ve seen and met some of the places and people that will become very familiar to me during the next two years – my house, the parish community, the dusty streets of Chimbote. In that time I’ve also begun to feel the loss of things that were familiar to me in the U.S. – daily contact with friends and family, easy access to news and e-mail on the internet, the peace and quiet of living in rural Nebraska. While these changes can be difficult, they are manageable and they will soon move to the background as I become accustomed to the pace of my Peruvian life. The greatest change in my life, though, is that now living Jesus’ mission is my full-time job. I say this knowing that my first priority always should have been to live this mission but that now there are no homework deadlines, no romantic pursuits, and no pressure to earn money. I am free to — rather, expected to — devote my time and energy toward being present in my daily life. This includes being present to my house community, the parish community, our neighborhood, and those I will encounter through my organized service. In the last ten days, I have only begun to unpack the magnitude of this opportunity. It is at the same time both exciting and overwhelming, as my slate of priorities and activities is wiped completely clean. The prospect of choosing how and where to devote and limit my time seems impossible. I find myself sitting in the uncomfortable seat of judgment asking which ministries will teach me the most, which ministries need more help, which ministries will challenge me, which ministries best fit what I have to offer? This discomfort is unnerving me, igniting me, and pushing me to embrace this gift: the only expectation is to live, learn, and love. Simple, right?

by Kelli Nelson, IWM serving in Chimbote, Peru

What a whirlwind this journey has been thus far, and it has only been a blink! As I sip my coffee in the morning, lie awake to the sound of neighborhood dogs, walk from home to our parish through dust and between taxis, or stare confusedly at the voice proposing a question before me in a language I have yet to grasp, I often find myself thinking, “Okay, this is my life right now.” I am a sponge soaking in all that I can at any given moment. Whether it’s a new word, more about the history of this beautiful country, another organization to explore and discern, or whatever, I’m taking it in and wrestling with the bundle of emotions that stirs in the mix. We’ve been visiting many sites over the past week to feel out where our gifts might best flourish in the community. All have produced some inkling of interest within me, and I sense a difficult decision approaching my heart in the midst of an already rapidly changing lifestyle. In the theme of transitions, I must say that sometimes I feel so lost and alone in a way I never known until now. Finding my personality, or the one I know exists somewhere within, in a language I know little of has been difficult, but my community is encouraging, and the warm hospitality of my new Peruvian acquaintances is comforting. Such a challenge was expected and something I wanted greatly in order to stretch myself in new ways so as to continue seeking the way of love, the way of Jesus, but thinking about the difficulties was so much easier than living through them (go figure). This adventure is exciting-this is life. I am learning every day, embracing the life-giving nature of relationships, and I am praying for grace as I continue the journey of getting ready to rise.

by Marcelle Keating, IWM serving in Chimbote, Peru

I guess you could say I began my transitioning for the new missionary year in July when I began to orient in my current mission site for the chronically ill house bound patient – Programa Madeline. I had been working as a nurse in Hospice and made the change to take over for two missionaries that were finishing their time in Peru. It was in July that I also began to feel the stress of the previous community dissolving. I went from being in a house of five missionaries to living solo. A week before I picked Kelli and Emily up in Lima, I also had to orient a new volunteer into the Madeline home health program that I had only been working in for one month. Change has been a constant in my life for the past three months.

Going into my final year as an IWM, I know that I enjoy what I am doing, realize how far I have come and how fast this coming year will fly. I have many unknowns before me that I would normally stress about but I have learned that what I expect or worry about does not happen here. I have learned that no matter what the transition, to trust that things will work out, pray, relax and let things unfold. To let people be and just be present to them. To steal a phrase from Kelli’s blog – I have been “learning to waste time with others”. An outlook on life that one does not easily find in a goal oriented culture but a valuable lesson to take with me on life’s journey.

Equality amidst the backdrop of diversity...

by Terri Horn, IWM serving in Bukoba, Tanzania

It is the second week of September. The rainy season is beginning, which will help BUWEA’s soy farm. We are attempting to harvest 25 acres of soy this year. For those who might not know, “BUWEA” stands for Bukoba Women’s Empowerment Association, a Tanzanian non-profit organization that seeks to raise the economic status of indigenous women by providing access to a micro-loan fund and savings accounts. Additionally, BUWEA employs members to work in a farm cooperative, where soy beans are raised and then processed into soy flour, soy oatmeal, and soy milk. BUWEA recently finished partaking in a preschool feeding program study; 100 children aged 4-6 received daily soy oatmeal in schools where the children had not previously received any food while in class. Teachers from the village preschools have reported positive changes such as reduced illnesses and diarrhea, higher concentration, and improved peer-peer communication. In working to support nursery and primary schools with few resources, BUWEA hopes to analyze the physical development of the children in the study in order to further promote the importance of school breakfast programs.

The BUWEA Board and I are also preparing for the Women’s Global Connection Cross Cultural Forum, which will take place on October 7^th.  The forum will spotlight micro-financing projects this year and how non-profit organizations can embrace the concept of “social entrepreneurship” in reaching out to the local community. We will hook up a webcam and each Board member will take turns discussing the impact of BUWEA programs such as the Revolving Loan Fund and Global Business Partners. In order to emphasize organizational accountability and progress, it will be important for BUWEA to also discuss their role in social efforts such as the Clean Water project and the Preschool Feeding Program. 

This week also marks the end of Ramadan, the international Islamic fasting period. Tanzania is not a Muslim state, nor is Islam the most populous religion in the country, but it is arguably the most Muslim country of Eastern Africa, with its island counterpart, Zanzibar, which has a 98% Muslim population. The festivities celebrating the break of the fast, known as Eid Ul-Fitr, are determined by the position of the moon, and this year the celebrations began on Friday September 10^th. Last year, Eid fell on a Sunday and the celebration was much less visible in town. Walking to the office on this day, I passed through a literal sea of people dressed in their best traditional head covers, hats, and gowns making their way to the local mosques. Later in the evening, thousands of Muslims, Christians, and Hindus celebrated the festivities together by gathering at the beach of Lake Victoria for refreshments and socializing. Living in Tanzania has given me an opportunity to become more familiar with the Islam religion, through friends, festivities, and national holidays such as this. Being here has been a learning, cultural experience of living in a multi-religious region.

Choosing to be a lay volunteer with Incarnate Word Missionaries has affected me in many ways. I am lucky to be living and working in an area with diverse Christian denominations. I have had the opportunity to attend and photograph children’s first communions at the Roman Catholic Cathedral. On special or formal occasions, I can attend the small, candlelit evening services at the local Greek Orthodox Church. If I want to attend a more lively service, I can go to the Anglican Church, where one frequently finds gospel-like choir performances and dancing for the first part of the service. When I lived with my former Polish roommate who has now departed Tanzania, we attended the Lutheran English services together.

When I lived in the United States, I attended the same church for nearly 5 years, hardly ever attending services of other faiths. I feel I now have a better appreciation of traditions and beliefs of many different dominations. Living in a culture of different religions has shown me how “ethnocentric” we can be about our own religion and practices. I was thinking lately about how cultures tend to separate themselves based on differences such as religion and ethnicity. For instance, in Bukoba, the town is geographically split into 3 parts- the area where the Africans reside, the area where the Indians reside, and the area where the Whites reside. In the same way, many countries including Black and White South Africa, Palestine and Jerusalem are segregated by ethnic differences. I am acquainted with a volunteer who is working for the United Nations Human Rights office in Bukoba, and one of his primary roles is to interview leaders of the Islam, Hindu, and Christian faiths to determine how they work together for human rights in Bukoba.

Although I am a Christian and will always be, I can now appreciate more deeply the importance of striving together for worldwide peace, human rights, and equality regardless of cultural or religious distinctions. In so many arenas – in international politics, in education, in worldwide religion, in my life and my job - what I have learned is that it is not “who” (in terms of a specific affiliation) we value that matters; it is “what” and “why”  we value what we do that will make the long-lasting changes when we unite together. That is what I will take with me, and when my present time is over, I hope to continue to learn of equality amidst the backdrop of diversity.

As my time in Tanzania is coming to a close, and as I continue to apply to graduate schools to pursue a Master degree in Sociology, I feel more and more grateful and nostalgic for the many blessings here... blessings of supportive friends, Tanzanian and American; blessings of working for an organization that is continuing to succeed with all of their projects, that I know will continue on just fine without me; blessings of the journey.

Back in school again... but with a twist!

by Elle Vatterott, IWM serving in San Antonio, Texas

From my first day of kindergarten until my final exam in high school, my education was in the hands of religious women. And now, after a five-year hiatus away from those wonderful ladies, I’m back and ready for more! This time is a bit different in that as a “Missionary of the Incarnate Word;” I now work and live in community with three Sisters from the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

It has been a real challenge to think of myself as a part of the Sisters’ community because until recently, I have only seen them as teachers and my superiors.

Throughout my upbringing I have come to value their courage, unique spirit and wisdom.  The Sisters do some pretty remarkable things: build hospitals, open & administer academic institutions, provide food & shelter for the poor (and probably move a few mountains around!) all in the name of God.  For all of these reasons and more, I am thrilled for this opportunity to join in their community and assist in one of their ministries for a year.

The Visitation House is a two-year transitional housing program for homeless single mothers and their children located in San Antonio, Texas.  The ministry provides a stable and safe environment for the young families so the mothers can focus on attaining their educational and personal goals. For the most part, my position consists of overseeing the children’s after-school tutoring program.

As a result of numerous temporary home situations, English being a second language, and frequently transferring to different schools, most of the children are not performing at their grade levels.  Hopefully, with a consistent study regimen, some interactive educational activities, and a whole lot of patience, I can help these kids reach their academic potential.

Currently, I am tutoring a family of four children. Although the kids are terrified of chapter books, division flash cards, and Scrabble Jr., they are bright and extremely insightful.  

In their short little lives, they have experienced more abuse and hate than any adult should endure, yet they are some of the happiest children I know.  They love helping the Sisters with household chores, playing freeze tag and earning money for the ice cream man. Through their mother’s various successes while at the Visitation House, the children have learned the importance of perseverance, accountability and resilience.

This ministry not only helps break the cycle of poverty, it also provides a welcoming home environment for families to regain their self-worth, and grow in their love and respect for one another. It is heart-warming to witness these wonderful changes that would never have happened if the Sisters were not here with their extended hands.

I have a lot to learn from my new friends.  It kind of feels like I’m back in school again….. but with a twist - I’m both learning and teaching.  So far, so great, especially since there are no tests.

"¿Y tú? Por qué viniste a México?"

by Emma Buckhout, IWM serving in Santa Fe, Mexico City

My friend asked me this question as he dropped me off after a trip to the super market the other day. Several times over the last two and a half weeks, I have looked up at my surroundings as I walked around cars on the street to the parish, or around people and dogs on the crowded sidewalk of Santa Fe, and likewise asked, "How did my life end up here?" I am currently one of two Incarnate Word Missionaries serving in the neighborhood of Santa Fe, Mexico City for two years. 

That question does not exactly have a one-word answer, unless I say "God," but as an introduction to the lives and sites of Incarnate Word Missionaries, I thought I would try to flesh it out a little. To answer myself, I usually just shake my head and chuckle. While I recognize a series of events and thought processes have led to this place at this time, greater reasons still remain somewhat of a mystery. As I told my friend, "We´ll see." 

After graduating from college, I knew I wanted to do some sort of volunteer experience that would allow me to work with people, learn more about social justice, and learn more about my own future possibilities. Any number of things could fit that description, except I also knew I wanted to incorporate faith and a type of incarnational living based in community. I found IWM in the book Alternatives to the Peace Corps, and the mission statement immediately caught my attention. (Read it if you have not!) Still, the title of "missionary" is a little daunting and does not exactly have a universal definition. The Incarnate Word model is based on  trying to immitate Jesus the human being in all facets of life just by living with people and learning from them. Clearly we fall short of Jesus, but I am convinced there is value in trying. I have realized that being a missionary, even for a short time, is about dedicating yourself to being open to where God will lead you. 

So far for Tara and I, daily life has been about adjustment and figuring out what is normal, from food to language to activities. By our second week in Mexico, Tara and I started working at a guardería, or daycare, for low-income families that was started by an Incarnate Word Sister and a committee of community members. On a typical day we work from about 9am to 2:30, then head home and recover from directing 5 year olds in Spanish for many hours, perhaps catch a Zumba class, stop by the parish, have dinner either at the parish or in our community, and then pray together before bed as a staple of our community living. Over time, we both hope to get involved in more community development activities, but for now we have to patiently get to know people and their customs and their needs.

I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that during my time in Santa Fe, while I will hopefully do some good work, I will gain infinitely more than I can give. It is humbling. From little things like being told a word I don´t know, to being handed endless plates of delicious tacos at the parish, to being driven to and from Teotihuacán, I have already learned that more than anything in these two years, I will receive. But really, all of life is about receiving more that we deserve or can give. The hope is that in return for all the physical, emotional, and spiritual provision I am being given, I will provide a little labor, and some fresh energy and insight. And hopefully that will give me a little more experience to take with me to the next point in life.

Why am I here? To try to give a little and learn a lot - about this community, people here, myself, and God. We´ll see.

Incarnate Word Missionaries - Who are we?

"We, the missionaries, inspired by the charism and mission of the Incarnate Word, choose to live in community and walk in solidarity with the economically poor and marginalized, in order to be transformed by them and to transform unjust social structures that keep people economically poor and marginalized."

IWM Mission Statement

For more than 130 years, the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word has had as its charism the call to make the love of God, as shown in the Incarnate, a real and tangible presence in the world today. The mission of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is to actualize the saving and healing love of the Incarnate Word by promoting human dignity. Our missionaries are an extension of this mission and desire.

Incarnate Word Missionaries (IWM) was founded in 1987 as a result of six enthusiastic lay men and women with the aspiration to go out into the world and serve as missionaries. With the help of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, these trailblazers were able to plug into the important ministries and adopt the missionary spirit and incarnational spirituality of the Sisters.

Today there are missionaries serving in Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Zambia, Tanzania and the United States. Missionaries serve in varying capacities, ministering in health care, education, pastoral work, parish ministry, prevention projects for HIV/AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children, outreach to women, children, and victims of abuse. Missionaries share their lives, their time, their energy and their abilities to help others realize the real and tangible love of Christ in the world. Incarnate Word Missionaries are called to respond to the needs of the poor in the continual process of giving and receiving when persons from different cultures mutually discover each other's worth, dignity and God-given potential.

Our Incarnate Word Missionaries choose to work, live and learn in a cross-cultural setting, which demands that they listen first and then act, remaining open to different ways of living and perceiving the world. They take on the role of missionary - and as such, as a respresentative of both the larger Catholic Church and of the Congregations of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. Missionaries live in intentional community, oftentimes sacrificing so as to put the good of all before the good of one. Prayer, reflection, simple living, the pursuit of social justice, honoring the dignity of each person, supporting CCVI ministries, specifically serving in areas of economic poverty, and constantly striving to deepen the sense of community are commitments that our missionaries choose to accept and embrace. Through solidarity missionaries seek to live a preferential option for the poor, which means following Christ's example of deliberately choosing to walk with the economically poor and marginalized.

Through the gospels and the world around us, missionaries come to know in Christ, the Incarnate Word, a God who knows and shares our human experience and walks with us in our joys and struggles. This inspires us as members of the Incarnate Word family to make the love of God, as shown in the Incarnation. a real and tangible presence in the world today.

By way of this blog you will meet our missionaries and learn about what they are doing, whom they are meeting, the relationships they are forming, and how they are being transformed. For more information on the background of each of missionaries, please visit http://www.iwmissions.org/, where we invite you to get to know our nine lay missionaries through their photos and biographies.

Welcome to the IWM Blog!

Hello and Welcome!

Thank you for taking the time to read our blog and learn more about the Incarnate Word Missionaries. It is our hope that through these blog entries you will have the opportunity to learn more about our program, the ministries in which our missionaries serve, and perhaps most importantly, you will receive some insight into the experiences, formation, transformation, spiritual journeys, joys and struggles, and stirrings of the heart of the magnificent individuals who have chosen to dedicate this time in their lives to serving others, discovering more profoundly the spirituality of incarnation, following the call God has placed on their hearts, and being the hands of Christ in the world today.

We ask that you hold our missionaries in your prayers as they continue to grow more fully into the vessels of Christ's love that they are called to become. Likewise, we hold you - our friends, family, supporters, and collaborators in our prayers, as we join together in spirit and prayer to fulfill our individual missions and to make Christ's presence real and tangible on this earth.

Check back with us weekly for updates from our varying sites of mission!



Feel free to contact us at any time with questions or comments at: iwmissions@amormeus.org or (210) 828-2224.