MithLuin Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 Well, I suppose I should update my thread I spent the month of July in training with the Salesian Lay Missioners. What a great group of people! Even though we're headed to different countries (continents, even), we will probably be a great community for each other over the next year (and also when we get back). But of course, when we first got there, we didn't have our placements yet. Over the first week, it was fun to learn who was going where (though for the most part we knew the countries, just not the specific location). One month of training sounds like a lot, but it was really a good introduction to what it would be like to leave home and live in mission...without the leaving-the-country part yet. The first weekend was just getting-to-know-you stuff, including some work on typical team-building and living and working with different personality types. I'll be completely honest - 'Know Thyself' stuff gives me a headache and I hate it. But, I can see the value. So, whatever. Then came MISO, which is the overseas mission training run by Maryknoll. Maryknoll are the original American Catholic missionaries, and are currently celebrating their 100th year. So, they certainly have the knowledge and experience when it comes to Catholic overseas mission work. They're also quite liberal, so a few parts were a bit difficult to take....but, we were staying in a place with the Eucharist reserved in a chapel that we could visit whenever we wanted, so, you know, it's hard to complain! The only speaker that drove me completely bonkers was a Jesuit priest who was intentionally provocative during an all-day seminar on Liberation Theology. ugh. I sooooo wanted to toss him out a window a few times. Well, at least I'm not going overseas with Maryknoll or as a JVI! I would feel a bit dishonest representing an organization that I wasn't in complete agreement with. But there's a lot of things that are good to know before doing overseas mission work, and I'm glad we went over trauma and relationships and health concerns and the experience of living in a new culture and how you take care of yourself through all of that. Because it's great to be excited, but there's a reason to have some trepidations about moving to a third world country. There's a reason everyone wants to come to the USA, after all! *grin* [I think we might have been the last group to go through MISO, so no doubt future SLMs will have something similar, but not necessarily through Maryknoll.] Then we packed up and headed to Port Chester, NY, so we could actually work with some Salesians . They had some summer camps there that we had the chance to volunteer with, and overall that was our introduction to the philosophy of St. John Bosco in action. Great experience; we loved working with the kids, of course, but we also got to see how the Salesians seek to be a major influence in the community. We had the opportunity to volunteer at a group wedding at the church (ie, getting some couples to get their marriages recognized by the church) since in this community, baptisms are far more common than the sacrament of matrimony. Couples may legally marry (or not), but the 'big church wedding' is considered beyond their means. So...picture a bunch of white people serving a bunch of Hispanic guests at a reception in a church hall, and you'll get the idea. It was a blast! Real champagne and wedding cake, too. Final week was spent on retreat with the Salesians. They were having their annual retreat, and we were finishing up our loose ends and getting ready for mission. Great opportunity to let them give a few more talks for us, and of course we had fellowship with them at meals. On the penultimate day, we went to the first vows of the new Salesian sisters, which was sort of a prelude to our own commisioning mass the next day. It was tough to say goodbye to everyone, knowing that we might not have a chance to get together 'in country' on mission, or even when we all (eventually) get back home. Most everyone is already in their countries, whereas I don't leave until January. So, I still have some time to get my stuff together and get ready to go. A final Christmas with my family, and then...I'm off to Ethiopia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) I find you to be incredibly brave. Will you have your laptop & be posting on here? I can imagine so many of us will love to hear about what you will be doing...plus, it will help us to remember to pray for you too! Edited October 21, 2011 by brandelynmarie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i<3franciscans Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 ML! *YAY*!!! Since I wasn't here when you first started this thread I will be happy for you now... I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!!!! I have a friend involved in orphan ministry and is really discerning life as a missionary. It is so good to hear about other people going into missionary work. brandelynmarie was right; you sound so brave! You did in the beginning and you still do in your post from today. I admire that immensely! You must give all of us more details!! ...Perhaps we will need another thread... You are in my thoughts and prayers as you ready your self for Ethiopia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juchu Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 MithLuin, prayers for your preparation! How long are you going to be abroad for? I did a one-year-missionary-service year and your description of the preparation made me remember our preparation as well. We had it in the course of the year before being send out for several weekends and two weeks at a whole and it was really great bonding experience and during the year we stayed in contact with each other and I am still close friends with 4 of them. All the best to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aya Sophia Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Wonderful and amazing! I think this life holds a powerful attraction to most devout Christians, regardless of their station in life - certainly pulls strongly on the hearts of those in the cloister. God bless you richly for your generosity and go with you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InPersonaChriste Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 [quote name='MithLuin' timestamp='1309489894' post='2261400'] Hehe, I just posted the links in your thread, too, in case anyone was looking for them [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif[/img]. But guess what? It looks like I'll be going to Ethiopia with the Salesian Lay Missioners [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img] [url="http://salesianlaymissioners.org/home/"]http://salesianlaymissioners.org/home/[/url] [/quote] YAY! When you said Africa I hoped it would be Eithiopia... My younger brother is from Addis Ababa <3 Prayers! God Bless you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MithLuin Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) How neat! I will be working at a school in Addis Abeba . I will probably be there for ~ 1 1/2 years. The agreement is for one year, but I probably will not want to leave in the middle of the school year. So, we'll see how long they want me to stay, and I'll try to be flexible with that. Yes, I'm taking my laptop, and I will try to update occasionally. The internet connection isn't terribly reliable (dial up), and I'm not sure how much time I'll have for that. But stopping by and requesting prayers from phatmass will definitely be on my 'to do' list! It's funny, I don't feel particularly brave. A bit foolhardy, perhaps, but...it doesn't feel like a particularly courageous decision. If anything...I feel like I was too complacent up to this point, so now I have to *do* something about it. Edited October 21, 2011 by MithLuin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 [quote name='InPersonaChriste' timestamp='1319202840' post='2324617'] YAY! When you said Africa I hoped it would be Eithiopia... My younger brother is from Addis Ababa <3 Prayers! God Bless you! [/quote] It is such a small world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithcecelia Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 This is fantastic news and I am so happy to hear it! A friend of mine taught in Ethiopia for a year some years ago. She found it a wonderful if slightly surreal experience (she was a paid teacher not volunteer and found it odd having a maid, etc) and brought some beautiful things home with her - both in items and experiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MithLuin Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 Well, I do get 'paid' a small stipend (which may or may not be considered an actual salary there), but it is small enough that everyone back home would consider me to be a volunteer . So, they provide food and housing...and my wages are $50/month. It's funny, I don't really know anyone from Ethiopia (I've never tried Ethiopian food, for instance), but I keep talking to people who have been there, or have a friends who's been there, etc. The guy who configured my laptop for me told me he was half-Ethiopian when he found out where I was going. A girl I went to high school with was just there this summer with USAID. Etc. Pretty razzle dazzle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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