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October
2010 Adult Mission Experience
JULY
22nd - Main Pages
St. Joseph Church - Grafton, WI
Adult Mission Experience 2010
Study and Preparations
July 22, 2010
Part I: Prayer and Reflection
Caritas In Veritate - A Papal Encyclical
Complete text is available here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.html
To be honest with you, it is not
required to read this whole document; however it does give cause for our
work in Los Toros and in the third World.
As most of us know, a Papal Encyclical
is a teaching document for the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict relied on
a number of sources to compile and write this document and it indicates
the heritage and depth of the Catholic Faith.
At the very start of the document he
makes a strong point that Charity cannot be separated from other aspects
of our lives; our families, our work, our relationships with others. He also points out that it is from the Gospels that we draw our theology
and direction in terms of works of charity.
The document quickly points out that
we live in a globalized society that produces relationships all over the
world. These relationships are not just economic, goods made in China,
but also social and spiritual. I regularly get correspondence from
friends in Brazil, Africa and of course the Dominican Republic. These
dynamics have a profound effect on our lives.
“Charity goes beyond justice,
because to love is to give” (intro # 6). In other words, in justice I
am obligated to help and share with others; but my relationship with
those who receive is not a matter of obligation, I am called to love
them, this is mandated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ! That my friends, is a
powerful statement that calls us to develop loving relationships with
the people we serve in the Dominican Republic. This means friendships,
it means intimacy, and it means adapting to another culture and
accepting some of its values. Save this thought - we are going to come
back to it - many times!
The heart of “Caritas In Veritate”
comes from another encyclical written by another pope - Populorium
Progressoio by Pope Paul VI. It is interesting that the Catholic Church
addresses Human Development as integral to the life of humanity; in
other words it includes more than the spiritual and theological!
Then comes the notion of “Charity in
truth is a force that builds community, it brings all people together
without imposing barriers or limits” (chap 3 “. So, in Los Toros it
brings us together with people of a different color and language and
education and culture. We are part of a community.
Finally we need to address the
spiritual and integrate it into our charity; “A
humanism which excludes God is an inhuman humanism”. But here
again we face another culture and perhaps a different spirituality.
Before we define their theology and spirituality we could clearly define
ours.
So charity is integrated into our
lives, integrated into a global community, goes beyond random acts of
kindness. Charity belongs to Justice, but also to Human Development, to
Relationships and to the Spiritual.
July 22nd
continued………
Travel:
We will post our travel itinerary on
the web, please share it with important people in your life. If you
requested we will purchase your airline reservations - they are not
refundable. Also we will register you with the US Consul in Santo
Domingo as a person going on a Mission, this affords you certain rights
and protections. We will drive to Chicago - O’Hare and fly from
Chicago to Miami and connect to a flight to Santo Domingo. There often
is no food available for purchase on the flights; I pack a lunch. In
Santo Domingo you are required to purchase a Tourist Card for US$10.00,
please have US$ 10.00 in cash (correct change) available for this. The
airport in Santo Domingo is distant from the city and it takes about one
hour to get to our hotels, land transportation to our hotels is
arranged. The next morning a chartered bus will take us to Los Toros.
There will be a lot of walking on this trip, bring good walking shoes!
Since we will be taking Mission Supplies with us it is important that
each person understands that we take all our personal clothes and items
with us in our carry-on. Checked bags are reserved for Mission Supplies.
Information on bags will be posted on the AME web page. http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010baggage.htm
Also a page on finances will be posted
on the web page, please follow the instructions on that page. http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010finance.htm
Housing:
There are two hotels available for us in Santo
Domingo, Hotel/Apart Esmeralda and the San Marco Hotel. We will try to
get you booked at your preferred hotel; however you may need to be a
little flexible. For hotel fees please see the finance page.
In Los Toros you will stay either with
a family or at the Los Toros Mission Center/Guest House. We will try to
assign you to a home with the facilities you request, “however you may
need to be a little flexible”. (Yes, this is one of my favorite
sayings and you will be hearing it often.)
If you stay at the Los Toros Mission
Center there is a bathroom and kitchen; those living at the Center will
have dinner and supper at a home, breakfast will be on your own, bring
some oatmeal! Check our “What To Take” page on the web for
information on - guess what! http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010whattotake.htm
Getting
Around:
As we mentioned before, bring good
walking shoes. We will arrange all land transportation; it will always
be safe and secure and please only use our pre-arranged transportation.
Santo Domingo is a city over twice the size of Milwaukee and it can be
very busy. But it is an important city of the Americas and we want you
to experience its history and culture. Los Toros is a small village of
about 5,000 people. It is now easy to get around on foot (paved
streets), there are few cars and trucks but a number of “motores”,
little motorcycles that roar around town without lights at night - so be
very careful!!!
Haiti
- Special Project:
The island of Hispanola is about two
thirds Dominican Republic and about one third Haiti which is located
about two hours west of Los Toros. Because of the very poor economic
conditions in Haiti as well as the terrible earthquake this year many
Haitians have immigrated into the Dominican Republic and right now there
are about one hundred living in Los Toros. They badly need help and you
are going to be in a position to help them! Please see the Haiti Project
page on our web site. http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010haitiproject.htm
Trip
Objectives - Mission Objectives - Your Personal Objectives:
Our trip objectives are listed on the
web page - http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010.htm
. Our Mission Objectives - Philosophy are also listed on our web page at
http://www.lostorosmission.com/Welcome.htm
.
May we suggest that you start a
journal right now and list some personal objectives, other than those
stated above, for this trip. This is a unique opportunity to encounter
another culture, a different theology (mostly liberation theology) and
spirituality. You will see different social traditions and customs and
perhaps a very different way of life. You will also have the opportunity to
encounter some very loving and caring and hospitable people!
July 22nd
continued………
Time
Line - Preparation:
This is a Mission Experience and
involves some work on your part. It may be as simple as observing,
asking questions or reading to some children. To work effectively we
need to be prepared and equipped for the work, so preparation is
important. A Time Line and Travel Itinerary as well as a trip Agenda is located on our web
page in the "Time Line" link. http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010timeline.htm
Well, by now you might have the
impression, “this guy is serious”! We
have a unique opportunity to positively affect the lives of people
living in the Third World - and we are! There currently are sixteen
people receiving scholarships - Becas for higher education. We often get
letters of thanks from graduates explaining the tremendous positive
effect their education has had in their lives. Our programs in Los Toros
have greatly improved the health of the community and in some instances
are saving lives! We are doing this because of the call of the gospel of
Jesus Christ and accomplish this service through the community of faith that we have formed in
the Catholic Church. We embrace the gospel and we embrace our church and
the principles that it represents. “Charity goes beyond justice,
because to love is to give” (intro # 6). The community of Los Toros
has embraced us, trusts us, collaborates, cooperates and works together
with us. Not only that, they allow us to hold them accountable, and we
allow them to hold us accountable. This is a long term relationship;
your participation on this trip is a sign of our community’s
commitment and that commitment goes beyond charity - congratulations on
your decision to participate and have a good trip!
By the way, there will be a quiz on
all of the above material.
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