New Inspiration

Only 5 days left before we fly toward East Timor!!! It’s crazy how quickly the time goes. During this time, Brendan and I have changed and grown. Some of this growth has come from unexpected sources of new inspiration that I am so grateful for.

Probably one of the biggest sources of new inspiration has come from living so close to the Canossian Sisters in the missionary convent next to our volunteer house. They are such examples of complete love of God and others more than themselves. And their stories of how God called them, sometimes dramatically, to be completely consecrated to Him and to live a lifestyle of radical simplicity and poverty are so beautiful. So to see them and know them is to see that God is constantly working in the world, and that strong, beautiful people are willing to give everything up to respond to His call. It’s difficult to explain, but I hope that you get to know some Sisters in your area.

As an example, a few days ago Sister Mel shared her story with us. She’s the Sister from Brisbane, Australia, who played soccer with us. Her story is incredible! In short, she was an aspiring Olympic athlete, who had won 2^nd at the Australian national championships for javelin throwing when she was 19. This qualified her for the Olympic trials for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Being in the Olympics had been her goal since she was five years old.

But in other areas of her life God had been working. Even though she had everything at the end of high school – popularity and success in athletics and academics – she felt empty and even hated herself. She ended up in the back of church one day by God’s grace and a priest came and talked with her, helping her to find the value of herself in Christ. Through the help of him and one of her friends she went from hating going to church when she was young and only going when her mom forced her (even chasing her around the house with an iron) to making her faith her own.

She became involved in a local youth group and from there youth retreats led by the Canossian Sisters. After she was going to retreats regularly, the Sisters asked her if she wanted to come with them to Rome to help with a VOICA missionary conference and volunteer at World Youth Day 2000. She also got in touch with Sister Pat through them and worked out getting to go on a one month mission to Africa. The cool part is how God went from not even being on her radar, to being a significant part of her life. And this was only the beginning.

She told us her motivation for wanting to go to Rome and Africa was still completely self-related. She would get to travel and satiate her curiosity about what Africa was really like. So even though the time of the Olympic Trials she had qualified for coincided with World Youth Day, she decided to go to WYD 2000 because mentally she was training for the 2004 Athens Olympics anyway and this would be her only chance for Africa.

So inspite of the protests of her coaches, parents, and sponsors, she took half a year off and went. In Rome she had a beautiful and moving experience at World Youth Day, probably much like Brendan and I had in Sydney. Then she went to Tanzania for one month to work with the Sisters and she said that in just one month Jesus and Africa stole her heart and she has never been the same.

She went home and told her parents, coaches, and sponsors that she was done training when her contract was up. Her eyes had opened to a whole new reality and she couldn’t be satisfied with her whole life being “throwing sticks” : ) She went to university and graduated with a degree in education. She also entered the order of the Canossian Sisters during this time, being so overwhelmed with love for God and neighbor.

Since then she has taught English, Physical Education, and Religion in the poorest school in their diocese (she had great stories to prepare us for teaching : ) And don’t worry – she still uses her javelin skills when chances come up. Once a year at the school’s phys ed carnival she earns the respect of the middle school and high school boys who dare to face her in javelin throwing : ) Now she is preparing to go back to Africa – to Malawi. So things come full circle. And even though she gave up her Olympic dream and has had other difficulties, her joy is apparent! She is one of my favorites here!

Always,

Rachel and Brendan