El Chasqui The postman October 2013 It’s only been 3 months since I started my experience here in Peru and somehow it all feels just like a dream to be here, away from home, family and friends. On the other a deep-set conviction in my heart tells me that I’ve found another home, another community and another precious experience. As many of you can imagine leaving home for the first time for a lengthy period is never easy and it takes its time to get used to it and let the reality sink in. It really feels like a journey inside a journey. I’ve been asked to write this Chasqui’s edition by sharing with you what we’ve been up to here in Peru as a community of missionaries and though my English has become somewhat rusty due to the continuous effort of trying to speak Spanish, I feel very glad to share with all of you scattered around the world some news and reflections, this time from someone who ‘just’ landed in a new world trying his best to absorb and learn everything coming his way. Apart from myself, there are also Br Giovann Tabone and Br Mike Dimayacyac who are doing this experience of ministry in Peru until next February. We have been assigned with different missionaries in our parishes. Br Giovann is helping Fr Victor Zammit in the parish of Asequia Alta while Br Mike is supporting Fr Giovanni and Fr Beto in the parish of Buenos Aires. I on the other hand am helping out Fr Alex in the parish of St Elena with our ministry extending itself to many of the ‘pueblos jovenes’ (new villages) on the outskirts of Alto Cayma in Arequipa.
A new experience of Community: As some of you may have heard, all our missionaries in Arequipa have embarked on a new experience of community living. For those of us like myself who have come to Peru just recently we could immediately cherish of this initiative embraced by everyone involved. It is being more than just living under the same roof and the deepest wish for this initiative is to create an environment where we can live as a community, sharing various moments together like prayers in the morning and supporting each other in everything we do. For someone like myself who has left the official formative context this initiative was and still is of great support because all our pastoral activity is supported and energized by an experience of community. The new house which we are now living in is proving to be more and more of a blessing to all of us living in it as we feel it is giving us precious opportunities to grow in brotherhood. I, together with my brothers who are doing this period of regency have had the luck of entering into a furnished house, but much work has been done and still is being done for this house to be truly a home for all of us. A moment of sharing and recollection: On the beginning of September all our missionaries in Peru gathered for two days of sharing and communion in the new house. It was a blessing for every one of us gathered for this moment, because apart from having a small moment of input, we could share between each other in a very brotherly spirit what’s going on in everyone’s life and ministry. It was very fruitful because we had a spirit of listening and openness to share between each other. At the end of the day it’s all about coming closer to each other in a way that we can support and sustain each other.
A Night Vigil of prayer, music and sharing: The youths coming from the MSSPled parishes have come up with an initiative to have a night vigil of prayer, music and sharing as part of the activities organized by the different parishes who wish to create more opportunities to come together more in a spirit of communion. The sanctuary of Chapi Charcani which is not very far from our community house, a combined effort made it possible for such a vigil to take place. It was a nice moment to first of all have the youth from the different parishes to be together and at the same time to get to know each other better in a spirit of faith. The vigil was accompanied by music being played by the same youth and in the middle of the vigil we spent some time in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
A vocational activity among the parishes: Our parishes came together once again during the month of October to promote a vocational meeting for all the male youth in the various parishes. The nature of this first meeting was introductory but it served a good purpose to bring together youth who might be interested in getting to know our congregation a bit better and help them think and reflect more on the will of God for their lives. This meeting was followed a week afterwards by a moment of reaching out where the youth who had attended the vocational meeting were invited to give some of their time to the children of our Aldea Sagrada Familia in order to further instil in them a spirit of self-giving.
Br Mike's Renewal of his temporary vows: On the 7th of September we were lucky to witness Br Mike's renewal of temporary vows for three years in the parish of Buenos Aires, the parish he's supporting with his presence and work. In the presence of the all the people close to the parish Br Mike renewed his commitment to God in the hands of Fr Giovanni Cefai as regional superior for our province of Peru. It was a special moment for Br Mike as feels God's call to continue giving his life Him and serving Him right now through the people of Peru specifically of the parish in which he's helping in.
A day to remember Fr Frank: A few weeks after we arrived in Peru we had the opportunity to remember and celebrate the memory of our brother Fr Frank Cortis who passed away last year. In the presence of the people who were closest to him, especially the children and youth in the Aldea, which Fr Frank himself had founded, we celebrated the Eucharist animated by the residents of the Aldea to celebrate his memory and the fruit of his work. It was a beautiful moment where we could really cherish and be proud of the all that Fr Frank had given and lived for here in Peru. Fr. Giovanni Cefai celebrated the Eucharist and Fr Alex Busuttil shared a small reflection, given that now he is continuing what Fr Frank had started at the Aldea. In fact right now Fr. Alex has travelled for some time to Malta in order to continue in his efforts to sustain the children at the Aldea and provide them evermore with more resources which they need. Retreat for the community of Arequipa: During the month of October, all members living and working in Arequipa stopped their daily routine to come together for a day of retreat. It was an important opportunity to renew ourselves spiritually and to be together in a calm atmosphere to pray and share together. It is becoming clearer to us that this new experience of living in community needs to be sustained by moments like these where we especially offer to the Lord this new experience.
A conclusive reflection: After sharing with you some highlights from these last 3 months, I would just like to conclude with a personal reflection on my personal experience here in this region. I feel that for the three of us doing this short experience of 8 months here in Peru, this experience has been a real blessing. It has obviously opened our minds and hearts to a completely new culture, to new people and also to our community of missionaries here in Peru, specifically in Arequipa. I for one, can feel that the region of Peru is going through a beautiful time, where new things are discovered and embarked upon, while others are treasured and continued. Specifically this new experience of community life here in Arequipa has been and still is a blessing for everyone here. Although we’re only at the first months of the experience, we can already see how much blessings are being showered upon us as we walk in this journey of living all together in a spirit of community. A spirit of thankfulness can be felt for this gift and a hope is continuously being instilled in us that we continue to invest in this venture. With the help of our Lord, this experience of community will continue to strengthen and enrich our ministries. I feel blessed to have this short opportunity to make part of this community in Peru, especially for the way we have been welcome and made to feel at home, and can already feel how much this experience is going to leave an indelible imprint on my heart as a human being and as a missionary.