{"id":131170,"date":"2018-01-31T21:20:57","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T23:20:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.missoeshumanitarias.org\/participants-in-the-missionary-practice-experienced-the-joy-of-serving-the-neediest\/"},"modified":"2018-01-31T21:20:57","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T23:20:57","slug":"participants-in-the-missionary-practice-experienced-the-joy-of-serving-the-neediest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.missoeshumanitarias.org\/en\/participants-in-the-missionary-practice-experienced-the-joy-of-serving-the-neediest\/","title":{"rendered":"Participants in the Missionary Practice experienced the joy of serving the neediest"},"content":{"rendered":"

From January 20 to 28, the 34th<\/sup> Missionary Practice<\/a> was held, organized by Fraternidade \u2013 International Humanitarian Federation<\/strong>.\u00a0 Fourteen volunteers participated from several cities of Brazil and Colombia.<\/p>\n

The activities took place in several locations. These included the Francis of Assisi Park<\/a>, in the city of Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Creative Life and F2 within the Community-of-Light of Figueira<\/a>; at the House of Light on the Hill<\/a> (Park of the Kingdoms); in the Hut of Saint Joseph and in the Home for the Elderly Sao Vicente de Paula, both in the city of Carmo da Cachoeira, Minas Gerais, Brazil.<\/p>\n

Francis of Assisi Park<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>The participants gathered on Saturday, the 20th <\/sup>of January, in Carmo da Cachoeira, the city where the headquarters of Fraternidade and the facilities of lodging of the missionaries are located. On the following day, the group went to Lavras, a 34 mile distance. Here they came into contact with the reality of 450 street dogs rescued by the Francis of Assisi Park.<\/p>\n

Great joy<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great joy for me to be received by a symphony of barking, which greeted us and cried for a little attention. And to know that we could humbly do something, even if as little as for a few hours, to bathe them, clean them, give them a little love\u201d, said Anderson Pereira Santiago, one of the 14 volunteers in the practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are very grateful for the visit of the missionaries because this place always transforms with this love that they fulfill their tasks with\u201d, said Lenilce Gomide, one of the founders of the Park.<\/p>\n

Creative Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>On Monday, 22, the volunteers went to Creative Life (VC), one of the lodging areas of the Community-of-Light of Figueira, where they harmonized the sector of healing baths, in the area of the lagoon. \u201cIt is the beginning of a great transformation that will revitalize and perfect the whole process of healing that takes place here, in union with the Kingdoms of Nature<\/a>\u201d, said Florence, one of the coordinators of Creative Life.<\/p>\n

Park of the Kingdoms<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

On Tuesday, 23, it was the turn of the Park of the Kingdoms, in Carmo da Cachoeira. The group removed a fence that had been deactivated for a long time, and which was covered by climbers. A wire fence was also removed and a general cleaning was done in the area. \u201cI feel a deep gratitude for this opportunity of healing. This cleaning that we did here reflects and influences our individual processes of evolution\u201d, shared Amanda Borges Scribano, another participant in the Missionary Practice.<\/p>\n

The Hut of Saint Joseph<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Hut of Saint Joseph, a storage of donation attended by the missionaries of Fraternidade, there were tasks on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The first two days were dedicated to the cleaning of the place, organization and restoration of things to be donated, as well as the harmonization of the shelves. Saturday was the day of attending the needy people who, in great numbers, arrived in search of clothes, footwear, mattresses and other objects stored in the area. This time, the children who accompanied their parents or family members could participate in games and special entertainment, in harmony with the nature of the place.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A day of feast<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a day of feast, with many people; I felt the love of these people when they received the donations, in a calm way, without disturbances\u201d, said Suely Poeta, a member of the Network-of-Light<\/a> group of Sao Paulo.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very beautiful to see how people go happy, taking the things they need and also participating in this exchange of fraternal love. This renews us to continue to serve with great joy\u201d, shared Myriam Ram\u00edres, of the Network-of-Light of Colombia.<\/p>\n

Home for the Elderly Sao Vicente de Paula<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Elderly of the Home Sao Vicente de Paula, in Carmo da Cachoeira, received the visit of the volunteers on Friday afternoon, when they prayed together the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. As in previous occasions, the exchange of love and gratitude was deeply felt, according to those present in the place.<\/p>\n

Labyrinth of F2<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>In F2, another lodging area of the Community-of-Light of Figueira, the Missionary Practice brought the possibility of collaborating in the harmonization of the labyrinth, one of the sacred spaces of the Community-of-Light. The volunteers cleaned the place, removing leaves and fallen branches.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe labyrinth of F2 represents the path we tread in life, which, at a certain point, is converted in the quest for something higher, internal, profound. And we, as missionaries, had the opportunity of cleaning this path of everything that distracts us in this quest, this alignment. Surrounded by eucalyptuses that, by growing upwards, show us our true destiny: to aspire always to the Highest\u201d, reflected Rosi Freitas, of the Network-of-Light of Guaruja. The volunteer remarked that one Missionary Practice is never like another, because everything is always in continuous transformation, generating new experiences to live and share in group.<\/p>\n

Spiritual healing<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Missionaries Practices are held every month, and have the duration o fone week. In the words of Luzia Serdano, coordinator of the 34th<\/sup> edition, these experiences represent, for those who participate in them, a great opportunity for spiritual healing, the liberation from tensions that are typical of the nervous current life, the pacification of the heart, and the experience of the joy of serving the neediest in the world: marginalized human beings and those forgotten by society, animals that lack love and Nature unbalanced by so many excesses.<\/p>\n

Those interested in participating in the upcoming Missionary Practices can obtain additional information at the secretary of Fraternidade \u2013 International Humanitarian Federation<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

secretaria@fraterinternacional.org
\nTelephone: +55 (35) 3225-1233
\nWhatsApp: +55 35 9914 1200<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n