| Some people question the needs
of the poor. I ask them to come and see... |
Some people question the needs of the poor. I ask them
to come and see homes with no water, bathrooms or stoves; to see children
and pigs sorting through the same garbage; to see little food or food scraps
stored in bowls; and to have a sense of powerlessness. And yet, these people
are not lazy, they are willing to work and they do work when there is a
job available. They are clean even in old clothes. They have a willingness
to learn and they have a strong Christian faith. Yet this country has a
very high infant death rate. |
|
And, yes, I believe I looked into the eyes of God--the
children's big, dark, beautiful eyes, as well as Mamacita Leona's eyes
set in the aged, wrinkled, weathered face of a beautiful woman. I felt
vulnerable as I believed that when they looked into my eyes, they looked
into my soul as we shared a solidarity of relationship. |
| Did we do enough? I believe we
accomplished what God wanted for us. |
Did we do enough? I believe we accomplished what God
wanted for us. In the barrios, we did concrete and plaster walls, put in
a door and a window, and helped set up the medical equipment. We developed
a relationship with the people of Sucre, which was a journey of listening,
understanding and sharing our common faith. We met Bishop Perez of Sucre
as well as the priests of the diocese to put forth a concept of each parish
having a construction corps to help the poor. We celebrated liturgies together
and shared our stories together. I learned to work from the reality of
the situation and not to fear. I have reinforced my need to work for social
justice. I learned that God did not want us to do it all, rather he wanted
us to prepare the way. Art Sheridan, Catholic Construction Corps
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