February 2010

1st semester has come and gone along with tests, quizzes, and exams. As a whole my classes did really well. 71 students passed my class out of 80 for the first semester. Then Christmas break came and I had the glorious opportunity to go home. It was such a relaxing break. I spent most of my time just with the family and it was probably one of my most low-key breaks I have ever had - which was good because I needed it. Many people asked me how it was to be back home after experiencing such a vast difference of culture, economic status, language, living conditions, etc... and the weird thing was that it was not weird. It felt normal to be back home except for the fact that it felt like the past 4-5 months of my life were just a dream. But I know they were not. Others asked how I felt being around material things, expensive things, comfortable things.

Being in a foreign country on mission is very different than a week mission trip to a foreign country. The attitude one comes out of it with is much different. In the past going to places like Jamaica and coming back I was filled with a misplaced zeal that constantly echoed in my head "to cleanse America's attachment to material things." But I realize now I had completely missed the point. It was not that I had to cleanse America's attachment or even anyone else's, but my own. I now realize that the zeal I felt was not for everyone else to be purified, but myself - in realizing what things are actually important and what things are extraneous in my own life, in realizing how much everything is a gift and a grace from God and not something I deserve, in realizing that everyone in my daily routine life at home should be treated with the same love that I had given to complete strangers, and in realizing that I should be just as concerned about those I see in everyday routine life, concerned about their problems, their hurts, their brokenness, their desire to be loved, their thirst for love, their hunger for love, and above all concerned about their salvation. For some reason when you're on mission, you're able to see those things in a much clearer way but once back in "reality" of routine life it's easy to forget those things and caught up with honestly, very stupid and trivial things. Belize has taught me so much and when I went home, I really wasn't distracted by the comforts and luxuries of home, I just saw them in a different light, I saw them not as something bad that I needed to get rid of, but rather as gift. Everything is gift. I became so appreciative of all that my family has done for me and sacrificed for me so that I could have a good life.

I became so appreciative of all those who have encouraged me along the way, friends, parents of friends, teachers, classmates, colleagues, and family. I LOVED being home. I LOVED being with my family. But there was something that was missing. Something that I didn't realize what it was until I came back to Benque - that I am meant to teach and that I am meant for ministry and evangelization. As soon as I stepped foot onto the school grounds and was greeted by smiling faces of my students calling out "Hey Maestro!" I knew I am where I am supposed to be for now. We had a group from New York come in to all of our religion classes for the first week back and it was so funny to watch. One, how concerned I was to make sure that this group wouldn't say anything that would scandalize my kids, I felt so protective of them, and Two, how the kids did not seem to trust them as much as they trusted us missionaries who had been there for a while. They for sure treated us the same way when we first came, but it has been amazing to see the progression in relationships with these students - because they have been opening up to us in new ways and I think are beginning to realize that we are here because we love them and that love is changing them.

Teaching has been fun and it is one of the most wonderful things to be able to see your students actually learning. I strategically set up my classes in ways that my students would begin to see connections between the Old Testament and New Testament and it has been awesome to see my students raise their hands with a look of wonder and awe at the fact that they finally get it... "so Jesus is the New Moses?!?!" I am very excited for things still to come in my classes. It is truly amazing to see the child-like faith of these kids and to really see how much they desire to become men of God. A student wrote in their journal, "Mr. I want you to pray for me to be a good boy and to stop doing bad things because I don't want to be like that. I want God to help me to be a different person in this world. I want to forget bad things and to know good things of God. I want to pray to do good in high school also to have more power to continue in high school. Because I want to graduate from here. Please Mr. help me to be a different boy I don't want to be a bad boy and I want to stop doing things that are not good. Please Mr. help me, thanks." Another student wrote, "I would appreciate much if you would pray for my study because I want to very good and pass to the next form and keep studying so that I may have a better future also I would love if you would pray so that God change my life so that I may follow Him and understand that He is the way to the eternal life. Pray for family so that all problems may be taken out by God and that I may have a better character. Thanks for all that you do for the class. I appreciate that you care about us. I will be praying for you too. Thank you."

One of the most amazing things thus far was the fact that one of my student's grandfather passed away. I cancelled my classes for the day and went to attend the wake and the funeral. As his family gathered in his living room in front of the casket and prayed a Rosary - I began to realize how much responsibility I have. I am responsible for these kids' souls - for teaching them, for forming them, for loving them. The look of appreciation that the student gave to me when he saw I was there was intense for I realized that I have a much bigger role in these kids' lives then I could ever have imagined.

Recently I held a retreat for guys who are interested in joining a club that will encourage them to practice their faith together known as the Knights of the Immaculate. I told them nothing about the retreat but 9 guys showed up. Unbeknownst to them, the secretary and I called their parents and asked them to write a letter expressing how much they loved them and how much they were proud of them an appreciative of them - things Bequenos do not speak of too often. It was awesome to see them read their letters and their reactions - many cried because of the love that they had felt. One student came up to me and asked, "Mr. who wrote the letter that said "your mother and your father'"" and I said "Your mom and your dad." In disbelief his eyes got really big. "But Mr. are you sure it was them?" and he showed me the envelope and I said "Yes, that is the envelope your dad gave me." Again in disbelief he looked as if he was holding back the tears. "What?" I asked, "Mr. they don't know how to write." "Well, I guess they found someone help them." He was in shock. Then I surprised all of them yet again with T-shirts.

They all looked so happy and had a glow about them and together, in our awesome T-Shirts we all went to Mass together. Then I received this letter... "Hola Mr. David, I just wanted to let you know that I applaud your effort you are giving into the young men's youth group, "Knights of the Immaculate." It takes courage for young men today to do this especially in our Belizean society. This is the first time since I have been at Mount Carmel that there has been something like this. I am most especially thankful for the change you have made in the life of my son. He has had his fair share of sadness in his tender age. Growing up without his daddy and and me always being so far away from home working in trying to make ends meet has been tough on him. I don't know what you have been doing in your classes with these young men but I sure know its great things because you have made a difference in his life. So for this I would like to extend a big thank you."

Needless to say, mission has been going amazingly. Why do I write you these great things that are happening? Not at all to boast but it goes back to what I said before - Everything is gift. Everything that I give, is not my own, I can only give what I have received. Everything that I give, it is because I have received it. I may not even be here now if it weren't for the fact that you all have supported me through prayers, through monetary support, but most of all through love. We all have received and received and received and it is all grace and gift, sown by someone else, watered by another, and harvested by another. These fruits of conversion that I see are because someone else has sown, others have watered - the only way I am here now is because others have sown, others have watered, but most of all because people like you and people before you LOVED. Everything is gift - be open to receive it and be ready to give it away. "What do I do with all of this LOVE?" and He answered, "Give it away, give it away, give it away!"


Continue to keep us in your prayers. If you could offer any Masses, Rosaries, Holy Hours, quiet times, Bible reading, suffering, sickness, pain, etc... for the mission, trust me, it will produce fruit. Thank you, thank you, thank you!