Volunteer Missionary Movement

January 2008 • Volume 14 Issue 12

Learning to Love Like a Child

“We will be receiving four more
children on Monday.” This what I was
told when I arrived at the orphanage in
Santa Apolonia, Guatemala.
Exhausted from two months of
language school, the three-hour bus
ride to the orphanage, and the visual
stimulation that comes with viewing a
place where you will spend the next
two years of your life for the first
time, I simply nodded wide-eyed. The
weekend passed with a blur of
excitement as it was the orphanage’s
nd
22 anniversary. There were grand
meals, parades through the town,
dances, talent shows, nightly masses,
piñatas, music and more fireworks
than I have seen in my life. Monday VMM Alicia Kaul (pictured in the middle)
morning arrived and I was feeling just makes new friends at the Santa Apolonia
as exhausted if not more than when I Orphanage in Guatemala.
had arrived three days before. While
eating breakfast I saw a large group of
adults and children headed my way, I
quickly remembered the four new
children we would be receiving. Once in
the cafeteria, all were served breakfast
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Learning to Love Like a Child even though the Sisters at the
2. Executive Director Report
3. New VMM Board Members
4. CAFC & Dev Director
Reports
5. VMM Friends in Mission
6. Transitions / Wedding News
7. Microfinance / In Loving
Memory / Correction
By Alicia Kaul
although most, including adults, were companions
crying too hard to eat. The four experience.
beautiful children, all siblings under
the age of eight-years-old, looked
confused and terrified by the tears of
their relatives. A few short hours later, the new children, hoping to begin
the final goodbyes were said. One
adult male was weeping inconsolably
Orphanage repeatedly assured him
that this was for the better. The four
children shared in his desperate cries
to change what could not be changed.
The family left. A family with nine
children who farm the fields, who had
just lost their father the month before,
now, under the inability to manage
financially, made the heart-wrenching
decision to bring the four youngest
children to the Orphanage. But
decision is the wrong word to use,
when you live in a country where the
average wage is less than $3.30 per
day (if one is lucky enough to find
work), where the average person
has less than a third grade
education, and large families are
needed to work the fields. Decision
implies you have other options;
these children came because there
were no other options.
A beautiful thing took place amidst
the sadness that clouds the world
of this family. The other children
at the Orphanage came to the new
children, not with jealousy at the
four new faces who would now
require the same attention they all
crave, but with the unbridled
excitement for the children
represent new brothers and sisters,
n e w p l a ym ates, and new
to share in their
Young and old, boys and
girls made their way to the four
children throughout the day, many
bringing their own toys to present
drying up their wells of tears.
The man weeping at the table was
the children’s older brother. Perhaps
the knowledge his younger brother
and sisters just received 80 new
siblings, siblings whose first instinct
is to reach out and comfort their
new, scared, and beautiful brothers
and sisters, may ease his pain if only
slightly. I cannot fully comprehend
what I experienced, but I am in awe
at how children can turn something
so painful into something so
beautiful, and incredibly grateful to
have the next two years to learn how
to love like a child. W

Serving in … Living for ... Mission

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Executive Director’s Report
By Julia Pagenkopf
It has been an exciting Fall for VMM, beginning with the The
SHARE Foundation’s ‘Milwaukee portion’ of their 25th
anniversary celebration during the weekend of September
14-15-16. The keynote speaker at the day-long symposium on
Saturday was Lutheran Bishop Medardo Gomez of El
Salvador. There were also panel discussions and breakout
sessions with Salvadorans who had flown to Milwaukee to
personally share the hopes and struggles of their communities.
We also learned that Sr. Linda Fuselier, from California, who
attended our Discernment Weekend last April, will be
working through the VMM European office. She will be
placed at the St. Francis Counsellor Trainer Institute in
Mbarara, Uganda. We will keep you in our prayers, Linda,
and we look forward to working more closely with our
European VMs!
At the end of October, Betsy and I attended the U.S. Catholic
Mission Association Conference in Austin, Texas, whose
theme was “Are not our hearts burning? Spirituality of
Mission in the 21st Century". One of the presenters was
Shalini D’Souza, SCN whose ministry closely paralleled
Edwina Gateley’s work with women in prostitution. Sr.
D’Souza ministered to and supported women in the
commercial sex trade in India for seven years and also opened
the House of Hope, a residential program for the children of
the women. She says, “In a world of intolerance, exclusion
and individualism, our lives lived in community and
communion is a powerful witness to an alternative model of
social life – rootedness in the ‘Kin-dom’ values of Jesus.”
Another presenter was Katie Eberhard, a young woman who
had spent three years with Franciscan Mission Service in
Zambia. She said, “Mission puts us in the unique position to
reveal the truth that we really are brothers and sisters.” “We
as missioners are uniquely blessed in our position of
In November, some of the current VMM Missioners
gathered together for a two-day Thanksgiving mini-
retreat in San Salvador.
V ol um e 14 I s su e 12
VMM Members gathered for lunch during the 2007
Call-to-Action Conference held in Milwaukee in early
November. (L-R) Edwina Gateley, Julia Pagenkopf,
Joey Gass, Mary Jane & Glenn McLeod, Mary Jo Run-
noe, Happy Gass, and Su Hood.
witnesses of God’s love. We are able to see miracles and
healing in a way that other people often miss.”
Those unique blessings are what form the foundation for the
continual transformation of our missioners, what fills them
with the Spirit, and lifts them up as they walk with the poor
and suffering every day.
The first weekend in November found everyone at VMM at
the Midwest Center downtown Milwaukee for the 2007 Call
to Action conference. Our booth was next to Edwina’s so
we had a better location than last year and were able to
interact with more people. The theme was “From Racism to
Reconciliation: Church Beyond Power and Privilege”, a
theme expanded upon by some outstanding speakers,
including a wonderful workshop by Edwina during which she
introduced us to some of the women she has helped through
Genesis House. Their stories were heartbreaking, but filled
with unbelievable courage and hope. We also enjoyed having
lunch on Saturday and connecting with all the VMM
members who attended CTA.
And then in mid-November, Betsy and I visited El Salvador
for eight days. We gathered all the missioners together for a
two-day Thanksgiving mini-retreat at the Loyola Center in
San Salvador. The gathering gave us the opportunity to
strengthen the VMM community and to share our lives and
thoughts and stories. Storytelling helps to make meaning in
our lives, to explore the small wonders and the larger
significance of how we live in the world, and how we relate to
others.
Continued on next page...
V ol um e 1 4 I s su e 1 2
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Betsy and I were also able to visit some of the communities
that are affiliated with our Project Partners. Ellecuria near
Chalatenango is one of the rural communities that is partnered
with The SHARE Foundation. Two more are being helped by
our Project Partner, FUNDAHMER (Fundacion Hermano Mer-
cedes Ruiz): Santa Cecelia in an extremely poor and violent
corner of San Salvador, where Paul is working developing pro-
grams for young people; and Las Mezas, in a rural area about
two hours east of San Salvador, where the Foster family is liv-
A woman in Las Mezas, El Salvador, makes corn
tortillas for lunch in her kitchen.
A Warm Welcome to Our New VMM Board Members
Tim Muth is an attorney with the Mil-
waukee law firm, Reinhart, Boerner, Van
Deuren, S.C, with a JD from Harvard
Law School. He is married and has three
children. His expertise is in complex
civil business litigation. His parish, St.
John’s Lutheran Church, has a sister par-
ish relationship with a church outside of
Tonacatapeque in El Salvador, and Tim
has made six trips to that country since 2001. He is also the
author of Tim’s El Salvador Blog that can be found online
at http://luterano.blogspot.com.
Irene Senn has worked for 17 years as
the Director of the Office of Peace, Jus-
tice, and Integrity of Creation for the
Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. She has
an MD degree from St. Francis Semi-
nary in Milwaukee and currently serves
with the Southeastern Wisconsin Initia-
tive for Fair Trade. Irene’s commitment
to the Catholic tradition of justice has
led her to activities at the forefront of
issues such as sweat shops in Guatemala; the U.S. govern-
ment’s reaction to the attacks of 9/11; water quality of the
Great Lakes and how American Indians are portrayed by the
media. She and her husband have four children and four
grandchildren.
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ing and helping to improve the water supply to the village, as
well as providing teaching support in the school.
On the Friday after Thanksgiving, the new board members
nominated by VMM Members, attended their first board meet-
ing. We welcome these new directors and look forward to the
gifts and enthusiasm and creative energy they will bring to
VMM. You can find out a little more about each of them be-
low. There were also some sad moments at the Board meeting
as we bid farewell to three directors who will be leaving the
board – Mike McCloskey, Roger Schroeder and John Hallen.
They have led VMM through some of its toughest years, and
their guidance and experience and heart for mission will be
sorely missed. In honor of Mike’s seven years on the board,
and long-standing position as Chairman, as well as the gener-
ous contribution of time and guidance from his wife, Fran, in
financial matters, VMM has established the McCloskey Mis-
sioner Fund which will be used to support the training of our
new missioners in the coming years. I would like to encourage
all of our Members to consider supporting this special Fund
when making donations.
Finally, I want to wish everyone a New Year filled with peace
and joy as we all continue walking the Spirit and Lifestyle of
VMM, in love and service to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
W
Stella Storch, OP, is a Dominican
Sister of Sinsinawa, with an MS in Pri-
vate School Administration from the
University of San Francisco. She serves
as Coordinator of the Justice, Peace and
Ecology Ministry for the Congregation
of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) in Fond du
Lac, WI, working with the Justice, Peace
& Ecology Committee to establish and
carry out goals for CSA members and
associates. She networks with a variety of groups to promote
systemic change and to bring about the reign of God on earth.
Fr. Stan (Stanley) Uroda, SVD, is a
priest in the Chicago province of the So-
ciety of the Divine Word (SVD). Stan
worked as a missionary in Ghana for
seven years, primarily as a chaplain at a
school. Upon his return to the U.S., he
was named Director of Formation of
SVD Seminarians in Chicago during the
period of 1985-1990. Stan has also
served in leadership of the SVD Chicago
Province. During that time, he played a key role in establish-
ing and supporting the partnership between VMM and the
SVD (McKeowns in Chicago and Quinns in West Vir-
ginia). In 2005 Stan was appointed the rector of Divine Word
Theologate in Chicago.
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VMs Break Bread Together in San Salvador

By Betsy Gonwa, Central America Field Coordinator
In November, at Centro Loyola, a retreat center in San
Salvador, VMM hosted a retreat for the VMs. This gathering
was an important and special time for the missioners and balm
for mine and Julie’s spirits. For just as the missioners are
blessed in their service, we were encouraged by being present
and connected to those we serve (the VMs!).
Some of the missioners had met each other before, but others
had not. But our common experiences united us; in no time,
we became community. The children played running and
hiding games, adults chatted until late into the night, and the
Hawaiian melody we sang came to life, “We come to share
our story, we come to break the bread, we come to know our
rising from the dead.” It was a beautiful time of openness to
one another and to the movement of the Spirit.
The missioners were asked to reflect upon their experience
using the imagery of a cup. The image of a full cup was
appealing to those who felt brimming with God’s abundant
gifts, full and ready to offer everything to those being served.
The empty cup appealed to those who wake every morning,
empty of expectations, but completely open to God’s grace
and blessings, ready to be fully present to whatever needs
arise with the people they serve
For me, I felt like the Psalmist who wrote, “My cup
overflows.” And long before the time for farewells, I heard,
“We need to do this more often!” W

On your mark...get set...GO!

By Kathyrn Ebert, Development Director
Hello! I am the new Development Director for VMM (as successful and to some day branch outside of Wisconsin to
some of you may recall from the Fall issue of Bridges). While other parts of the country. If you are interested in attending
I only started my position here four short months ago, it seems the “Mission Circles Kickoff” here in Wisconsin or if you
like I’ve been off to the races, so-to-speak, wearing multiple have friends, acquaintances, relatives, organizations, etc. who
hats and have “hit the ground running” at VMM. you’d like to introduce to VMM please let me know.

I am thrilled to recognize three grants that we have recently I hope to meet you by phone and in person in the upcoming
received from very generous benefactors. We are extremely months. Thank you for warmly welcoming me into the
thankful to the Mary Alphonse Bradley Fund for $20,000 in VMM family and “away we go!” W
support of Laura Hopps, Christine Ruppert and the Friends of
Batahola Volunteers Project; the Dominican Sisters of
Springfield, IL (Poverty, Justice & Peace Fund) for $5,000 in
support of the Foster family and the Las Mezas Community
Support Project; and the FSC Foundation for $3,000 in
support of Paul Agnello and the Youth Leadership Training
Program.

Most importantly I am in awe of the generosity of each and

every one of you, our individual donors. More than 39 years
ago, Edwina Gateley began VMM with the intention to build
on person-to-person relationships. That remains true today.
We are only successful because of your belief in what our
missioners do each and every day. And we can only hope to
continue to serve the poor and marginalized with your
support. Each and EVERY gift we receive — whether it’s
$1.00 or $1,000.00 — makes a tremendous difference.
On your mark...get set...GO! — literally! Marty &
Building on the “person-to-person relationship,” we will be Elly Jordan recently ran the Washington, D.C.
kicking off a “Mission Circles” event with Edwina right here Marathon for VMM and successfully raised more
in Milwaukee on February 15. Our hope is to reacquaint local than $1,800 for VMM from family, friends and fel-
friends with where we are today and introduce new friends low VMMs. A BIG thank you to Marty & Elly!
into our flock. With God on our side, we hope to be Marty and Elly served as VMMs in El Salvador from
2004-2006.
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VMM Friends in Mission: Laura Hopps & Christine Ruppert

By Laura Hopps

Christine Ruppert and I, In addition, the CCBN provides scholarships to 130 students
recent graduates from to complete their elementary, high school and university
Boston College, are education, has a 5,000-volume library open to the public, and
currently working on a provides workshops on a variety of topics including "Child-
pilot volunteer program to-Child" program aimed at reducing violence in the home,
at the Centro Cultural Cooperative Games for children, to explore themes of self-
Batahola Norte (CCBN) esteem, teamwork, assertiveness and conflict resolution, labor
in Managua, Nicaragua. rights for women, and photography for children. For more
After spending a month information see the CCBN website: www.centrobatahola.org.
in Mexico at a Teaching
English as a Foreign Christine and I feel blessed to be part of such an amazing
Language program, we community. Over the next two years, we will be working to
arrived in Nicaragua. set up a sustainable volunteer program, which will include
While Christine started to research into existing programs. We will be starting an
settle into life in English program, which we will begin teaching in February,
Batahola, I spent two as well as working with women's groups that want to become
weeks in Australia at the cooperatives. In addition, we will be helping the CCBN in
Oxfam International Youth Partnership program conference. the development of other initiatives aimed at empowering
It was an opportunity to get to know 300 youth activists from women and youth, and will be involved in the CCBN as
around the world and build "a force for change." This students as well. We hope to take classes in guitar, Natural
experienced has helped me greatly to get a wider perspective Medicine, and other areas! For more information, including
on the world, and to connect with 50 activists from Latin news, photos, and videos, see our weblog at:
America who continue to be a source of information and http://bataholavolunteers.blogspot.com/.
encouragement.
We thank VMM for their support and guidance, and the other
What has inspired me the most in the last three months has Central American VMs! We look forward to sharing more
been getting to know more about the Centro Cultural Batahola about our experiences with you in the future. W
Norte. The mission of the CCBN is: "to live a more humane
and just way of life, according to the Gospels and with
preference for the poor, working through Culture and Holistic
Education to discover Human Rights, Self-Esteem and
Equality. We believe in empowerment and in the value of
sharing who we are and what we have, as a means of
transforming society into the Kingdom of God."

Since 1983, the CCBN has offered a space for culture,

education and practical training, inviting people who have
been excluded from economic, political and social power to
discover their human rights, self-esteem and equality.
Participants in the CCBN's educational program come from
over 100 neighborhoods and spontaneous settlements in and
around Managua. The CCBN has helped hundreds to become
trained professionals such as lawyers, doctors, translators,
social workers, journalists, business administrators, physical
therapists, engineers, musicians, and artists.

The CCBN offers over 11 technical and domestic arts courses
including basic accounting, cooking, sewing, handicrafts,
cosmetology, computer science, and others. The arts
programs include: dance, music lesson, chorus, orchestra,
theatre, painting and drawing.
(L-R) Two members of CCBN meet with Christine and
Laura at a meeting to discuss initiatives for
scholarship students.
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Transitions
By Kelley Burns
It was a whirlwind. Two weeks before I was
scheduled to begin a third year with the Peace
Corps in Costa Rica I was offered the SHARE/
VMM position in El Salvador. I didn’t even
hesitate. In a flurry of excitement, tears,
nerves, and goodbyes, I “redistributed” my few
belongings, packed my bags and landed in San
Salvador on October 11, then reported for
work the following Monday morning.
As the Grassroots Solidarity Education Coor-
dinator for SHARE (www.share-
elsalvador.org), I am in charge of organizing
“large” delegations. My first project consists
of planning a delegation of 100 youth to visit
El Salvador in July 2008. The delegation will
have an environmental theme and focus on
creating alliances between Salvadoran and American youth.
(If you know of interested youth please send them to
www.share-elsalvador.org/delegations/youthdelegation.) We
are also working on developing a theological consortium in
which we will build on SHARE’s long history of accompani-
ment via delegations by adding an academic focus for theo-
logical schools and seminaries. I am very excited about both
projects and am proud to be a part of SHARE’s legacy of soli-
darity with the Salvadoran people.
In November, I attended my first VMM retreat and met my
fellow Central American VMs. As this was my first face-to-
face meeting with VMM, I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
What I found was my community. Since leaving the Peace
Corps, I hadn’t realized how much I missed that camaraderie
that is created among people who have dedicated themselves
to a common cause. Regardless of where we started, we’ve
ended up here, looking to be part of something bigger than
ourselves. “My cup runneth over.”
As far as living in El Salvador, my experience is distinct from
most volunteers in that I have not lived in the U.S. for over
two years. Whereas most volunteers are giving up the crea-
ture comforts of the first world, I’m moving from living in a
marginal community as a VERY grassroots organizer, to liv-
ing in an urban environment as a NGO worker.
The greater institutional and systematic failings of El Salva-
dor are not far either. I only have running water in the morn-
ings and even then it’s not safe for drinking. Armed guards
pepper the streets, and hang out of delivery trucks. Of the
fortunate individuals that are counted as “employed,” over
50% of them sell goods in the streets. Trinkets, toys, fruits,
fish, crabs and cell phone covers are pandered at intersections.
Those that don’t have anything to sell, improvise. Mimes,
acrobats, magicians, and window cleaners perform between
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cars at red lights, then pass by windows for
change. At an intersection I pass through
each day on my way to work I see a young
man spitting fire out of his mouth. The first
time I saw a big ball of flame erupting into
the air, I thought a bus was exploding. When
I realized what was going on I was some-
what amused by his industriousness. I was
still thinking of the long-term health conse-
quences of this trade the next time I passed,
when I saw a young boy of nine or ten alter-
nating with him and it suddenly seemed
more desperate than industrious. There are
so many children, young boys barefooted in
old filthy clothes on Sunday morning side-
walks. The only thing more heartbreaking
than seeing them, is when you realize that
you don’t notice so much anymore and you wonder what kind
of person you are to not see it.
That is the tragic irony of El Salvador. Another life, one that
doesn’t know hunger or desperation, is visible everywhere yet
definitively out of reach. Luxury malls abound selling mi-
rages, no less fictitious than the storylines on popular Colom-
bian soap operas. In Costa Rica, the poverty is not immedi-
ately evident. I found it hiding behind tourist resorts and na-
ture reserves. In El Salvador, there is no hiding. Here, pov-
erty comes to me. W
Wedding News
VM Keith Pfaller and his wife,
Colleen, were married on Sep-
tember 2, 2007. Keith works as
youth minister and Colleen
works at Comair. The Pfallers
reside in Ohio. Keith served as a
VMM in Zambia from 2000-
2002.
Congratulations
Keith & Colleen!
Calling all VMM Members! If you have news
you’d like to share in an upcoming newsletter,
please email Kat at kebert@vmmusa.org.
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Microfinance: A Path to Service for Lay Missioners
By John Hallen
Over the past 25 years, microfinance programs, especially in
Latin America and Africa, have made a significant impact on
poverty. The World Bank reports that of all the programs at-
tempting to help the poor, microfinance has consistently been
the most successful. Muhammad Yunus started microfinance
in Bangladesh by establishing the Grameen Bank in 1974. He
recently received the Nobel Peace prize. From 2001-2003
Craig Hickein and I worked extensively through Catholic Re-
lief Services (CRS) with micro credit programs in El Salvador
from 2001-2003. Microfinance has achieved both impact and
sustainability. It seems to me to be a great area of service for
lay missioners.
The majority of the world’s people earn their living as family
farmers, artisans and trades people. A visitor to Central Amer-
ica will immediately spot many poor people trying to sell vari-
ous goods on the streets. Many would be considered extremely
poor and can barely survive on a subsistence economy. In ur-
ban areas as many as 50% of working people are engaged in
these types of activities and in rural settings the percentage is
even higher. Muhammad Yunus gave very small loans to poor
women in Bangladesh to start cottage businesses. It might
have been buying another cow or a piece of equipment but
whatever the case it allowed the borrowers to make a small in-
come. The dramatic learning for Yunus was that the women
paid back the loans at a 90% plus rate. Thus the microfinance
movement began. Today the World Bank estimates that over
500 million people support their families through such small
scale projects.
In Loving Memory
On December 27, 2007, Lara
was tragically killed in a car ac-
cident leaving behind five chil-
dren under the age of 14. Lara is
the sister of our missioner, Dae-
mian Foster. Daemian and his
family are currently serving in
Las Mezas, El Salvador. <
Eternal Rest Grant Unto Her,
O Lord , and May Perpetual
Light Shine Upon Her.
CORRECTION
In the August 2007 issue of Bridges we misspelled Carole
Schupp’s first name, omitting the “e” at the end of
“Carole.” Our sincere apologies to Carole for the error!
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John consults with a microfinance client. John
served as a VMM in El Salvador from 2001-2003.
John Hallen consults with a microfinance client. John
servedcountries
In many as a VMM theinabsence
El Salvador from systems
of banking 2001-2003.
which pro-
vide access to the poor leaves the poor with no access to formal
credit. Most people are squatters who have no legal property
which can be used as collateral. People with an entrepreneurial
spirit have to get loans from family members or moneylenders
who charge exorbitant interest rates often as high as 20-30%
per month. There are also pervasive stereotypes that women are
credit risks which make it difficult for women to negotiate for
financial services.
There are thousands of different microfinance businesses. They
all start with very small loans. Examples from El Salvador in-
clude: an oven that helped a woman expand selling pupusas, a
small cart that allowed a man to sell ice cream, a loan to ex-
pand a living room to provide more space to sell groceries and
a set of home cleaning items which helped two young girls
start a home cleaning business. As people repay minimum
loans they qualify for larger loans if their businesses are viable.
CRS promoted the formation of cooperatives which provided a
sense of support and solidarity to the participants. These groups
often became the community banks which managed the loan
program. They provide a guarantee for loans and are a vehicle
for supporting group member’s businesses. The meetings also
provide a forum for women to socialize, exchange ideas and
pass on information useful to the members. These cooperatives
or community banks are self-managed. They elect their own
officers, determine procedures and regulations and establish
appropriate bylaws.
The growth in microfinance institutions has been phenomenal.
Financial institutions such as banks which avoided micro credit
originally, jumped on board when it became clear that loans
were repaid at a 90% or better rate. Many had to change their
stereotypical thinking about women and the poor. Microfinance
is an excellent vehicle through which to apply the Social
Teachings of the Church. It is another avenue through which
VMM missioners can serve and journey with the poor. W
 Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 9
Greendale, WI

Volunteer Missionary Movement

5980 West Loomis Road
Greendale Wisconsin 53129
Our Mission
VMM recruits lay Christians in an ecumenical
spirit to witness to the Catholic social justice
tradition. VMM supports their commitment to
sharing their lives, resources and skills as they
collaborate with domestic and overseas partners
to promote equality, empower sustainable human
development, and challenge unjust and
oppressive social structures.

Bridges is published by the U.S. office of the Volunteer

Missionary Movement (VMM). Phone: 414-423-8660; Email:
vmm@vmmusa.org; Website: www.vmmusa.org. VMM is a
nonprofit 501(c)3 charitable corporation registered in Illinois.

The Newsletter Editor reserves the right to edit all submissions.

Executive Director: Julia M. Pagenkopf
Development Director: Kathyrn Ebert
CAFC: Betsy Gonwa
Office Support: Tom Kowalski
VMM-Europe: All Hallows, Grace Park Road, Dublin 9, Ireland

Spirit and Lifestyle

This is a continuing excerpt from “Spirit and Lifestyle” by Edwina Gateley
We must be men and women We learn to be still and to listen
whose action in all types of prayer,
is motivated and strengthened not only to the needs
through prayer. of our brothers and sisters
We gather together in the noise and action
to share our worship and prayer, of today's world,
recognizing that Christ is but also to that silent movement
at the center of our lives, of God's action within us
and that as People of God, which leads us to a deeper
celebration and worship awareness of God's
means sharing and gathering. love for each of us
and a greater sensitivity and caring
Our prayers, as well as being for all God's People.
shared and public, We bring together in harmony
also involve personal and silent en- the voice of the people and
counters the voice of the Spirit,
with God and we strive to
for which there can be respond to both.
no substitute. W