A F R I C A !!!

I am a Hobbit.  I never realized it before, but, I am a Hobbit-or at least I tend to resemble one.  I do not have curly hair on my toes nor do I smoke a pipe, but I do live a very wonderful, small, simple, comfortable life.  Until I received the invitation to go to Africa with my friends, Father William Oruko and Lisa Morris.

Father William and Lisa were invited to lead a parish mission on the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at a shrine in Nairobi.  They were to leave on September 17th and return on October 2nd.

When I received the invitation to join them in the trip, I assumed that my husband would not want me to go. The trip involved being away for two weeks and I knew that it would not be inexpensive.  After further thought, I knew that I did not want to go.  It was a long period of time to be away from my family and it was way out of my comfort level to be that far from Knoxville.  I was shocked to discover that  Ray was in full support of me going.  However, I still could not see myself going.  After a month or two, I approached my good friend and told her that I probably would not be able to make the trip.  Lisa, being the lovely, affable friend that she is, accepted my answer without disappointment and with love.  I was so appreciative of that.  And I felt badly about it.  And everything was fine...for a few more weeks.

While at a very early daily morning mass at Holy Ghost Church, I noticed the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that hung right behind the ambo.  Throughout mass, I knew that I was being asked to accompany Lisa and Father William to go to Africa for the mission.  I prayed about it, reflected on it and just knew that I was being asked to go.  But I still did not want to go.  It just sat with me and I felt sad, and uncomfortable, and I knew that it wasn't like me to just dismiss something this important.  When I finally accepted that I would go, I internally threw-up my arms and said: "Well, OK, I give it all to you-all of it" and I felt a great peace about it.  And joy.  So, I am going to Africa.

And so it begins.  For the past few weeks, I have known that part of my responsibility with regard to the trip is that I am to document the trip through pictures and writing this blog.  I had no idea how to begin.  I rolled it around inside of me for some time and then I just started praying about it.  I walked into our kitchen this morning and opened up Come Be My Light, a book about the private writings of Mother Teresa, and this is what I read:

"...'The Call' was a delicate gift of God to me...From the first day to this day-this my new vocation has been one prolonged 'Yes' to God-without even a look at the cost.-My conviction that 'the work is His'-is more than the reality.-I have never doubted.  It  hurts me only when the people call me foundress because I know for certain He asked - 'Will you do this for Me?'  Everything was His-I had only to surrender myself to His plan-to His will-Today the work has grown because it is He not I that do it through me.
     Of this I am convinced-that I would give my life gladly to prove it-"

And I knew- this is where I needed to begin.

Mother Teresa was an incredible woman:  holy, beautiful, incredible work ethic, was in love with and in relationship with our Lord in a way that many of us would like to be and aspire to be, but just can not reach yet.  Mother Teresa gave every, every bit of herself to Jesus.  In work, in prayer, in everything that she did and said--she just "lived Jesus".  Her words, works and actions have inspired and changed and helped more people than we could possibly imagine.  In her writings about her call, she describes her "yes" or her answer to God as her abandonment and trust in all that God asked of her-and she did it in haste, quickly and without counting the cost.  She then states unequivocally that it was this "yes," this abandonment to all that Jesus asked of her, that allowed her to accomplish all that she accomplished. Because the work was not hers - it was His.

It is with this hope, desire and prayer for our upcoming trip to Africa - TO LET THE WORK BE HIS.  It is with much hope and prayer that the five of us going are able to give to Jesus all that He asks of us, that we answer promptly without counting the cost.  And, as a result of our abandonment to all that He asks of us, that our trip be fruitful, not only for ourselves, but for those for whom it is meant for.

Oh Sacred Heart of Jesus

Filled with Infinite Love, 

Broken by our ingratitude and pierced by our sins,

Yet, loving us still, 

Accept the consecration we make to you,

Of all that we are and all that we have, 

Take every faculty of our Souls and Bodies, 

And only day by day draw us nearer and nearer to your 

Sacred Heart

And as we should hear your lessons, 

Please teach us your holy ways.

Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
Rosa Mystica, Pray for us.