It’s strange that I came down here to the perilous “third world” community (I know we aren’t supposed to say third world anymore, but you can trust me when I tell you that none of my Ladies are worried about that terminology, having rules about political correctness is definitly a luxury of being rich) thinking I would actually save someone from something; as though somehow, I was not only a missing link, but an extremely imporant one.
As it turns out, there are tons of missing cogs, and finding my place in this community doesn’t fix anything, it just helps, and that’s it: Pretty inglorious. Cara and I, all the people selling La Tienda stuff, or buying it, or sending money, it’s all good. It’s all changing lives on an individual basis. People sit so close to the edge here that every $10 we get REALLY matters. $10 is the difference between food and no food.
But MAN we sure are missing alot more cogs!!! I wonder why that is. Are we not doing enough? Are others not doing enough? Is it unsolvable? (wait no- after 6 years here I truely beleive that when Jesus said “the poor will always be amoung us” had nothing to do with wether or not there is a solution to our friends and neihbours being hungry, but rather an invitation and a challange to always remeber them, and not just in a moment when you want to judge someone elses spending habbits.) I think anyone who works towards serving impoverished, sick, or uneducated people, learns to function with out enough resources (be it things, or know how) to fix it all, and just be satisfied to keep our hands to the task in front of us.
My good friend William Brown the Third, is a Doctor working in one of the poorist neihbourhoods in NYC. We became friends on one of his many service trips to the DR, and have remained close over the years. It’s funny to listen to him talk about some of the things he encounters trying to practice medicine within a marginalized community. Arguably the people he works with are LEAPS and BOUNDS ahead of the Haitian Communities he worked with while here in the DR in terms of resources available to them, but many of his stories sound exactly the same as what we deal with here everyday in the Co-op. Funny how you can find such strong similarities between making bracelets in the Caribean and curing illness in NYC. It’s weird.
Going into it, I think any “do-gooder” has grand idea’s of what they can accomplish if they just join the cause, but what we discover is that serving people, takes your ALL. Serving people WELL takes alot more than just YOUR all, it takes yours and a whole bunch of other peoples. I think that’s why Jesus says that the whole Church is his body, and not just John Pijper or Mother Theresa.
That’s it. Just some thoughts.
Powerful Rach!
Your reflections on life and service are an encouragement and a reminder to continue in the footsteps of Jesus. Again, thanks for sharing!
Great thoughts!
I’m glad you’re part of the body. You are a beautiful reminder of the lesson I have to keep learning: I’m not called to fix anyone, only love them.
The woman I am loving here in the front lines in Canada have the very same srtuggles. Only instead of starving from food.. it is will and determination they have given up on because fighting to fit into a culture that glamorizes stuff leaves many feeling not good enough in a unwelcoming teared system. Sometimes I think the poorest and most heartbroken in NA, could find a refuge and strength in DR… And if you are the finger on the body.. I feel like the smelly skin between the toes. Your life and determination are amazing Racheal! In glory..one day in glory, it will all make sense…. ***HUGS*** Keep up the good fight my friend!