As promised, a beatification update!  I had such an amazing weekend at Lago de Atitlán. The first night we got there, Friday, we took a boat taxi across the lake from Panajachel to our hostel near Santa Cruz.  I was already loving it because it is the prettiest lake I have ever seen.  Not only is the water a beautiful blue, but it is also surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, so what the heck.  And our hostel, instead of being a building, was a covered area looking out over the lake and tents up above also looking out over the lake.  How cool!  The water was also great for swimming so we all jumped in the first night as a thunderstorm rolled in.

But the next day was the big day.  After a slight misunderstanding of how the boats work, we took a boat back to Panajachel, which is on the opposite side of the lake from Santiago Atitlán, and then had to walk to another port and get on a different boat to finally get where we were trying to go.  It ended up being kind of nice that we were a little late thought because when we arrived to town as the beatification was happening, and it was all over the place.  The first thing we saw when we got off the boat was a sign with Father Ruther on it advertising this special day, so naturally I took a picture with it, but they actually were all over the place as we made our way to the church,  Iglesia Parroqial Santiago Apóstol.

As we walked through Santiago Atitlán, everywhere and I mean everywhere, had the beatification playing.  Restaurants, cafés, stores all had EWTN streaming on their TV's and what was really cool was that even people selling stuff on the street had it playing through their speakers, so literally anywhere you walked, you could hear the beatification mass going on.

So we showed up to the Church and find our seats, we were able to get about halfway up to the front, which was pretty good considering the size of their choir and band.  Also for a solid hour and a half, people just kept bringing in more chairs.  I thought it was almost full when we got there so I don't even understand how they possibly fit more people in there.  I don't even really have an estimate for how many people were there, but it was absolutely a fire hazard.  And that isn't counting the overflow outside.

Even though we were late, luckily we were there when Father Stanley Rother (Padre Apla's as the indigenous people called him) was officially declared blessed.  They announced it in the church in Tz'utujil, the Mayan language spoken there, and the church broke out in applause.  From then on until mass in the church there started, it was me leaning over to Cassie (my fellow missionary and Antigua roomie) saying things like, "See that guy? That's my dad!" or "That's my former pastor!" or "That's the priest that baptized me!" and "That's my spiritual director!"  It just went on and on and I was just so excited to be able to be part of this event through the people back in Oklahoma that I am close to and by being able to be where it all began.

I am especially proud of my parents for all the hard work they put into this event.  The countless ours my mom has spent working and planning to help this all come together, and my dad who chanted the gospel in English during mass.  Seriously so cool!

There is a photo that I see a lot of Blessed Stanley Rother of him standing in his rectory, and on a quest to find the bathroom, I stumbled upon that exact spot.  That was unreal.

After mass ended, they had a procession around the town, which was not like one I had seen before.  All the ones I had seen were very solemn, but this was most definitely a celebration.  There was music, jumping, dancing, yelling, horns, the whole nine yards.  I don't have words for how special it was to be there.

Beato Padre Apla's ¡Ruega por nosotros!

Our last day at Lago de Atitlán, we hiked up to a waterfall, which was so cool!  Never mind the fact that instead of a 45 minute hike up a paved path, we literally just hopped from rock to rock up the river and it took us over an hour.  And never mind the fact that we only did this because we didn't see said path on the way up.  It was more fun the way we did it anyway.  Overall a great weekend filled with lots of great memories.

I said goodbye to my Spanish teacher today, which was hard.  She has been so great for me.  She has such a kind heart and sting faith.  Knowing her has been an incredible blessing.

Now, I'm preparing to leave Antigua, my home for the last seven weeks.  I'm feeling all the feelings about it too.  I'm sad to leave this city that I have enjoyed so much.  It's excited to meet the children and my fellow missionaries.  I'm nervous that my Spanish is not good enough.  I'm thankful for the time I have had here in Antigua and for the people I have met.  But I also feel very at peace.  Something that is so important to me and that I try to live by is the example the Virgin Mary sets.

"And Mary said, 'Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."
Luke 1:38

I don't know what is to come in the next few months, in the next year or so.  I don't know the kids yet.  I don't know how often I'll be able to call home.  I don't know who I'm going to share a room with.  There is so much that I don't know.  But I am simply a servant of the Lord.  So whatever his will is, that is what will happen.  And that is all I need to know right now.  Honduras, here we come!

Long post alert, because it's ben a while. Also I ramble a lot in this one, so sorry in advance.  I just have a lot to say.

Some updates from the last couple weeks in Antigua:

• The police were called with a complaint about us setting up hammocks in a public park, which we had absolutely no idea was prohibited, so now we’re wanted in Guatemala (hope mom and dad are proud).  I also fell out of said hammock.  So now it is safely tucked away in my suitcase until I get to Honduras.

Just showing the people what they want to see

• I experience a taste of Honduras with a weekend trip to Copán to see some Mayan ruins and swim in hot springs in the middle of the jungle (casual). In my 24 hours there I met some of the most helpful and friendly people I cross in my travels. I get to live there in less than two weeks!

• I celebrated independence day for Central America, which was a party that went on for days.  There were parades for about three days and on the actual day of independence, the 15th, the parade literally went on all day long. I only lasted about 2 hours at a time. I didn’t know there could possibly be that many school bands in Antigua, but it just never stopped. Something else that never stopped were the fireworks, which kind of just sound like bombs so that took some getting used to. They started at about 5:30 in the morning of Independence Day.



Typical Antigua.  Parade, the famous arch,

and a volcano in the background.

• We all attended the confirmation of my Spanish teacher’s son.  I was so touched to be a part of such a special day for that family.  That being said, everyone here is extremely welcoming.  Our spanish school’s motto is “Mi casa es tu casa” which we hear all the time. Spanish and English speakers alike know this phrase but it is embraced here like I just have not experienced before. Emilia, my spanish teacher has had students before me, and will have students after me, but in my time here, she has welcomed me here, looked out for me, brought me into her home, and loved me.  Not only because she is such a caring person herself, but because that is the way of life here. Another example is my host mom, Chiky. She actually calls me and Cassie “hijas” which just makes my heart melt.

Lastly, I have been reflecting on this since being here in Antigua, where the sacraments are just so available.  There are churches everywhere with multiple daily masses a day, and I feel like most of the time you could find a priest to confess to.  There is also a 24 adoration chapel about three blocks from my house.

The thought of doing a year of mission work is very different from what I am experiencing here in Central America so far.  In the past, my faith has always had ups and downs.  I go on a mission trip or to a Catholic conference, and I am on a high.  After a while I come down from that high and fall into a rut.  And that has been my pattern.

Something that excited me about going on mission is that I might finally get out of that pattern.  I might not fall into those ruts anymore, and ideally I would stay on a spiritual high long term.  But what I have learned instead has been far more profound and humbling than the satisfaction of feeling the presence of God.

Feeling that presence is amazing, and something I think we all want.  It is comforting to feel God's presence in my life.  But if I don't get that warm fuzzy feeling, if I don't feel comforted, does that mean that the Holy Spirit is not working in my heart? Absolutely not.  God is always there.

I often think about Saint Theresa of Calcutta.  She struggled with doubt, spiritual darkness and dry prayer for years.  But I do not have a doubt in my mind that the Holy Spirit was moving within her, and that the Lord was using her to do his work.  Just like all of us are called to be instruments of the Lord.

No matter what we feel or don't feel, we must always seek the Lord, knowing that he is waiting with open arms.  And trust me I'm someone with A LOT of feelings.  Feelings are great.  But what is even better is truth.  And what I know to be true is that God is guiding me.

You don't have to have a turning point, one big moment, some kind of revelation.  You don't have to throw your hands up in the air, burst into tears, not everyone has a dramatic story with a big moment to tell.  Those moments are great.  But ultimately what we are called to do is seek the Lord.

So pray, seek the sacraments, go to mass and confession, go to adoration.  So you might not get that Jesus high that you may be after.  That's okay, because the Lord delights in knowing you.  And no matter what you feel, God has you in his hands, and you're safe with him.

This coming weekend, we’re taking a trip to Lago de Atitlán where we get to go to Father Stanley Rother’s mission in Santiago Atitlán on the day of his beatification! If you don’t know his story check it out here because my next post is going to include some of my experiences there.  Until next time!

Paz y bien,

Cat

Here I am in my fourth week in Antigua, Guatemala, with four more weeks to go! My time here has had its ups and downs, all beautiful in their own way.  I’ve taken salsa classes, gotten completely soaked in the afternoon rain (which has become pretty much a daily thing now), met people from all over the world, shared my faith with people of all different backgrounds, learned a TON of Spanish, sprained my ankle, laughed until I cried, and so much more.

    It hasn’t all been easy.  Spanish is hard, but I’m getting there, poco a poco.  Sometimes I just get so frustrated with myself for not knowing everything I wish I knew, but then I have to remember that I’m just a person and it’s going to take time. I just have to trust in the Lord.

    Now that the other new missionaries have arrived (except one who will meet up with us in Honduras), I am getting to know each one of them as a friend over the past week.  They are all such kind and caring examples of what it means to follow Christ.  Not to mention, they are all so hilarious and such a joy to be around.  I feel so lucky to be able to serve with them for the next year.  I’m especially excited after we had our missionary retreat this past weekend where we learned more about Finca del Niño, its history, its missionaries and its children.  I am so eager to be there and start serving!  Keep everyone at the Finca in your prayers, the Holy Spirit is doing great things there.

In my transition into living here, I have felt some of the sacrifices of dropping everything and moving to Central America for this mission.  I see friends from school setting up their classrooms, getting into the swing of things as the school year kicks off in the States, and it is a bit hard because that was my dream for so long.  But, one day, that will happen for me, too, and what I am doing now is so good.  I was reading a reflection the other day on this verse:

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.”

-Matthew 13:45-46

    The reflection that went along with it talked about missionaries who left their homes and went to foreign lands to preach the Kingdom of God.  While part of me feels the sting of the sacrifice of not being able to set up my very own classroom, meet all my future students and their families, and start being a “real adult” (yeah right),  I am so lucky to be called to this mission.  No matter what I might selfishly be missing, the Kingdom of God is the most precious pearl and it is totally and completely worth it.  

    After reflecting on this, I prayed a rosary and the closing prayer I was reading started, “Oh God, whose only begotten son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation.”  And then I realized, WE are Jesus’s precious pearl.  He made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and that is so mind-blowingly beautiful to me. It all came together so seamlessly, God was speaking to me in that moment, giving me comfort.

Keep praying for us missionaries as we prepare to serve, the current missionaries as they continue serving in this very special place, and of course the children, that they grow into followers of Christ.