Opportunities for gratitude - Looking Up

I generally forget about this moment in Lent - when we stop reading about the movement towards a covenant sealed in sacrifice.  Standing with the apostles bathed in the glory of God in a transfigured Christ, I have to look up. 

I can pause, and remember the joy that the transfiguration foretells of the glory of Easter.

I have often said that when I am old, or sooner if possible,  I want to have the same expression that I have witnessed on the faces of old religious sisters that I have met here in the US and around the world.  There is often a serene smile from a life well lived, but there is something more, and I have always believed it is true joy.  Most missionaries I have known have had moments that they retell where they have felt richer than any king.  They tell of a child, or a family, or a kindness, or an occasion when they truly felt the presence of this transfigured Christ, the beloved Son.

This weekend we had the tremendous blessing of being at the Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles where there is truly an abundance of faith and joy. For this opportunity to be here with more than 40,000 Catholics and for the opportunity to reflect on these moments of joy on the journey, I am grateful.

What are you doing March 23-25?

If you are like 40,000 Catholics from across the country and around the world you will be traveling to Anaheim for the annual Religious Education Congress or as a friend of mine lovingly calls it the Catholic state fair.   We in the Mission Doctors office can’t miss this opportunity to share our work with at the nation’s largest annual gathering of Catholics!  This year we will be sharing the One Million Patients Project and showing attendees how to put themselves “in the picture” (details to come in my next blog post). 
 

So if you are going to join us in Anaheim, stop by booth 468, we would love to say “Hello!” and thank you for your support.   

Bambelela / Never Give Up

A weekend spent at the Religious Ed Congress in Anaheim with 40,000 Catholics is something that I have head referred to as the ‘Catholic County Fair’!

The spirit of the event is busy, beautiful, tiring, and blessed!

My role for the weekend was once again to represent Mission Doctors Association at a booth, and specifically the One Million Patient Project. We gave out hundreds of fliers describing the T-Shirt design contest that ends April 30 – and invited people to sign up to receive the packet for High Schools, Youth Ministries, Confirmation, etc. We had many sign up and Jessica is working on getting these out today!

As we were packing up in the rain on Sunday I still found myself singing Bambelela from the Mass on Friday with Fr. Martin and Marty Haugen leading the music. Never Give Up is a strong message as it related to the people of South Africa and their struggles toward independence, but it is a message that resounds for all people all the time.

The middle of Lent can be a time when we can feel like throwing in the towel on our sacrificing, we can become weary with the season – so this may be why even now on Tuesday a.m. I am singing ‘Never Give Up’ as I face a desk covered with more projects than I have hours!

So… Bambelela – Never Give Up! Take heart – we are on the journey together!

(Bambelela by Marty Haugen is available on ITunes)

What a weekend!

As many of you know, this past weekend was the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim and what a weekend! We shared a booth with Lay Mission-Helpers and had the opportunity to share the story of this great work that has gone on for more than 50 years – there were more than 21,000 registered attendees!

We premiered OMPP...the One Million Patients Project and talked to anyone that would listen about the work of Mission Doctors. Visit www.OneMillionPatients.org

Thousands of faces, hundreds of bookmarks, old friends and new, handshakes & hugs ...phew! It was a great weekend, but needless to say - a quiet Sunday evening was very much appreciated.

But no time to rest….We are so excited about this upcoming weekend, our 2010 Mission Doctors Retreat/Seminar. Doctors and their spouses from around the country are traveling to Los Angeles to learn about Mission Doctors and the opportunities to serve short term in Africa or Latin America. Please keep us in your prayers this weekend, as doctors discern their call to serve. On Sunday our local friend will join us for Mass at LMU. A busy time, but an exciting time as we are all working together to bring health care to those most in need.

What is OMPP?

Have you heard of OMPP?

In this case its not the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning or the Ontario Motorist Protection Plan.

It is something new for Mission Doctors, a way for everyone to get involved and make a difference. We will be premiering OMPP next weekend at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, we will be at booth #469 and online at twitter.com/missiondoctors