I hope you are well and rejoicing in the blessings of the Lord. I wanted to share with you a little about my current mission, as well as tell you about the mission that I hope to carry out next.

Currently, I?m in the parish of St. Peter the Apostle, Sector 4, in Planes de Santa Maria, working with our pastor Father Luis Gerardo. In our parish there are nineteen communities and my focus is on the youth and families here. I spend my time rotating between the aldeas; organizing retreats; assisting in conferences; supporting the various movements within the churches; and also doing home visits, passing time with the sick or children with special needs. We?ve started youth groups in each of the communities and much of my work is motivating the teens and teaching them about the faith.

Looking at all that I?ve done and experienced this year, I?ve seen great need among the people here. The youth are incredibly wounded by abuse, machismo, outside pressures, and the disintegration of the family. Due to terrible family circumstances, there are many children who aren?t studying and there are some children who don?t even know how to read and write. I know teenage boys whose fathers have told them that in order to be men they need to drink, and a disabled girl who is left alone in a wheelchair for hours each day without anyone to accompany or protect her. These teens are discouraged and feel that their lives have no worth. Despite all this, they long for something more. They have the desires and the ability to bring about positive changes, but they don?t have the opportunities.

I need your help so that I might help them. Working for the parish doesn?t provide pay and there are living expenses to be covered. Without funding, I won?t be able to continue my current mission. Moreover, I hope to expand my mission. I want to be better prepared when they come to me to share their problems. This has inspired me to take steps to start studying psychology in university, but I?ll need funding to be able to do so.

If you?re able to participate in the mission with monetary support, please fill out the sponsorship registration form included in the envelope. All donations made to the mission are tax refundable.

If you?re unable to offer monetary support, I ask that you participate in this mission with your prayers. Please pray for me, for these families, these teens, and for Fr. Luis that we might persevere in spreading the message of God?s love and hope to all of His children.