CAMINOS. Alicia M. Romero

Transcription

1 Issue 1 Volume 1 March 2007 Misioneros CAMINOS AMOR EN ACCION Jesucristo La Roca Firme David Masters Después de volver prematuramente de Venezuela, luego de haberme entregado a JVI (Jesuit Volunteers International), me sentía cien por ciento convencido de que Dios todavía me llamaba a servirle como misionero. Mientras yo estaba estancado en medio del exilio de mi desilusión, Dios me envió Amor en Acción para reanimar mi alma y llenarme de esperanza. Yo estaba como los huesos secos de Ezequiel 37 y Amor en Acción era como el aliento de Dios que me revivió. Dios me envió Amor en Acción para reanimar mi alma y llenarme de esperanza. How Amor en Acción Changed My Life Alicia M. Romero Amor en Acción brought me to church. Amor en Acción taught me church. Amor en Acción helped me to see things I probably never could have fathomed. My first missionary experience was all about people, from different walks of life, intermingling, creating church in the most unexpected of places, with the most unexpected of faces. And that s where I met God. Amor en Acción me levantó y me hizo parar sobre la roca firme de Yeshua el Cristo. Amor en Acción integra parte de la iglesia viva que insiste en extenderse más allá de las orillas y las fronteras geográficas y políticas. Amor en Acción es una comunidad de seguidores del Buen Pastor cuyos oídos están sintonizados a la voz de Él en medio de sociedades que muchas veces pretendan ahogar esa voz divina con una cacofonía de egoísmo, compadrismo, tribuísmo, y clasismo. Amor en Acción es un puente de la solidaridad que busca la hermandad universal más allá de lo conocido y lo cómodo. I met people who were rays of sunshine in dark caves, joyful noises amidst quiet graves. Inspiration in the face of despair, a sense of pride, sacrifice, love, need, strength, and dedication. These were the things I found in the people of La Vega. These are the things I learned because of Amor en Acción. Alicia Romero enjoying a summer camp in the Dominican Republic.

2 Yon vwayaj an Misyon Deacon Jean Edoualdo Desmornes Office of Social Advocacy Archdiocese of Miami Deacon Jean Edoualdo Desmornes on mission in Haiti. Refleksyon sou ofri ak resevwa. Nan mwa janvye 2007 la yon gwoup misyonè ki te gen nan tèt li Amor en Accion te kite Achidyosèz Miami pou rantre Haiti nan dyosèz Port de Paix. Achidyosèz Miyami ak Dyosèz Pòdepè jimle ansanm nan travay men nan men pou akonpaye pèp Bondye a. Vwayaj sa a te pwofitab anpil nan koze relasyon dyosèz yo ak rankont pesonèl moun ak moun. Yo di Ayiti se peyi ki pi pòv nan zòn Wès la tandiske Etazini se peyi ki pi rich la. Vwayaj sa a te pèmèt kèk jenn Meriken ki gen bonkè konprann pèp Ayisyen yon fason pi pozitif pase fason televizyon konn montre. Vwayaj sila a pèmèt nou konprann diferans ki genyen ant moun ki ap ofri ak moun ki ap resevwa. Moun ki ap ofri toujou kontan bay, moun ki nan bezwen toujou kontan resevwa. Anmentan an tou, nou ka di meyè fason moun ofri moun se cheche mwayen pou ede moun k a p resevwa a avanse dekwa moun sila a kapab vin gen yon lavimiyò. Misyon sa a fè m dekouvri ki kalite bon relasyon ki deja ekziste ant gwoup Amor en Accion ki nan dyosez Miami ak moun Port de Paix. Oganizasyon misyonè sila a bay kè li pou ede moun ki nan bezwen. Mwen te sezi tande kouman kèk jenn moun nan Achidyosez la vle ofri tout yo menm pou ede frè ak sè Ayisyen yo. Anpil moun PòdePè vi n zanmi ak misyonè yo. Sa fè nou sonje Bon Samariten an ki te desann bèl cheval li pou l mete blese sa a asasen te piye kite atè. Nou te rive konprann tou kouman moun ki ap resevwa a konsidere ofrann lan. Moun ki bezwen gen yon fason pou resevwa si l vle devlope yon jou pou li pa tounen depandan restavèk. Nan refleksyon pawas sila la a, yo dekouvri kouman yo resevwa nan move kondisyon. «Nou resevwa pou satisfè yon bezwen men se pa pou vanse pi devan... Konsa nou ta renmen moun ki ap bannou yo chita ak nou pou koute priorite nou olye pou yo ofri nou sa yo wè ki nesesè pou nou» dapre Wilson prezidan karitas Mawouj dyosèz Port de Paix. An nou reflechi nan moman karèm sa a pou ofrann nou yo kapab rive ede frè ak sè nou devlope. Menm si yo pa rive rich tankou nou ya remesye Bondye ki enpire nou pou ede yo rive viv yon lavi miyò. Lè sa a Bondye limenm va resevwa ofrann nou yo tankou Jezi te di li nan levanjil Matye Chapit 25 : «Byenfè nou te ofri sila a yo ki pi piti a se mwen menm nou te ofri li.... vi n pran eritaj lavi Papa a ki pap janm fini an». Mèsi. Technical Mission to Port de Paix Andrés Trujillo & Igor Reyes Bishop Paulo, CRS & Amor en Acción celebrate the new housing covenant. Construction team & children of Paulin review construction during site visit Workers pouring concrete columns for the new houses at Village St. Michael. On March 8th of this year, Amor en Acción s Team Haiti, comprising Andrew Chiwara (civil engineer), Igor Reyes (architect) and Adriano Garcia (architect) as well as collaborators Marta Carbonell and Andres Trujillo (teacher), set off on a highly technical mission trip which included attention to our projects in Port de Paix, Miami s sister diocese. This project consists of housing that will serve 200 families directly affected by Hurricane Jeanne, a storm which in September of 2004 killed more than 600 Haitians in the regions of Gonaives, Port de Paix, and Terre Neuve alone, and leveled the homes of many others. The first of these projects, the Village of Saint Michael at Paulin, is currently being designed by young Haitian architect Yves-Rene Senates and is being funded by (CRS) Catholic Relief Services. We are proud to announce that the first 10 houses are currently nearing completion. Amor en Acción, along with Bishop Paulo, CRS Global Solidarity representative Farid Moïse, Father Miguel Dolce, and architect Yves- Rene Seantes, signed a covenant to establish the vision and procedures. All three sites were visited by the team. The architects and civil engineers labored tirelessly to coordinate the project s structures and infrastructure and created an agreed upon master plan. Team Haiti generated work schedules and realistic projections of construction costs and materials, as well as delineating all the human factors involved in the project, including pastoral considerations. Let us all pray and collaborate to make these wonderful villages a reality and embark on a better tomorrow for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

3 Spiritual Direction from Our Pastors : Kote ou vle ale, se la ou-a rive Reverend Steve Ohala Reverend Steve Ohala crossing a river in Port de Paix, Haiti Kote ou vle ale, se la ou-a rive is one of my favorite Haitian proverbs. Literally, it means: Where you want to go is where you will arrive (Adonde quieres ir es donde llegarás). You might think that the point is obvious: we wanted to be here, and so here we are, even from Michigan and Haiti. If we wanted to be somewhere else, then we d be there. However, we miss the meaning of the proverb if we think of it in geographical terms. It s not really about wanting to go to this place or that, but about the direction or mission of one s life as a whole, which defines the kind of person one wishes to become. In fact, I could see Jesus saying to his Father, As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world, then turning to his disciples and saying: Now, do you want to go where I am sending you? Do you want to go to the least of my brothers and sisters and share with them the good news of my Father s kingdom, to which all are invited? If you are truly my disciples, then that is where you will want to go, in order to arrive at the special place I ve prepared for you in that kingdom. Kote ou vle ale, se la ou-a rive. But if the kingdom of God is where we all want to go (and I believe it is, whether we realize it or not), the question is, How do we get there? Let me tell you about James Hudson Taylor, the founder of the China Inland Mission. When interviewing a group of applicants to ascertain their motivation for service, Taylor asked them why they aspired to be foreign missionaries. Because Christ has commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, one said. Another replied, Because millions are perishing without Christ. Taylor s profound counsel was: All of these motives, however good, will fail you in times of tests, trials, and possible death. There is but one motive that will sustain you during trials, tests, and martyrdom, namely, the love of Christ. That love is not only the way to God s kingdom, it is the way of God s kingdom, which Christ himself reveals. He is our way, our truth, and our life, as the fullness of God s love for us, not in an abstract or merely sentimental way, but in action, at the service of our brothers and sisters who are in greatest need - the poorest of the poor. You have helped us to see what Isaiah saw in his vision of God s justice, where people of different cultures, races, and languages could unite in joyful worship of God and mutual love for each other on God s holy mountain; and you have helped us to hear the transformative word of Christ as Paul heard it. By your own confession, faith, and witness these past thirty years, you have helped us make Christ s way of love in action our own, because you have made it your own. In fact, the scenario of Christ turning from his prayer to the Father and addressing his disciples is not imaginary. I believe it happened to Alicia, Adriano, and the founders of Amor en Acción over thirty years ago. The Lord inquired of them, Do you want to go where I am sending you? Their answer was: Claro que sí! Years later, the Lord again spoke to them, this time via Archbishop McCarthy, saying: So far so good. Now, I will send you to a place you ve never been, to a culture with which you re not familiar, and to work in a language you don t know. Do you still want to go? Again they rejoined, Claro que sí! Pè Bo must have wondered, Who are these crazy Cubans? But he also must have perceived how their love in action reveals to us not only the way to God s kingdom, but the way of God s kingdom. Por el camino de amor en acción, kote ou vle ale, se la ou-a rive. Reverend Ohala distributing communion to the Haitian faithful. Our History AMOR EN ACCION Amor en Acción, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, is a missionary community recognized as such by the Archdiocese of Miami. The community was founded as a result of the individual missionary experiences of two of its members, Adriano Garcia and Alicia Marill. In 1976, both participated in separate Catholic missions in the Dominican Republic. Upon their return to Miami, both felt a special call to dedicate their lives to lay missionary work, serving the poor in the Caribbean and Latin America. Ms. Marill and Mr. Garcia founded Amor en Acción (Love in Action) on the principle that faith without works is dead (James 2:14). From the community s earliest stages, Amor en Acción s members dedicated themselves to promoting the Catholic faith in the missionary dimension of the Church. In 1978, the late Archbishop Edward McCarthy gave the missionary group his blessings and sponsorship, enthusiastically supporting Amor en Acción s vision of living out the universality of the Catholic Church. Since its founding, Amor en Acción has touched thousands of lives in other countries and here at home. Today, with the continued blessings and guidance of Archbishop John C. Favalora, we collaborate as the missionary arm of the Archdiocese of Miami in its Sister Diocese of Port de Paix in Haiti, and also work with the bishops and pastoral agents in five areas of the Dominican Republic. As we work to meet the urgent needs of the poor, the very people we serve continue to evangelize us in Gospel values. This is referred to as mission in reverse. Thus, together, we work toward building the Kingdom of God.

4 Amor en Acción Inducts Two New Board Members Anna Figueroa Anna Figueroa, our new board member, has been a member of Amor en Acción since the age of 16, when she was a student at LaSalle High School. Anna was a pioneer on the first ETC formation team in the history of la República Dominicana. Since then, Anna has been a driving force on numerous AeA projects in la RD, including La Vega, Cienfuegos, and Cutupú. Anna has worked as a national sales director for Spanish language television broadcasting networks. Anna has served as an inspirational leader in AeA s fundraising efforts during the last decade. Becky Prieto on mission. Amor en Acción 30 year celebration Becky Prieto, our new board member, is a child psychologist and special education teacher by trade and an Amor en Acción missionary by divine vocation. In addition to adeptly directing 5 consecutive summer mission trips to la República Dominicana, Becky has excelled as a fundraiser and chairperson of our annual Noche Caribeña Dinner- Dance Extravaganza. Becky, who joined Amor en Acción in 2001, is a proud parishioner of Saint Brendan Parish. República Dominicana : Proyecto Esperanza Dr. Josefina Chirino El Proyecto Esperanza es un sueño que se va haciendo realidad, aunque en condiciones muy precarias y sin poder abarcar todas las necesidades. Surge el 18 de Diciembre de 1999, con la visita a la familia Tiburcio, en Barrio Blanco. Aquí vemos la realidad de tantos niños sin escuela, y junto con los miembros de la Parroquia, empezamos a trabajar en un censo, concientizando a las personas. En septiembre del 2000 se pudo comenzar con las clases en dos sectores: Villa Orilla y Barrio Blanco. En Villa Orilla se trabaja en el patio de la casa de una señora, que con sus hijos adolescentes y una vecina, dan las clases a unos 150 niños. En Barrio Blanco se comenzó en la capilla, y después se pudo comprar una pequeña y vieja casita. Aquí tenemos a 170 niños de todas las edades, y la mayoría sin declarar. Durante estos cinco años de trabajo se han podido declarar 202 niños y 10 adultos. El trabajo ha sido duro por la poca conciencia de los padres, pero no ha sido en vano. El sueño del Proyecto es poder tener una GRAN CASA ESCUELA LABORAL O TECNICA donde los miles de niños que no tienen dónde ir puedan tener un lugar de acogida, se eduquen, salgan preparados para la vida con una profesión, y sean capaces de ayudar a su país a salir de la miseria. Para que este sueño se convierta en realidad, necesitamos un área de 50,000 M (cincuenta mil metros cuadrados). Sabemos que el proyecto es ambicioso, pero así cubriríamos las necesidades de cientos de niños que no pueden tener una buena educación. Contamos con la ayuda y oración de todos. A continuación una carta redactando el primer día de clases: Miami, 21 de Noviembre de 2000 Queridos amigos y educadores: Me es de sumo agrado comunicarles que ayer, 20 de Noviembre, empezaron las clases para los niños del Proyecto Esperanza. Les contaré cómo fue todo. El sábado pasado, día 18, ya se habían citado algunas familias en el ayuntamiento para comenzar el proceso de legalización (actas de nacimiento) para aquellos que ya tenían los papeles necesarios en orden. Ayer fue la primera reunión con los niños inscritos en el Proyecto, que fueron los de Barrio Blanco. Les recuerdo que hay cinco barrios donde se pretende llevar a cabo el programa. Me cuenta Sor Angelina que se aparecieron más de 90 familias (algunas con cinco niños) para que sus hijos comenzaran el proceso de alfabetización. Una niña en particular, de quince años, quiso que la inscribieran a pesar de su edad. Sor le aclaró que iba a estar en clase con niños mucho más pequeños, y la muchachita respondió que no le importaba, que ella quería mucho aprender a leer y escribir. Una mamá le llevó su hijito, de unos ocho años, sordomudo. Otro caso fueron dos hermanitas que las echaron de la escuela porque se portaban mal, pero dijeron que lo que más ellas querían era aprender a leer. Y así, Sor Angelina me contó tantas historias que me partieron el corazón. Pude palpar la desesperación de un pueblo hambriento de lo que muchos de los nuestros no saben apreciar. Que Dios bendiga su interés y esfuerzo por llevar adelante esta obra. Fefita Image Courtesy of Elisa Guerra-González

5 Sister School Focus Michaela Ecker Archbishop McCarthy High School (AMHS) sponsors Chamoise, our sister school in Haiti through the Amor en Acción Sister School program. AMHS is responsible for paying the teacher salaries of seven teachers. Twice a year we have an envelope collection. We give all the students an envelope in their theology classes and ask them to return it with a donation. The Amor en Acción Mission Club also has bake and beverage sales at least once per quarter. This year we have already exceeded our goal. Sister school nutrition program. The Mission Club just finished fashioning posters of the Prayer of St. Francis in English, French, and Creole to be taken to our sister school by Fr. Chacha. Also, the Art Honor Society made an altar cloth that will also be given to Fr. Chacha to be taken to Chamoise. From now on, Chamoise will have a little something from us at AMHS and Fr. Chacha has promised to bring back pictures. Students from Archbishop McCarthy High School process with their school s banner. Saginaw Corner Amor en Acción : Helping our youth build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Jennifer Watt- Saginaw, Michigan However, that being said, I have learned through experience that placing God first is the only way to achieve a lasting peace and joy in my life. Therefore, I feel as missioners, it is our task to assist our young people in building a relationship not only with the members of our community at home and in the Dominican Republic, but most importantly with Jesus Christ. Combined missionary group from Saginaw, Michigan and Miami, Florida Recently, during a visit with Bishop Robert Carlson of the Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan, I was struck by a comment that he made regarding the youth of the Catholic Church. He stated, that not only in our church but also in other denominations, men and women falling into the "twentysomething" age group were being lost to their faith. The accuracy of this statement brought to mind family members, friends and acquaintances that through their actions and stories shared have proved the truthfulness of this sad fact, causing me to wonder- what we, Amor en Accion, can do to encourage our younger generations to stay connected to their faith and keep our members adjoined to our mission group? As our lives become more demanding with college, married life, families and professional obligations, it is reasonable that we might fall apathetic to the requirements of the Catholic Church and the needs of our mission group. After all, there are only so many hours in a day and so many days in a week. Our faith life often suffers as we push it to the bottom of our schedules for more immediate cares and concerns. Amor en Accion provides all of us with a unique opportunity to forge a concrete foundation of faith, community and mission, opening our eyes to the injustices and inequalities of a world we might otherwise have never known. In addition, Amor en Accion empowers our youth with a sense of purpose and a realization that there is something that each one of us can do. We can make a difference and all we have to do is answer God's call. Furthermore, Amor en Accion has helped to deepen my personal relationship with Jesus through our rich prayer life especially while on mission as well as the exposure to a people whose own faith transcends the poverty that surrounds them. Amor en Accion has blessed many lives over the past 30 years and thankfully mine has been one of them, strengthening the connection between myself and the Church. If this mission group can touch the hearts of our youth, the way that it has touched mine, I imagine that our "twenty-somethings" would never be lost.

6 Recent Events : Celebrating 30 years César J. Baldelomar, Florida Catholic Correspondent Dominican Republic suffer from malnutrition, one of Amor en Acción s most important projects there is the nutrition program. Through the generous donations of people in Miami, Amor en Acción has provided monthly food supplies to more than 70 needy families and 300 students. Other projects in the Dominican Republic involve education, animal husbandry, small loans to support cottage businesses, health care, emergency aid and evangelization. Founders and leaders of Amor en Acción prepare to cut the cake celebrating 30 years of charitable service to the poor in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. From left are Carlos Cueto, Alicia C. Marill, Josefina Chirino, Lourdes Rovira and Adriano García. Amor en Acción celebrates 30 years of helping the poorest of the poor in Haiti and the Dominican Republic Looking back on 30 years of helping the poorest of the poor, Alicia Marill could only say, We have learned to trust God s providence. Marill and fellow layman Adriano García cofounded Amor en Acción as their personal response to the poverty they experienced on mission trips to the Dominican Republic. Since then, Amor en Acción has become the lay missionary organization of the Archdiocese of Miami. Its missionaries and supporters gathered Feb. 3 at St. Mary Cathedral to mark the group s 30th anniversary. Image Courtesy of Juan Rabionet The trilingual Mass English, Spanish and Creole was concelebrated by Archbishop John Favalora, retired Miami Auxiliary Bishop Agustín Román, and Bishop Pierre-Antoine Paulo, coadjutor of the Diocese of Port-de- Paix, Haiti, Miami s sister diocese. Also in attendance were students from Miami s Catholic schools whose contributions help Amor en Acción carry out its missionary activities. Fifteen Miami Catholic schools have established mission clubs that work closely with Amor en Acción to raise funds and collect supplies to send to their sister schools in Port-de-Paix. In the Dominican Republic, Amor en Acción is active in the dioceses of La Vega, Cutupú, Santiago, San Pedro de Macoris and Santo Domingo. Since 75 percent of children in the In 1980, Amor en Acción expanded its work to Port-de-Paix, Miami s sister diocese. It is the poorest diocese in Haiti, with 34 priests caring for 16 parishes and 400,000 people. The people of Port-de-Paix are threatened not just by the dry and deforested terrain, but also by a lack of shelter, clothing, drinking water, food, education, medical care and electricity. More than 74 percent of the children in the Port-de-Paix Diocese are severely malnourished and many of them must resort to eating cakes and cookies made from mud. Countless people suffer from malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, cholera, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS. Many families live in makeshift homes that are easily destroyed by a passing storm. Only 15 percent of the children graduate from eighth grade. In response, Amor en Acción has developed several longterm projects in the Port-de-Paix Diocese and in Gros-Morne Parish in the Diocese of Gonaïves. The sister school program benefits 30 schools, 85 teachers and 4,500 students in Port-de-Paix. The steady flow of donations comes from students in Catholic elementary and secondary schools who raise funds to pay for teacher salaries, food programs and school supplies. Other Amor en Acción projects in Haiti include reforestation, agriculture, nutrition, elderly care, emergency aid, school construction, housing, technical education, and evangelization. A central component of Amor en Acción s work is the training of missionaries in preparation for travel to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Missionaries, many of them young adults, undergo a five-month preparation period in anticipation of the mission trip, which usually lasts two to four weeks. Once missionaries return home, they reflect on the trip s spiritual impact and how they can grow in solidarity toward those they have encountered. LITANY of MARY of NAZARETH (Part One) Mary, Wellspring of Peace... Be our guide. Mother of the Liberator... Pray for us. Model of strength... Model of gentleness... Model of trust... Model of courage... Model of patience... Model of risk... Model of openness... Model of perseverance... Mother of the homeless... Mother of the dying... Mother of the nonviolent... Mother of widowed mothers... Mother of unwed mothers... Mother of a political prisoner... Mother of the condemned... Mother of the executed criminal... Amen. Image Courtesy of

7 Calendar of Events Friday, April 20, 2007 Saturday, May 5, 2007 June 23 - mid July (TBA) Saturday, August 11, 2007 Saturday, September 29, 2007 October 26-28, 2007 November 8-17, 2007 Community Meeting Location: de la Maza Residence, 7:30 PM Retreat/Formation Day for Mission Prep Groups Location & Time: TBA Dominican Republic Summer Missions Community Gathering followed by Mass Meeting/Misa/Mesa, in that order! Location: TBA Noche Caribeña Annual Dinner-Dance Fundraiser & Extravaganza! Missionary Conference - USCMA Spirituality of Mission in the 21st Century Location: Wyndham Garden Hotel - Austin, Texas Haiti Mission Trip CAMINOS Misioneros Contact Information Publisher Chief Editor Saginaw Editor Kreyol Editor Layout & Design Adriano García adrianogar@aol.com David Masters aea.newsletter@gmail.com Jennifer Watt smwgpw@aol.com Kathy Lynn Pierre kpierre12@hotmail.com Daniel González dan@ampersandmiami.com MPERSANDM IAMI.COM Logo Design Print Advertising Package Design Brochure Design Website Design Flash Animation 2-D Illustration 3-D Illustration J.S. Paluch Company Serving the Church since 1913 PARISH BULLETINS ~ PARISH DIRECTORIES ~ CALENDARS WORSHIP AIDS & RESOURCES ~ PARISH SOFTWARE For More Information Please Call: Cristy Guzman ~ NW 124th Avenue ~ Coral Springs, FL J.S. PALUCH IS PROUD TO DONATE THIS PUBLICATION TO AMOR EN ACCIÓN I have been working the J.S. Paluch Company for 12 years. I m very proud to be part of this company which is dedicated to serving the Catholic Church and promoting vocations since J.S. Paluch is a family owned company that is very involved in the Catholic Church. We are happy to be able to help Amor en Acción and are proud supporters of ANSH and other Catholic Hispanic organizations. Cristy Guzman CONTRIBUTORS TO CAMINOS MISIONEROS NEWSLETTER Anna Figueroa New Amor en Acción Board Member César Baldelomar Pax Romana Society President at St. Thomas University Kathy Lynn Pierre Amor en Acción Member and Newsletter Kreyol Editor Jennifer Watt Amor en Acción Newsletter Saginaw Editor Reverend Steve Ohala Vice Rector and Dean at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary Deacon Jean Edoualdo Desmornes Office of Social Advocacy David Masters Amor en Acción Chief Newsletter Editor Daniel González Graphic Designer, Amor en Acción Member

8 AMOR EN ACCION Amor En Acción We re Counting on You Anna Figueroa Our time in mission binds us together in a most sacred way... to each other and to those who touch us so deeply on our trips. It is a bond that lives on inside us for our whole lives as an unbreakable connection through our Lord. We, more than anyone else, have witnessed the importance and urgency of the people and programs that Amor en Acción supports and administers in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Many of us can call some of the children who benefit from these programs by name. It is in the name of all of these children that we exhort our members, old and young, new to Amor en Acción or founders, to please commit to a small sum as a monthly donation. I would like you to close your eyes and recall someone you met during a mission who changed your life profoundly. Realize that your small sacrifice will help transform someone else s life just as yours was changed. Just $25.00 a month (or more) from every member would make an enormous difference in our ability to feed and to care for more children. For the price of something as trivial as a trip to the movies, we can all make a meaningful difference in the lives of those to whom we owe so much. We are a spiritual family. Let us revive a neglected tradition within our missionary community. Let us now own up to our responsibilities and commit to doing our part each and every month. Please do it now. Your sacrificial gift will save our siblings lives and deliver hope to innumerable members of our family. I want to make a monthly pledge of: $15 $25 $50 $100 Other $ In addition to monetary contributions, businesses can donate construction equipment, office or school supplies, medical supplies, or other donations. Make check payable to Amor En Acción and mail to address below. Credit Card donations can be made online by visiting: Amor En Acción AmorEnAccion