Greetings from Mexico

One of the things that I am discovering here at the Latin American Network of the Sisters of St Joseph is that I am only able to participate through the kindness and patience of others.  I am active and involved but really unable to effectively engage in longer term conversations without the help of a translator and the patience of someone willing to communicate with a translator.  I think there is a real message for me in this.  One has to desire oneness with your whole heart so that you are willing to do the hard work of finding ways to be inclusive.  I recognize this as a real challenge that calls for much transformation.

Patty and Donna (translator par excellent)

In the past, I have worked with people who are deaf and I learned to look at them while a translator let shared the message.  Here I find it hard to grasp the meaning without looking at the translator and know that means I miss a lot of the non-verbal communication.  So I am trying to balance effectively focus on the message from the translator (usually Donna Cicalese from Philadelphia) while watching the speaker. I realize as I write this that it is harder than it sounds.

I often find myself saying words in French like pardon me or sorry or I don't understand...when I mean to say them in Spanish.  I guess that is a good indication of what are the words I use in French the most- usually apologizing for not getting something right.  However, I also find that I can engage in simple dialogue and am doing better during breaks and meals.

With all of these struggles, I am still finding ways to communicate in a meaningful way.  Today, we have been discussing what indigenous people might have to teach us about mystical contact with God.  I am grateful that I was able to share what native Hawaiians have shared with me.

Srs. Peggy (Peru- Carondelet LA), Janet Lander (Concordia)
and Alejandra (Mexico- Lyon)

Sisters have been noting that I am using some of the Mexican hot sauces, so today they showed me how to sprinke these local powders on fruit.  It was really good and I was glad to be included in this activity during a break.  They were surprised that I liked it.

The sharing during the meetings continue to be powerful. Today we focused on the Trinity in our mystical tradition.  A phrase that was shared that really caught my imagination is that Trinity is pure relationship.

Sitting is Raquel (Argentina), standing is Griselda (Mexico)
and on the right is Gloria (Puerto Rico- Brentwood)