National Volunteer Week: THANK YOU / GRACIAS / MESI to our International Volunteers

It's National Volunteer Week and we are pleased to introduce the 29 people from the U.S. who are serving at the NPH homes.

Allie Goldberg, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in July 2015

Allie is from Redondo Beach, CA. She is serving as a P.E. Teacher.

Amanda Gingras, NPH DR

Began volunteering in June 2015

To be loved by a child is possibly one of the greatest feelings in the world. Every day as I walk down the streets of NPH, I am greeted by a dozen or more voices calling out my name and countless hugs, even if I've only been away at the house or the office for no more than thirty minutes. Children don't need you to be perfect, they just want you to spend time with them and show them you care, even if it means making a total fool of yourself learning a last minute dance routine or singing the same song you only know half the words to over and over for a week.

I've gotten to be involved in a wide variety of activities here in the home, but my favorite part of life here is the one on one time I have with some of the children. Whether it is a solo game of cards where not a word is said, a brief hug on the return walk from school, or a half hour long heart to heart, these are the moments I treasure most. Being a part of this NPH family has been a gift and blessing, and I love each and every one of the many hearts I have had the joy of meeting and getting to know this year.

Anna Hester, NPH Peru

Began volunteering in January 2015

Just a few months into my second year at NPH Peru, I am constantly reminded that I made the right decision to extend. Whether it is listening the voices of the children as they sing during mass, or having longer and more extensive conversations with the some of the young adults. I love being Tía Anna! My heart is full and I am so thankful to have had this opportunity to become apart of the NPH Peru family. As Father Pedro Arrupe said, "Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."

Anna Gunter, NPH Dominican Republic

Began volunteering in June 2014

After 20 months of being at NPH, I have to say that extending my time was one of the best choices I’ve made. I have become a true older sister to the girls in my house and formed bonds that will last a lifetime. They’ve taught me that simply being present is one of the most valuable things in life. A favorite quote of mine that explains my relationship to the kids, NPH, and the DR is, “Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”

Elizabeth Lanham, NPH Guatemala

Began volunteering in January 2016

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

-Dr. Seuss

Emma Lane, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in July 2015

Emma is from Lake Forest, IL, and is serving as a Caregiver and Coordinator of the Women's Empowerment Group.

Emily Poynton, NPH Mexico

Began volunteering in July 2015

Coming up quickly on the end of my time at NPH Mexico, the lesson I will take home with me is that it is the little things that let someone know you care: When you get or give an unexpected hug. When someone tells you that they don't want to lie to you because they respect you. When you ask the siblings how their trip home went. When you sit making faces and animal noises with a girl in an acting competition for an hour because she is looking for a distraction from her broken heart.

I've always known that it is the little things that count, because without the little things big displays of affection are just that: displays. But I will never again take for granted the impact a smile paired with your name can make. And I will never forget that I want to be a person who gives to others the joy and consolation of being known and appreciated, rather than someone who makes others feel unseen, even by accident or through carelessness. It has meant the world to me on hard days. It has meant the world to me on wonderful days. And that is just the impact of greeting someone by name. Imagine the possibilities when you dare to be bigger and more intentional in showing your love! But always, always with the consistency of the little, daily things to back it up.

Emily Siegler, NPH Dominican Republic

Began volunteering in January 2015

As a speech and language therapist here in the Dominican Republic, I have seen my fair share students struggling in school, a lot of which is due to their ability to pay attention in class. One boy I have worked with for the past year, struggles exactly in this way. However, I proudly will say that he has been my biggest success! Several months ago I was helping him with his homework, he could not even begin to write the numbers 1-100. After some focused attention and explanation in therapy, and of course with some practice, he independently now can reach 100, and even more so he can name all the numbers correctly! This may seem like a small feat but in reality it will affect most of his math skills from here on out and absolutely has affected his confidence. Moments like these, where I see the real fruit of my work here keep me going for weeks. I am reminded that these children have a great capacity to learn and when we give them the focused attention and explanation they need big changes happen. This is what I live for here at NPH.

Jaclyn Sisto, NPH Mexico

Began volunteering in July 2015

Jaclyn is from Carlton, OR, and is serving as a Caregiver/Special Education Teacher’s Assistant.

Jason Abbott, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in January 2016

I'm so grateful to have become a part of the NPH community. I went on two NPH trips to the Mexico and Guatemala homes while in high school and now have returned to work as a volunteer in Honduras. Recently, the Honduran home celebrated Father's Day and along with the tios (caregivers) and other men on the ranch, I was included in the celebration. It means so much to these children to have compassionate and loving volunteers in their lives. I continue to be amazed each day by these boys and girls and am excited for the things they will teach me.

Karl Groneman, NPH Bolivia

Began volunteering in November 2014 at NPH Honduras

Click here to read Karl's testimonial.

Katherine Theis, NPH Mexico

Began volunteering in January 2016

“Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words!” - Pope Francis. I have only been at NPH for a few months, but my favorite part of the day is interacting with the children. Even if we don't always understand each other we still manage to have a great time playing a game, watching a movie, working on homework, or having a conversation. I also love how helpful and patient they have been with helping me learning Spanish. Overall, the hugs, the smiles, and the relationships built so far have made all my days here. I am really looking forward to what the next several months bring.

Kevin Mee, NPH Mexico

Began volunteering in July 2015

What I like about being a volunteer is the glow on the kids from another section when we are playing with each other, the only words that I can think of for this is pure joy. I’ve had to learn how to be more organized in my planning, be more of an authority figure, not always laid back, and obviously learn more Spanish.

My favorite story happened right before Christmas: It was Christmas Eve and I was getting ready to leave my section for the night and go back to the States the next morning for a couple of weeks. I just finished yelling, "Good night and Merry Christmas" to my boys (aged 11-17) as they were watching a movie; this kid came up to me and said, "Kevin, you know we love you right?" He gave me a hug and said, "Merry Christmas. See you in January after your vacation. We will miss you.”

Kyle Lansden, NPH Dominican Republic

Began volunteering in June 2014

As my time here is coming to a close, I'm quickly realizing how grateful I am to have spent nearly two years with the kids here at NPH Dominican Republic. The laughs, the tears, the successes, and the struggles have all contributed to a transforming and life-changing experience. I have learned just as much, if not more, from the kids as they have hopefully learned from me. My work here has even helped me decide to pursue education as a career, and I'll be starting grad school this summer. Without a doubt, I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for my time here in the DR.

Laretia Williams, NPH Dominican Republic

Began volunteering in June 2015

Coming into NPH and into the house of 16 uniquely beautiful teenage and 20 something year olds, I told myself, "give what you can, when you can, while you can." Give the time you can, the advice you can, the hugs you can, the love you can. And that's what I've been doing. But receiving their time, their advice, their hugs, their love have been even more marvelous.

Lauren Dominguez, NPH Guatemala

Began volunteering in July 2015

My experience at NPH Guatemala has been amazing. I am now part of a family that used to be 300 strangers. Some of my favorite times are spend in my section of 14 girls ages 9-11. They are so sweet and caring. Little things like walking around holding hands, or making sure no one gets left out of goodnight hugs, are a few of my favorite moments here. For me it is those constant little things that make my experience here so wonderful.

Leah Yode, NPH Guatemala

Began volunteering in July 2015

Nothing gives me more joy than to be around the kids and volunteers and hear their stories. I consider myself very lucky to be part of such a loving and caring team of volunteers who seek to become global citizens.

Maggie Edlebeck, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in July 2015

NPH Honduras has completely ruined my life in the best way possible. A piece of my heart will always belong to my students, chicas ponderosas (the “Powerful Girls” program) and my household of girls called Hermanas de Jesus. I am thankful for nights spent dancing to Bruno Mars, straightening hair for quinceaneras, studying for English tests, and making cookies.

Margaret McIntee, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in July 2014

Over the past two years I have volunteered on the ranch at NPH Honduras working in the surgery center. I really get the best of both worlds, serving the people of the surrounding community and making strong bonds with the kids on the ranch! Although the surgery center transforms many lives through surgeries and follow-up care, I think the best impact it has is inspiring the kids. Our medical director, Dr. Merlin Antúnez was one of the first pequeños to grow up in NPH Honduras and now he's a great surgeon. The kids see him and think to themselves "Maybe I can do that too if I work hard enough and focus in school." It helps show that kids that greatness lies within all of them, they just have to have faith, work hard, and know that we all have faith in them.

Mark Miller, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in January 2016

I love that I've had the opportunity at NPH Honduras to work and interact with such a huge variety of kids. I spend my days with the oldest students here on the ranch as the English teacher for grades 7-9, and my evenings and weekends are spent with the boys of Casa Suyapa, ranging in age from about five to eight. It's so much fun to get to know each individual kid and learn how they're unique--their interests, their personalities, their senses of humor, their needs, their past experiences, their goals, and so on. This photo was taken on Casa Suyapa's recent 5-day trip to the beach, and that was such a great bonding experience for all of us!

Megan Landers, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in January 2015

NPH creates a safe space for kids to be kids, to grow and learn, to make mistakes, to love and be loved. It really is an indescribable experience to be a part of the day-to-day lives of the children here. To understand what it is to be a part of NPH is to experience the beauty of our homes, the warmth and love of a hug, the magnitude of a simple conversation about the day. Every day brings new frustrations and difficulties but it also brings new opportunities and the chance to make a difference.

Michael and Kara Lyons, NPH Guatemala

Began volunteering in January 2016

Volunteering at NPH Guatemala has been an incredible experience. The past few months have been challenging at times but it has been exciting, full of positive life changes, and most definitely rewarding. The staff and children have made us feel like part of the family from day one. The best part of our day is when we can take a break from work and interact with the children. One thing you learn quickly is that the easiest remedy for a slow day is to go visit the baby house.

Michael Wechter, NPH Bolivia

Began volunteering in August 2015

Mike is from Saginaw, MI, and is serving as a Music Teacher and in Maintenance.

Monica Meeks, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in January 2016

My life as a volunteer at NPH Honduras is crazy, busy, and beautiful. At 9 am, I might be scrubbing in on a surgery as part of my job as the coordinator of the Holy Family Surgery Center, snipping stitches for Dr. Antunez as he sings "Hello" by Adele. At 2 pm, I'll be calling a patient who's been waiting for a very long time to be seen by an orthopedic specialist - even with my imperfect Spanish, I can understand the gratitude in his voice. At 6 pm I'll go hang out with the girls in my “household” - the only thing they'll want more than for me to draw them a picture of the "Minions" cartoons is to have a dance party to the tunes of Justin Bieber and Enrique Iglesias. That night I'll come home to my fellow volunteers, feeling exhausted, fulfilled, and insanely lucky to have the opportunity to be here. And at 6 am the next morning I'll be ready to do it all over again and enjoy another day in my lovely “vida catracha”, or “Honduran Life.”

Patrick Laird, NPH Honduras

Began volunteering in July 2015

Patrick is from West Bend, WI, and is serving as the Surgery Center Coordinator.

The Gomez Family, NPH Nicaragua

Began volunteering at NPH Nicaragua in January 2016 after having spent a year at NPH Honduras from July 2013 to July 2014.

Vanessa Gates, NPH Peru

Began volunteering in February 2016

Vanessa is from Englewood, CO, and is serving as a Medical Assistant.

I owe so much to the children of NPH as they brought a gleaming light into the darkest point of my life...

Below is a reflection from sponsor, volunteer, and NW Associate Board Member, Bailey Bangerter, who shares with us about her amazing experience at NPH Mexico.

Joining NPH Mexico in 2011 as the home's Communications Officer (CO), I was stepping into a life-changing whirlwind of events that have led me to where I am today. Having the dual job as CO and mentor to the high school students, I gained immediate insight into the tireless work that goes on behind the scenes to run the organization, as well as the ins and outs of the daily life of the children. While interviewing children to feature their stories on the website, it was difficult for me to grasp the depths of the tragedies and trials they had faced at such young ages. It was a privilege to hear the stories of our children as the home journalist, although it was an even deeper honor when the children opened up and shared their lives with me as a friend that had gained their hard-earned trust.

Before coming to NPH, many of these children were shuffled from one temporary shelter to the next, separated from their siblings. I am proud to be a part of an organization that gives children a true sense of stability and family-life. When they join NPH, they know that this is their “home”, where they can finally be liberated from the fear that they might be without education, food or shelter. I fully believe that NPH aids in the goal to break the cycle of poverty of the world.

NPH owes its success and longevity in large part to the organization's founder, our beloved Father William Wasson. He laid down the strong foundations of love, forgiveness and a merciful path, that the home continues to uphold. Father Wasson once said, “I believe that if we’re going to change the world at all, I believe that we have to start with the children, and we have to start in changing their hearts”.

 

I saw firsthand the good in these children and the depths of their hearts when I was forced to cut my yearlong volunteer commitment short for a family emergency. I was notified of my mother’s sudden decline in health one day, and I was scheduled to fly back to Seattle the very next morning.  With the abrupt announcement of my unfortunate circumstances during bedtime prayers, I was overwhelmed with tearful hugs of well wishes, heartfelt notes scribbled in seconds-flat, and a few tokens of remembrances, including small stuffed animals, necklaces and crosses.

 

In the ensuing months, I devoted much of my time to my mother, staking out UW Medical Center as our new primary residence. I was torn between being selfishly devastated to have been robbed of my final few months at NPH and being selflessly grounded in the every day struggle of supporting my mother. My soul was overwhelmed to hear that the high school girls were praying for my mother’s recovery during their nightly bedtime prayer circle. My mother actually recuperated to a point that she was able to transition into the outpatient setting. I attribute these few months out of the hospital partly to the prayers and unfailing support of my family at NPH. 

I owe so much to the children of NPH as they brought a gleaming light into the darkest point of my life. My mother, arguably the most beautiful person inside and out, passed away 3 months after I left NPH. The only factors that kept my spirit afloat were the love and encouragement from my three sisters, my close friends, and my new family of pequeños, fellow volunteers and staff at NPH Mexico. I was able to just hang on, with the anticipation of visiting my kids in Mexico every 6 months for graduations in July and Christmas celebrations in December. I only accepted jobs that permitted these semi-annual vacations and all my spare change went to my flights and travel costs.

Five years later, I’m still devoting much of my spare time to this organization, as an active member of the NW Associate Board, a proud Godmother of 13-year-old Rodolfo and a mentor of Irene, one of the six impressive students participating in the yearlong immersion program here in Seattle. Becoming a part of NPH has enriched my life in so many ways and has had a greater impact on my sense of self than I could have ever imagined.

 

As those who devote themselves to service often come to realize, when you set out with the idealistic goal of “making the world a better place” and “helping the less fortunate”, you end up investing in yourself more than anything. Through all the trials and challenges, you leave the experience as a stronger, more accepting and loving individual, with the life-long mission to work towards a more peaceful society. As father Wasson once said, “We are all brothers and sisters and we all must care for one another.” I am forever indebted to my brothers and sisters at NPH for caring for me over the past 5 years.

Give a year, gain a lifetime of love: 2015 International Volunteer Program recap

By Vicky Medley, International Volunteer Coordinator, NPH USA

2015 was my ninth year working with our International Volunteer Program!  I sure do love my job; I have the pleasure of helping with the selection, placement and support for the International Volunteers that come from the U.S.  For Volunteer Appreciation Week 2016, I want to provide you with a program update and some highlights.

Overall, 2015 was another successful year for our International Volunteer Program.  Each year we make some changes and adjustments.  In 2015:

• We added more intercultural trainings to our preparation materials.  NPH is a complex web of cultures: the culture of the home country, the organizational culture, and the multinational, multilingual cultures that the volunteers bring from all corners of the globe to the volunteer community. With that in mind, all of our volunteers now complete the Impact Abroad Toolkit, an online course about effective intercultural partnerships.  Our volunteers also now participate in the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale to help identify strengths and areas of growth in intercultural settings.   
• We increased our recruitment efforts.  Like most volunteer programs, over the last two years we’ve received fewer applications. To counteract that trend, we visited more campuses and increased our online profiles and materials on many college career centers.  We’re also experimenting with targeted recruitment for hard-to-fill positions like therapists and Communication Officers.
• We now provide all volunteers’ international health insurance.  In the past we provided a subsidy, but we are now able to cover the entire cost. 

Our International Volunteers in action!

We currently have 29 volunteers serving alongside the local staff at NPH.  International Volunteers do not replace local staff, but they provide much-needed services that are difficult for us to ensure otherwise.  In 2015, we had a total of 58 volunteers who served at least six months, saving NPH an estimated $120,780. 

International volunteers serve for a year or more at all the NPH homes.  Some volunteers work in education as English and PE teachers, Preschool Teachers, Tutors, and Librarians.  Many volunteers work as Caregivers, or in special programs like Women’s Empowerment, Social Work or Youth Ministry.  We have several volunteers who provide physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.  Volunteers also work in administration, serving as volunteer coordinators, visitor coordinators, project coordinators, or in the child sponsorship department.  Our medical volunteers serve as nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners and clinic assistants.

As you read through the volunteer testimonials, https://www.nph.org/ws/volunteers/testimonials.php?lang=en you will see some themes emerge: 

NPH really is a giant family, and our volunteers are an essential part of that family, not only providing professional services, but accompanying the Pequeños during chores, homework, meals, mass, and playtime. 

Most volunteers feel that during their time with NPH they have received more than they have given, and are transformed by their service.  They learn about patience, sharing, love and new priorities that focus on relationships rather than tasks. 

International Volunteers’ continuing involvement with NPH

Even after their service has been over for a year or more, most volunteers stay involved with NPH.  In 2015, former volunteers came up with new and creative ways to raise money, and built support for NPH:  

• In cities where there are regional offices, former International Volunteers help at fundraisers, translate, assist in the offices, speak at events, and meet with donors.
• We have Associate Boards in cities throughout the country.  Many former volunteers participate in the Associate Boards, helping organize pub crawls, trivia nights, and other events that appeal to socially conscious young professionals.
• In Seattle, many former volunteers are involved in NPH International’s Seattle Institute. This program helps develop a future generation of leaders for our NPH homes.  Their curriculum is based on principles of servant leadership and grounded in our NPH philosophy.  Former International volunteers serve as mentors, assist with retreats and events, and most importantly, serve as a comforting presence during the difficult adjustment period when the adult Pequeños first arrive in Seattle. 
• Each fall, a cadre of volunteers helps us with college recruitment.   In 2015, six former volunteers visited college volunteer recruitment events. 

How can you support our International Volunteer Program?

• Help us spread the word about volunteering with NPH!  Share our information with your alumni network, your professional associations, on social media, or your place of worship. 
• If you are visiting an NPH home, pack a few treats for our volunteers!  They love surprises from home, especially holiday treats (like candy corn, inexpensive advent calendars, Easter candy, etc.), and treats that are hard to find in Latin America. 
• Ask volunteers about their time at NPH, and really listen to what they have to say.  You will learn all sorts of things about NPH.

If you’ve met any of our former volunteers, you know that they are deeply dedicated to the NPH family, and they are a creative, passionate, hard-working and humble group.  May we be blessed with their presence for many years to come!

I realized that it was a family I was so lucky to be a part of…

Below is a reflection written by former international volunteer and current Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Associate Board member, Courtney Gomez, about her year volunteering at NPH Guatemala.

 

In orientation, meetings, and activities at NPH, the philosophy of NPH-that we are all a family-is regularly discussed, but the truth is, I've heard this in other schools I have attended or jobs I have had. I distinctly remember looking around one day with my girls, watching a soccer game, and I noticed the majority of the children at NPH had gathered around the field. Some were enthusiastically cheering for their favorite tío or uncle as staff at NPH are referred to. Some were at the game but playing with the younger kids, or hanging out listening to music with their peers or biological siblings. Whichever task the pequeños chose to do, there was a great sense of familiarity and belonging amongst them all. It occurred to me this day that this really is a family, and as girls ran up to me asking when I was going to open Chicas Poderosas or if I wanted to play cards, I realized it was a family that I was so lucky to be a part of.

 

Now as I get ready to leave this family and home that I have become a part of, I can’t help but think about all the things I will miss. Not big moments or events, but the little things that make us a family are the things I can’t imagine my daily life without. The way the volunteers help each other through the ups and downs of being away from our own countries. The way everyone tries really hard to pronounce my strange American name. The way my girls will yell "no one more time" after playing the same card games for hours, and despite the fact that it is time for bed, how I will try to fit in one more game. The way they tease me for loosing repeatedly or laugh at me but help me when I say a word wrong. The way they paint my nails in brightly colored patterns, or the way I can walk into a section or the cafeteria and be greeted by kids yelling my name with smiles and hugs. 

 

I am truly grateful to everyone of NPH Guatemala for letting me into their lives, for touching my heart and for impacting my life in ways I will never forget. 

The trip instilled in me a lifelong commitment to helping and supporting NPH…

Below is a reflection written by sponsor and Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Associate Board co-chair Bo Mlnarik.

 

I first visited an NPH home as a sophomore in high school.  My local parish sent a group of young people each year to the home in Mexico, and I was fortunate enough to join one of these trips.  The initial experience was incredible and overwhelming.  The kids and the home were so full of love and appreciation that it forced me to look at my own life and values in a way that I hadn't ever before.  The trip instilled in me a lifelong commitment to helping and supporting NPH as I witnessed firsthand the impact NPH's mission has on the children and community.  I have since been back to the Guatemala home three times, and each time I am reminded of how special and important that mission is.  NPH seeks to break the cycle of poverty in Latin American countries by providing the very basics of life: food, shelter, clothing, etc., to under privileged and disadvantaged children.  Most importantly, NPH provides these children with the essence of a happy and fulfilling life: education, faith and family.  The family community and sense of belonging that all children crave is the very fabric of the NPH home and is what makes it such a special place.  I have no doubt that the work I do and the money we raise to support NPH's continued mission goes to great use, and I look forward to staying involved with this organization in a meaningful way for the rest of my life.

 

 

The trip to NPH Dominican Republic was a beautiful, eye-opening experience...

Below is a reflection by Emma Towne of Northeast Catholic College who went on a Mission Trip to NPH Dominican Republic. 

 

For me, the NPH Dominican Republic mission trip was a lesson, first and foremost, in giving. Giving on a mission trip sounds complicated and hard, but as I discovered, giving does not consist of many difficult tasks, but in seemingly little things that must be done with your total self.  When first touring NPH, I was swiftly captured by a little boy who proceeded to teach me how to dance the salsa. At first, taken aback by his boldness and not being much of a dancer, I thought hurriedly of ways to politely get out of dancing. But then I realized that the purpose of this mission trip wasn’t maintaining my own personal comfort, but giving myself, even when it was annoying and uncomfortable, or simply a nuisance.

 

Throughout the course of the week, I reflected on what is meant by the words: give yourself. Giving yourself on a mission trip does not mean you show yourself off, or have a set plan in mind that absolutely must work. “Giving yourself” is when you set aside your own desires and focus completely on the person next to you, listening to him, playing with him, enjoying him. You must cast aside your own ideas and visions of glory and be content with playing on seesaws and kicking deflated soccer balls. The paradox of giving yourself is that you also must be receptive to love, in the varying forms it takes. At NPH, love was expressed through the children’s constant hand-holding and playing with our hair, their unceasing hugging and dancing, which made me mildly uncomfortable as an introvert. And yet here was the call to love! Love is simple and uncomplicated, but it demands surrendering yourself, even when it is awkward or painful, or simply not in your comfort zone. It was this that I found the most arduous—because it demanded me to surrender myself for the sake of someone else. Yet when I surrendered myself, I was rewarded with the greatest of gifts: the friendship of a child.

 

Of all the wonderful things that I saw and experienced while in the Dominican, it was playing with the children that struck me the most. At NPH, the children are so joyful and happy, despite the circumstances many have faced. There was a love of life that was delightful to witness, and an energy and enthusiasm that was certainly hard to keep up with! Their openness was a blessing to us on the trip, as we struggled with Spanish, the heat and basketball. The children gave us so much, more than we could possibly ever give them.

 

The trip to NPH Dominican Republic was a beautiful, eye-opening experience, a trip I am very happy to have undertaken. The exposure to an entirely different culture, poorer than America, yet rich in faith, love and joy, has influenced me incredibly; it taught me about love and self-gift, and what happens when you truly open yourself up to others.

 

The Langugage That Everyone Can Speak

Below is a reflection from Sydney Mailloux of Northeast Catholic College on a recent mission trip she took to NPH DR.

Normally we do not think much about language. Most of the time, we are surrounded by those who speak our native tongue—we take for granted the extraordinary ability to understand and be understood. But despite our native tongue’s extreme importance in our lives, there is a language that all people of every race can speak, a language native to all people of all time. The instinctive understanding of this universal language appeared more and more evident to us in different forms throughout the week, in three major areas: in our work, in our interactions with each other, and in our interactions with the people at NPH.

We drove down a highway lined with palm trees to arrive at the Dominican NPH house on Monday evening. Our work began the next day. Throughout the week, we painted a house, worked in the kitchen, and worked on a farm. Despite the sometimes oppressive heat and exhaustion that we earned during our work, we were also the glad recipients of much joy—joy that springs from helping others with love.

We shared that joy with each other. The songs we sang while we worked, the jokes made, the conversations shared, and the friendships forged are all things that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Not only did we have the opportunity to help others through our mission work, we also had the blessing of lifting one another up, comforting each other in our difficulties and sharing one another’s joys.

We learned much from our work and from each other, but we also learned much from the children and others we came in contact with at and through NPH. So many of them come from difficult backgrounds and harsh pasts. Many of the children we met at the home come from weak or broken families—sometimes no families at all. Many of the people we met live in difficult circumstances for one reason or another. The people we met have very little in the way of material riches, but they possess interior treasures one can only marvel at. Their openness and kindness to total strangers was nothing less than inspiring; we went to give and received so much in return.

In the end, we did not come away fluent in Spanish. But we became more and more proficient in the language that everyone can speak. We learned charity for God’s children, friendship with one another, and love and esteem for every individual person—we learned to speak with greater fluency the language of universality, the language of love.

 

I owe a heartfelt thank you to NPH Honduras…

Below is reflection written by sponsor and Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Associate Board co-chair Allison Ahern.

 

Traveling to the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH) Home in Honduras in 2012 was a rare and special opportunity. I feel abundantly blessed that I was able to spend time with the children there, as they quickly refreshed my perspective on having compassion for others, showing gratitude, being generous of spirit, and the value of service. I witnessed the children's unquestioned willingness to share love. I also saw the positive impact of the NPH Model, for I was welcomed into a large, considerate family, in which the oldest members care for the youngest, and everyone sacrifices for the good of the whole. I was humbled by what the children have and do not have. Overhearing that some of the littlest ones graciously prayed to God for chicken, watching all of them lick their bowls after each meal and seeing the ongoing efforts to repair the roof over their heads, made the news that the NPH Homes need financial support very real. What these children do have though is a tremendous opportunity to succeed in this life, despite what they have already lost. Through NPH's support, which is truly the support of their "family," they can thrive academically, learn a practical trade, and grow into adults while enjoying happy, healthy and safe childhoods. This leads to what I consider a successful life, being able to support oneself and one's family while giving and receiving the love of God and neighbor. I owe a heartfelt "Thank you" to NPH Honduras for this reminder, and I look forward to journeying back there in the future.