Missionaries of the Poor. They Truly Do Minister to the Poorest of the PoorMar 06 '09 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Father Ho Lung's Missionaries of the Poor go to the lowest of economic and social levels to work big miracles in Joyful Service to the extremely poor, sick and infirm. My wife and I, along with two of our daughters, have been blessed to work with Fr. HoLung and the Missionaries of the Poor. Missionaries Of The Poor Father started this mission in 1981 to help the poor of Jamaica. Since that start the Missionaries of the Poor have moved out to other parts of the world including India, the Philippines, Haiti, Uganda & Kenya. http://www.missionariesofthepoor.org/ They now have over 500 brothers who minister in "Joyful Service" to the sick, poor and infirm. My gift from these men was to learn how to treat others humbly and with joy. The brothers we met were indeed prayerful and humble men who worked and prayed hard from early morning and into the night. They were an inspiration to watch and try to emulate. When we have visited the missions we have seen them... Housing the homeless Feeding the hungry Taking care of street children Working with prisoners Caring for those with such diseases as AIDS and leprosy We have been to Kingston Jamaica and the houses of the Missionaries of the Poor twice with our church group. I never lived so poorly, in the simplest of conditions (a cot in an open air room) with little to eat (still much more than those there) and doing nothing but giving service in one form or another to people who hold little hope than what the presence of the brothers who take care of them offer. On arrival we were given a tour of the different "houses" that provide for the people. My wife and daughters were drawn to a home (not as we imagine) with severely deformed children and others with AIDs. My wife and daughters did their work at that house for the days we were there. It was quite a scare to us when one of our daughters was bitten by a child with AIDs. We trusted in God and fortunately all was fine. The missions are behind locked gates. The people who run them are ordained Brothers who are of different races. Most are Filipino. Those cared for are people with terminal diseases. There are many with AIDs, men and woman. Deformed children and old people who have been thrown out of their homes as burdens are taken in and live in the bare bones houses the brothers prepare for them. It is so sad and depressing seeing what they have. At the same time the brothers truly have joy in their hearts and serve those less fortunate them themselves with love and affection. Martyrs ? The missions houses are in the middle of the slums of Jamaica. They are gated. This helps protect the people inside from intruders. There are also people who dislike what Father HoLung and the Missionaries of the poor do. They do not like having these homes in the neighborhoods with sick and deformed people. One evening, just three years ago two of the brothers were washing dishes in one of the houses we visited. It was just after a special dinner in honor of one of their brethren. A single shot rang out from the Kingston ghetto where these homes are located. That one bullet struck two brothers. They were laid to rest side by side. It was sad news when it reached us. Every one of the brothers we met were so filled with life and it was hard to imagine why two good Brothers would die in such fashion. Visiting a Home for the Poor I hope you read all of this next experience. I helped out in a place that was just for men. It is gated in and is nothing more than a 100' X 100' open area with cinder block walls surrounding it. Above the wall, ten feet or so it, is open-aired around the perimeter. A tin roof is above that perhaps another five feet. There is a closed in kitchen area. Lined up are bunks, about fifty or sixty. They were in perfect order. By the looks of the way the beds were made and straightened I would think I was in a marine barracks. The beds were made and cared for by a deformed young man who was also mentally challenged. I will give him the name James. Open to the beds in this area were picnic tables. This is where the men ate or were fed. Witnessing Two Souls To Completeness There was a man in one of the beds. I'll name him John. He was on his back. He could speak softly and eat. That was all he could do. He had to be hand fed. There is no way he could do it himself. He has absolutely no use of any part of his body. His body was totally rigid and brought up into a fetal position. His body had no weight to it and he had to be turned over every half hour. What was uplifting to me was the amazing relationship between James and John. John, was held to his bed and could not physically do anything. He did have his wits about him and a sense of humour. James, though deformed, could do physical chores and projects and did them the very best he could. Every day James would straighten the beds for all the men. If sheets were soiled he would take care of them. John would give direction and did it with humor you would not expect in a man so severely deformed. He cracked jokes and kept up the spirits of those around him. Volunteers would come and help feed, dress, clean up after, and just stay with and talk with these men. At one pont I was starting to feed John one morning. James quickly ran over and told me exactly how John likes his food and how to best feed him. When it was time to turn John over it was again was James leading the way showing us how to best take care of John. At one point he brushed me away because I was not following direction properly. He was extremely concerned for his friend. This was all such a learning experience for me. Here was John without a body, yet he had a spirit that lifted the others on the site. And there was James, a man with little intellect who was just filled with feeling and purpose. Singing For Joy Father Richard HoLung the founder of Missionaries of the Poor happens to be a talented song writer and as such uses music in his ministry. One year I worked in Jamaica helping in a theatre where the Brothers of the Missionaries of The Poor were giving a free concert for the local people. The show was amazing and though the safety measures in such a crowded theatre bothered me, the folks there were having the time of their life, no charge. I was privy once again to work with them and help them set up the stage and also be a stage hand for a concert Father HoLung and the brothers performed in a fund raiser for their cause in Queens, New York. The show was uplifting featuring music with a Caribbean music beat and background. I learned, between their uplifting and fun Caribbean music and the personal love and care they give to the poor of the country that it's the loving and caring relationship between people that brings mankind to our greatest heights. Father HoLung and the Missionaries of the Poor go to the lowest of economic and social levels to work big miracles in Joyful Service to the extremely poor, sick and infirm. May God Bless and protect the Brothers and the people they serve.  |
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