CSJP heads to Rwanda

When Sr. Mindy McDonald saw the request for French speaking nurses familiar with the latest in HIV/AIDS treatment to minister in Rwanda, she thought "How could I not apply?" You see, she was a French major in college and has spent years working with patients with HIV and AIDS in New York City. And yet, it takes great courage to answer that call and take the plunge!

Mindy will be leaving next week for a 9 month stay in Rwanda. She will spend about six weeks in each of several rural clinics in the northwest region of the country. Her main job will be to work with the local health care workers as they learn both to use the new medications effectively and to educate their patients in taking them.

I for one am very excited for her. As my short visit to El Salvador taught me, wherever one CSJP is there we all are. When we gathered for Dorothy's Reception as a novice two weeks ago, we also took the opportunity to bless Mindy as she begins her new adventure. (That's what the picture is all about).

Mindy, we raise our hands in blessing you.
May God, the Divine Healer and the God of Wholeness, encircle you with peace; encircle you with love; and encircle you with joy.

We encircle you with our prayers as you go forth to Rwanda's People.

May you be your best self to astonish a mean world with your healing hands, tender heart and acts of kindness.
May you take the hands of the people with AIDS and encourage others to do likewise.
May you bring the presence of your CSJP Community to the Rwandan people.
May you go in peace surrounded by the light of the Creator. Amen.

Missions

I spent the past week at the Maryknoll Sisters' Center attending their Mission Institute. Aside from the amazing content of our workshops, it was a pleasure to get to know many of the Maryknoll Sisters who were "home" for the summer and attending the Institute. I say "home" because when they introduce themselves, most of the Sisters will say they are "from Panama" or "from Kenya" or "from Hong Kong." You can tell that they mean it!

My time with them made me think of one of our own Sisters who has been in Rwanda the past year. I've blogged before about Sister Mindy's work in Rwanda training HIV/AIDS health care workers. It's funny that I was thinking about her, because then I saw on our community website that she's posted a new set of journal entries about her ministry! Here's a taste:

March 14: The health center we are visiting this week is even more rural: sitting in the clinic, we hear and smell the cows in the field close by! While sitting in on pre- and post- HIV test counseling sessions, I asked the nurse to request the patient’s permission for me to stay. When she translated the question, the woman got up and came over to embrace me. We are generally warmly welcomed; I think people are grateful for the attention of outsiders.

You can read more of Mindy's journal entries here. Mindy is an amazing woman and I'm so proud to call her Sister. We miss her, but know that she is making such a difference and bringing the Gospel of Peace to the people of Rwanda.

News from Rwanda

Last month I wrote about one of our Sisters - Mindy - who is spending the next 10 months as an AIDS/HIV nurse in Rwanda.

For those who are interested in following her adventures, you can read some of her first journal entries on the CSJP website.

For these first six weeks I'll be based here in Kigali; our current work is to identify infants and kids who need to be on AIDS medicines, but have been lost to follow up (since an HIV+ baby without treatment has about a 20-25% chance to reach age 5.) We are partnering with five other Rwandan teams of one doctor and one nurse each, and the UN has funded those teams for a few weeks of visiting Health Centers around the country, trying to identify children in need of treatment.

One wonderful thing about a religious community is that wherever one of our Sisters or Associates is, we all are.

Please keep Mindy and her ministry to the Rwandan people in your prayers.