For six weeks, members of the CSP in Sabana Yegua (Azua, Dominican Republic) hosted two seminarians from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee as part of their immersion program to learn Spanish and learn about the work of the parish. Upon their arrival back in the US, one of them wrote the following reflection.
It can be easy to build up expectations in life. It helps us to prepare and complete the tasks we face. While expectations are mostly useful, they often keep us from the joy of new experiences that only come from being flexible and spontaneous. The importance of being flexible and to stay open is a deep spiritual reality as well. God often reveals himself to us outside the expectations we build up in our minds and hearts. This important lesson was at the core of my experience and the experience of my fellow seminarian, Brady Gagne, during our summer in the Dominican Republic.
Coming into our summer assignment in the Dominican Republic, I had the expectation that we would be working on a lot of projects. I expected the majority of our activity to be spent painting and building for the parish. Instead, what Brady and I found to be our daily work was that of encountering the people God had put into our lives. Whether it was talking with parishioners or locals on the street, the ministry of being present to others allowed us to see what God was doing in the lives of so many people. As we were able to reflect on these experiences, we were also able to slow down and ask God what he was doing in our lives. In my experience, God invited me to slow down and listen to others rather than trying to say something smart or profound (especially true when learning a new language). God also invited me to live with a deeper sense of gratitude and generosity by being open to receiving so much from the people, whether they invited us to dinner, or just waved hello to us on the street. Being flexible to receive whatever encounter the day might bring was a real grace of the summer.
Being flexible this summer also taught Brady and I the importance of having an adventurous spirit. When we were open to trying new and adventurous things, we opened ourselves to encountering God in those moments. I think about going to the mountain town of Guayabal to celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart after having been invited by a local parish priest the night before. I also think about driving up the mountainside of the small Haitian village of Los Cacaos to celebrate Mass. These adventures led to encounters with many kind and generous people. They blessed me and Brady with so much, and revealed to us the love of God. Jesus says, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35). At the heart of the Christian life is love. While it might look different across cultures and places, being open to adventure in those new cultures and places opens us up to the love of God.
