St. Joseph, Beach mission, and Easter!

Just hangin' with Bishop Michael before the Palm Sunday procession

Although I still find the concept of me doing a blog somewhat strange, I'm reminded daily that this missionary endeavor isn't really about me...it's about how God expresses and exercises His Divinity through the people I've been called to serve, as well as those He has surrounded me with tasked to challenge and encourage me in the faith. Although that may seem like a foreign concept to some, it's what I hope makes perfect sense to me. If I am somehow able to cooperate and remain faithful to His Grace to at least some degree, then I know that any fruit born from my labor will be much sweeter and more plentiful. A few weeks ago, the Church celebrated the Feast of St. Joseph. It couldn't be more appropriate to speak about faithfulness to grace...Joseph is one of the greatest examples in the Church of simple, profound obedience. In the Bible, Joseph is mentioned, but he doesn't actually say anything...nothing, nada. You wanna talk about grace, then let's talk about St. Joe...the Holy Spirit speaks to him in a dream and he listens to God's will WITHOUT complaining. I imagine he had some degree of anxiety, but simply chose not to express it in a way that could have negatively effected those he loved. I'd like to say that I could identify with Joseph in this manner, but I can only really do so by name. I complain a lot. I might not always express overtly, but regardless of how it surfaces, it doesn't do the soul any good. I think it's almost natural to complain, and it's not always necessarily a bad thing...but it also depends on how one expresses their complaint, be it concern or frustration. For example, children like to whine, so it seems, particularly with my nephews (big ups to sis and bro-in-law)...prayers for them are much appreciated. In contrast-in my experience with the majority of the people of Honduras- there are those who don't complain when they might have every right to do so. I mean...when we do mountain missions, the people who feed and shelter us are almost always giving out of their own need, and if/when more problems surface, they adjust accordingly so that we're more comfortable. It may not seem like much, compared to what we might be used to in the States, but they are giving us everything they have like it's ours. I know that to compare children to the mountain folk of Honduras might be unfair, but I do think it gives us a better sense of just how much we might complain, as well as how childish (not child-like) we can be sometimes...and this was made very clear to me over the last week in which our community ventured to a beach diocese called La Ceiba. It was first our first time doing any kind of mission in this diocese, so it was all very fresh and new to us. The week was tagged as 'Jesus en la Playa (Jesus on the Beach).'

Jesus en la Playa!

Beach skit on the sidewalk

Getting to know the locals

 It was definitely exciting and a nice change of pace in regards to mission work. Although my city of origin might indicate otherwise, I was never much of a beach person, but it did certainly remind of home and family, which is always a nice thought to have in the midst of uncertainty and chaos. So anyways, in regards to my childish ways, I was presented with many opportunities to complain throughout the week. Whether it was the heat rash I inherited on the 6 hour drive to La Ceiba, the standard stomach issues that accompany foreign travel (that held me inactive for a day), the absolute downpour one day that prompted us to plan D, or the nice sunburn I received on the way back (which was mostly my fault), I realized that I did have a choice in the matter of how to respond. I'm definitely not saying I always made the right choice, but I was at least aware that I was given one. In most cases, I could have either accepted what was before me and prayed for the grace to respond in a vigilant manner, or I could have whined and pouted about how nothing was going my way. When things don't go the way we had hoped, we tend to lose heart, or even worse, just give up. We think if things don't go the way WE want, then they don't have any value. As Mother Teresa once said, "I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness." We're not called to be successful...we're gently encouraged to have faith, faith like a child...so that one day we might rest with Him in Paradise...Happy Easter!

A journey begins...

I'm not really a fan of blogs. But since it's also apparent that I'm not a fan of sharing valuable and life-changing experiences in a timely manner, if at all, with friends and family, I was left with no other choice...hello blog world!

Before we get into the motivation behind this blog, here's a little bit about your author...my name is Joe Kauflin. I was born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA, a proud member of the 757.  I'm caucASIAN (half Japanese). I still find it ironic that I'm starting a blog because I've always been fond of keeping a low profile, which is exactly what I did through my studies at Salem High School and Old Dominion University. 

I come from a solid family of 5 relatively normal children and 2 persevering parents. I absolutely love my family. I also love life and all the people my Maker has allowed me to share it with. I'm also about as human as they get...meaning I'm not short on deficiencies. However, I know my true identity rests firmly in the grips of a redemptive God, one in which I draw my strength, purpose, and peace...and I do so through of the Roman Catholic faith. It is through faith that I've discerned to spend the next 2 years or so of my life doing mission work in Central America.

If my faith bothers you, please don't let that keep you from reading. You might actually get some benefit out of this blog. We are, after all, human...which means we share many of the same joys, sorrows, challenges, and struggles... 

The following is a revised version of the letter I am sending out to potential prayer partners and donors for my long-term mission to Honduras...

Greetings friends!

I hope all is well with life!

I am blessed and excited to share with you what I’ll be doing in the next chapter of my life…after finally completing my undergraduate studies in Human Services and Counseling at Old Dominion University, I’ve discerned that I will be spending the next 2 years doing mission work in Comayagua, Honduras with the Missioners of Christ, a Catholic lay missionary community based out of Virginia Beach. 

     Believe it or not, this will be my 7^th trip down to Honduras!  There will certainly be an adjustment period to actually living in another country for more than 10 weeks. But this is an adjustment I will gladly welcome. I will start with a 2-3 week trip to Guatemala for language school, honing my Spanish-speaking skills. After which I will be diving into local ministry, which consists of home visits, serving at a boys’ orphanage, bringing food to those in need of it, spending time with children from the neighborhood, all in addition to fulfilling my communal obligations.  When not participating in local ministry, I will be preparing and helping lead mission teams to mountain villages where we spend 5 days or so doing evangelical and relational ministry. On these particular missions, we do home visits in the mornings, and then offer ministry-based programs for the children, youth, and adults in the afternoons. What is truly amazing about the home visits is the incredible hospitality and generosity of the Honduran people. It seems normal in Honduras to welcome strange missionaries into your home! 

    And speaking of missionaries, I could not be more excited to start my life as one in Honduras. So I hope you can join me in my efforts to be who God has made me to be. I ask first and foremost that you PRAY with me…in all that we do, we do for the glory of God, and  not ourselves. But if you’re not the praying type, please just keep me in your thoughts, do something for someone else when you don’t want to, or check-in with my mom to see if I’m still alive…whatever it is you do, remember that you are an active participant in something bigger. It will all be welcomed and appreciated by me and most especially, my mom.

     If you’d like to support me financially, you can email me at joe.kauflin@gmail.com with the subject title 'Mission donation,' and I will get back to you ASAP with directions on how to proceed.

I will be leaving March 9, 2013 and be back for a three week Christmas break in December and then be returning to finish out my 2-year term...

Now I ask that you please join me in heeding the words of St. Padre Pio (even those who don't pray can still participate)...pray, hope, and don't worry!

Thanks for reading!

Paz

Once I figure out how to format pictures, I'll be glad to post them! And if you'd like a copy of the letter sent to you, let me know!