Parish Talk #2

On September 20-21 I will present the vision of FOCUS at 5 Masses. Again, like the past parish, 2 of these Masses are in Spanish.

So far, all the parishes I have been accepted to speak at have a Hispanic heavy attendance. I feel it is my destiny to reach out to these people and teach them about FOCUS, which in turn will hopefully bring them closer to the Lord and his Church!

Esta son las mananitas...

With the traditional Spanish version of Happy Birthday, Las Mananitas, playing in the background and a cubicle filled with balloons and streamers, I was welcomed into work on my 26th Birthday!

I am grateful for all my family and friends who have sent warm wishes on this day.

"Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth!" -Lou Gehrig

Gloria y su familia...

At my parish talk after the 5:00pm spanish mass, Gloria Lopez gave me a contact card to follow up with her about FOCUS.

On August 5, at our 4:00pm meeting, her family was a living example to me what it means to give what you have, so that others may live.

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Driving into Docono, CO and passing my new favorite Mexican restaurant, El Taco Loco, I was nervous about presenting FOCUS in Spanish. I said a few quick prayers as I pulled into the trailer park where Gloria lived. My stomach churned as I began to prepare myself for the first time that I may be turned away and told that a financial donation was not possible.

I slowly pulled up to the bright pink trailer house with the last name, "Lopez" on a plaque that hung slightly crooked on the outside. This was it. I grabbed my bag and proceeded towards the house. A man with no shirt on met me at the front door and I asked him, "Buenas tardes, esta Gloria?" He replied, "Si si, pasa le."

I entered the house to find photos of a Quincenera covering every wall space possible. The man called for Gloria as he passed through the living room to the back of the house. Gloria returned with a big smile and the man, her husband, returned now with a shirt on and a smile as well.

They pointed to a chair for me and asked if I was thirsty. "No gracias."

In the spirit of Hispanic hospitality they summoned their daughter to bring me some tea anyway. With a smile I accepted and I began my presentation of FOCUS.

Huddled together on a couch opposite of me, they followed along in the Vision book that I presented from. With love in their eyes and an acceptance in their smile for my rough Spanish, it was hard to hold back tears. This was a family of five, supported fully by the mom, as her husband could not find work, and they were interested in FOCUS and how it was helping college students across the country.

As I neared the end of my presentation, I knew I was going to have to make "the ask". Slowly and steadily I looked into their eyes and asked, "Entonces, quiren ser companieros de mi mision con FOCUS?"

Gloria, stumbled through her words and replied in Spanish, "We can't give much. My husband doesn't have a job and I am supporting the entire family. But we would like to give $20 a month in support of your mission."

I expressed how grateful I was for their contribution, told them how to sign up for monthly reminders and ended our time together with a hug.

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Gloria reminds me of the woman in the Gospel of Luke who gave only two pennies, but it was worth more than the gold pieces that the Kings threw in due to the fact that it was all she had to give.