A grateful good-bye

I can’t believe it has been 3 weeks since I arrived in Calais. As I am on my way to my community, I feel myself being most sincerely filled with gratitude for this opportunity to be in Calais.

I also feel gratitude towards God, for God’s spirit inspired me to say yes to God’s call and to live in Jesus’ example of radical hospitality.  I am thankful for to each and every one of sisters and associates who supported me through their prayers, emails, and encouraging words. My sisters and community members have genuinely made me feel prepared for this mission, and that I am here as a messenger for our community.

My sincere thanks to Frank, I couldn’t have asked for a better person to accompany me in this journey. In the first week as I was finding my way around Frank made sure that I was doing ok. I can’t thank him enough for helping to put the first meal for 20 people on the table. The list  of my gratitude toward Frank is is too long to list here. Our coming together not only helped each other, but we were able to reflect together about our chapter call.

I can’t express enough thanks to Brother Johannes and his friends for being a great inspiration in my life. What inspired me most is the way this community (including the refugees and volunteers) makes a difference in the pain, suffering, and injustice that people are struggling with, especially in the refugee camp.

The stories of each refugee we heard are heart breaking. It is easy to get emotional, but here in this house I leaned and experienced how to live together as one despite differences of ethnicity, religion, language. (There were 14 of us from at least 7 different countries, with one shower and one toilet.) This state of constant togetherness helped us be able to bring healing to humanity. It is a reminder to me that mere awareness of suffering is not enough to change it; if we are truly committed to a more loving, peaceful world, we must ACT.

Though I fail so many times to put this philosophy into practice, I believe this experience will inspire and motivate me to see that we are stronger when we stand together, and that our compassion for another must extend beyond borders and it should transcend all concepts and realities of race, religion and gender.

 Finally, as I leave this place, I thank God and each and every person I came across here for being God’s face in my life, revealing God’s love and peace, and God’s continuous suffering in humanity. I also thank God for using my hands, feet, voice, smile, and silence as His instruments to reach out  God’s people. Bro. Johannes, Frank,  Alexa, Babak, Ali, Moein, Hussein, Ibrahim, Abdullah and Nazer, your love towards me was so genuine, I couldn’t hide my tears when I said good bye to all. You all have made a difference in my life. I will be remembering you with much gratitude and prayer.

Mother Clare, you continue to ask me “would you be my brave, noble, large minded and courageous soul?” Mother Clare, I tried my best, and in gratitude I remain open to your call wherever the continuation of this journey may take me, and I believe this is just beginning of many more yet to come.

With love and gratitude,
Sr. Sheena, CSJP