The Missionary Experience organized by the Missionaries of the Fraternidade – International Humanitarian Federation, offered three opportunities of service last Tuesday: two in Carmo da Cachoeira, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil (in the Hut of Saint Joseph and in the House of Hosting) and one about 40 kilometers from there, in the town of Nepomuceno, where an orphanage and a house for elderly people were assisted. In this way, the 26 participants in the event split in three groups to cover all the fronts of cooperation.
The group that transferred to Nepomuceno arrived at the orphanage in the morning, being received with a lot of noise by the 11 kids who are sheltered there, as well as by those responsible and the workers of the place. Then subgroups were organized to develop several activities: two volunteers took charge of accompanying the little ones with different recreational activities, others helped in cleaning the place and in the perfecting of installations, and still others offered to collaborate with fixing the food. In this way, the morning passed in an atmosphere of joyful harmony. Right after lunch, the children offered to their visitors several songs in an improvised choir, arising applauses and smiles. The visit ended with hugs and petitions on the part of the kids for it to be repeated as soon as possible.
Afterward the group went to the house for elderly people of the Group of Samaritan Ladies, where about 40 elderly women spend their days in a group experience of mutual solidarity. There, the volunteers of the Missionary Experience developed services of fraternal listening and of sharing moments with the interns. They had the opportunity of serving the snack and of praying the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy with the elderly people of the place. Then they said good-bye and returned to Carmo da Cachoeira.
In the meanwhile, another group conducted several tasks of cleaning, improvement and organization of the Hut of Saint Joseph, the place where the Missionaries distribute clothes, footwear, home articles, toys and other objects of donation to poor people. Other participants dedicated this day to serve in the House of Hosting, the place destined to give assistance to the people who live on the streets.
On Wednesday, 27, in the morning, a group volunteered to conduct improvements in the Marian Center of Figueira, where they enameled the House of the Guardian. Another group took charge of harmonizing the headquarters of the Park of the Kingdoms of the House of Light on the Hill, cleaning the different places (rooms, dormitories of the animals – dogs, cats, birds – and the whole external area). A third group continued with the attentions to the House of Hosting. In the afternoon, they all watched the study of Trigueirinho.
