Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
For a fifth consecutive year, the missionaries of VMF's "Operation Overhaul"...full story
see pages 6-7
They are a group of young adults energized by the Vincentian charism and wanting to share it with others.
They gather in the spirit of our founder St. Vincent de Paul, a 16th century French priest who abandoned a life of power and status to be with the poor of his day. VOYA provides opportunities of spiritual growth and service to any young adult who simply wants more from life.
VOYA is a Vocation TeamWorks project. It is a collaborative effort of evangelization sponsored by the Congregation of the Mission (Midwest province) and the Daughters of Charity (East and West Central provinces).
There are two VOYA projects each year: one in February and one in the summer months. Check their website for more detailed information on how to get involved.
VOYA gathered together to build a house in Matamoros, Mexico and to help develop a community garden in Cameron Park, Texas. Catch the spirit of these Vincentian young adults in action!
To see photos of Project Seton go to www.voya.us then click on the photos section and open the Project Seton photo album. Be sure to learn more about VOYA while you are there!
This is my second border experience. It can be a powerfully moving experience to visit places on the border, both in the US and Mexico. The poverty in both places is much more extreme than I imagined. I was a little more prepared the second time around, but the impression left was the same if not more than the first. Many of the people we met were there because they had traveled to the border in hopes of coming to the US, or successfully came across the border in search of better pay. Some had horrific experiences just trying to get there. It is hard to imagine what they must have come from, to feel that their lives were better now.
One lady shared her story about having to lie to her child about their financial situation. She didn't want her baby to realize that they were too poor to buy milk. The child was hungry, so the lady told her that the store was closed right now. The truth was she just couldn't afford to give the child her basic need of milk. It was heart wrenching to hear.
I think the thing that most impacted me was the innocence of the children. They were still living life with a clean slate. Their smiles, laughter, and desire to play with us, showed us that they did not see us as wealthy people with a better life. We were not people to be envious of, and they did not seem to care to have more than what they had. They were content and trusting. It was a beautiful thing to see their smiles and hear their laughter in the midst of makeshift homes, garbage, and what to most of us would be considered substandard living conditions.
The colonias, they are called, are low income areas in the US and Mexico. These are usually unincorporated low income neighborhoods of larger cities. The homes are packed in tight and there is no or little garbage removal or any other services on the Mexican side. The US side, depending on the area, may have more services available, and there is more space between the houses that offer a little yard or area to grow vegetables. Most of the residents on both sides speak only Spanish. It gives the impression that the people do not want to work, but we quickly realized this is not the case. Every time we started a project the residents were quick to get involved, help, and take ownership and responsibility for the completion of the project. They were extremely appreciative for any help we gave them.
Looking at the Colonia as a whole is a terribly frightening sight. It feels unsafe, and there is nowhere to turn for safety. However, that feeling quickly goes away when you start focusing on individuals, and get to know the people there. Even the initial shock of the poor living conditions quickly goes away. In Juarez, we stayed with families overnight. They welcomed us into their very modest living spaces, and treated us with great respect. The conditions did not seem livable at first, but as I said, we quickly found comfort in their way of life. It is not how we are used to living, but the people feel, love and care just the same as we do.