Happy Respect Life Month!

I haven't finished writing about my Peru trip yet and I promise I will! You've seen the pictures that I've posted. I promise to write about it all soon. I am in the process of dealing with quite a bit as Todd and I have broken up. It's not easy for me and re-living my trip to Peru causes a lot of emotions to rise up to the surface, so I am needing a bit more time on this. I promise that I am nearing that time. We are still friends (with a lot of Todd's patience, of course) and I'm thankful for that.

Back to the whole purpose of this blog... Happy Respect Life Month! October has been named by the US Bishops (I believe it's just the US Bishops) as Respect Life Month. This is in where we honor the human dignity from conception to natural death. For a lot of people Respect Life brings up one topic -- abortion. My oh my, Respect Life covers so much more. We are called to respect ALL aspects of life. We are made into God's image from the time we are tiny, tiny embryos to the time we die.

"Let us rededicate ourselves to defending the basic rights of those who are weakest and most marginalized: the poor, the homeless, the innocent unborn, and the frail and elderly who need our respect and our assistance,"

Abortion is definitely a very important aspect of respecting life. I remember being asked my view on abortion during my interview and I could feel myself shaking. I am very much against abortion and feel strongly that even at the earliest stage of pregnancy God is present. I admit that this was not always my view on abortion. At one point in my life I would have told you that the woman had every right to make that decision. I am now appalled at having even thought that. Why am I so against abortion now? Vincent. He's all the proof that I need. Even though I was being abused by his father while I was pregnant with him, I could not imagine detaching a very special life inside of me no matter how hard times were. I honestly did not know what was going to happen to me during that time. My relationship was miserable, but my pride would not let me give up on something I had gotten myself into. My pride also prevented me from thinking that I would rely on my family. I would cry in the bathroom not knowing what steps to take next, but knowing for sure that this life growing inside of me was to be the most special being in my life. I am thankful that Vincent and I made it out of that situation alive because there were times that I was sure he could harm us greatly. The whole experience of being pregnant and being a mother has made my views on abortion even stronger. For every step that Vincent takes in his journey through life, the more I am thankful for this precious gift that God has lent to me during my lifetime. He's now very involved with the presidential election and is such a joy to listen to as he analyzes each candidate.

Let's look into other aspects of Respect Life. I admit that I will not be able to cover all as it's getting late and we could go on and on. In our parish we are educating our parishioners on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship. This is a statement put out by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that guides Catholics to look at the issues and to base decisions on our Catholic Social Teachings. In my ideal world I would write a backgrounder on the social teachings, but that would take up too much time. I love these teachings because it helps keep me focused on how Scripture teaches us to live out our lives. Whenever I feel this rebellious side of me starting to stir (or is it the cynical side?), I turn to these teachings to keep me grounded.

There I go again -- on a tangent and pulling a Sarah Palin :) OK... Let's look at the opposite end of the spectrum -- Euthenasia/Assisted Suicide. This is a difficult topic because as humans we long to ease the suffering of our loved ones or long to be free from pain. We are to keep in mind that this life is not for us to take. Honoring the divine in us means honoring His decision as to when we go. I struggle with the power that humans have in deciding when it is time to die. Why is it so easy for people to administer this death? I know that I've never been faced with this situation, but this pain and struggle is part of our living process. At all times, God is in us and with us.

Capital Punishment -- again in way, shape or form are we to control another person's time of death no matter what crime he/she may have committed. A human being is a human being even when they have made bad decisions in their life. I don't care if you try to convince me that this person is the devil himself; it is not for you and me to decide. As God is willing to forgive us, so should we. Pope John Paul II forgiving his would-be assassinator, the Amish community that forgave the assassinator of their children and other members,... This is how we are called to love. We love not just those we can easily love; we love those that are hardest to love.

I will now start to end this as I'm fading quickly because my day started even before there was day(light, that is). So what do we do with everything in between? How do we respect the poor and marginalized? How do we respect nation's declaring war on another country? How do we respect those who turn to terrorist acts? How do we respect those who administer inhumane torture tactics? How do we respect those who are in need of adequate health care? How do we respect the mentally and physically handicap among us? How do we respect the need to let science prevail over nature? There are so many issues that fall under Respect Life and I could go on and on.

As a lot of Filipinos are used to, we as Catholics are called to political life. OK, my opinion, though, is that the Filipino Archbishops tend to dictate too much. Anyway... We are still called to advocate for the issues that revolve around our Church teachings. We are called to fight for policies that would benefit the common good. We are called to love one another -- from the moment of conception to the time we are called to join our maker.

These thoughts are a bit brief on each point (some more than others). I will try to get back and address more of these issues. This month is going to be very busy for me, but most exciting in my Social Justice career so far. I will share more as we go along.

A couple more things, though... I will be teaching English to a group of Filipino and Hispanic women starting October 11th. This is so exciting for me because this is also the start of another exciting venture for me. I am in the planning stages (more like talking stages, but it's getting there) for a women's ministry. I plan on creating a community of women for strength and support in our faith and to teach other women to empower themselves as well. We are in a community that has two extremes -- very strong, educated women and those who are economically challenged because of various situations. I long to bring these two groups together to teach each other to live by faith, to let go of fear, and to be stronger because of each other and our love for God. Very broad description so far, but I will get into details as it progresses. We deserve that R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

Snapshot of Homelessness or Sad Story?

I am actually in the process of writing about my trip to Peru, but just had to release some thoughts about a recent article that was published at our local newspaper. I have tried my best to let this article not disturb me, but I find myself angered and saddened by what was written. In the article he interviewed two homeless men he found at the camp, drinking beer, and just laying around. They scoff at the organizations that have been providing them with money, clothing and food. The author -- through his interview with these two men -- portray their surroundings as dirty and full of dangerous people and he is "disconcerted" by the fact that they have decent-looking clothes and seem to be well-fed.

I do not blame the men he interviewed for giving this impression. I am angry towards the author for focusing on the two men who would perpetuate the myths our society holds about homelessness. At the same time he did a great disservice to the many people and organizations that are pulling all their resources together to provide those around us in need with their basic needs and their dignity. He did not bother to interview those who choose to look for work, those who choose to spend their time at the daytime drop in center for a structured and safe environment, he never bothered to mention that the gentlemen he interviewed are known to have mental illnesses that they cannot seek treatment for because 1) they do not recognize their real need so they self-medicate with alcohol; and, 2) they do not have the services and money available to them.

He chose to leave out the families that live in their automobiles or transfer from one temporary home to another as they try to sort out their situation. He chose to leave out the students who cannot afford to pay for tuition and pay for rent in Corvallis. He chose to leave out those who have had to turn to the streets because they have either lost their jobs, have had to pay for high medical expenses, or have had to leave sad, sad situations. Almost everyday I receive requests for assistance from people who have just had one misfortune after another, but are working their hardest to turn their situations around.

I am mostly saddened by the fact that this author would use an avenue seen as being credible to continue to perpetuate the myths that have hindered our society from reaching out to the homeless in our community. He has hurt those who need help so much more than he could imagine. Already there were online responses saying that we need to get rid of these dangerous people, that we should really be getting rid of gay people, etc. Why do we do this to each other?

I have invited the author to spend time in the Corvallis Daytime Drop In Center (they provide breakfast, lunch, and structured activities for the homeless) and to volunteer with the numerous organizations that are trying so hard to provide for those in our community that so desperately need our help. I don't expect he will actually take me up on this, but I hope that it will at least challenge him.

How do we challenge ourselves to truly understand the families that live under the bridge, the ones we see as lazy and not doing anything with his life, the people that we see as "crazy" or "wierd"? How often do we actually try to find out why their lives are the way they are? How do we challenge ourselves to walk in the shoes of those who don't have what we have? How do we see Jesus in the man who sits around the camp drinking his beer all day long and seemingly refusing to help himself?

If you are interested, here is a link to the article... http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2008/09/05/news/community/3loc31_clmwray.txt

And if you're interested as well, here's a copy of the letter that I sent to the editor... (Watch out! Michi's at it again!)

I am so deeply saddened by the article written by Mr. Pat Wray entitled “Homeless in Corvallis: A Snapshot”. I would like to request Mr. Wray to take a wider angle to this snapshot. This article perpetuates the myths that pervade our society about homelessness and does a great disservice to the numerous people and organizations in our community that are working hard to provide our brothers and sisters with their basic needs and give them their dignity.

Mr. Wray does not take into account that the gentlemen that he interviewed represent a minority of our homeless population. The faces that represent the homeless of Corvallis consist of hardworking men and women who are struggling to meet their basic needs for one reason or another. There are the faces of the children who have to live in automobiles or temporarily in the homes of others – unable to call any place “home”. There are the faces of those who are mentally ill who are unable to gain control of their illness because of lack of services and resources. Perhaps rather than flashing a snapshot of laziness and drunkenness, Mr. Wray could have shown us the true reality of the way of life our homeless population has to live with.

He should also recognize that the process that the organizations he mentioned in his article take the steps that they do in order to fairly distribute the limited resources that are gathered. The gentlemen he interviewed very obviously could use more services that our community is unable to serve them. Mr. Wray should applaud the organizations and individuals who have provided these gentlemen decent clothing and nourishing meals. If there are some who have learned to use the system to their advantage, perhaps the organizations that continue to serve them would rather err on the side of compassion than in being judgmental and cold-hearted.

I find it disconcerting that you would use an avenue of credibility to play on the sad state of others. It is through harmful articles such as these that hinder our society from taking on its true role – to ensure the safety, the basic needs, and the dignity of those in need.

Mr. Wray, I invite you to spend one morning with the Corvallis Daytime Drop In Center and listen to the stories of those who choose to spend their day in a safe and structured environment. I invite you to interview or even volunteer with the numerous organizations (Stone Soup, Vina Moses, St. Vincent de Paul, Men’s Winter Shelter, WeCare, St. Mary’s Church Poor Fund, and many more) in our community that serve those who you have given us a snapshot of. I would like to see what kind of picture you portray after doing so.

Michi Gonzalez

Social Justice Coordinator

St. Mary’s Church Corvallis

MySpaceTV Videos: Reaching Kidz Worldwide by Citikidz

Link

TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE -- PART 2

TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE: A CATHOLIC GUIDE

We continue on with our guide about Torture. The text below are excerpts from Torture is a Moral Issue: A Catholic Study Guide developed by Catholic members of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and the Office of International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

PART 2 – THE PROBLEM WITH TORTURE

Catholic social teaching today opposes torture in the treatment of any detained or imprisoned person. For the Church is convinced that every human person bears a God-given dignity; respect for that dignity must always be present. The Church also is careful to point out that torture is illegal, prohibited under international law.

Pope Benedict XVI talked about this in September 2007, when he addressed an international congress of Catholic prison ministers. “Means of punishment or correction that either undermine or debase the human dignity of prisoners” must be eschewed by public authorities, he said. Immediately he added the following statement, which incorporates a quote taken from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church: “The prohibition against torture ‘cannot be contravened under any circumstances’” (No. 404).

What constitutes torture? Here’s the full definition written in the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1984:

For the purpose of this Convention, torture means any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent of acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions.

Hope Is the Solution

“How in our fearful times can we remain hopeful?” That question was posed in 2001 by Cardinal Godfried Danneels. It is a crucial question, he proposed, because “hope is not located somewhere at the edge of human existence: it is its heart. If it is hit, the person dies.” Cardinal Danneels, Archbishop of Mechelin-Brussels, Belgium, spoke about this at Jesuit-run John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, shortly after the attacks of 9-11.

“The cardinal asked, “May we still hope?” There is, he observed, “so much war and violence, genocide, unemployment, crime and terrorism.” Thus, “a sort of existential angst hangs in the air,” and “humankind wishes to fight back.” But “do we always choose the right weapon?” The cardinal, responding to his own question said, “Often we become cold, businesslike, cynical or even indifferent. The real solution lies elsewhere. It is hope.”

Summing Up

The use of torture in the treatment of prisoners or of people considered to be enemies is opposed in Catholic teaching. In the Church’s eyes:

Torture violates a human person’s God-given dignity.

The end does not justify the means; torture is a moral issue.

Torture violates international humanitarian law.

The torture and crucifixion of Jesus, and the torture and abuse of many saints down through history also are never forgotten by the Church. What do we learn from the interrogation, flogging, and crucifixion of Jesus? How does the torture of Jesus and many saints remind us of our nation’s response to threatening developments in the world today?

Some think that a sense of desperation began to influence people’s thinking in the period after 9-11. What do you think?

The Catholic Church always wants to contribute to the world in positive ways and to help cast light on the most pressing issues of the times. That is why the Church and her people enter into the public discussion of an issue such as torture.

What constructive contribution do you think the Christian community or its individual members can make to the conversation about key issues our nation faces, such as its response to terrorism?

Concluding Prayer

“From now on, Lord,

Help me to bring your love everywhere:

to schools and hospitals,

to marketplaces and theaters,

to press and television.

No one should be deprived

of the environment of love.

Lord, love is the means you want me to use

to bear witness to you,

or you would have shown me another way.”

(From “Prayers of Hope, Words of Courage”,

by Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan,

Pauline Books, 2002)

Torture -- A Moral Issue: Part 1

I had mentioned some time back that I will share with all of you some of the issues that I would like to create more of an awareness about. Here is part of a guide that I am sharing with the rest of our parish.

TORTURE IS A MORAL ISSUE: A CATHOLIC GUIDE

In early 2008 a discussion guide on torture was developed as a collaboration between the Catholic members of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and the Office of International Justice and Peace of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In the coming weeks, we will be featuring portions of this guide to develop an understanding of the following: 1) Dignity of every human person; 2) Torture; 3) Jesus’ Gospel instruction on loving our enemies; and 4) Promoting a discussion of actions that individuals, families, small groups and others might take to address the issue of torture.

RECOGNIZING EVERY PERSON’S GOD-GIVEN DIGNITY

Catholic social teaching holds that all people bear a God-given dignity. This conviction makes demands upon us: calls us to action, calls us to respect each person.

It is possible at once to feel personally affirmed by this teaching and disturbed by its most far-reaching demands, especially the demand to recognize human dignity in what may appear to us as difficult cases.

So this teaching leads somewhere: It leads to respect for ourselves and all others, and to action on behalf of justice. It leads to recognizing the face of Jesus in others.

This teaching also may prompt us to take a second look at widely accepted ways our society treats people – to assess whether some ways of treating people reflect respect for human dignity, or whether, in fact, they constitute abuses of human dignity.

Society itself frequently is divided when it comes to judging whether or not an action constitutes an abuse of human dignity. Thus, debates over particular issues get played out in the pages of our daily newspapers and on TV. For example, since 1973, there has been an intense debate over abortion, in which the Church calls for respect for human life from the moment of conception. There are ongoing debates over racism: when it is operative in school systems and when it is not, or how it influence voting choices. Currently, there is an ongoing debate in society over abortion and human embryonic stem-cell research, which the Church regards as a failure to recognize the unborn child’s humanity and dignity.

And, of course, there is debate over torture: whether certain practices commonly regarded as torture are legally or morally acceptable in the treatment and interrogation of prisoners accused of terrorist acts.

Torture is an issue in the news of our day, an issue that Catholic social teaching prompts us to examine. The issue of torture will be explored in detail in this discussion guide. At this point, however, we might conclude this discussion of human dignity by posing these questions:

What is at risk when respect does not characterize the relationships of individuals, of cultural and religious groups, or of nations?

Is it possible to condone practices of torture while at the same time affirming every person’s God-given human dignity? Why or why not?

Concluding Prayer

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

you have given the world its true light,

Jesus, your Son – the Son of God.

You abandoned yourself completely

to God’s call

and thus became a wellspring

of the goodness that flows forth from him.

Show us Jesus. Lead us to him.

Teach us to know and love him,

so that we too can become

capable of true love

and be fountains of living water

in the midst of a thirsting world.

(From “Deus Caritas Est,” Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical)

Compassion and Action

I still have not been able to transfer my pictures and I haven't been able to completely settle back to life in Corvallis.  Once I've had time to just sit back, write down all my thoughts about my trip to Peru, and upload all my pictures you will all get to read about my most incredible trip.  As for now...  I still have to unpack my luggage and my thoughts.

I have been reflecting on something someone in my Bible study group mentioned last week.  We were talking about being called to holiness and what it means to be a Christian.  She just said straight out, "It's so hard to be Christian.  I know I'm supposed to give money to help the poor, but I don't know if I'm supposed to give all or just a small portion.  I mean, I worked hard for that money."  The first part of her statement I agree with -- it is hard to be a Christian.  It takes work and it often means being different from the expectations that society has laid before us.  The rest of her statement just makes me so sad.

According to the book Compassion by Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill, and Douglas Morrison, being compassionate "is not a bending toward the underprivileged from a privileged position; it is not a reaching out from on high to those who are less fortunate below; it is not a gesture of sympathy or pity for those who fail to make it in the upward pull.  On the contrary, compassion means going directly to those people and places where suffering is most acute and building a home there."  Being a Christian is more than the thought that counts -- it's being able to look everyone in the eye and being a true brother and sister to each one we meet.  It's being able to take action towards fulfilling our task of easing the suffering of all those in need.  

Living out our Christian lives will sometimes mean being drawn out of your comfort zones.  There are those who live as missionaries in poor communities throughout the world.  They are in full community with those that they minister to.  I have friends in Argentina who work with the youth and women to feed them spiritually and help them break from the bondage of their struggles.  My friends send updates periodically and these always make me cry because of how happy they are with their work and how they are able to touch the lives of those they encounter.  Todd is in Peru with two other lay missionaries.  Todd works with the youth in his parish.  I am inspired by how he is teaching them and providing them with opportunities that empower the youth to take leadership roles.  Through these roles they are able to lead and gather other youth towards working together in the parish with the hopes of making life in their community stronger and working together towards overcoming their struggles.  Todd's housemates are nurses that work at the hospice (in which Todd volunteers as well) and they reach out to those who are terminally ill.  They provide medical services to people who are unable to afford the care that they need.  Todd visits different homes with the pastoral worker and they provide companionship and prayer for those dying and their families.  This is just a very small sample of what missionaries do around the world.   It is hard, but I'm sure if you talk to each one of them you'll learn of the happiness and fulfillment it brings to their lives.  They don't work from on high -- they are right there in community with the people they serve.

One doesn't have to go very far, though, to be with those in need.  In Corvallis alone, we have several organizations and groups that one can be involved in to live out our call.  There's Stone Soup -- they serve free, hot meals for those who are in need of nourishment.  There's the Daytime Drop In Center where the homeless can stay during the day for a safe, structured day.  At the start of the winter, there's the Men's Winter Shelter where homeless men can spend the night in a warm shelter.  There are services throughout town that provide for emergency financial assistance.  There are organizations that assist with mental health issues, providing for families that have children to ensure that the children stay in school, food banks that provide food boxes, groups that provide clothing for school, and much more.

Let's also keep in mind that being poor doesn't just mean being financially poor.  It also means being in need of a service or support that a person may not be able to provide for themselves.  There's the Jackson Street Youth Shelter in Corvallis that provides shelter for youth who are in need of a safe place to stay.  The youth stay here for a variety of reasons; sometimes it's to get away from unsafe relationships with parents or guardians, sometimes it's just to take a break from parents when they don't see eye-to-eye.  For women who are pregnant or think they may be, there's the Options Pregnancy Resource Center.  Women can seek services such as counseling, pregnancy tests, parenting classes, etc at Options.  Women who are not sure of their next step when they have unwanted or unexpected pregnancies can turn to Options and their counselors will guide them through with the hopes that they opt to carry out their pregnancy.  For those that have been abused, there's the Corvallis Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence (CARDV).  They help women in abusive relationships to get away from the situation and pick up their lives.  

On a personal note on that one...  I often wondered to myself why I am not more involved with CARDV considering that I came from a physically and verbally abusive relationship.  I realize how fortunate I am that I have a supportive family that helped me through this tough situation. Without their help I know that I would either still be in this abusive relationship, out in the streets (or at least with relatives if I were still in the Philippines), or, to be truly honest about these situations, dead.  Part of me still wonders if I have fully overcome the effects of having been in this relationship.  I noticed not too long ago that there are certain movements that people make at close proximity to me that make me flinch still.  I know that it has affected my relationships with other men (I am sure Todd can attest to this one:) ).  It has just hit me (inside my head -- not physically :) )that one way of overcoming some of the anxieties and fears that still exist would be to be involved with this organization.  

Yes, I tend to go off the topic.  Going back to what I was writing about...  I'm sure that no matter what city or country you live in you will find organizations and services that you can get involved with.  Tending to the poor is more than just handing out money from our comfortable homes.  Living out our faith means being in community and in humble service to those around us.  Everyone I've spoken to who works hard towards being obedient to this call will tell you that it's hard, but they will also follow it up with how happy they are with what they are doing.  Two people that Todd and I stayed with who are both missionaries themselves called themselves crazy because of the life that they have chosen for themselves, but they said it with smiles and are happy for this choice.  Being compassionate and taking action means being different -- what's wrong with that?

Realities...

Well, I'm back from Peru and have tons to share about my trip. It was a very full and amazing trip. Unfortunately, getting pictures posted hasn't been quite so easy because of some technical difficulties. I will sit down later on and write about my trip when I have pictures to go along with it.

For now I am back at St. Mary's and trying to get work done -- not an easy task for now! I've been teaching my 2nd graders for Vacation Bible School in the mornings and then trying to fit in whatever work I can in the afternoons.

I ask permission to go off topic a bit... I love my 2nd graders! What surprised me the most was that some of them were my preschoolers during my first year with St. Mary's Preschool. It's hard to believe that they will soon be preparing for First Communion. More and more I am tempted to say that I would like to teach that class, but I'm trying to be realistic about my schedule. I already have some Sundays committed for my work activities -- I don't know how much Vincent and my parents would appreciate my being gone every Sunday. I suppose one reality here is that I'm getting older! My preschoolers are now reading and know all sorts of bigger words (and being able to use them, too!). I love being able to get my hugs from them again. I never realized how much I missed this part of being with kids. I have the biggest class of all -- 17 kids, but they are just great. This age still listens when they are told to listen, yet are capable of really great conversations already as well. I initially felt suckered into teaching this class, but now I am so thankful that this was sent my way at this time.

Going back to my real job... I have encountered once again my usual cast of characters and they've been keeping me grounded. I volunteer at our Daytime Drop In Center for the homeless. I help as much as I can in setting up breakfast and then pretty much be there to talk with the people. There are two people in the center that I particularly enjoying talking to. Jeniffer is the Executive Director of the Center. She has a 10-year old son as well. She has also self-diagnosed herself as having Aspergers. She said that she has to force herself to look people in the eyes when she talks with them. She learned from her mom and sister (who are diagnosed with Aspergers) that this is a trait, so she does her best to overcome this. She also told me that she used to be violent (something that is quite common with people who have not learned to control their anxieties), so this has led to a tougher life for her. You see, Jeniffer herself is homeless. I admire her because of her knowledge of the people that she works with and her dedication to doing this job even if it is as a volunteer. She tells me that most of the time she just longs to get behind her handheld videogame, but she fights that because she knows this is a common trait of people with Aspergers and that she needs to interact with people. She lives in a tent in a field in the outskirts of Corvallis where a lot of the homeless people with tents live. She shares her tent with her boyfriend, Wayne, and their dog that they saved from an abusive situation. Her son lives with his father and she sees him on the weekends. I assume she is unable to hold a job because of her disability. She told me that she has tried so hard, but she just can't conform to the workplace.

Then there's Dale. He's the Macgyver (spelling?) of the center. He has anything and everything in his backpack and in his pockets. He is so smart. He can tell you anything about everything (which, of course, leads to unusually lengthy conversations). He is generous with what he has to offer (like wrench-shaped sugar free mints that he likes because he's diabetic). When he knows you need help with something, he jumps to help. Dale was in the Vietnam war. He definitely has mental issues, but I'm not quite sure what it is. He is very good friends with another gentleman, Loran, whom I've met because of the assistance we've given to him at the church. He is also a vet. They would get along well because they are very similar in their mannerism. Loran is a big guy who is diabetic also and has a wound that hasn't healed in over a year. He came to me asking for help because his tent and other personal belongings (including his Bible he says) were stolen. He is this tall, heavy-built man, that can be quite snippy and sarcastic. Yet he is not afraid to give hugs and was close to tears when he was given more than what he had expected. These gentlemen, I assume, are in the state that they are in because of their duty to fight for their country. So why are they are out in the streets? I highly doubt that if they were in a better state of mind (or if they were getting the proper mental health assistance that they need) they would choose to be homeless. There are those that feel that this is a choice that they make. When you talk to these men and women who call the fields and streets home, listen to their streams of thoughts, and find out what they've gone through, I don't agree that this was a conscious choice.

There are others I've met who are not homeless, but barely meeting their basic needs. I've written about Laura whose son was being detained in immigration. He was deported to Mexico. This is a man in his 20s who grew up in the United States. He came to Corvallis when he was 5 years old. He was his mother's sole financial supporter because she has been too ill to work. Laura has diabetes and is blind in one eye. She now has no one to support her and is looking for any kind of work she can get. Yet Laura has managed to find ways to smile, keep me updated on her status, and tells me funny stories about her son. It kills me that I am unable to pay for her utilities or her rent because she was already given assistance a few months ago. Now I have to send her to all sorts of other places, but even those places will not be able to help any longer in a month or two. Laura is quite the fighter and I think she will find a way. Her son is now working in Mexico and is paid quite well considering Mexico's low wages. His being able to speak English and Spanish with fluency will be helpful for him, but will not be enough to provide the support that his mother needs. With her medication alone, she spends well over $400 a month. Watching her take these small steps towards survival is quite inspiring, but heartbreaking as well.

I sometimes feel overwhelmed with the hardships of people all over the world. I also manage to make myself feel even more overwhelmed when I throw my own woes into the pot. I know that my problems don't come anywhere near what Jeniffer, Dale, Loran and Laura have to go through. This does remind me that we each have our own realities that we deal with as best we can and they are hardships nonetheless. Actually, it was Todd who reminded me of this. I know I mope, cry and get cranky when I feel my life is tough. Seeing these people laugh and share, though, teaches me that I, too, can laugh and share. Realities will follow us wherever we go, but we have to just keep going and laugh and share along the way.