A Story from Cross-cultural Training

One Saturday afternoon after Mass practice with the altar boys and girls, I noticed that they were not leaving to return home.

When I asked them why, I found their answer disturbing.

They were experiencing domestic violence at home. I organized a weekly gathering and invited all the children in the altar server group and the youth group.

They shared their experiences in their family and in their school. We heard many sad stories. Many students even broke down and cried. They had witnessed violence between their parents, and had suffered the consequences of divorce. As if that were not enough, many of them were also bullied in school.

Next, we organized a workshop to which we invited the parents and the school teachers. We shared the stories that we had heard from their children. After several of these workshops, we asked the children if they had experienced any improvement. They had. They said their parents were treating them better. They also told us about many positive experiences at school.

After we received this encouraging feedback, we decided to continue the gatherings. Every Saturday afternoon, we invited all the altar servers and those in the youth group to come together to share both their struggles and their joys, both at home and in school. In the end, it was clear that we had a positive impact on their lives. It was very rewarding for me personally and for the others who helped organize the meetings. 

Your generous support enabled the missionaries help these traumatized children. Without your love, they would still be suffering the effects of domestic violence and bullying in school.

On behalf of the people helped in Ludo, Ecuador, we are ever grateful for your support.

To find out how you can continue to support our missionary work, click below

 Ways to Give