Hope, life, joy are not quarantined

We could say that we live “locked in”, we have brought the two communities together, we go out only what is necessary… we live with insecurity because of our ever-changing reality, because of the reality of people who do not know what is going to happen. Sickness is increasing and poverty is getting worse. Living with insecurity is not easy.

The reality

Confinement is attempted, but reality prevails: overcrowded houses, lack of economic and sanitary resources, even older people go out to sell, to do their shopping every day. Informal workers (the majority) see how they cannot support their families. The reality of migrants, especially Venezuelans, is complex: no work, no papers, no housing.

The country has become aware of political, economic and service centralism, the regions are neglected and yet many desperate people try to return to their provinces even on foot. Those who govern try to respond to reality, but corruption, precariousness in health, economy, education… have been going on for years and attempts to do something about it are not enough.

Hope

And yet, like a seed among stones, like a mustard seed, without us sometimes knowing how… life continues to be born in the midst of suffering and worry. New ways of meeting each other emerge, in prayer, welcoming from the door those who come to us or when we cross each other at the shops. We transform the hugs and greetings that we miss so much into deep and sincere listening, into words of tenderness, into prayerful remembrance.

Solidarity

In times of limits and vulnerability, creativity is awakened, we have organized ourselves to call about 40 families every week, there is a solidarity network to help the basic needs of about 20 families, we dream of a project of “Solidarity Home Delivery”, we make videos and messages to brighten up life and feel close.

We have not stopped, it is time to continue learning and deepening with the classes of the Conference of Religious.

The gift of community,

In these times we feel with great strength the gift of community, we deepen our relationships, we value them and we perceive the mutual love in the attention, in the co-responsibility of taking care of the community and of the other. We take care of ourselves on the outside (hygiene, cleanliness…) and on the inside, our spirit is in “prayer mode”, we take care of the liturgy, we express what is in us, we play, talk, dance, do handicrafts…

We live here, in Lima, Peru, but we also have our hearts in our countries of origin, we feel deep communion with the Congregation, with humanity here and there. We feel the pain of death, we are concerned about the HA that fall ill and we are given life by the virtual meetings.

And in the midst of it all, we discover the suffering Jesus in the midst of his people, Jesus poor among the poor, Jesus who continues to proclaim the Kingdom and to tell us “Blessed are those who suffer, those who mourn…” a great Easter paradox that we live with everything mixed up in our hearts.

Hope, life, joy are not quarantined... and they go beyond the walls of our house, without a doubt “The whole universe is open to us” (E.Pernet).

Communities of the Little Sisters of the Assumption. Lima (Peru)