Sounds like the Way

[Rejoice]

My friend's son has agreed to a 2-year mission committment with his Catholic Church in Central America. In reading his post, it sounds just like what many of us went through with WOW program, Way Corps, and especially after the "Fog Years". Honestly...there is nothing new under the sun! I condensed a lot of his blog, while illustrating the similarity:

“Kristin and I opened up to them about the difficulty we faced with having to make a decision. This allowed Fredericka, a young but astoundingly mature woman, to reveal her struggles with us about her volunteer experience in Waslala. She is merely a high school graduate who gave a year of her life to volunteer. Since the unraveling, she was essentially asked to leave her house that is on the grounds of the parish by the new priest. Feeling obliged to leave, she moved in with a host family in town. She no longer feels welcome at the parish, the place she once called home. During the conversation she became emotional and this allowed us all to share our tears with one another. She admitted to us that she had thoughts of leaving and going home when she realized she would not have a job at the parish any longer. Since the Germans commit for a year, Fredericka has decided to just bear the remaining 3 months in Waslala, though the thought of leaving was once strong in her heart. She encouraged us to move knowing that we still had so much more time in Nicaragua.

Meagan too, shared her desire to leave Waslala years earlier, and knew that this community had changed drastically since the new priests arrived. The parish is no longer the same welcoming place we had all come to know. It is no longer the place where all gather for a large banquet around the priests’ table. It is no longer the community that everyone came to love.

After honest sharing of hearts broken and tears being shed, Kristin and I looked at each other and knew the decision was made. We would leave Waslala; the heartache and the uncertainty. We would start fresh and move to a new community; re-committing ourselves to the mission with which we began.

What seemed like a clear decision was still clouded with emotions connected to this place and the people. We knew we would leave, but how do we leave became our next prayer request. I could not fathom having to say goodbye to some of the people I have come to know well in the last 6 months. I did not know how I would be able to live with feeling like I gave up, abandoned, or ran away from the struggle. After all, wasn’t that why I was here? To be a part of the struggle. I had made a commitment for 2 years, and now it seemed like I was reneging on my promise to the people of Waslala.

The reality was there were some external factors that helped lead us to our decision to leave. The situation at the Institute was, and is, crumbling. It is not the administration’s fault, as they have had to work by with a new co-director that was appointed by the new priest, and she does not see eye to eye with the current administrators. This has been a significant issue for them. It has caused all three of them to consider leaving, which looks likely. As fast as you can say the word “Institute”, the place itself became an unhealthy mess. Nearly every day there were tears, arguments, disagreements, fights, late nights, and accusations, AND we were not even a part of any of those things. It’s what we viewed from the sidelines. We knew if we stayed this would become part of our lives, and we could not justifiably say “yes” to that.

We also recently found out that the German organization that has sent volunteers to Waslala for the past seven years has decided to not replace Fredericka and Simon due to the crisis in Waslala. Also, when Vic, our Director, visited Waslala for two days after the VMM retreat in February, he was struck by the reality on the ground. And he also could see the situation the community was in and that it was sucking the life out of us and all those who are a part of it. When he departed he admitted that he sympathized with the difficult decision that lay ahead of us.

We have also not felt spiritually nourished by the parish. Mass is so different now. My feelings toward this are rather strong and deserve a blog post of their own. Our friends who no longer feel welcome at the parish initiated their own prayer community by starting a “house church.” Afterward, we share a light snack, our new eucharist. This has renewed our spirits, and there will be tension in our hearts knowing we are leaving this small “church” community behind. I can honestly say this was the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I have never felt so torn, so uncertain, or so conflicted in my life. Unfortunately, it is not a win-win situation. No matter how you shake it, we will be losing Waslala.

Upon meeting with my Spiritual Director in Matagalpa, she wisely encouraged Kristin and I to turn to a trusted process of *Ignatian Discernment.* We will take two days while in Waslala to imagine ourselves staying. Going throughout our day with the mindset we will remain in Waslala, then each night checking in with how we feel. How are we feeling emotionally, spiritually, physically? Then taking one day off from the stress of deciding our future. Then taking the following two days to embody leaving Waslala for San Nicolas, and checking in each night with how we are feeling. Hopefully, with daily prayer and nightly check-ins, we will know one way or the other how God is calling us and what the best decision is for the two of us. We have decided to leave.”

[Steve Lortz]

Yes, it sounds like The Way. It sounds like fallen human nature. This is not to excuse The Way or this other organization. We aren't called to walk by fallen human nature. Institutionalization screws up walking by the spirit.

Love,

Steve

[OldSkool]

Institutionalization screws up walking by the spirit.

Love,

Steve

Exactly! And that is one of my biggest gripes with the way international and subsequent offshoots. All they do in the end is further their own organizations and do it in God's name only.

[excathedra]

i'm sorry i couldn't keep reading

nothing new under the sun

and most of makes me ill

[Twinky]

I'm sorry for this young man and Kristin. They clearly have hearts to serve and to reach out to others. And they are stamped on at every turn. God bless 'em in their decision-making and in their next move.

Like many of us, what's been going on may well make this couple stronger and wiser and much more able to discern the BS that legalistic institutions are so full of.

[krys]

It sounds like the Way, but it's a much bigger organization, so I wonder if they'll ever get to the point of realizing that they are working against the BS and, instead, blame themselves for not doing what they thought they wanted to do.

It's fairly easy, once you get a glimmer of truth, to determine that the Way was a cult just because of it's size and singleness. How many RC church locations are there? How many RC'c are there? How about Protestant faiths? Plenty of those too, all over the world.

I sure hope they get out of there and that they get out with their total sanity.

[Ham]

It sounds like a larger organization running out of resources..

[sirguessalot]

Upon meeting with my Spiritual Director in Matagalpa, she wisely encouraged Kristin and I to turn to a trusted process of *Ignatian Discernment.*

"spiritual directors" and "ignation discernment"...finally, some signs of sanity and wisdom in an RC experience.

scriptures (along with everything else) are interpreted and applied at different stages of human understanding.

humans may age, but there is no guarantee we develop. so there are RC organizations run by adults with egos of a 3 year old, adults with egos of an 8 year old, adults with egos of a 13 year old, adults with egos of 18 year old, adults with egos of 30 year olds, and so on. same goes with bankers, cops, presidents, teachers and so on.

the words and names being used are deceptive. the values, priorities and actions are typically quite clear.

just because an organization or institution has formed around something does not mean it is without value. depends on who set the ethical and practical foundations...and how grown up they are inside.

[Jim]

Everyone has feet of clay.

[waysider]

Everyone has feet of clay.

[outandabout]

I'm Gumby, dammit!

[Rejoice]

"spiritual directors" and "ignation discernment"...finally, some signs of sanity and wisdom in an RC experience.

scriptures (along with everything else) are interpreted and applied at different stages of human understanding. the words and names being used are deceptive. the values, priorities and actions are typically quite clear.

just because an organization or institution has formed around something does not mean it is without value. depends on who set the ethical and practical foundations...and how grown up they are inside.

These kids involved are so upset with all the beaurcracy and secrecy. They signed up for 2 yr mission to help the impoverished, and find that the org doesn't really care about the neeedy at all... They are contemplating leaving; some already have. Reminded me of how good hearted we all were, and were told to look the other way when we started recognizing the hard heartedness and bait/switch actions.

[waysider]

If it's any consolation, at least they're finding out now, before they invest decades of their lives into it.

[krys]

Waysider - You Rock! That is an excellent statement.

[excathedra]

i'm so happy to see t

did you hear pat saunders died?

[sirguessalot]

i did. i love that crazy way nun. i pray she died well.

happy to see you too.

[JavaJane]

i did. i love that crazy way nun. i pray she died well.

happy to see you too.

That is the perfect way to describe her! Thanks for that!

[Thomas Loy Bumgarner]

did the youth consider contacting the bishop for the area? did other people in the parish complain about the priest's behavior?