Unbounded joy

Steven and I were Unbound (CFCA) sponsors five years before we learned that others within the Corpus Christi diocese knew about the program, too.

From: Unbound
Date: Monday, June 26, 2017 11:12 AM
Re: Unbound volunteer opportunity at St. Pius X

Dear Steven & Deli,

We will be in your area on July first and second hosting a weekend sponsorship event at St. Pius X.  Fr. Thomas Landgraff, an Unbound presenter, will be celebrating Mass and inviting parishioners to visit the sponsorship table and see folders of children, youth, and elderly friends awaiting sponsorship.

Would you be available to volunteer at the sponsorship table after one of the Masses?  It only takes about thirty minutes of your time, and we’ll make sure you’re prepared before the event.

Please reply to this email or call us to let us know you are available.

We are grateful for your continued support in creating change in our world.

Sincerely,
Maureen Ortiz
Outreach Coordinator

CFCA

We first learned about the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) from Dotty and Loren Smeester, April 2012.  Although they’d wintered in Port Aransas the month of February most years, I’d never seen them in church until they happened to occupy the pew behind ours at nine o’clock Mass.

February 2012

I so enjoyed Loren’s singing, richly reminiscent of a cowboy on a long cattle drive, that I imagined him as a farmer or a rancher.  I complimented him as we exchanged the sign of peace and received a great big smile in return.

After Mass, Loren approached the ambo, introduced Dotty and himself, and told us about the two items— an I’m #3 card and a CD— that he felt compelled to share with our St. Joseph Church community.   He was friendly, unassuming, and faith-driven so I couldn’t wait to hear more of his story before we left church that morning.

       

       

Invitation

Taking photos for the church blog (as usual after Mass) I had the opportunity to observe not just Loren in his interactions with Fr. Xaviour and the parishioners, but also Dotty as she very patiently waited for him to complete his mission.  They were so attuned to each other that they communicated wordlessly, effortlessly— truly a match made in heaven.

When Loren had dispensed all his wares, I approached the beautiful couple smilingly.  Steven joined in the conversation, too.  And, we learned that the Smeesters owned the Silver Bison Ranch in Baldwin, Wisconsin.

“Come see us when you’re in the area!” Loren insisted.  “You’re welcome anytime!”

I chuckled within because the thought, while appealing, was almost outrageous.  I’d never been up north before, and I doubted that we’d travel there just to take in a tour of the ranch and indulge in Dotty’s home cooking.  Still, I graciously accepted.

April 2012

The following month Steven was asked to attend an April conference in Marinette, Wisconsin so Steven made all the arrangements, allowing extra time for Dotty and Loren.

Without giving the Smeesters advance notice— in case we had a change in plans— we flew into Minneapolis, drove to Baldwin, and stopped by the family gift shop before calling Dotty and Loren for a quick “hello” and then be on our way.

Long story short, we visited their home twice— a few hours that evening and an entire day before returning to the airport to head back to Texas.  And, for reasons that I don’t recall at the moment, Loren shared the story behind the letter they’d recently received from their precious godson in Central America and very gently encouraged us to sponsor a child because it was a mutually rewarding experience.

Sponsorship

When we got home days later, Steven looked into the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) program and signed us up.

Mid-May we received three packets with photos and information about our sponsored friends: two girls— the older one in Costa Rica; the younger, in Lima, Peru— and an elder, Freska, in the Philippines.

My letter-writing skills from childhood were quickly embraced and my Spanish, though rusty, began a slow-but-steady comeback, thanks in part to the internet.  How amazing to correspond without the need of a CFCA translator!  The girls and I wrote in Spanish; Freska’s grandchildren and I, in English.  A worthy endeavor for all of us!

In 2013, an unexpected change disrupted my correspondence with the older girl when her family relocated to a country that CFCA doesn’t serve.  I miss Vanessa’s long, soulful letters and often wonder how she’s doing!  Still, her photo, on display with the other two that change periodically, represents not just our hope for her well-being, but also our continued thoughts and prayers for her success.

Unbound

CFCA has since changed its name— “Unbound sums up our work in one simple and powerful word” (Website; January 2, 2014)— but all else remains the same.  Letters, drawings, cards, and updated photos, along with Unbound pamphlets and inserts, arrive at different times during the year.  And, sponsors are encouraged to write (and include photos) at least twice a year, though more often is incredibly fulfilling.

July 2, 2017

Until we received Maureen’s email invitation to volunteer we had no idea that other Unbound sponsors lived within the diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, so imagine our surprise at being asked to assist at the weekend sponsorship event.

We were glad to attend Mass at St. Pius X, a church we visit on special occasions; but we were especially delighted to meet Ana, a young woman who has sponsored a little girl since 2012, and Fr. Tom Landgraff, OSFS, who, himself, sponsors an elder.

As we spread out the packets on the table to prepare for potential sponsors (before and after the Masses), we hoped to find good homes for as many children and elders as we could so, throughout the morning, we rejoiced with each perfect match.

Among those we met, two families, already part of the sponsorship program, eagerly added friends.  A couple with four children in tow took home the packet of a darling little African girl in a festive gold-and-green dress, while a very thoughtful woman chose an elder from Mexico to complement her one child from before.

As for Steven and me?  For months I’d longed to grow our sponsored family so, on the drive to church, we’d discussed taking a packet home.  But, as usually happens, the heart always yearns for more: in the brief quiet moments after church emptied and we tidied up, Steven discovered three packets from Merida in Fr. Tom’s box.

As if in response to my early morning request— “I want someone I can write to in Spanish”— Steven approached.  “These are all that’s left.”

“We’ll take them!” I exclaimed with unbounded joy.  I knew that the sooner I mailed my introductions to “our kids,” the sooner I’d receive their replies.  What a promise of hope!

      

                       

           

       

       

       

           

               

       

       

       

Postscript

Today, November 20, is Juanito’s seventh birthday.  He is the oldest of the three youngsters we began sponsoring in July.  His sister, just three years older, wrote two of the most delightful, endearing letters I’ve ever received.  Infused with love, her accounts latched onto my mind, heart, and soul.  But, October 18, we received word from Unbound’s office in Kansas that the family was relocating from Merida because of the dad’s new job.  This meant Juanito’s exit from the program.

While I was ever so grateful for the family’s much-needed economic blessing, I couldn’t help but think of Hania’s colorful perspectives on her little brother and the family.  I’ll miss being part of their lives and the many adventures Hania has yet to share!  Still, as with Vanessa, Juanito’s family will remain with us through the brief but indelible memories forged in just a few months.

And, when one door closes, another opens.

While Unbound’s telephone message was terribly disheartening— and the realization of not hearing from Hania again immensely disappointing— I had to do something to honor, not mourn, the loss of Juanito and his family.  Instead of returning the phone call right away, I took a few hours to clear my thoughts… and made quite a discovery.

After visiting “Find someone to sponsor” on Unbound’s home page, I telephoned the Kansas office not only to express my gratitude for having learned about Juanito’s family through Hania’s beautiful letters, but also to discuss the sponsorship of a child in Kenya whose Mona Lisa smile tugged at my heartstrings, a five-year-old girl who, like Juanito, dreams big and loves to sing.

Prayers from the Unbound community

Bountiful God, your faith in your children overflows and overwhelms us.  Help us to embrace the confidence you have in us so that we may realize how truly magnificent it is to be human.  May gratitude to you, expressed in loving care for others, guide us and fill us with the joy that is the reward of the good and faithful servant.  We ask this in your holy name (Larry Livingston).

Compassionate God, you have called us to act as agents of your love in our world, and blessed us with the gifts we need to fulfill that mission.  Following the example of Jesus, may we embrace our calling to be your partners in creating a world of justice and mercy.  We ask this in your holy name (Fr. Dave Noone).

Dear God, I pray for anyone going through new, difficult or uncertain times to feel your constant love and support.  I pray they can learn from your example and the example of others to rise above their situation and embrace the journey and the growth.  More importantly, I pray we continue to count our blessings, to see life as a gift.  I pray we develop the strength to endure life’s difficulties and the wisdom to appreciate life’s splendor (Gustavo Adolfo Aybar).

Dear God, thank you for believing in us.  When we don’t believe in ourselves or others, you show us compassion and our hearts are filled.  Wonderful teacher, thank you for showing us, through our sponsored friends, that nothing is insurmountable if we believe in each other and put our faith in you.  Help us become better sources of encouragement and light in each other’s lives.  We ask this in your name (Jordan Kimbrell).

Dear God, thank you for helping us wake up each day and do the small deeds.  Thank you for giving us strength to contribute.  Help us to give without expectation.  Help us to see and appreciate your love, manifested through others, all the days of our lives.  In your name, we pray (Bridget Barry).

Dear Lord, help us ensure that our actions and our words remain focused on our goals and that our day-to-day efforts reflect an ever-increasing desire to help those who need us.  Help us stay true to our mission and remember to be thankful for the gifts offered by others, especially their time, talent, and financial resources.  Watch over us as we walk with people in poverty.  Help us remain their loyal and loving servants (Aybar).

Dear Lord, your work takes us to many places for which we are thankful.  We offer our gratitude to you for all you have given us.  May we continue to walk along the path you have chosen for us with humility, as we carry our gifts to those we serve (Bernetta McKindra).

Dear Lord, please help us to remain humble, as well as generous to others and ourselves, in words, thoughts and actions.  Allow us to see Christ’s life, especially his passion, as a perfect model of strength, commitment and faith.  Help us to embrace all of life’s joys and challenges and remain ever faithful to your will (Aybar).

Faithful God, we know that all things work for good for those who follow you.  Remind us of that truth and empower us to look to the good that you have for us and trust the path you’ve laid out.  We thank you for all the success with which you’ve blessed Unbound families, that they may find greater confidence in themselves and in your love (Maureen Lunn).

Father, when we look at our lives and see how fragmentary everything is, how many plans have gone undone, and all the reasons we have to be embarrassed and ashamed, help us to realize that there has not been a minute in any day when we have not been embraced by your love (Noone).

Generous God, in the Blessed Virgin Mary we see the grace of one who dedicated herself to the fulfillment of your will.  May we, like her, have the courage to let it be done to us according to your word, that we may give ourselves in loving service to our sisters and brothers in need.  We ask this in the name of your son, Jesus, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever (Livingston).

Glorious God, you created the human person to proclaim your goodness.  May we never shrink from that magnificent calling.  Bolster us in times of doubt and send us companions in times of loneliness.  At all times, give us the grace to live life to the full (Livingston).

God of all, you have created us to build one another up and help each person reach their full potential.  Bless us as we strive to live in solidarity with our sisters and brothers.  Give us the wisdom to look past that which separates us to that which we have in common, our sacred identity as your beloved children.  We ask this in the name of your son and our brother, Jesus the Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever (Livingston).

God of creation, help us to see beyond ourselves.  Thank you for the community you’ve provided us, our coworkers, family members, and those we serve.  Remind us to be grateful for the work of all of society, and empower us to be kind as we create together.  In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Lunn).

God of open arms, thank you for welcoming us into your love and forgiveness.  Thank you for making space for us in your heart.  Give us the wisdom to see others with the same welcoming eyes through which you see them.  We desire to foster a world where everyone belongs, and we pray for your guidance (Lunn).

God whose goodness runs deeper than we can fathom, speak to us in sacred stillness.  Deliver us from the noise and clutter of the world and bring us to the depths of our hearts, where we may listen to you in peace and confidence.  Fed by your grace, may we be messengers of hope and agents of love in a world in need.  We ask this in the name of your son and our brother, Jesus the Christ (Livingston).

God, our most gracious father, I pray that we all might reach out in solidarity and befriend one another.  May we “get our feet wet” in the courageous belief that loving others means not taking ourselves too seriously, but seriously believing in the potential of others (Shantel Davis).

Gracious God, all that we have is a gift from you.  Whatever good we do is but a glimmer of your goodness.  Teach us how to be gifts for others, and may we have the wisdom to allow them to bless us in return.  Break open the bread of our lives so that all may be fed.  We ask this in your most holy name (Fr. Bill Donnelly).

Gracious God, open our ears to hear your voice.  Lead our feet on your path as we walk with you and in solidarity with others.  Fill our lives with your presence and peace as you bless and make use of us (Benjamin Haley).

Jesus, Lord and teacher, we thank you for the spiritual freedom you offer and for the blessing of knowing you as you bring meaning and change to our lives.  We pray for our sponsored friends and scholarship students as they progress in their studies.  May they open doors of opportunity that will help them overcome poverty and be role models for others.  May we all learn from you, our great teacher.  We ask this in your holy name (Haley).

Lord, thank you for simple reminders of our past.  May we reflect on them and continue to grow.  Thank you for the founders of Unbound, who heard your call of service and created something that has lasted nearly four decades.  Thank you for the children, youth and elders we serve, as they continue to remind us that poverty is still among us.  Bless us as we continue the journey started by Bob and the other founders. We ask this in your name (Kimbrell).

Lord, thank you for the connection you provide through friendship.  Our friends help us to grow and learn more about ourselves, walking with us through each stage of life.  Let us take a moment to remember friendships that have faded into the past and appreciate those friends who are in our lives now.  May we support one another through prayer, love and kindness (Clair Gordon).

Lord, we thank you for being a loving father who calls us to you no matter who we are.  The love we feel being included in your family is overwhelming.  We pray that others living on the margins of society will know how much they’re also loved, wanted, and welcomed.  Show us how we can include those around us, drawing them into your love (Clair Paul).

Lord, you filled our world with beautiful and diverse languages.  Thank you for connection through communication.  We appreciate the gifts others share to build bridges between those who don’t share common tongues.  May our words draw us closer together and closer to you (Paul).

Loving God, bless your people with generosity of spirit.  May our days be marked by love for our brothers and sisters, and may we be filled with the resolve to live in solidarity with them.  In all that we say and all that we do, may compassion guide us, and may others see within us a reflection of your perfect love.  We ask this in the name of your son and our brother, Jesus Christ (Fr. Joseph Gosselin, MS).

Loving God, Mary, Joseph and your Son, Jesus, were visited by the Magi.  They were poor and surely astounded by such wonderful gifts that were brought to them.  Yet they were a gift to their visitors from distant lands.  Open our eyes and help us to see the gifts of love that come our way, gifts that may be small in material value, but rich in love and faith (Fr. John Anglin, OFM).

Loving God, you call us to serve others not just for their sake but also so that we may grow in grace and wisdom.  Help us to recognize that we each bear an obligation to help correct unjust systems.  May we never be complacent or satisfied with our own comfort when it comes at the expense of our sisters and brothers.  We ask this in your holy name (Livingston).

Loving God, you gave us the gift of free will to chart our own course.  You also gave us the blessing of accompaniment by the Holy Spirit and our fellow human beings.  Open our eyes to see potential, our ears to listen to dreams, our minds to create opportunity and our hearts to give freely of ourselves.  May we seek your wisdom as we go forth with faith and confidence, knowing we’re not alone. We ask this in your holy name (Loretta Shea Kline).

Loving God, you have blessed us with the right and the responsibility to choose our own paths.  Help us to do wisely and with consideration for those affected by our decisions.  May loving kindness and solidarity with our brothers and sisters always guide our actions.  We ask this in your most holy name (Livingston).

O God, who feels our pain, open our hearts to those in need.  May our own pain and hurt help us feel that of others and lead us to walk with them through suffering to hope.  We are grateful for the life you pour out upon us and that we, in turn, pour out on others in Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit (Paco Wertin).

O God, you who choose us for one another, open a space in our hearts to receive what you give so generously, the ability to love as you love us! Thank you for showing us the way through Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever (Wertin).

Thank you for the beauty, O God, that lies deep within each of us.  Help us to love everyone and everything that you love.  Help us to know that recognizing the dignity of each opens a door to new possibilities of forging that path out of poverty, a path that emerges from and leads to the depths of our hearts, where you live and reign forever and ever (Wertin).

October 24, 2017

Pause for a moment and look around you.  Simply thank God for all the gifts that you have right now, all the gifts saved from the wreck of life: the lamp that illumines this page, the chair that gives you comfort, the home that provides shelter.  That’s a good exercise of stewardship.

Thank God for the sun and stars in the sky, for the support of friends, for the opportunities of a new day, for the ability to laugh and cry.  A disciple receives everything with gratitude.  It is prayer that helps keep the heart grateful and filled with joy (Robert F. Morneau in Living Prayer: A Simple Guide to Everyday Enlightenment).

October 28, 2017

An admirer of Mother Teresa once gifted her with her own personal “calling card.”  Teresa liked the card so much that she had copies made and regularly handed them out to people for the rest of her life.

Written on the small yellow cards were spiritual lessons Teresa had learned from the Church, her prayer life, and her ministry to the poor.  She summed them up in five steps.

The fruit of silence is PRAYER.
The fruit of prayer is FAITH.
The fruit of faith is LOVE.
The fruit of love is SERVICE.
The fruit of service is PEACE.

Mother Teresa carried that prayer around with her— its words emblazoned on her heart (Kerry Walters in St. Teresa of Calcutta: Missionary, Mother, Mystic).

November 1, 2017

“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal” (Steve Maraboli).

November 8, 2017

To discover that you are loved is the center of all existence.  And when we are filled with this total and delirious love, little by little, we grow and love in turn.  That gradualness in our journeys is a sign of the infinite tenderness of God (Chiara Corbella Petrillo; Simone Troisi & Cristiana Paccini in A Witness to Joy).

November 24, 2017

Thanksgiving focuses on God’s gifts.  Our challenge is to take nothing for granted, but to appreciate every blessing.  Thanksgiving is a way of life.  Indeed, the prayer of thanksgiving characterizes a eucharistic people.

Our gratitude centers on the greatest gift of all— Jesus.  This gift, and all the other gifts through God’s providence, are expressions of God’s love.  How fitting and just it is that we always and everywhere express our gratitude to the Lord (Robert F. Mourneau in Living Prayer: A Simple Guide to Everyday Enlightenment).

November 25, 2017

God calls every one of us into a relationship of intimate, personal, loving, and life-giving communion.  He is inviting us to share his life and the life of his whole family.  Our response to God’s invitation to intimacy and communion is to be the person he created and calls us to be— to make a gift of ourselves— because, when we give ourselves away in love, we truly find ourselves (Sonja Corbitt and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers in Ignite: Read the Bible Like Never Before).

November 27, 2017

Every family is a work in progress, but each one can move toward wholeness.  Circumstances differ, but every family needs peace, love, and trust.  Christian hope springs from belief in God’s presence during life’s high and low points.

In the struggle for wholeness, families become holy and generate holiness in others.  Holy families, not perfect families, are sources of hope to those facing dark and painful times (Robert J. Hater in Your [Imperfect] Holy Family: See the Good, Make it Better).

November 28, 2017

“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day” (Sally Koch).

December 1, 2017

We may read volumes and volumes on the art of swimming, yet we’ll never understand what swimming is like unless we get wet. So we may read all the books ever written on the love of God and never understand loving unless we love.

Where love is genuine, belonging is always mutual. It is like submerging ourselves into an ocean of sublime grace (Brother David Steindl-Rast in The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life).

October 15, 2018

Charity works.  It gets good jobs done.  It gives form and life to all of the virtues.  Infused by God, it reigns supreme in loving goodness over the talents of learning and the talents of living (Kevin Vost in Unearthing Your Ten Talents).

December 17, 2018

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.  Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof (Richard David Bach).

August 7, 2019

Everyone, young or old, strong or weak, can love.  But, in this world, love is bound up with giving; it entails sacrifice.  The highest kind of love means self-offering (Fr. Killian J. Healy, O. Carm in Awakening Your Soul to the Presence of God).

September 17, 2020

Joy and thankfulness transform our problems into opportunities for the Lord to work in our lives.  They turn our minds from our problems to him (Bert Ghezzi in Getting Free: How to Overcome Persistent Spiritual Problems).

Links of interest…  Catholic group continues Blessed Stanley Rother’s work in Guatemala (influence remains strong)…  Changing the world one grandchild at a time…  Fr. Stanley Rother: American martyr in Guatemala / beatification (more) / blessed / holy relics: preparing the remains / martyr / missionary / my cousin the martyr / priest / Shepherd who didn’t run / sister remembers / stories by those who knew him / worked with Unbound…  Glorify God in body & spirit…  Godparents: Faithful examples to their spiritual children…  Missionary work begins with everyone…  Mully: A documentary with heart & soul…  On belonging: How adoption is like a sacrament…  Providing hope to children, aging for 35 years…  Spiritual adoption: What it is, why we do it, & the joy it brings…  St. Pius X: facebook / website…  Unbound: Bob Hentzen dies / history / impact / prayer requests / ready to be sponsored / what it entails…  What children teach us about our relationship with God…  World vision flips the script on child sponsorship…

WP posts…  Call of service…  Celebrations…  Dear God…  Gifts…  God’s loving mercy…  Mercy and justice…  Multicultural Mass…  Niño de Cebú…  Time well spent