Nourished by resilience

By Sr. Pauline Doherty, O.L.M.
Summer 2005

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Eliani our neighbour has been sick in the hospital a lot lately. This morning Joanna, Eliani's daughter, came to ask us for help because now her father is also sick and unable to work. Life is so hard for this family and I often feel helpless. One thing I know I can do is share what we have and offer it with compassion and kindness.

Apart from my concern for Eliani, once again we have farmers coming to the door asking for food. "Still no rain" is the constant cry of the people in many parts of Ceará these days. The thought of another drought year is a terrible threat to the rural people. It rained a little in the month of January and many people took the last of their beans and went off to plant them. Soon there were small green sprouts shooting up. But, as so often happens, the rains stopped and the bean sprout bent over and died.

So once again these poor people come to ask for help. While I'm always glad to see them and have a little chat over a cup of coffee, I know that the little I give is not enough. But I pray that others will be generous and that these good trusting people's hope for rain will be realized so that the land once again will produce food necessary for the year.

When I speak about my ministry accompanying the people of Ceará, it is their resilience that most nourishes me.

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