A dream come true

By Kate O'Donnell
September/October 2011

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I have vivid childhood memories of the Sisters of Charity coming through our village in Scotland, going from door to door with their begging baskets. I longed to see these Sisters and hear a story or two from them. Our family also collected old clothes and rags as a way of raising money for the Missionaries of Africa and again my heart would be hungry for their stories. My Aunt Peggy had a friend who was a Sister in Africa and I would write to Sr. Margaret anticipating the one or two letters I received from her in reply each year.

Lalita welcomes her neighbour, Scarboro lay missioner Kate O’Donnell, for a visit on her front steps. Guyana

At a young age God planted the desire in my heart to be involved in overseas mission work. Why did it take me until I was 55 years old to follow this calling? Although my life took many twists and turns, leading me into many careers and ministries within the church and community in Scotland and then in Canada, I always felt a void in my heart.

In my early 40s I applied to a mission society and was informed that I was too old. By that time I was well involved in prison ministry, children’s aid, and palliative care, so I reminded myself that my mission is my duty of the moment, done in love, and so I let go of the idea of doing overseas mission work.

While washing dishes one night at an Out of the Cold ministry in Hamilton, Ontario, I heard Gordon, another volunteer, talking about going to Haiti for a short-term mission. My ears perked up, my heart fluttered and soon I too was packing my bags to go to Haiti. As soon as my feet touched Haitian soil, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was called to journey with people of other lands and cultures.

On my return to Canada I started my search and before the end of that year I was accepted to Scarboro Missions’ lay formation program. My childhood dream had finally come true. Now eight years later I continue to live that dream, experiencing and sharing the love of God with the people of Guyana. Although I am not yet formally involved in a particular project, there is no doubt in my mind that this is where I am meant to be.

Hearing the words of the prophet Micah (6:8), I seek to “act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God.” Most mornings I leave the house around nine o’clock and ask God to be my guide. I often find myself visiting those who for one reason or another cannot get out and about. I visit homes where there is plenty and I visit homes where there is dire poverty. At times I may be just walking down the street or sitting by the seashore and someone will approach to chat. This could be a small child who delights my heart or someone suffering from alcoholism and seeking a listening heart.

I am available to go wherever there is a need; this could be helping a child with reading or playing games with the children from the remote Interior who are boarding at a school in the city. The joy and peace that I experience more than outweigh the challenges that come my way. I am in the process of seeking permission to visit prisoners at the correctional institute on the Mazaruni River in the town of Bartica. I remind myself daily of the words of Thomas Merton: “My intention is to give myself entirely and without compromise to whatever work God wants to perform in me and through me.”

Kate O’Donnell entered Scarboro’s lay mission program in 2004 and was missioned to Guyana. She returned to Canada in 2007 to coordinate the Lay Mission Office and has now returned to mission in Guyana.

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