PARAGUAY, Ana Souberlich. As done in March of this year, the 1983 alumni of Saint Clara School (Asunción), including one among them who is a Schoenstatter, wanted to make a contribution towards building the Nation of God, Heart of America even if it was a tiny offering. In true Paraguayan fashion (creative, enthusiastic improvisation!) at the last minute, a Whatsapp was received saying: “Let’s organize something for this weekend and let’s take a little bit of joy to so many families who need help since they are on the street because of the river flooding.” In the blink of an eye, there were 350 messages to read on Whatsapp.
“My God, I said to myself: ‘this technology is good for something’ and so in less than a week, we already had a great deal of clothing, many bottles of water, and a great desire to see the faces that express gratitude with a smile for what we had taken them, as insignificant it is, like that little girl who was happy just receiving a little plastic chair…”
Helping a little at a time
To avoid the same thing that happened last time when they ran out of everything, one couple prepared 100 little bags of sweets for the youngest ones, and they were so happy! And still there was not enough for everyone… This time they went toward Puerto Botanico, where entire families have established themselves in precarious living spaces, in the streets, on paths, since they had to leave their little houses that were submerged by an extraordinary flood of the Paraguay River caused by intense rains to the entire region. Of course they knew that they could not “reach all the victims” (because there were so many) but they were able to help the closest ones, offering a small sign of hope to some of them.
Their happy faces remembered…
Once at home, the happy faces were remembered and the question emerged: how can one live in that way, in such misery, how can we expect these children to become good adults if they do not have even the minimum basic things to live with dignity…?
Although one’s heart is heavy for not being able to do more… at the same time, one’s soul is at peace for doing what one can to “ease the needs of those who live beside us” and above all not to lose hope and the spirit to continue to build bit by bit that much desired Nation of God Heart of America. So, let’s go, it is possible!
“And to all who read this article: let us do something concrete for others, as small as it may seem in our eyes, for others it is immense and a miracle.”
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Original Spanish: Translation: Celina M. Garza, San Antonio, TX USA
