The missionary life which mobilizes more than five hundred MIC Sisters around the world also attracts lay people who desire to share and collaborate in their mission projects. They bring humanitarian aid to the people to whom they are sent and this they do in the name of their faith.
by Agathe Durand, m.i.c.

Fascinated by the "other world" and willing to leave all behind, a young woman named Lise, joined the MIC team in La Paz, Bolivia. The children were the happy beneficiaries of the years she was there for them. Myriam, uprooted herself and gave five years of her time in Taiwan; she learned Mandarin and served within the capacity of her profession in geriatrics. Michel and Monique with their two daughters left their homeland and settled in Madagascar for three years; they responded to a call which came from the local Church and which responded to their talents and desire to serve abroad. Carole still wonders how she came across the challenge of serving in a country where she had to learn the Arabic language and the Muslim customs; this kind of courage only comes when the person is capable of relying on the One who sends and believes in the mission of Jesus. Dominique and Kateri did not have enough of two years in Cochabamba to become better acquainted with the youth and the underprivileged families; more time to share with the missionary team the joy of serving and sharing the Good News would have been appreciated.

Nurses, namely: Angèle, Lucienne, Caroline and Pauline still vividly live by their enriching experiences which they had in Bolivia, Lebanon, Malawi; the medical care they were able to provide to those whom they loved became "Good News" for both the patients and the nurses. Gabrielle, gifted in the line of teaching and catechetics, actually observed her personal life being transformed by the friendly contact she had with the Peruvian people. Huguette, mother and grandmother who gave years of her time in Africa, is now rejoicing to see her grandchildren take part in mission projects overseas. When we hear Nathalie speak about her work with the handicapped children and their families in Madagascar, when she tells of her encounters with people of other mission experience has left an impact on her life. For Nicole, who flew for years as an airline hostess, there can be no comparison to the three years she spent in Hong Kong, working with the children and the MIC Sisters.

Each story is unique! When these lay missionaries come together for days of renewal, all are unanimous in saying that a new source of vitality has come about from having served abroad and having been at the heart of other cultures.

A DREAM GRADUALLY UNFOLDING

Mission is sometimes contagious. Julien, a teenager whose parents served, in collaboration with the MIC Sisters, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, has no doubt that speaking to his neighbors about his experience abroad reached the heart of Marie-Hélène and Stéphan who, with their children, are dreaming of a project overseas. The two couples have met; Christine and Thierry enthusiastically shared with their neighbor the information they inquired about and encouraged them to pursue their dream. Marie-Hélène and Stéphan are currently preparing for the great adventure after months of training.

Marie-Hélène Beaulac and Stéphan Marier, from Laval, Quebec have been intensely preparing in order to accomplish a missionary commitment as a family, with their three daughters: Mathilde, Alice and Florence. The couple has been attending the Intercommunity Mission Formation Program one or two week-ends per month for group workshops, lectures, and various sessions. They are doing all that is necessary to become more aware of the realities they will have to face once they arrive on foreign soil— culture-wise and faith-wise. Their commitment as a couple and family, their dedication to share the Good News are part and parcel of their project. Marie-Hélène and the girls have already begun learning Spanish, as for Stéphan, he has already mastered the language.

In Bolivia, the intercultural MIC Community of six is prepared to welcome the family on a long term basis, to help them integrate into their new milieu and value their competence as well as their availability. At the Institute of Rural Education (IER) where young adults learn to become future leaders in their remote villages, Marie-Hélène, while caring for her family, will take time to be regularly present at the Institute's lodging especially during sports activities. She is delighted to be able to collaborate in baking bread for the financial aspect of the establishment. The girls will have a normal life and will go to school as usual. While being attentive to his family, Stéphan will give the students a helping hand in their school work. His artistic talents in music, song, theater, will enhance the students' knowledge and potential in the art field. For the couple, this will be a complete change of life style, far from the well-known professional way of life.

To take up such a project demands courage and plenty of enthusiasm; however, the support and solidarity of the people around them somehow consolidates the hope and intensifies the joy of realizing such a dream.

A SEND-OFF

Reuniting parents, friends, lay missionaries and MIC Sisters, a mission sendoff was celebrated on May 29 at the MICs Mother House. Father Pierre Murray, Episcopal vicar of Laval and friend of the Marier family, presided over the ceremony. The long-awaited dream is unfolding in an atmosphere of Thanksgiving; in Quebec as well as at the Institute, all are grateful for this privileged calling. Parents and relatives search for ways they can contribute in this mission send-off, and in Bolivia at l'IER all are waiting to give the family a most heartfelt welcome.

From one generation to another, lay missionaries are actualizing God's holy plan for his diverse human family. In ways unknown to us, He inspires people who are willing to endorse and take the road of the Beatitudes proclaimed by the Lord. His unfailing promise I am with you always until the end of time (Mt 28:20) is true for everyone.