Lenten Missionary Journey

Lenten Missionary Journey

Kindergarten – 3rd Grade

Week 5:

Read the story from Emily and Rafael Harrington. They are Comboni Lay Missionaries. Show the students the photos of them both. The first two photos include Rafael and some of the students he teaches. The last photo shows Juanita, the lady who sells corn, and Emily. Have the students pull out the “My Lenten Missionary Journey” Map and find Perú on it. Mark it with a red cross (red is the world mission rosary color for the Americas).

You may need to explain some aspects of the story to the students. Explain that people in Perú mainly speak Spanish (if you can, say a few words!). The children that Emily and Rafael teach do not know any English. Perhaps also explain that corn is a very important food in South America. Tortillas are made of corn. Now ask the students to draw what they remember from the story (on the sheet above where it says, “Missionaries in Peru”). Who are the missionaries? What did they do in the story? Who do they help? How do they share the love of God in their context? (perhaps draw Emily or Rafael teaching a class of kids, or draw Emily and Juanita talking or eating chocolate cake)

After drawing, read over the heading “Jesus Meets His Mother: Can we meet Mary too?” and the summary of the mission story that is below. Talk to the students about who Mary is. Mary was sad to see Jesus carrying the cross, she did not want her Son to suffer. Still, she loved Him so much that she did not want Him to be alone on His journey. Jesus was very happy to see Mary, even though he was in pain. In the story, Emily did not want to see the children or Juanita suffer. So she and Rafael decided to be on the journey with them! We can go with them on the journey by learning about missionaries, praying and making donations to support their work.

Pray with the students, following the words listed under “Let Us Pray.” Finally encourage the students to make even a small contribution to the Missionary Childhood Association. The money they give will go to help fund many projects that serve children in the missions (especially hospitals, schools and orphanages).

Lenten Missionary Journey

4th – 6th Grades

Week 5:

You may need to explain some aspects of the story to the students. Explain that people in Perú mainly speak Spanish (if you can, say a few words!). The children that Emily and Rafael teach do not know any English. Perhaps also explain that corn is a very important food in South America. Tortillas are made of corn. Now have the students look at the activity sheet. This week on the journey Jesus meets His mother. Under the heading of “On the Journey…” have the students answer the questions:

· Who are the missionaries: Emily and Rafael Harrington, Lay Comboni Missionaries

· Where do they go to share the Good News: Trujillo, Perú

· Who did they walk with: the children at San Daniel Comboni school, children with special needs at Santa Rosa school, Juanita

· How did they share the Good News: they teach English, they teach Physical Education, they talk with and get to know people on the street (such as Juanita)

After answering the questions, turn the sheet over and now the students must think more reflectively. Under the heading “In Love…” it says, Why do the missionaries enjoy teaching in Perú? Have the students review the part of the story about Emily and Rafael’s work. What kind of joy do they get from teaching? Rafael says that he likes building trust and communication between the two schools (San Daniel and Santa Rosa). He also says he really enjoys taking the special needs children to the pool. He remarks that he gets to play and have fun for a job! Emily says she teaches the younger students. She says they are fun and full of surprises. She tells stories about how they make her laugh. Have the students consider why this would be attractive. Imagine getting to play with other kids for your job! Imagine going to class every day and laughing! Make sure the students contrast this with what Emily says later in the story about how some people think that missionaries are strange or brave. Emily and Rafael both think this is a small responsibility but they get so much out of it. Now look at the second question, What did the missionary learn from Juanita? What can we learn? Emily says that she has learned about complete trust and reliance on God. She also mentions generosity, surrender to God’s will, receiving the gifts that God gives and seeing them with eyes of faith. She also seems to have learned humility and generosity from Juanita. Help the students to connect one or more of these values to the story. How does Juanita rely on God? How does Juanita show generosity? How does Juanita express gratitude for the gifts God has given her? Tie the value with her actions. Challenge the students to also think of someone in their life who exemplifies the value(s). Or challenge them to exemplify the value(s) themselves! We can journey with the children of Trujillo, Perú and people like Juanita by listening to their story, praying for them and making a donation to MCA. (And share their story with others too!)

Pray with the students, following the words listed under “With Christ.” Finally encourage the students to make even a small contribution to the Missionary Childhood Association. The money they give will go to help fund many projects that serve children in the missions (especially hospitals, schools, and orphanages).

Lenten Missionary Journey

7th – 12th Grades

Week 5:

Have the students look at the activity sheet. This week on the journey, Jesus Meets His Mother. Under the heading of “On the Journey…” have the students answer the questions:

· Who are the missionaries: Emily and Rafael Harrington, Lay Comboni Missionaries
Where did they go: Trujillo, Perú

· Who do they walk with: the children at San Daniel Comboni school, children with special needs at Santa Rosa school, Juanita

· How do they preach the Gospel (Good News of God’s love): they teach English, they teach Physical Education, they talk with and get to know people on the street (such as Juanita)

· Why were the students confused: education is not common, there is little contact with outside cultures/peoples, poverty, because Emily spoke Spanish with an accent, because Emily looked and acted different than the Peruvian students

After answering the questions, turn the sheet over and now the students must think more reflectively. Under the heading “In Love…” How is Juanita like Mary? The students should review what the story says about Juanita. She is a woman of deep faith who trusts in God completely. She impresses Emily thoroughly. She is confident and yet humble, she is extremely generous and grateful for every gift she receives. Does Mary show these qualities? Mary gives of herself completely in becoming the Mother of God. She is a humble, simple woman with no special qualities except trust in God. She gives Her Son over to be crucified even though it pains her to see Him suffer. She supports Jesus on the road to Calvary, just as Juanita is kind enough to support and befriend Emily on the roads of Trujillo. They have much in common. Now, looking at the second question, “Mission is about humbly giving of ourselves and equally important, being open to receive.” Explain this statement. This is a quote taken from near the end of the story. How do Emily and Rafael give of themselves as missionaries? They moved their lives to a new place, they give from their teaching skills and English and physical activity skills, they reach out and make friends among the people in the town where they live. Now, how are they open to receive? They have enjoyed their time teaching! They have learned so much from the people they meet! They have gained true wisdom from Juanita! They have received more than they give!! There is a clear sense in the story that both Emily and Rafael have entered openly into the experience of mission. In this way, they are gratefully receiving the incredibly valuable, hidden gifts that mission offers. Ask if the students can offer other examples of how this statement can be explained. Finally, remind them that we too can reach out to the children of Perú and people like Juanita by listening to their story, praying for them and making a donation to MCA. (And sharing their story with others too!)