Mission has been, is and will continue to be for me an unforgettable and unique experience which is ultimately a form of living fully. It is a feeling of happiness and fulfilment that cannot be compared with all the luxuries we have in everyday life.
My name is Elizabeth Zavala. I am a Mexican and greatly honoured to be the current National Coordinator of” Misioneros Auxiliares del Verbo Divino”, a group of lay people in which we transmit the love of God through the word. This reminds me of the expression of St. Arnold Janssen which says: "The proclamation of the Gospel is the most sublime Act of love of neighbour".
The first time I attended a mission experience was at the age of 15. At that point in time, I certainly did not understand that was going and what I was going to face. However, it was a great discovery to know that going to the missions was a way I experienced the love God has for me in a unique way and consequently how much I love in return.
The Mission is a school, the school of life and being a missionary is a decision and a commitment of love. Each mission is indeed a challenge, but it God is present finally in every moment. We also face a different culture where we are invited to love every part of it without, however, losing our own essence. "Learning from others enriches us". When it comes to an indigenous community for the first time many feelings touched my heart and at every moment my desire to know grew. Learning languages has not been easy, however as St. Joseph Freinadementz puts it: "The language that everyone understands is love".
And it is for that reason we were created out of love and to love, and any barrier can be overcome with and in love. Today I am 26 years old and after walking the path of being a missionary, God has made major changes in my life; I am mon of a little girl, missionary as well like her mother. As a divine word lay missionary lay woman, I have managed to experience the grandeur of the Gospel, sharing with different cultures, races and socioeconomic levels, but all with the same ideal.
That all know the father.
"No one has ever seen God;
He has revealed it to the only son,
that he is God and is in the bosom of the father." Jn 1,18
And the best way to do it is through his word. I feel part of the Arnoldus family and this is a big commitment since it is not only going to mission but also through the living the spirituality of the Divine Word Missionaries. This is equally doing mission. I have participated in provincial assemblies and now in the second workshop of characteristic dimensions, in which I have been able to experience the greatness and richness of the Divine Word spirituality. We love what we do not know and know every day a little more of this "Family" which has allowed me to love God and the Divine Word Missionaries throughout the world.
Currently in Mexico, we are about 140 missionaries and we have the great joy of having people of all ages and social conditions. What enriches us is the fact that we learn of each other, share the experience of God in our lives, so that in the mission field, we are not subjects but share the riches of the Gospel. Within this movement, are a group of physicians and dentists who not only provides a service to the communities, but also collaborate in this missionary task through our working together, sharing, and improving the quality of life within the communities.
Being a missionary is amazing!
It leaves an incredible imprint on our lives and work. The missionary family is also showing us how to be happy, smile and discover the greatness in small things of everyday life.
