The Machiguengas are a tribe that is close to extinction, that lives in the Peruvian Amazonian area, spread out in the jungles in small family groups. The tribe has a personage called a Narrator, who carries news from one family to another and is like a guardian of the memory of the people; through him, the Machiguengas learn about each other….

Today I feel like one of these Narrators, I will tell you a “story”…

From 3 to 12 January, the following took part with me in our second summer mission in four rural communities in the mountain areas about 2500 or even 2700 metres above sea level.

·          A group of youth from the Parish Mission group,

·          Some adults,

·          Youth from the Rural Pastoral team, 

·          Fr. Fernando (my brother who is a Missionary of Our Lady of La Salette),

·          Daniela (my young sister)

·          Walter (a young man from Argentina) 

It is quite far… there is no electric light, and you can imagine one main road only opened in very recent years and lots of paths to reach places where it would seem no one lives; and the distances are measured in hours.  When you ask how far, you ask how many hours? 

And they reply after looking at you for a while in silence,  “well…for us in so many hours and perhaps for you in ….”  That is what it is like!

We arrived at the school belonging to the community of Cirminuelas, where we would live and have our mission centre. We travelled in a lorry with all our staff:- mattresses, blankets,

sleeping bags, gas cylinders, food, papers, pens, song books, bibles, footballs, etc. Once we got settled, we had a snack, prayed together and organized our days with the help of the local catechist who would be accompanying us. Some community members  came to welcome us…

Summer time is the rainy season. After 8 months of drought, the long awaited rains come in December and the people start to sow their crops… this summer they started late and the whole community looked forward to this mission to “pray for rain”….And to start sowing the seed.

Every morning we visited the homes, or the fields where the people were planning or where others were fixing the road. In the evenings the children and some young people came.

The adults after leaving the fields, would come down to the school at nightfall, like glow worms with their lanterns,  to listen to the talks given by the missionaries, to “pray the Mass” and to share till late in the night their dreams, achievements, difficulties, projects, and their profound and simple faith that only “those of the land” can feel and share.

This year our theme was Marian, and the whole mission was lit up by the text from Luke 1, 26-28. We recalled the situation of women in the time of Jesus, Mary´s 'Fiat', and that for God, nothing is impossible.   In this way we understood our reality as the People of God today, the situation in the country with its difficulties and many social problems; the situation of the community and of the families, the lack of possibilities, migration to the urban centres and to Argentina of the young folk, violence and the lack of understanding between generations, etc.  The challenges of the present time, the 'Fiats' that we are asked to give to change situations that need our action and the constant presence of God in each moment and each experience, encouraging us, protecting us.  We enjoyed some special deep times of reflection, prayer and commitment.

Nor were the festivities absent.  We had a cultural night where almost everyone in the community of 78 families took part with their gifts and talents, singing, dancing playing, reciting…

… For nothing is imposible for God!

Hermana Patricia Lizarrága