Now, you can pshawww all you want, roll your eyes and not believe that what I say is true. But I tell you with absolute certainty: in my experience, when I attempt to live my life according to the teachings of Jesus, I am a much happier and joyful person and its much harder for bad moods and grouchiness to take over.
Example: Yesterday (Sunday) I spoke with Sister Minerva, who asked me if today (Monday) I could make pizza...for 200 people...by 9am! Sure I say, with a little bit of trepidation. On Sundays many stores close early or are closed for the day here, so shopping can be a challenge. The only grocery
But I haven't told you the best part yet... we took the pizzas to the provincial jail to feed the inmates and the guards. We also took with us our water filtering system, Water With Blessings, and did a demo on how to use them. There is one part in the movie "Walk The Line" where "Johnny Cash" holds up a glass of water that the inmates drink during a concert at Fulton Prison, it is yellow and a little foamy at the top. The water at this prison wasn't quite as bad as that, but almost. We took that water and poured it through the filter, and in just minutes, it was clean, pure water. The guards drank it and were amazed.
We served the prisoners pizza through a small hole in the wall, and...oh my, it was quite an amazing experience. They were so grateful to receive a little piece of something new and different. We made ground pork and garlic pizza because they are rarely served meat. I can't even express in words the feeling I had, standing facing a wall with a tiny hole in the center, handing pizza and kindness to these men who are locked up. I remember feeling sad that the pieces weren't that big...in fact, I only gave the big pieces to the prisoners and saved the little ones for the guards!! Well, most of the guards had 2 pieces while the prisoners could only receive one, so it evens out!!
After I was finished handing out the pizza to the prisoners, guards and family members who were there to visit someone, I saw Sister Minerva at the wall collecting pieces of paper. She was looking at the prisoners' prescriptions, seeing if it was medicine we had at the Charity Pharmacy. If we had the medicine, she kept the script and would have the medicines sent over later. That is something Oikos does routinely, but I had no idea of that.
That part of our day ended around 11am...It seems like it should have been 5pm, it was so jam-packed with feelings, emotions and work!!
Visiting prisoners... it is something I have never done before. I totally could have, Buffalo has prisons too, but I never did, never thought to. These Sisters and their mission do, they've brought their dental clinic there, they try to see to the prisoners medications, they want to have a group go in to take care of the prisoners' hair and nails, because nobody does that for them. It's amazing, isn't it? and yet, to the Oikos Sisters, it is just a "normal day" of giving and loving. See? Living the Gospel, loving others...the frustrating shopping, the getting up early, the sweating over a big oven...every single minute of that was worth it to be able to show love and kindness to some people who probably haven't seen that in a while.
I am filled with gratitude to be shown the way, once again, to love and give to others regardless of who they are. NO ONE IS OUSIDE OF RECEIVING LOVE. No one. What an awesome day!!! xxoo
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| Messy kitchen, as usual, but see the pizzas in the oven?? :) |
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| Thank you, Nanay's for the help!! |
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| Sister Ethel and me |
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| Every single prisoner said thank you or God bless you to me. |
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| That's not lemonade or juice...its their drinking water!! |
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| Sister Ethel gives a demonstration on how to use the filters. They last for 5 years! |
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| Collecting prescriptions. love in action!! |
