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Openness to the Spirit • Community Our Values In Action Dignity and Respect for all • Simplicity • Neighborhood Get-Together Held at PHJC Ministry Center January 17 the Sisters in Provincial Leadership, along with the leaders of the ministries at the PHJC Ministry Center and other Sisters, visited with neighbors from 2 – 4 p.m. Using a PowerPoint presentation, neighbors received information about all that is going on at the Ministry Center. The neighbors heard about the new Central Receiving Services building, the Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center addition, Earthworks’ greenhouses and the previously installed geothermal system, just to name a few topics, as well as some of the plans that are coming in the future. Values in Action visiting, sharing refreshments and tours of the recently completed Lindenwood Retreat and Conference Center addition. Dr. Ron May answers questions from neighbors. The Poor Handmaids want to be a good neighbor. They attentively listened and responded to the questions and comments. The get-together benefited both the neighbors and the Poor Handmaids. Questions for more information as well as concerns were shared during this time together. The 30 people who participated in the get-together enjoyed - Sister Virginia Kampwerth, PHJC, Provincial Councilor Angie Martin, Administrative Services Manager at HealthVisions Midwest shares the following story about Pam Smith-Starks a senior community health worker at Great Beginnings, HealthVisions’ Maternal Child Health Office in Gary, Indiana. I went to Great Beginnings yesterday to work on Pam Smith-Starks’s computer. I arrived just as she was starting to work with two clients, so I waited out of sight in another office. The clients were homeless women who spent time at Pam Smith-Starks two shelters. Pam worked magic with these women. She conversed with them “at their level” and made them feel special. She truly has a gift to deliver prenatal information, our message, and encouragement while inspiring hope. She left them with positive expectations, and they were actually joyous by the time they left. Pam was moved to tears as she relayed to me that she had taken a lot of maternity and old clothes to Sojourner Truth House earlier in the day. She only had a few old men’s jogging pants and sweatshirts left at her office. She offered these to both women, and they could not have been more grateful. She said we forget in our everyday lives how something we may deem as worthless can be everything to someone in need. How right she is. After these ladies left, Pam and I switched offices. I worked on her computer, and she made phone calls. I again witnessed her interacting with a young woman and convincing her to breast feed. She used her special “savvy” to educate and slowly win this girl’s trust. Pam, at least for the moment, changed this girls view of breast feeding and the benefits of breast feeding. There have been several times I have witnessed this scenario. I wanted to share this, because I feel Pam truly is an asset to HealthVisions Midwest and goes above and beyond what is expected in her role. - Angie Martin, Administrative Services Manager at HealthVisions Midwest 8 | Word Gathering
Meet Our Mexican Aspirants Hello! My name is Yulma Concepción Torres Zaragoza. I was born in the city of Minatitlan in the state of Veracruz on December 8, 1977. By the grace of God, I was born into a family of deep faith. My mom’s name is Martha, my dad is José. I have three siblings. The oldest is Armando, then Rosa María, both of whom are married. After them comes “el peque” (the little one), Ismael, who is still single, and I am the youngest. Since I was a child, I had the desire to study something related to health, in order to help those who have less. For this reason I studied dentistry and have been practicing dentistry for eight years. Mexico Aspirants Yulma (left) and María Antonieta (right) with student Noe Now, thanks to God, I am a Poor Handmaid aspirant. The truth is that I am very content here, as I get to know Blessed Mary Catherine Kasper through our aspirant director and the other Sisters. Hello! My name is María Antonieta García Pérez. I was born on October 27, 1972 in Papantla, Veracruz. I am the daughter of Pedro García Olmedo and Florinda Pérez Olmos. I am the second of four siblings (in reality, six, because the first one, Lourdes, and the last one Fabián died). We are Gloria, Antonieta, Crispin and Irene. I make friends quickly, am optimistic, and joyful. I like to travel, take photographs, camp out, sing, and invent new dishes in the kitchen (Thank God, people eat what I make). I like to connect with nature, spend time with my family, and enjoy solitude with God. When I finished my studies, I dedicated myself to youth ministry for the next six years. Because of that, I have a special affection for youth, since it was through their necessities and problems that God called me. During that time, I was invited to a retreat on religious life, where I learned more about religious life. From a very young age, I had this restlessness and desire. It was during this retreat that I got to know the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. I was strongly drawn to the life of their foundress, Blessed Mary Catherine Kasper, their charism and the ministries they have in Mexico: medical and dental brigades, work with children, the sick, the poor, the excluded, and people in general. When I finished the retreat on religious life, I began a process of vocation accompaniment with Sister Edith Schneider. I got to know the Poor Handmaid ministries and I liked the congregation more each day. I have participated in the Church since I was 12 years old. In 2007 I became very committed as a lay person, participating as general coordinator in the Chapel of Our Lord of Mercy in my neighborhood, and as coordinator of vocation ministry in Assumption Parish, my parish. For three years I worked with a small nucleus of 10 coordinators in my parish, planning the activities that were necessary for the community. We gave formation, and organized activities, such as developing the list of people responsible for tasks, orienting coordinators of prayer groups, coordinating children’s catechesis on the different levels, and Antonieta serving children in the new comedor coordinating the children, youth and adults choirs. We worked with the liturgy and the groups of Renewal in the Holy Spirit. We initiated the pastoral ministry to the sick with three persons supporting them with prayer and food baskets, preparing and encouraging the sick to receive the sacraments and praying rosaries (Mexico Aspirants, continued on page 11) Spring 2010 | 9
Page 1 and 2: Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ Hot
Page 3 and 4: In Memory In Memory of our Associat
Page 5 and 6: Earthworks/Development (A Tale of T
Page 7: Living the PHJC Mission Statement D
Page 11 and 12: This & That/Mexico HeathVisions Hos

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