Beauty, Laughter, Wonder and Bright Smiles

Today, I have the pleasure to share a guests post of Sr. Anita Bolton:

Wuerzburg. Photo/Petra Dankova

My name is Sr. Anita Bolton and I’m from the American Province of the Sisters of the Holy Redeemer.  I journeyed to Wurzburg, Germany on November 1, 2015 following in the footsteps of Sr. Kim Kessler who assisted the refugees during the month of October.  During my initial visit to the large Motherhouse dining room for the refugees, I felt anxious and overwhelmed.  However, when I met our German Sisters and the refugees for the first time, they welcomed me with warm smiles and caring hearts.  “Little by little” I began to feel more at home with these beautiful families from Afghanistan and Syria. Many of these families were Muslims.  When I was invited to plan activities for the toddlers and preschool children during the month of November, I had “lots of bubbles” in my stomach.  How could I assist the children when I don’t know their language, the pronunciation of their names and their cultural and religious heritage?  With the support of Petra Dankova, our Postulant, the volunteers in the dining room, our German Sisters, the parents and the children themselves, I started on this sacred and unchartered path!

Looking Back – Sr. Kim Reflects on Her Month in Germany

Steinbachtal, Germany. Photo/Sr. Kim Kessler

As the readers of this blog would remember, Sr. Kim Kessler spent the month of October serving the refugee Guests at the Motherhouse of the Redeemer Sisters in Wuerzburg, Germany. She shares with us her reflection at the end of her mission:

As I reflect upon my month experience in Germany I am feeling very blessed for the things that I have in my life.  I realize how this experience of seeing the Guests with just the clothes on their backs has called me to re-examine my own life and what is really important in my life at this time.  My basic needs are taken care of and I am truly blessed for the life that I have.

The Journey

This is a guest post by Sr. Kim Kessler who joined the Redeemer Sisters Refugee Ministry this past week and will be serving at the Motherhouse of the Sisters of the Holy Redeemer in Würtzburg, Germany until the beginning of November 2015: 

As I embark on a new journey in my life to travel to Germany to help with the guests staying at the Motherhouse in Wurzburg, I am thinking about the unknown for myself, but also the unknown of all the thousands that flee their country to seek asylum.

As we boarded the plane to get into our seats many of the passengers wanted to sit all together with their families, but their seats were separated from one another, so the stewardess asked if some of the passengers could move their seats.  Some passengers would not move and some of the passengers who wanted to sit all together with their wives and children were angry at the stewardess. As the stewardess tried to find a solution, some passengers seemed very stressed out.  This made me think of the people fleeing from Syria or Afghanistan to seek asylum – how they are separated from their loved ones and many family members.  How stressful the journey must be, I cannot even imagine.