RSCM GENERALATE

February 2010
SHM Novitiate

JOYCE's Apostolic Experience in Curvelo - MG

I had my pastoral experience in Curvelo.Curvelo is a city found at the heart of the State called Minas Gerais here in Brazil. It is near Belo Horizonte, the state´s Headquarters centre.

There is only one RSHM Community in that city. The community´s name is called Bom Pastor (Good Shepherd). There are four sisters who live in that community, Sisters Sisters Maria Cláudia Oliveira, Rita Athayde, Mônica Diniz and Elizabeth. It is a lovely Community. I lived in that community for four consecutive months - May to September 2009.

The sisters take care of the Project called Centro Social “Achilles Diniz Couto”. It is specifically for the children and adolescents. It is not a school but a centre to help school children with different needs like school work, creative work such as woodwork, pottery, weaving, embroidery, and playing the guitar and flute, computer, games and physical exercises. The students are fed at the centre.

There are two groups of students who come to the centre, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Those students who go to school in the morning come to the centre in the afternoon and vice versa. I worked with those two groups of adolescents teaching them English. It is very good that the students are interested to know the English language. They learnt very well.

I learnt a lot of things during the pastoral experience. I became aware that it is in small things where God is found. I also learnt to do weaving, simple embroidery and revise guitar. I enjoyed the experience.

The Bom Pastor community is very good. The sisters were very good to me and I learnt a lot of things from them. I experienced the Spirit of faith and zeal within the community. The sisters helped me to grow in faith and love. I left Curvelo for Belo Horizonte back to the novitiate on the 8th of September 2009.

I also went to the Youth Mission (Missão Jovem) in one of the towns in Minas Gerais called Verderlândia. The aim of the mission was to see and experience the reality of life in Brazil. We visited from house to house praying with families, chatting with them, and preaching and bless their homes. We spent two weeks there. It was touching to see their faith in God.

Joyce Rushinga