Thursday, December 10, 2009
Description: BROTHERS' LIFE PASSES THE TEST
Author: De La Salle
On 8th November four strangers came together in a foreign land to embark on a journey of a lifetime.
Although they had never met, Chris, Aaron, Nick and Peter had much in common prior to meeting each other last month; Catholic, single, Australian, all had a sense of justice and purpose, all had an interest in learning more about the Brothers’ life and all applied for the De La Salle Brothers’ Papua New Guinea Challenge Program.
Led by Br Mark McKeon, these four young men in their 20s came together for an immersion program which is designed to test drive the Brothers’ life. For two weeks they lived and worked with the Brothers in the rural area of Mainohana, as well as Hohola, near the city centre of Port Moresby.
The Brothers have been in Papua New Guinea since 1953. They currently run two schools for young people who otherwise have no access to education.
On day two of the program, 21 year old Aaron from Victoria said,
“The lack of facilities and the lack of infrastructure this nation has to cope with has been a real eye-opener. I saw a school which has a shed for a classroom with 20 students sitting on the floor in front of a single blackboard.”
In Mainohana, the four volunteers got stuck into daily chores such as putting up fly screens, assisting in the renovations of three classrooms, replacing plywood and anything else that was required to better the basic facilities of the school. They also ran leadership workshops and provided classroom assistance.
24 year old Lewis, who is currently training to become a Brother, accompanied the four volunteers and said, “There is an ongoing teacher shortage in Mainohana so I was given numerous opportunities to teach which I found really rewarding. Seeing the joy the kids get out of learning and how spirited they are is just incredible.”
While the program went a long way in giving these four guys an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of young people in need, it also gave them a rare insight into the Brothers’ life.
Aaron says, “Having morning prayer and evening reflection and going to mass together is a wonderful routine in the Brothers’ life. Also living in a community keeps you accountable by having other people around you to inspire you and keep you moving along in your own faith journey. The community aspect of the Brothers’ life has been fantastic to see.”
For 22 year old Nick from Western Australia, the diversity of the Brothers’ life is what impressed him the most. “Seeing what the Brothers do and listening to what they’ve done and the places they’ve been showed the diversity of their life and work. Most don’t seem to stay in the in one place for more than five years. They go where the need is greatest and it is truly inspiring. This experience has undoubtedly opened up the Brothers’ life for me in a way I never thought possible”, he said.
Since completing the Challenge Program, all four participants believe that the Brothers’ life is one which is appealing and they are open to exploring the possibility of joining the De La Salle Brothers in the future.
The next challenge program to test drive the Brothers’ life will be May 8th – 22nd in Balgo Hills. It is open to young men 20 – 35 years who are interested in learning more about the life and work of the De La Salle Brothers.