What Do You Do On a Daily Basis Pt II

Okay so tomorrow was a stretch... Any way, on with a typical week

Tuesday
9:00am- Holy hour
10:00am- Our weekly team tactical meeting where we plan out our week and get on the same page
12:00pm- Daily mass
12:30/1:00pm- I usually try to get lunch with a new student or one of the disciples. I've been meeting up with one of my disciples, Derek, quite a bit at this time to hang out and plan bible study
4:00pm- Derek has his bible study that we started together at this time (it's been changed this semester)
5:30pm-8:00pm- Spending time at home with the family
8:30pm- My weekly study with the fraternity guys at their place
10:00ish pm- I get home for the night

Wednesday
7:00am- I meet up with the guys in my discipleship chain to talk, hang out, eat come breakfast, pray and teach a bit more about evangelism and ministry
9:00am- Holy hour
10:00am- Our weekly team development meeting where we go over and discuss vision for our mission as well as spiritual and professional formation
12:00pm- Always aiming for lunch with a student again!
3:30pm Bible study with a couple guys
5:00pm- Preparations for our weekly event with the disciples called Upper Room
6:00pm- Mass
6:45pm- Upper Room, our weekly event for the students where we give them a small teaching on mission practicals and life on mission in the Church or spiritual formation for them. We have a meal sometimes and incorporate prayer and small group discussion
8:00pm- Hang out time with the students at Newman!
10:00pm/11:00pm- head home and get the usually-sleeping Flan into her crib

What Do You Do on a Daily Basis?

First off, it's been a long time since we last posted.  Our bad.  Crazy semester with an interview weekend, a push for our Student Leadership Summit in Dallas in January, closing up the semester and sending the students home, travel back to the tundra (South Dakota), an awesome reception for a our mission partners (thank you so much to whoever was able to make it), catching up with the family, making tons of candy and Christmas letters... Well, you get the picture, but we're back now and committed to keeping this blog up again.

I always get asked the question:  what do you do on a daily basis as a missionary?  I think any missionary on any campus would agree that it's safe to say that that is quite a complicated question.  Every day looks different.  As much as we put together a schedule, things change, the Holy Spirit blows us off track, students have a crisis or water comes pouring out of the wall, flooding the bathroom and half the hallway.  It's crazy.  But I'll give it a try by posting what a typical week looked like on campus this semester.


MONDAY (Meeting Monday as I put it)

7:00am- Time to wake the family up, shower, get ready myself and then get the Flan all prepared
8:00am- Daily mass time
8:30am- Daily check in with the team
9:00am- I have a conference call with our regional director Dwight while the rest of the team does our daily holy hour together
10:00am- Weekly meeting with our chaplain Fr. Jason and our campus minister Allie Loomis
11:30am- Time for my holy hour
1:00pm- My weekly one-on-one meeting with our veteran missionary Megan Ference where we goal set, talk about her ministry and special projects and make sure she's mentally and spiritually healthy to attack this week
2:00pm- I try to throw some lunch down and text/call/e-mail people to set up my week of appointments, commitments, calls, etc.
3:00pm- I then have my weekly one-on-one with our first year missionary Sarah Vielma
4:00pm- Hang out with the students in the Newman
4:30pm- Some students set up a weekly rosary in the chapel, so we participate in that with them
5:15pm- Head home, check on the family and cook dinner/prepare for our team night (if it's my week)
7:00pm- Each week we get together as a team and one of us cooks the others dinner and then comes up with a hobby/activity to do together so we have time to bond as a team and as friends without talking mission stuff
11:00pm/12:00am- Time to say our night prayer and head to sleep


I'll keep posting days in the next few days.  This post would be way too long if I kept going.  Stay tuned for Tuesday and Wednesday tomorrow.

I've joined the Daring Baker's Challenge!

Hannah of Rise and Shine was our October 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she challenged us to bake our own double crusted savory pot pies. Using any from-scratch crust and filling we choose, we were allowed to get completely creative with our recipe, showing off the savory flavors and fillings from our own home or region.

Each month members of the Daring Bakers Challenge receive a baking challenge that they have one month to complete. This was my first one! October's Challenge, as mentioned above, was double crusted pot pies! It was delicious. I was inspired by my previous croissant adventure to make a puff pastry crust for my pot pie. And I decided to go the traditional Chicken Pot Pie route. I used The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie recipe as inspiration. The result? Delicious. I've never been a fan of pie crust on Chicken Pot Pie. So, I figured a puff pastry would be the solution. I used the King Arthur Flour recipe for Blitz Puff Pastry since it is similar to the Croissant dough I used a few months ago, but less work. I thought it was wonderfully comparable, however, Zach said nothing compares to the croissants I made. I've never been one to take 18 hours to make dinner unless it was in a Crock-Pot. So, that was out of the question. If you want to learn more about the Daring Baker's Challenge check out their website Here's the recipe:

Double Crusted Chicken Pot Pie

Dough: (King Arthur Flour)
1 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup cold butter
1/2 cup sour cream

Filling: (The Pioneer Woman)

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Onion
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrot
• 1/2 cup Finely Diced Celery
• 3 cups Shredded Cooked Chicken Or Turkey
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 3 cups Low-sodium Chicken Broth, Plus More If Needed
• Splash Of White Wine (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Chopped Fresh Thyme To Taste
• 1/4 cup Half-and-half Or Cream
• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust
• 1 whole Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• To make the crust: Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  Cut the cold butter into pats, and work it into the flour mixture till it's unevenly crumbly, with larger bits of butter remaining intact.
  Stir in the sour cream. The dough will be craggy, but cohesive.
  Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and bring it together, if necessary, with a few quick kneads.
  Pat the dough into a rough square, then roll it into an 8" x 10" rectangle.
  Dust both sides of the dough with flour. Starting with one of the shorter (8") ends, fold it in thirds like a business letter, flip it over (so the open flap is on the bottom), and turn it 90°.
  Roll the dough into an 8" x 10" rectangle again. Fold it in thirds, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) before using.
  Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Stir them around until the onions start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
  Stir in the chicken or turkey and then sprinkle the flour over the top and stir it until it’s all combined with the turkey and vegetables. Cook for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth (and wine if using) and stir it around and let it cook and thicken.
  Once it starts to thicken add the turmeric, salt, pepper, and thyme.
  Add the half-and-half or cream, then stir the mixture and let it bubble up and thicken, about 3 minutes. If it seems overly thick, splash in a little more broth. Turn off the heat.
  Pour the filling into a 2-quart baking dish. Roll out the pie crust on a floured surface and lay it over the top of the dish. Press the dough so that the edges stick to the outside of the pan. Use a knife to cut little vents here and there in the surface of the dough.
  Mix together the egg with 2 tablespoons water and brush it all over the surface of the crust. (You will have some egg wash left over.)
  Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly. To prevent the crust from getting too brown, you might want to cover it lightly with foil for the first 15 minutes of baking time.
  Serve up servings by the (big ol’) spoonful!
  
  
  And for dessert?  A picture of this little Sweetie Pie!
  
  
  
  
  

How my farming family has helped my prayer life and ministry

I know, I didn't grow up on a farm. I wish I did, but there's no way to change that now. Still, visiting my uncles and Grandpa that farm has still impacted me enough that I have a pretty good knowledge and basic understanding of it (and my dad grew up farming so, it's rubbed off some). I can say that having a knowledge of how my family farms and the hard work they put into their crops put things into a new perspective for me when I was reading the Parable of the Sower. This is some scripture I have read many times, and I'll be honest, when I opened up to pray with it I kind of doubted the Lord would speak anything new to my heart since it was so familiar. BUT, I decided to reject that lie and allow myself to be open to whatever the Lord was going to say to me. As you may or may not be familiar with it, here's the Parable of the Sower:

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. ² And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat there; and the whole crowd stood on the beach. ³ And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, ⁶ but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. ⁷ Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears,^[a] let him hear.”

Now, Jesus goes on to explain how the seed is the word of God and the different soils represent our hearts and receptivity to His word. However, this particular time Jesus was steering me in a different direction. 

I couldn't stop thinking about this farmer who is sowing the seeds. As missionaries, sowing seeds is pretty much our whole job- we're rarely around for the harvest it seems. But, this farmer was nothing like my uncles or my Grandpa- I can pretty much guarantee they would never take their precious seed and toss it onto rocky ground or just let it dump out onto the road. I kept thinking to myself that a good farmer would never plant this way. So, I continued to ask the Lord why He was pointing this out to me. It was pretty obvious- don't scatter seed on untilled soil. But, what did that mean for us? Was I 'scattering seed' on unprepared ground? As I continued to pray- it became clear. He was showing me the importance of Incarnational Evangelization. Evangelizing to others by sharing life with them. It's important to gain a person's trust, become their friend even in order to effectively share the gospel with them. I asked myself how am I 'tilling the soil' of those around me and preparing them to hear the Word? It's tempting to think- I'll just ignore the rocky soil and work on the good ground. However, we should try to be as effective as we possibly can and that may mean focusing on those people that are really ready to hear the Gospel and become missionaries themselves. But, we can't spend all our time tilling the soil if we have a plot of land ready to sow. We have to do some of both. 

So, thank you my farming family for inspiring our ministry to sow and reap with the same ardor you have for your crops! Blessings on your harvests!

-Meghan

Intercessory Prayer

You have to check out this awesome Fr. Mike homily.  It was the inspiration for one of what I think is the most fruitful elements of our ministry.

Every Thursday night the missionaries and some of the students get together from 10pm to midnight to pray for the campus.  We pray specifically for each of the people in our bible studies or those we're working with or have met on campus and then we lift up intentions for the campus in general.  We're trying to grow in our zeal for souls through this as well as become more firm in the resolve that it is the Lord that bears fruit through our personal ministries, and not us.  All we can do is bring our experiences and intentions to Him and sit back and watch His will unfold.  Sometimes we don't see anything sometimes we get to watch a miracle, but either way we will pray.

This past week we reflected together on St. Faustina's "General Exercises" (I've inserted them below) that she recorded in her diary.  They're stellar and really helped us to internalize what it means to spread the message of mercy that God has for these students.

O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.

I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, 0 Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor. 


Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue. 
Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings.

Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.

Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.

Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.

Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me. 


You yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy-if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer-if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically. 
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for you can do all things.    

Rainy Days and Croissants

It's been a while since I've given an update of highlights, one of these days I will figure out a schedule to update this blog, until then I'll just keep surprising everyone- and myself!

1. It's finally turning into Fall here. The weather is cooling down, which us native South Dakotans are very happy about. Firstly because we just love cooler weather, and secondly even though we spent a year in Texas, our wardrobe still doesn't support a perpetual summer climate. We're very excited for sweater season, considering our closets consist mostly of sweaters in the first place. So, in order to cool down the climate, Kentucky has been rainy or on the verge of rainy for a good majority of the last week or two. Last Wednesday Zach and a student were out on campus doing some evangelization when it began to downpour. Needless to say, he wasn't prepared.

2. Flannery is growing! I've been pulling out bigger outfits from storage for her as the days go by and I finally decided to bite the bullet and put away the first wave of newborn clothes. It was kind of sad, but also kind of fun, because it turned into a little fashion show. I was trying all sorts of things on Flannery to see if she fit into them. Some things are now too small, but others now finally fit, like these adorable little baby leg warmers and knit hat. She's also learned how to stick out her tongue in the last week or so, and can't seem to get enough of it. It seems like every picture I take of her she sticks out her tongue. She's come a long way in mobility too, but hasn't mastered the actual act of crawling. It doesn't seem to stop her though, she has found some creative ways to get from point a to point b pretty quickly.

3. Every Wednesday night we have what's called an Upper Room. We gather students together for a time of formation. In the past we have casted vision for FOCUS, talked about giving gospel presentations, and informed them of different tools FOCUS provides to grow as a disciple of Jesus and help others do the same. This last Wednesday the topic was prayer. I was very honored to be the one to give the talk about how to introduce daily prayer into our lives. It gave me a chance to recall my first few weeks and months when I really decided to become serious about my faith and prayer life. The summer after my freshman year of college I became very disciplined in praying a Holy Hour, as was encouraged by the Missionaries at SDSU. It changed my life!! I was so excited to be able to teach the students of Murray State about this great opportunity they have and how The Lord is calling them deeper. I spent quite a bit of time describing the methods of Lectio Divina, Ignation Meditation, and Mental Prayer. We also challenged the students to take on the 30 day Prayer Dare. If you're looking for a way to help kickstart your prayer life, this is a great tool!

4. It was my turn to host hobby night! Every Monday night we have team time, one of the four of us is in charge of dinner and coming up with a hobby of theirs to share with the team. My favorite hobby is baking of course, so this week I decided to cross croissants of my baking bucket list! They were so fun, and delicious! The team had a lot of fun baking them too.

5. This week I also wrote an article for our FOCUS Wives publication. Every quarter our Family Liaison, Lisa Cotter, compiles a newsletter to send to all the wives of FOCUS. I finally decided to volunteer to write the side article, and I'm so glad I did- I had so much fun doing it! I wrote about an Advent tradition so, I'll post that article here when it gets a little closer.

Spiritual Lepers

This was going to be an article for our upcoming newsletter, but alas, too much content for a small space. Might as well post it here.  About a month ago I was reading the section I talk about below and got so excited to share this insight that I bolted to the desk and typed out this article.  Enjoy!

What do Murray and Calcutta have in common?  Can what we’re doing together to impact the college scene in America hold a candle to what the Missionaries of Charity are doing world-wide?  Mother Teresa believes it can and so do I, and I hope you do as well.

We are exactly where we need to be serving the poorest of the poor!  I’ve been rereading book by Shane Claiborne called The Irresistable Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical, and there’s a passage that especially struck me this time.  He’s reflecting on a 10-week stint he did in Calcutta, serving the people there with Bl. Mother Theresa and the Missionaries of Charity.  He’d just spent three weeks living and working in a leper colony and he writes this about his thought process as he’s getting on the plane home:

“Mother Teresa always said, ‘Calcuttas are everywhere if we only have eyes to see.  Find your Calcutta.’ I was ready to come home.  I knew my Calcutta was in the United States... I learned from the lepers that leprosy is a disease of numbness.  The contagion numbs the skin, and the nerves can no longer feel as the body wastes away... To treat it, we would dig out or dissect the scarred tissue until the person could feel again.  As I left Calcutta, it occurred to me that I was returning to a land of lepers, a land of people who had forgotten how to feel, to laugh, to cry, a land haunted by numbness.  Could we learn to feel again?”

Wow, right?  I’m blown away by this reflection.  What if a simple act of acknowledgement acted as the the Divine Phyician’s scalpul that dissected some “scar tissue” and brought some feeling back into a spiritual leper’s life?  We just have to make that extra effort to give that much more of ourselves.

There are spiritually destitute souls floundering around this society that I have not learned to love nearly enough!  If I loved like Christ loved I would be compelled to stop everyone that walked by me on campus just to get to know them and show them their human dignity by taking an interest in them for even a few minutes.  They’re the love of Jesus’ life, every one of the students passing me by on the sidewalks, and they are all very worth getting to know.

No greater love has a man than to lay his life down for his friends (Jn 15:13), right?  I feel like I’m still holding pretty tightly onto my life. Can any of you relate?  I’m ready to start giving it out. Will you join me?  Let’s go heal some lepers together!!

-Zach