‘Being a missionary is a humble and hidden life.’ A sister encouraged me with these words as I prepared to leave the United States as a missionary to South Africa. I remember realizing I was called to pour out the best of myself to people I did not know. It was a privilege, and sometimes I did not feel up to the task.
In the first months, I was homesick and felt the transition. Through the experience of being uprooted and replanted, I began to understand my life as the first mission field. The Lord was at work, and I experienced his fidelity in the daily grace I received from his Word and Eucharistic presence, through the inspiring mission stories we shared in community, and the generosity of many people I had come to know and love.
In my young heart, I was convinced that love makes fidelity beautifully possible—God’s love and our love. The Zulu greeting, Sawubona, meaning, “I see you,” often reminded me of this, and over time, it took on a deeper meaning: God knows and sees us all. One of the greatest lessons I learned from the missions was the quiet fidelity of Pauline missionaries, who have given so much to Jesus and his people and are happy to make sacrifices that only he can see.
