Need a last minute Christmas Gift?

If you have waited too long to get a gift or to for your loved ones, how about considering buying a small digital camera for one of the older girls at St Ann's Girls' Home.  They love talking pictures...

The girls wanted me to teach them how to take pictures, so I will be leading the older girls in a photography class when I return in September.   I would love to have cheap digital cameras for the ten of them.

So if you want to donate $125.00 Canadian, I'll make sure they know from whom was the gift.

Just send a cheque to:

Guyana Christian Charities Canada Inc.

O'Connor - St Ann's Cameras

Mr. Dexter Gonsalves, Treasurer

805 Middlefield Road, Unit 5,

Scarborough, ON    M1V 4Z6

Or you can do so online [if you are really late] at:
http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s68362 

and include in your message "O'Connor - St Ann's Cameras"

Thanks.
John

“The Many Faces of Humility”

“And what does the Lord require of you,

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?”

- Micah 6:8 -

I have come to believe that the journey through the second half of life is essentially about learning the “Art of Humility”. It’s not that we seek it or welcome it, but come it does, often as an unwelcomed guest. Humility comes in many forms and has many faces: I can’t run as fast, jump as high, or throw as far.

This summer I was at the beach with my grandson, Max, playing football. I told him to go out for a pass, “No farther”, I yelled. Out about 20 yards, I took dead aim at my receiver, and unleashed a ferocious bomb right on target . . . but 15 yards short! In my enthusiasm I had forgotten my two shoulder surgeries as well as the fact that I hadn’t thrown a pass in many years. I was devastated, crushed, embarrassed, humiliated. I used to be a very good athlete, and in my mind, that reality hasn’t dimmed -- until another loss, another reality check. “That was then, this is now.”

Learning to walk humbly seems to be the way of things now that I am in my 70th year. This time of life gives new meaning to the Serenity Prayer line, “Accept the things I cannot change”, and the list keeps getting longer: I don’t think as clear, sleep as well, move as quickly. Asking for, and accepting, help and assistance does not come easily to a man steeped in pride. The realization that “I can’t do all I used to do” and that I often need to reach out to others, is humbling.

Donations --

All this came into play in an important way as I was preparing for my third year in Guyana this summer. I decided to reach out to family and friends, and give them the chance to “join me on my  journey” through their financial support. Now I absolutely hate asking for money (especially from those close to me), but I humbly knew that there was a greater good at play.

The first donation was a $4 one--I call it the “Widow’s Mite” -- small in amount in dollars, but proportionate to the giver’s resources it was gigantic. Then came a $100 gift from an old friend, then another from a relative. The checks kept coming and coming, totally over 40! I was humbled. Big gifts, smaller gifts, donations soon went over the $2,000 mark. I’m still not sure what’s beyond humbled, but I am there. So many thanks to all who gifted the children of Guyana through their generosity!

LESSONS IN HUMILITY FROM  . . . .

St. Ann’s Orphanage --

This generosity was quickly put to work by John and me in the purchasing of a brand spanking new fiberglass backboard, hoop and stand for the girls’ outdoor play area. With the enormous help from the folks at Gizmos and Gadgets store in Georgetown, the basketball equipment was delivered, re-assembled and readied for the girls to see.

         

                              

The looks in their eyes and expressions on their faces when we brought them down to the previously empty play area is so hard to describe with words. (I hope a few pictures will help give you a sense of their reactions). Jo’c and I even shot around, doing pretty well for a couple old geezers. In one of my “hot streaks” shooting, one of the girls came over to me with amazement and innocence in her eyes and said, “Are you Michael Jordan?” Without hesitation I responded, “Why yes I am . . . except for the white thing!” We laughed.

Another day we brought a volleyball net and balls, then Twister games, then jump ropes donated by the YMCA in my hometown. For each new gift, words and looks of appreciation flowed from the girls. All John and I could do was “walk (and play) humbly with them”.

 

St. John Bosco School  --

For the boys of Bosco, I focused on the school that they run at the orphanage for Kindergarten through 6th Grade. There are about 18 - 20 boys split up by classes in a cramped and hot space in the basement area of the old orphanage. The desks are old, the books are old, the blackboards are old -- to save space, let me just say most everything there is old, worn and tattered.

But the atmosphere was surprisingly upbeat and appealing, not in small measure due to the team of dedicated teachers who have given their lives to the education and moral development of these children. When I asked the Headmistress, Miss Shelda Emanuel, what I might get to help with the school, she listed things like chalk, glue sticks, games, books, etc. When pressed for more, she sheepishly said, “An easel and paper would be very useful . . . but that would cost too much.”

No, not with the generosity of my North American donors! So I went shopping. When I presented Miss Emanuel with all of the things I was able to purchase, the look of surprise and appreciation humbled me. Amazing that so little could mean so much.

  Miss Emanuel & Miss Daniels

At the end of their school day, all the teachers and boys pray in unison a prayer that they have memorized, to give thanks for the day and each other. I looked around at these little rascals (who I had usually seen running all over the compound, pushing, hitting, throwing and finding mischief wherever they turned), now standing with their hands folded, eyes shut and rotely reciting their daily prayer. I was pre-occupied with this incongruency of behavior until I heard their voices say the following part of the prayer: “And, oh God, Bless all those less fortunate than ourselves!”

“What? What are you saying?”, the voice in my mind shouted. “Don’t you realize that you ARE the least fortunate! You have no parents, no homes, no creature comforts, limited food and clothes. You have no one to tuck you in at night, no one to read you stories. Your health is continually compromised and your future is bleak -- and you dare stand there and pray for those less fortunate?!?!”

Tears came to my eyes as I watched these little souls “doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with their God”. Writing this some 2,500 miles away now, I still tear up and have a palpable feeling of humility beat within me. “And a little child will lead them.”

              

  Bosco’s new “Transition Home” --

Moses and Ravi are both 18 years old, and have been at the orphanage for many years. They are beyond the age that boys normally stay (16 yrs.), but have been kept there because of mental and physical limitations. They are not capable of living independently, but need to move out of the orphanage, They are too old to be there, yet they are too vulnerable to be out on their own.

So the Sisters of Mercy (who run St. John Bosco) purchased a house for them (and others in the future) that could give the boys the safety and supervision that they need. Again donations I brought were able to help here, by purchasing kitchenware, towels, paper products, cleaning supplies, etc., to help them get jump-started in their new dwelling with some of the basics. I was also able to buy a few games for them after I noticed how barren their rooms were.

One day, Ravi and the supervisor of the home, Gabby, walked me from the orphanage through the neighborhood for a couple blocks to the new home. They were eagerly wanting me to see it. As we approached the house, Ravi got increasingly excited. He fumbled with the locked gate to quickly try and get it open. He then pointed to the front door and beckoned me ahead.

As it opened, he suddenly and automatically removed his well-worn pair of flip-flops before he entered . . . as if we were walking on holy ground. And in that moment I felt we were. Humbled by his deep appreciation for his new home, I entered and followed him from room to room as he showed me that sacred space. I must admit it was hard to be a witness to what Pope Francis was talking about when he said, “Those who live on the outskirts of hope.”

                                       

 

“And the last shall be first . . .”  (Mtt.20: 16) --

And finally a few words about those with whom I spent the most time and feel an endearing connection. First, the 23 first year student nurses who were a joy to be with. They were challenging, studious, playful, compassionate, and exuded a wonderful sense of hospitality to me. My “Relationship 101” classes were engaging and fun, and they taught me so much about the similarities and differences of our respective worlds.

But it was their individual stories that moved me the most. “Stories” are always the turning point for me. To hear where they’ve come from in life, where they live, who’s “there” for them (or not), why did they chose nursing, what do they hope to do with their lives in the future . . . was so revealing and powerful. They “loved to tell their story” as the old hymn goes, and I learned so much about their struggles, sacrifices, hopes and dreams. As I listened, I felt (and continue to feel) humbled by their motivation, perseverance, determination, and courage against formidable odds.

                                                  

And finally, finally, my “old” (in many ways!) friend of 50 years now, John O’Connor, aka, Jo’c, Rev., Father John . . .  Little could we have fathomed in our college days with the Maryknoll Missionary Fathers in the 1960’s, that our lives would take such divergent, and yet similar paths, leading us to be reunited in mission for the last three years in Guyana.

His knowledge of, commitment to, and passion for, the people of Guyana and their country are deep and strong. His memory for names, history, geography, culture, religions, politics make him a walking (well, limping now) encyclopedia! People from there ask him about their own country! The respect he engenders, despite his sometimes caustic ways, is illustrative of the man of integrity, warmth and concern that he is. I am proud to call him my friend, and happy to still walk humbly at his side reaching out to those in need.

                             

                                                 

The lessons of Guyana are once again many this year. I continue to be in awe about peoples’ kindness, generosity, compassion, care, and hospitality. I feel a profound sense of humility when I experience them giving from what they barely have.

In that, I learned more deeply about “Blessings” in my own life . . .  that so much of what I have and who I am, is a gift, luck, good fortune, a cosmic break (by whatever name, they are not of my doing!)  --  where I was born, who my parents were, family, health, opportunities for education, employment, travel, and on. True, SOME accomplishments have been by my efforts, but the vast majority have NOT.

And so I returned to my life here in Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA, with its struggles, uncertainties and challenges, feeling a renewed sense of how blessed I am. I will try to live this gratitude better, and more frequently remind myself how I need to continue “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with my God.”

Blessings to you,

Dennis   (aka. Rev. 2, Father Dennis, “M J”)

Dennis: 
Thank you my "older" friend.   I have appreciated re-uniting with you and like you am amazed that we have thrived separately and now together...  

Moving into Elmer Gantry Territory... Do you want more Prosperity?

I have said many times I couldn't have been successful with out all the financial assistance of my family, friends,colleagues and some people whom I have never even met.   Well, my 2014 First Year Nursing Students will need similar support.

Primarily, I am looking to provide each student with their own tablet.    The tablets are not in addition to textbooks; for in the world of today, tablets are the textbooks.    

A textbook is expensive.. and one is required for each course.  So my course would require at least four different textbooks: one for each ethics, neurology, psychology and sociology.   A cheap nursing textbook that I would choose for Ethics costs $75.00 and I'd still have to pay to ship them to Guyana.

The tablets that I am looking at providing will cost about $200.00 in the student's hands... tablet, case, shipping, duty, everything.

The students will be able to use them for all of their subjects in Second, Third and Fourth years... at no additional cost for each new subject.    [And now that I am an old guy - another bonus - is that the tablets weigh a lot less.]

I know that I ask the same people each year.   If you need a break from my begging, I will surely understand.   If you are able to make any contribution, I and my students will appreciate any gift.  

* However, before you pass this year, you may want to read what Arthur Brooks, a conservative expert on the benefits of charitable giving wrote this week [29 March 2014]  in the New York Times:

"In 2003, while working on a book about charitable giving, I stumbled across a strange pattern in my data. Paradoxically, I was finding that donors ended up with more income after making their gifts. This was more than correlation; I found solid evidence that giving stimulated prosperity...  

But when I mentioned my weird findings to a colleague, he told me that they were fairly unsurprising. Psychologists, I learned, have long found that donating and volunteering bring a host of benefits to those who give. In one typical study, researchers from Harvard and the University of British Columbia confirmed that, in terms of quantifying “happiness,” spending money on oneself barely moves the needle, but spending on others causes a significant increase.

... I have found that the real magic of fund-raising goes even deeper than temporary happiness or extra income. It creates meaning." 

Remember that neither I nor Guyana Christian Charities use any of your donation for beer or administrative costs.   100% goes to the purchase of tablets.

Please consider making:
a donation to the 2014 nursing students;
an increase your personal happiness and life's meaning;
and, an investment in your future prosperity.

Sorry, I can't guarantee the last two, 
but your donation will benefit the students greatly.

No donation too small and of course, no donation too big!    
Donating is easy at: PayPal or for more options: Donations.    

If you have any questions, please email me.   John

Donation or Investment – Part Two

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”   Dom Helder Camara

A reason that I do not like asking for donations is that whatever we contribute to  has a remarkable way of staying the same ….. no matter how much money gets thrown at it.

There seems to be a literal acceptance of Jesus’ words, “The poor you will have with you always…” [Mark 14, 7] and this almost always comes as a handy absolution for people who are in not poor.   I do not like it and I do have to include myself in this radical accusation.

One of my heroes from my university days and my first missionary zeal was Dom Helder Camara.  He was a Brazilian bishop, better known as the Bishop of the Poor, who wrote about the link between poverty and violence.   He also wrote a small book called “Spiral of Violence” that supported my opposition to the Vietnam War and placed it in a larger religious context. 

I remember him now for his perspective on understanding social injustices by suggesting a needed paradigm shift.   He wrote, “When shall we have the courage to outgrow the charity mentality and see that at the bottom of all relations between rich and poor there is a problem of justice?”

Not only do I see poverty as “a problem of justice”; I see that justice is a problem for us all by itself.   Charity implies kindness and voluntariness while justice calls for duty and obligations.   Being charitable makes us feel good and virtuous, while doing our duty well is just that – doing what we should.   There are no “virtue” benefits; however, a failure of duty leaves us shamed.  Not good.     

It is no wonder that we prefer the world of the charitable rather than the demands of justice.    Who feels good about paying their taxes?  Obeying red lights?  Getting to work on time?  Feeding your children?   Who gets a reward for doing what they should?   In fact, when we are told what our duty [or fair share] is, we get downright hostile.    I would rather have the feelings that I get from doing good deeds that are outside, over and above the realms of obligation.

Since Camara and others have been unsuccessful in making any significant changes with their logic, let’s just pretend the demands of justice do not exist.  

 

Recently, I read an article by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett from the Sheldon Chumir Foundation.    I liked the article because it agreed with me, but was better at expressing my beliefs.  I‘ll just stretch some of their local and country-wide conclusions to a world application

The evidence shows unmistakably that more equal societies – those with smaller income differences between rich and poor – are friendlier and more cohesive:  community life is stronger, people trust each other more, and there is less crime and violence. So the deep human intuition that inequality is divisive and socially corrosive is true.

While the authors were speaking of a city or a country, I think their conclusions are applicable to the whole globe.  This is why I wrote in my last blog, “I am not asking for saintly altruism; I can accept ‘informed selfishness’”.    A world that has a more equitable sharing of its resources will benefit everyone at home and abroad.  If we want to improve our lives – social, health, economic, that improvement may be intimately connected with the improvement of everyone’s life.  

Ever since those days of youthful idealism, global problems seemed past my comprehension and certainly my abilities to fix – Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Farm Workers.   I focused my energies first on improving the small darkroom of a Chicano newspaper, then a small department in a hospital, and now a small school of nursing in a small hospital in a small country.     I know I will not change the world, nor Guyana, nor even the nursing school.   I have already changed, and will change, the lives of a few students.   They will have to change the hospital and health/health care in Guyana.   

I need your help to provide these two dozen students with the best resources and tools possible for their studies, and for their future responsibilities to make Guyana a more equal society with all the benefits that come with that – safer, more peaceful, less violent, friendlier and healthier……

And since we agreed to pretend that you don’t have any obligations to make a donation, just think of how virtuous you will feel!  

Here, however, is another thought from Camara:  “More and more I pray for the Prodigal Son’s brother… The Prodigal awoke from his life of sins. As for his brother, when will he awake from his life of virtue?”

Enough …… I’ll try a Part Three later...

Donation or Investment - Part One

I know you have many requests for your dollars, and so - no surprise! -- I am asking too.

Here is my pitch:

I am not asking for a donation but an investment.    I want to supply every one of my twenty-four 2013 first year student nurses with a small netbook computer.   They will cost about $300 each, or a $7,200 total.  

The 2011 First Year Class with their new netbooks.

A course textbook costs from $50.00 to 150.00 [plus] for every course.  Some courses require two textbooks.  So if I were asking for textbooks for the four courses I teach, a low-ball average would be the same $300.00.

The netbooks will be used by the students for their entire diploma programme for every course -- and as an added benefit they can play games, listen to music, watch YouTube, and socialize on Facebook.  [Another benefit:  this is a painless way to learn computer skills and there is no need to run a course to teach them.]    They could then almost be like student nurses in the North -- and that is really the point, isn’t it?  

Unless they master the computer skills of the present, they will never compete in the future – and your children will be asked by some “do-gooder” like me for another donation for their children.   Our parents and grandparents made donations, as they did really care for the less fortunate.  However, we still have the “poor” with us… and so will our children’s children .....  unless something different is done.  

I am not asking for saintly altruism; I can accept "informed selfishness":  

Canada and the United States will need many more nurses than we are educating today.  We will need immigrants to look after us oldsters.   I don’t know about you, but I would really like immigrant nurses who are as skilled as our homegrown nurses.

The overall health of a country’s population is a critical factor in its ability to develop economically.  And this is where nurses come in.  Guyana nurses are in the trenches fighting for good nutrition, sanitation, public and school health.   If we can help them do their jobs better today, there's less probability our children will need to help their children.

You won’t get these annoying posts from me.  I may be projecting here, but the begathons, like “Goldie” on PBS make me crazy.   So if I get enough dollars for my first year students, you won’t hear from me again… till next year.   [Well, maybe I lie, as the 2012 First Year students do not have netbooks.]

 

I can’t distribute indulgences now that I am on Martin Luther’s team.  However, I can assure you that you will feel saved, be part of the elect, lose weight, sing an aria at Lincoln Center [for Canadians, Roy Thompson Hall] and your children will think you are fabulous.   

 I have tried to secure a grant -or even a discount- from foundations or companies, but have not been successful.    (I still am writing new applications and a few have not yet been answered.)    So I need to count on my friends, blog readers and rich, old former students in order to make these computers happen.    

And you can invest right now... See "Donate" in the right column above.