Monday, July 12, 2010

Amor Puro

Filled with the desire to share Christ’s vision of what love means in regards to sexual purity, Marie and Elizabeth ventured down once again to Bolivia during their summer vacation to share their mission of love: Amor Puro.

Marie and Elizabeth were Salesian Lay Missioners in Okinawa for 2+ years – teaching at the local high school and elementary school, San Francisco Xavier, that I presently teach at. During their last 6 months they started giving talks on human sexuality, specifically chastity talks and its relevance in the lives of the teens. They were so well received, they came back during their summer for round two and I was blessed to get to watch them in action!

Greatly inspired the teachings of John Paul II with his teachings on Theology of the Body, the girls gave chastity talks to different high schools and youth groups. Starting with talks on self-esteem, they then used Jason Evert’s book, Pure Love as the base for their talks. Each student received a booklet, were given assignments to read certain passages, and the following day the girls would go over the passage and explain how it was relevant in their lives.

Being a teacher here in Bolivia, I wondered if the students would actually do the reading. Many of the students have jobs, as well as homework, on top of other challenges - but I was wrong. The students were actively engaged and when it came to homework some students even quoted verbatim from the book. Clearly, the message was of keen interest and because it was presented in an entirely new way, the teens were captivated. Many, many of the students are already sexually active - but are surprisingly unaware of the consequences: such as sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and even discussing what actually defines sex. The talks forced the students to understand and reflect upon their actions, to see how powerful sex is and God's beautiful purpose for it! 

Most families here have life partners, rather than spouses. The concept of marriage as a sacrament and being faithful to one person, has yet to make its way into Bolivian culture. And, with continued efforts from the laity, like Marie and Elizabeth, it won't be long before it does.

*If you are unfamiliar with or would like to learn more about Theology of The Body - Christopher West is a great start and so is EWTN's reference of all of the 129 general audiences given by John Paul II (http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/jp2tb103.htm)

God Bless - Hope you all are well!

“Real love is demanding, I would fail in my mission if I did not tell you so. Love demands a personal commitment to the will of God.” - John Paul II