Michael Wyrzykowski is one of eight seminarians from Mundelein Seminary traveling with CRS Ethiopia as part of the Global Fellows program. Here he shares his thoughts as the trip begins.
It is Thursday, February 18, 2010, and it is the start of our trip to Ethiopia. As I open my journal to reflect on the events that are about to unfold in the next eight days, I make few distinct notes. We are cruising at 600 miles per hour, at an altitude of 33,000 feet, and few hundred miles south of the most eastern town of Canada named after Saint John. These might seem irrelevant points of information, yet for me they are very concrete, facts proving that yes, indeed, I am going to Africa! This is really happening!
I know that this journey is going to be an experience of a lifetime for many reasons. But if I can sum it up in one sentence I would say: To fall in love with Africa, a love that will remain faithful through all the distractions, various commitments, frustrations, and finally the busyness of our lives here in the United States. To remain true to a love that will authentically express the message of Ethiopia to our people of United States—a charity that advocates and calls others to be generous with their resources, time, and efforts on behalf of the most vulnerable, the poor, the sick, and the abandoned. Perhaps these people to be embraced do not need to be thousands of miles away but can be in our nation, our cities, our neighborhoods, or even next door to our house.
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