GSR is a blessing in my journey as a missionary

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(Unsplash/Chivalry Creative)

Flying in V Formation

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Translated by Helga Leija

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Editor's note: Global Sisters Report, the dynamic online community that reports on and gives voice to Catholic women religious around the world, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Join us as we take another look at stories and columns published in 2014 with new updates and reporting. 

When the seed falls on fertile ground, it transforms, germinates and sustains the cycle of life. In my missionary journey, I see this extended community of Global Sisters Report as embodying that same vitality and growth.

Global Sisters Report has been a community where I've found that the voices of religious sisters around the world are actively listened to, where our words are embraced, and our experiences are valued. Simultaneously, it has become a space for me to develop and deepen my connection with God through the shared experiences of sisters in the various mission locations where we serve.

Global Sisters Report serves as a platform for sharing the daily life and mission from places where the voices and work of sisters are often hidden. GSR uncovers these stories and makes them known, no matter the situation we find ourselves in. They provide us with a vital network of support, communicating the realities we experience with honesty and profound significance.

Finding GSR has been like finding an oasis amidst the despair and helplessness I face in my mission country, where the dictatorship is intensifying its crackdown on religious life and the church. Through their simplicity and professionalism, they have opened their website to serve as a voice for our challenging context. It has become a close-knit and expansive community where we feel like sisters, united in weaving the dream of a shared prophetic mission and a passion for communicating life in all its dimensions.

In GSR, I've discovered a wellspring of sustenance and a broader perspective of a universal reality where the Jesus of the Gospel challenges and propels us to proclaim. I've encountered the passion and selfless dedication of each sister who, with both quality and human warmth, has bravely shared her insights and has made her way in the vast realm of communicating events and life experiences with honesty.

GSR has been my way out of so many obstacles, a light in the midst of the darkness along the road and a means to nurture life in the midst of barren spaces.

In this community network, I've been gradually overcoming shyness to share how God is revealing himself to me in the experiences of pain and suffering of our people, as well as in the glimpses of light reflected in our commitment to live fully. Through each column received and shared, I've experienced your dedication to righteous causes and the support offered through prayer — a bond that fosters sisterhood and promotes tangible changes in what it means to live religious life today, especially in challenging circumstances. I am deeply grateful for your courage in recognizing the genuine struggles we sisters face in our various missions.

I celebrate with you, Global Sisters Report, for the gift you are to the church and the world. My gratitude for your 10 years of dedication to all of us consecrated women around the world.

This story appears in the GSR at 10 Years feature series. View the full series.

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