ANA REGINA NOGUEIRA INTERNATIONALFRATERNITY HUMANITARIAN MISSIONS I IRDIN Copyright © 2020 by Ana Regina Nogueira da Costa Irdin is a nonprofit publishing house Photos By the author and by anonymous volunteers Graphic project Ana Regina Nogueira, in collaboration with Pedro Crown Cover Camarinha Comunicação Cover photo Feliciano Henrique Machado Coelho Proofreading Volunteer team of Irdin Editora Association International Cataloging in Publication Data (CIP) Nogueira, Ana Regina Fraternity — international humanitarian missions / Ana Regina Nogueira — Carmo da Cachoeira : Irdin, 2020. 484p. : il. ISBN 978-65-990510-0-5 1. Humanitarian Aid. 2. Missionaries. 3. Refugees. 4. Natural catastrophes. 5. Spiritual Life. I. Title CDD: 361.7 The book was written in Portuguese and translated into English All rights reserved by ASSOCIAÇÃO IRDIN EDITORA Cx. Postal 2, Carmo da Cachoeira—MG, Brasil, CEP 372225-000 Phones: (55 35) 3225-2252 | (55 35) 3225-2616 www.irdin.org.br I thank my spiritual instructor, the philosopher and writer José Triguei- rinho Netto, who taught me treasures, told me to write this book and read it line by line, offering me precious suggestions. I thank the volunteers listed below, who work for free for the sake of uni- versal Good and Peace. To the primary missionaries, protagonists who gave me support in the course of interviews: Ana Maria Moreira Bruzzi (Shen) – also content editor, Gaston Capdeville (Imer), Ricardo Rinaldi Baumgartner, Vânia Fátima dos Santos (Clara). To those who shared experiences and reflections: Anastasia Ioannidis, Anderson Pereira Santiago, André Luís Esteves Pinto (Frei Thomas), Angelica Del Lujan Baglivo, Arthur Francisco dos Santos Gonçalves, Augusto dos Reis Vieira e Silva (Frei Zeferias de Tarso), Camila Ribeiro Quaresma (Irmã María de la Alegría), Celina Estela Santos, Claudia Sanches Machado, Cristiane de Oliveira Ferreira Soares, David Marinho e Silva (Iesus), Débora Caldeira Murta, Denise Mendes Gomes, Eliana Coelho Ramos, Elizane Gonçalves Pires (Madre Maria Glória), Fernando Esteves Pinto, Flora Agni Teresa Lima, Florencia Biancalana, Gabriel da Cunha Nunes de Araujo Reis, Helentiana de Paiva Gonçalves, Juan Jose Correa Franco (Elamed), Juliana Oliveira Maurício da Silva Mangaba (Irmã Maria Auxiliadora), Juliana Pacifico Cabral (Esther), Lilia Ramona Cabral Sánches (Faustina), Luiz Fernando Perez de Moraes, Mabel Teresa Jozami, Luzia Serdano (Mariandja), Maria Alexandrina Fonseca Magalhães, Maria Alice de Miranda Carvalho, Maria Cairamir Arruda Braga, Mauricio Gonçalves de Oliveira Guidetti, Mauro Cristiano Cavalcanti, Mene Abdo Meni, Pedro Bambini Vasconcellos (Vitório), Míriam Blos, Olga Elena di Loren- zo Cedeño, Patricia Sánchez, Rosimar Cordeiro da Silva (Madre Teresa), Rosineide Lima Pereira de Freitas (Rosi), Samanta Mary Martins Singh, Sil- vio José de Campos, Stella Giok Hoa Sih, Tenente J. Lima, Valéria Nogueira Alves Meni (Hayla), Viviana Walsh, Wanderley Américo de Freitas. To the proofreader in the Portuguese language, Teresinha Pires, for her support to the author in each step of the writing, Beatriz Beleza and Maria de Lourdes Tavares Costa (Ave Isis). To the content editor Josué Nogueira dos Santos (Friar Sebastian). To the audio transcribers Dilma Villela, Evânia Oliveira, Iara Gomes de Bulhões (Sister María de la Compasión), Marilda Cerri, Regina Célia Frederico. To the translator into English, Eliza Graça and Mauro Rotenberg, and their proofreaders, John David Cutrell, Linda Rae Summer, Luis Gonzaga Fragoso and Terry Lee. To the translator and proofreaders into Spanish. To the anonymous missionaries who recorded most of the missions photo- graphic collection, and to the photographers Feliciano Henrique Machado Coelho and Murilo Gomide Machado Coelho. To my son Pedro Crown, who drew the maps of the book and helped me create its graphic design. To the team of volunteers of Irdin Editora, especially to its director Jose Luis Lopez Cortes and to its designer Alice Keiko Taira. To the members of the Council of Permanent Guidance of Fraternidade— Humanitarian International Federation: Carmem Cecilia Correa Guedim (Mother María del Salvador), Elisabeth Cesar Blanco (Mother María Shimani), Francesco Gullo (Friar Luciano), Samuel Berkman Mendonça Santos (Friar Supremo). To thousands of personages from diverse nations, who are present in this book. Finally, to all human and non-human beings who give themselves to missionary care, the raison-d’être of the fraternal encounter. And last, to Eryannis Maria Flores Torres, the Venezuelan girl on the cov- er, photographed in the shelter of Boa Vista for displaced indigenous peo- ple, whose story is on the last page of this book. To all, our deep gratitude. Dedicated to Trigueirinho, our patient instructor. Table of Contents Maps Fraternidade Humanitarian Missions ......................................................... 12 List of acronyms and abbreviations ................................................................... 15 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 16 PROLOGUE What is it to be a missionary? ................................................................................ 21 Humanitarian missions ......................................................................................... 25 Going beyond the material horizon ...................................................................... 31 Conversations with missionaries ........................................................................... 33 Young learners ......................................................................................................... 36 PART I THE FIRST MISSIONS Nepal Mission The first crossing ............................................................................................ 44 Testimony of a young missionary ................................................................. 52 Nicaragua Mission Music to relieve pain ...................................................................................... 55 Africa Missions Service to love in the heart of Africa ........................................................... 59 Ethiopia Bringing peace with joy .............................................................. 62 Kenya You could be one of us ................................................................. 72 Rwanda Outer Africa and inner Africa .................................................... 78 Uganda To serve and to love ...................................................................... 83 Democratic Republic of the Congo Les Catorze ..................................... 87 Turkey Mission Only love can heal the pain .......................................................................... 95 Refugees wait ................................................................................................. 108 PART II MISSIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA Backcountry Mission, Alagoas, Brazil Crossing borders towards people’s hearts .................................................. 118 Chaco Mission, Argentina The rescue of indigenous people ................................................................ 126 Paraguay Mission All things pass, the indigenous consciousness observes ....................... 136 PART III ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTERS IN SOUTH AMERICA Mariana Mission, Brazil The earth: animals in toxic mud ................................................................ 148 Dolores Mission, Uruguay The air: a four-minute tornado ................................................................. 160 Emergency Mission, Chile Forests on fire ................................................................................................ 167 Zona da Mata Mission, Brazil Confraternity Mission, Argentina Flooded homes and hearts .......................................................................... 175 PART IV BRAZIL AND GREECE PERMANENT MISSIONS Planetary Mission Network ............................................................................... 186 Permanent Mission in Carmo da Cachoeira, Brazil Serving and ascending ................................................................................ 190 Shed of Saint Joseph ..................................................................................... 198 House of Welcome ........................................................................................ 204 Missionary Practices: I´m going! ............................................................... 207 Greece Permanent Mission To ignite consciousnesses ............................................................................ 214 PART V RORAIMA PERMANENT MISSION, BRAZIL Boa Vista You were not forgotten ................................................................................ 226 What to do for them .................................................................................... 231 Solidarity network of Boa Vista ................................................................. 233 Opening of the first Immigrant Reference Center ................................. 235 Closed wounds .............................................................................................. 237 Opening of the second Immigrant Reference Center ............................. 239 Fraternal love for Venezuelans ................................................................... 242 First week at the Immigrant Reference Center ........................................ 243 Pintolândia Shelter ......................................................................................