Desert

If the Philippines have the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, here in the north of Chile we have mountains of "chocolates," no green trees, just all brown soil.

I never imagined living in a desert in my life. Every time I read the passage in the Bible which mentioned wilderness or desert, I questioned myself. How would it feel to live in the desert? Now I find myself here in the desert of Chile, and I know how it feels to live in the desert. Others may not appreciate the desert, but for me I see the beauty behind those chocolate mountains without the trees. I see the beauty of the sun rising in the morning and the sun as it sets in the afternoon. I always believe that beauty depends on the eyes of the beholder.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

As a Columban lay missionary, I was so blessed with the opportunity to go to other places, and so one day, I decided to go to Peru to see the beauty of the place. As I travelled from north of Chile going to Peru by bus, it was really one unforgettable memory. There I saw different colors of soil along the road, different forms of mountains, valleys and of course different curves and narrow roads.

As I was looking around the deserted place, it brought me back to where I come from. I am from a tropical place, with plenty of rains, soft soil, plenty of rivers, vast plains of plants and vegetation, all green. My original home is the total opposite of the desert.

Am I still in the tropical place where there is no need to put more effort to plant and cultivate where grow plants easily, or am I really in the desert where there’s a need to cultivate, water and till the plants?

As we were getting nearer to Peru, I saw amazing and beautiful scenery which I considered some of the most unforgetable places in my life. I saw group of farmers planting corn and different vegetables in the middle of the desert. I said to myself, "WOW, this is unbelievable!" It was an "Aha!" moment for me. I asked myself, is it real? Are they real? It really amazed me, and it brought me again to the place where I come from, the Philippines in Mindanao, where I was born and raised. This particular scene reminded me of the words of the missionaries in my place, asking "why don't the people here plant, when in fact you have a vast area of green land? You have good soil, and good weather with all the rain and sun." At that moment in time, I couldn't understand why they were saying that to us. But now I know the reason why they asked such questions.

The questions the missionaries raised make sense to me now. Why we were not able to plant when we are blessed with good land and weather? Here, I've crossed the desert, and witnessed the farmers cultivating it, planting with no hesitation, despite the dry soil and no rain. They're happy doing it and very productive.

Seeing these things made me ask myself a few questions. How about me? How is my missionary life? Am I still in the tropical place where there is no need to put more effort to plant and cultivate where grow plants easily, or am I really in the desert where there's a need to cultivate, water and till the plants? Like the farm in the desert, it needs to be tilled and watered.

That's how I feel about my experience as missionary here in Chile. The challenge for me now is how will I do that? How will I become the water of my ministry so that it will be fruitful and productive? As of this moment, these are my guiding questions that will help me continue my mission and hoping to have a memorable and significant experience in this place. I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. God is calling me to something which I still need to discover. And being in this place, it would help me find the answers to my questions.

Through this experience of mine, I am reminded of this quote, "Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must but take the step." I do believe that, as long as I have the desire and passion to continue despite my difficulties, challenges and worries. There is always a "big" thing that will happen neither during my time or after my time…it doesn't matter.

He found me, He cared for me and He encircled me with all the blessings I need and I can pay it forward.

Originally from the Philippines, Columban lay missionary Lorna Canete lives and works in Chile.