Following the completion of the 2nd Latin American Lasallian Region (RELAL) Volunteering Congress, Mourad Barsoum, Director of the Office of Vocations and Volunteer Ministry of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, claims that this experience “is a hope for the Region”.
Given the reality of the Institute, getting to know RELAL and understanding its dynamics in relation to volunteer ministry and the people who are part of this network, for Mourad “has been a great enrichment”.
The Egyptian lay Lasallian was part of the group of 25 participants who gathered from 21 to 25 August on the triple Amazonian border between Brazil, Colombia and Peru, in Tabatinga, where there is a Lasallian community which welcomes volunteers and carries out its mission in the Amazonian territory from the perspective of the Leavening Movement.
Vision, Mission, Hope
“I see happiness, hope and a new horizon, and it is important that the whole Region has come together to build a vision, a mission and to see what the next five years are going to be like. For me, the Lasallian Volunteer Movement is a sign of hope for Lasallians (…) also from the perspective of being “One La Salle”,” assures the Director of the Office of Vocations and Volunteer Ministry.
Faced with the tasks and actions that could be developed in the time to come, Mourad acknowledges the importance of those who “are willing to give their time” and take on the exciting experience of volunteering in Latin America, as well as in Asia, Africa or in any context where the Institute is present. “I encourage Lasallians to ‘come and see’,” he says, evoking the words that Jesus addresses to those who want to follow him: “Come and see” (Jn 1:46). “Volunteering is not just for a certain type of person, but for everyone”, he affirms with conviction.
Faith, Fraternity and Service
Those who experience a Lasallian voluntary service are welcomed by a community of Brothers based on three pillars: faith, fraternity and service. “We encourage volunteers to pray with the Brothers and to have a missionary and fraternal experience. “The experience of community is very strong in our Lasallian Family and our service to the most vulnerable children really touches the hearts of the volunteers,” he concludes.
Do you want to know more about and participate in a Lasallian volunteer experience? Write to mbarsoum@lasalle.org
Do you want to know more about the 2nd RELAL Volunteering Congress?
We invite you to watch the short documentary “Volunteering without borders”, produced by the Generalate and RELAL.