Reflections from Precious Blood Volunteers: Martin Echtler

Jul 5, 2018

We asked the seven 2017-2018 Precious Blood Volunteers to answer three questions:

  1. What is/are some relationship(s) that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
  2. What are some of the experiences that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
  3. How have you grown during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?

Below are the answers from former Precious Blood Volunteer Martin Echtler. 

Martin Echtler serving dinner at the Bishop Sullivan Center


The former US-Basketball star Michael Jordan said back in the days “I can accept failure, but I can’t accept not trying”. I read this quote at the wall of the dining room at the Bishop Sullivan Center and it inspired and accompanied me during my time as a Precious Blood Volunteer. It stands for a lot of experiences I had during my time in Kansas City.
The Precious Blood community received me with open arms and with an unbelievable kindness. The life within the flat-sharing community at the Gaspar Mission House with Father Garry, Father Dick, Juan, my fellow Volunteers Lota, Alia and John (and not to forget our dog Buddy) was marked by mutual respect, helpfulness and friendship. In addition, I had the chance to build up a lot of relationships at my volunteer placement, the Bishop Sullivan Center. Above all, I need to name Doug, the director of the Center, who took care of me in a very kind way. He showed me how to build up relationships with my co-workers and also the clients and visitors of the Center. But even more, he connected me to people who like German culture, especially soccer. It ended up that we met every Saturday morning to watch the matches with a lot of awesome people. But all these would have never been possible without Tim. He was always there as a helper, motivator, inspiration and friend. We all walked a part of our way through this life together and it doesn’t matter what will happen in the future – you’ll all stay in my heart as friends & I hope we’ll meet us again someday!

Martin Echtler shows off his yoga skills


This climate of friendship helped me to try – try to help people. At the Bishop Sullivan Center I had the chance to work in different fields of social support. A central part was the food pantry, where people get a certain amount of groceries depending from the family size every month. A further part was the soup kitchen which serves hot meals every night from Monday till Friday to people in need. Everybody is welcome to come, chat and eat there. My time at the pantry and the kitchen was not only an inspiration – it showed me a deeper value of food. Our daily bread is not a matter of course! But I have not started to see only food from another perspective. During my work with assistance-applications it concerned also other basic needs like water, electricity and gas. I saw people struggle with their daily life in a tough way. To help these people was not always easy, because I had to deal with different limitations. Sometimes I was not able to provide the kind of help I wanted to and this can be a heartbreaking experience. But I also learned that “help” doesn’t always mean to provide physical goods – it means sometimes just to be there and listen. This awareness had a sustainable impact on me. It filled my heart with great pleasure to walk with people in need…even if it were only a few steps!

2017-2018 Volunteers Marijo Gabriel, Martin Echtler and Alia Sisson with staff member Lucia


My time as Precious Blood Volunteer was not limited in building up friendships and trying to help people – it also helped me trying myself to grow. It’s not easy to bring these into words, because I see my personal growth during my Volunteer time as a mosaic, a composition of many smaller and bigger experiences which influenced me in a variety of different ways. Retrospective I’m sure about that conversations to people had the largest impact on me. Ordinary and extraordinary talks with a variety of different people about life, God and religion, family, friends, work, culture, problems, politics, sports & many other topics showed me a great number of different perspectives and made my life so much richer.
In the end I want to come back to the quote of the beginning. My time as a Precious Blood Volunteer made me more courageous to try. Trying is so important, because without trying we will never know about so many things. Of course there’s always a risk to fail, but a life without risks is not possible – so let’s try. Again and again and again – I’m sure we won’t fail!  
Martin served as a Precious Blood Volunteer at the Bishop Sullivan Center from September 2017-February 2018.

To learn more about becoming a Precious Blood Volunteer go to www.preciousbloodvolunteers.org. 

 

Reflections from Precious Blood Volunteers: Lota Ofodile

Jul 6, 2018

We asked the seven 2017-2018 Precious Blood Volunteers to answer three questions:

  1. What is/are some relationship(s) that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
  2. What are some of the experiences that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
  3. How have you grown during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?

Below are the answers from former Precious Blood Volunteer Lota Ofodile.

Leah Landry, John Lee, Hector Avitia and Lota Ofodile at Orientation


At the start of my volunteer commitment, I had expected to develop close interpersonal relationships with certain people such as my co-volunteers and housemates, especially considering the emphasis the program placed on community living. But there was no way for me to imagine the level of trust and friendship that blossomed throughout the course of this experience. I am most grateful for the KC volunteers who were just a delight to live with. John, Alia and Martin—thank you for your patience, openness and willingness to accept me for all my flaws and differences, and for making me feel comfortable enough to share my life with you. Fr. Garry Richmeier and Fr. Dick Bayuk who are essentially parents to us, to the point that the house always felt incomplete whenever any of them travelled. I am grateful to Tim Deveney for always being the guy to count on, who facilitated and fostered these relationships and made it easy for us to let our guards down and truly be one with each other. I am also thankful to the Kansas City based Jesuit Volunteers, especially Katie Love who contributed to making my time at KC CARE Clinic memorable and gratifying.

John Lee, Fr. Garry Richmeier, Fr. Richard Bayuk, Lota Ofodile, Alia Sisson, Juan Martinez, and Tim Deveney enjoying a beautiful evening in Kansas City


It’s hard to pick out specific experiences that stood out because the entire experience has been so remarkable. But generally, I would say:

  1. Family dinners – I don’t know if you have heard, but both Fr. Dick and Garry have culinary skills that I feel guilty for partaking in free of charge. But beyond that, it meant so much to be able to come home from work, especially after long days, and have a nice meal with everyone (including Juan whenever he could make it), and talk about our day, the news, share past memories, laugh, and just unwind.
  2. Spirituality night – Once a month, Tim would come over to the Gaspar house, and we would all reflect on whatever the theme and reading for that month was. It was an opportunity to hear each other out, as well as an avenue for open, honest and non-judgmental conversations about our personal beliefs and experiences. This tradition, in my opinion was key in maintaining the sense of community we had with each other.
  3. Working at the clinic – As an aspiring physician, I couldn’t be more grateful for my time at KC CARE. It is widely accepted that being a good physician is being able to care for people, not just as it concerns their physical health, but also seeing them as they are, and caring for their whole person. Everything about the clinic from our patient demographic to our commitment to serve the marginalized, and the character of my colleagues has definitely helped me develop my character in that light.

Precious Blood Volunteers Martin Echtler, Lota Ofodile, and Alia Sisson with Tim Deveney


In so many ways! Most significant is my personal spiritual growth which was important to me coming in, and which this year has definitely enhanced. Besides more regular personal prayer and easy access to Mass, which is literally in my backyard (St Francis Xavier Parish), I have come to realize that faith without works is indeed dead. I have come to understand that almost any activity we engage in, can be a form of prayer as long as there is a God-consciousness to it. The intentional community living aspect of this experience has made me more conscious of my personal habits and attitudes, and I believe has made me more open and accommodating of others. Lastly, working at the clinic has exposed me to such a diverse group of people, which constantly challenges me to dismiss the prejudices I had about individuals with backgrounds and lifestyles that are different from mine. I am also convinced, now more than ever, that despite the many social ills and injustices in our world today, the only way to progress involves selflessness, mutual respect and seeing God in each of us.
On the whole, I can definitively say that this experience has been so enriching on so many levels. I certainly got more out of it than I predicted, and I am eternally grateful for all of it, and everyone, friends, family, colleagues and the entire Precious Blood family who have in one way or another, contributed to my experience. Peace and blessings!
Lota served as a Precious Blood Volunteer at KC CARE Health Center from August 2017-June 2018.

To learn more about becoming a Precious Blood Volunteer go to www.preciousbloodvolunteers.org.

Reflections from Precious Blood Volunteers: Alia Sisson

Jul 2, 2018

Reflections from Precious Blood Volunteers: Alia Sisson

We asked the seven 2017-2018 Precious Blood Volunteers to answer three questions:

  1. What is/are some relationship(s) that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
  2. What are some of the experiences that have stood out for you during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?
  3. How have you grown during your time as a Precious Blood Volunteer?

Below are the answers from former Precious Blood Volunteer Alia Sisson.

Precious Blood Volunteers Martin Echtler, Lota Ofodile, and Alia Sisson with Tim Deveney


I’d like to start out saying I haven’t had a bad relationship my entire time here, which is pretty wild considering how many people I’ve interacted with. From my RCIA Team at St. Francis Xavier, to my bus 55 driver, to certain clients I’ve gained a rapport with, every relationship no matter how small has been enriching to my experience in some way.

However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t give a special shout out to everyone I lived with here in Kansas City. Going to Mass almost every morning with Juan has been amazing. I loved hearing stories of Father Dick’s childhood in Wisconsin, and enjoying Father Garry’s jokes and 5-star cooking. All of the volunteers will always hold a special place in my heart. We have bonded on different levels but I can honestly say I appreciate everyone I’ve shared this experience with so much! I hope to stay in touch with the Chicago crew, and Martin, John, Lota (and Tim!) I hope will be lifelong friends.

Stand out experiences for me have all revolved around the people I most care about here. First, I was honored to be invited to Tim’s mother’s home in St. Louis for Thanksgiving and to share that singular experience with Tim’s family and Martin. More fond memories were having the Jesuit Volunteers over for dinner, the farewell parties for John and Martin, and celebrating my confirmation, to name a few. I also enjoyed our spirituality nights, retreats, and trip to Chicago. Some of my favorite memories from Kansas City are when my parents and best friend from college visited. It was so much fun to show them the city that I have grown to love (and of course stuff them with that famous Kansas City barbeque). Any time we get off our devices, break bread, and share our spirits makes me very happy.

I have been here just enough time to achieve a pleasant rhythm and routine without it becoming monotonous. Knowing I was going to be at Legal Aid for 9 months gave me the chance to dig deep and do some real work. Over this time span, I could see some of the fruits of my labor, while not getting so comfortable as to lose my spark. Not every day is fireworks and rainbows, but finding the joy in sometimes banal tasks is a big part of being a good Christian. I don’t have to be constantly entertained to do a good job and help people, and that has been a good lesson for me as I prepare for full time work for the next 40-ish years.

My job has also allowed me to grow in compassion and empathy. Asking women about the worse physical violence they have ever experienced is incredibly hard, but also having these women be so vulnerable and offer their stories really connected me to them. Through this experience I have grown to see that everyone suffers, but some suffer far more trauma than others. It made me realize how fortunate I have been in my life and how much I want to help others who have experienced appalling abuse.

Alia Sisson, Tim Deveney, and Lota Ofodile


Through my experience as a Precious Blood Volunteer I have also grown spiritually. Going through RCIA from October through January really helped me focus in on what it is I love about the Roman Catholic faith. I have learned that I am more traditional in my faith than many people I am surrounded by, and that is ok because there is no one right way to do it. As Catholicism is the universal church, it has enough room for licit diversity of thought and worship. I’ve grown closer to God through daily mass, prayer, and with the relationships I’ve forged with people here. Every day I try to invite God’s Holy Spirit into my heart and get out of the way of my own spiritual progress. While far from perfect, without a doubt I am leaving this experience as a changed and better woman.

Alia served as a Precious Blood Volunteer at Legal Aid of Western Missouri from September 2017-June 2018.

To learn more about becoming a Precious Blood Volunteer go to www.preciousbloodvolunteers.org.